Silent Hill: Homecoming
Score: 80% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Konami Developer: Double Helix Games Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Survival Horror/ Action/ Adventure
Graphics & Sound: It doesn't seem like all that long ago since the last Silent Hill game came out. Although that was a PS2 game, regardless we now have the first next-gen entry in the form of Silent Hill: Homecoming and it fits in nicely this close to Halloween. The Silent Hill series has always been known for their creepy atmosphere and ability to make players squirm and this entry has it in spades. Anyone familiar with the series knows that they have a unique visual style. It isn't technically impressive, but it achieves the desired effect. Most of the recurring characters that you will see are very nicely made. Each creature has a great amount of detail and the main character, Alex Shepherd, has a large range of emotions and pulls off all of the smaller subtleties with ease. It is refreshing to see a character that can pull off a look of terror without looking too campy. The only issue is that some of the characters that aren't seen very often, like supporting cast, don't sport nearly as much detail as something as pointless as the grunt monsters. The audio is always solid in a Silent Hill game and Akira Yamaoka, the game's lead musician and executive producer, has done it again by combining chaos and rhythm into a scary sound that sets the mood perfectly. There was obviously an extra step for all of the nastier sound effects like gurgles and splats, since they just sound so gross (in a good way.) A horror game is nothing without a suitable soundtrack and atmosphere and Silent Hill: Homecoming works on both levels, which is something that some horror games can't pull off these days.
Gameplay: For Silent Hill: Homecoming, you follow Alex Shepherd who has been dropped off in his hometown of Shepherd's Glen by a nice truck driver named Travis. He was off at war and he has returned home for an indefinite leave and finds the town covered in a familiar fog and plagued by evil creatures. His brother, Josh, has gone missing and most people say that his Dad has gone looking for Josh. Although it may not take place entirely in the town of Silent Hill, you will go there eventually and it will be worth the wait. Unfortunately, you have to figure out all of the puzzles and nightmares that haunt Shepherd's Glen before you can do anything. It has become a little bothersome in horror games to have so many locked doors and to backtrack as often as you look for a save point, but just as Silent Hill: Homecoming gets to that point of annoyance, it rewards you with a good scare or a genuinely creepy movie. Silent Hill: Homecoming is a survival horror game and it needs to convey a sense of dread and fear in the character at all times. One way that they can do that is to have clumsy controls so it feels more realistic. Silent Hill: Homecoming maintains the control scheme from most of the previous games which most fans will love, while newcomers may not appreciate as much. Silent Hill: Homecoming sports one big new feature. Since Alex was a war veteran, he should be able to handle his own in combat and to reflect that, the developers have given a facelift to the combat mechanics. Alex can wield most weapons with relative ease, but the biggest improvement is the dodge feature. As an enemy approaches, you can now dodge most attacks without taking any damage, but be careful because just the slightest of timing errors can mean near instant death on some creatures. I think that this should have been the one thing that should have had more time spent to polish. The dodge mechanic does work, it's just that sometimes it feels as if the computer doesn't want you to do well and you will get hurt anyway even though you could swear you pressed that damn button before the nurses sliced at you with their knives. Speaking of nurses, they have also included many things that long-time fans will recognize like smog creatures, zombie nurses, health drinks, and the crazed Pyramid Head. Well, he is called the Bogeyman now, but I know a Pyramid Head when I see one. It is so crammed with references and homages to previous games, that I feel that it might be a little hard for someone unfamiliar with the series to really get into and enjoy. But Alex's story is nicely told and by the end, you will know why they told him to stay the hell away from that town.
Difficulty: Silent Hill: Homecoming has a few different difficulty modes like Normal and Hard. On the Normal setting, though, it has a little bit of a jagged difficulty curve. Easy to start, really tough parts in the middle, and aside from one last puzzle at the end, a ridiculously easy final boss. It is rather hard to explain how difficult Silent Hill: Homecoming is. Some people are going to spend more time on the puzzles and mysteries, while others (like me) will have a hard time with specific enemy encounters. The hardest part of Silent Hill: Homecoming is going to be adjusting to the controls; if that sort of thing comes naturally to you, then you shouldn't really have a problem. But if you are more accustomed to more recent control setups, then you should spend a while running around to get your bearings first.
Game Mechanics: Combat and the camera system are the only two things that really need mentioning in Silent Hill: Homecoming. If you see an enemy as they are approaching, you can enter into combat stance and attack with either strong or weak attacks. Cycling through your weapons is made easy, so you don't need to go to the Menu every time. Different weapons are better suited for different attacks, but for the most part just swing away with a crowbar until the creature dies, (well, until you get the laser pistol.) Dodging moments will be telegraphed by enemy attack patterns. As the monster rears back, get ready for an attack and press the (B) button to move out of the way unharmed. It works well in theory, but sometimes the panic of being surrounded by creatures often creates frustration rather than terror. Moving Alex around the towns is another aspect that should have had more time to polish. While it is traditional in the genre sense, it just feels clunky and dated by modern standards. You move Alex with the left stick entirely. If you press right on the stick, instead of turning in that direction and walking, Alex simply strafes to the right. The camera is controlled on the right stick and will need to be synchronized with the movement on the left stick if you want to read signs or examine objects. Some people prefer controls like this and that is fine, though it can be a little frustrating when a monster is attacking and you panic and run into the attack instead of turning around like you needed to. Silent Hill: Homecoming is easily one of the scariest games that is available this year. It is clear that the team spent a long time crafting a well thought-out experience, and it is appreciated. However, there are times where the story becomes too rooted in previous ideas, like other games in the series and the Silent Hill movie, that it is ultimately more fan service than new content.
-HanChi, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Hanchey
NBA Live 09 Dokapon Kingdom