Despite a few mediocre entries into the Silent Hill canon, the series has enjoyed remarkable success. As more creepy games move toward action over slow-paced exploration, Konami has stuck to its guns, for better or worse. Silent Hill: Homecoming, the latest entry and the first for the current generation of consoles, hasn't deviated much from the formula, but it still has plenty of scares to appeal to horror fans.
Thankfully, this latest entry does nearly everything right. The first time we played the game was during the morning daylight hours, but that didn't hamper its incredibly creepy vibe. Be it traversing down the lonely hallways of a hospital corridor, expecting something to jump out and grab you at every moment (even if it doesn't) or walking the seemingly deserted streets of Shepard's Glen, this game will scare you. With a fantastic mixture of lighting effects, the best grain filter we've seen, a gorgeous graphics engine and ambient sound that accentuates every creek and groan, you will feel the intensity of this ghastly world.
Because of the switch to a U.S. developer, the game also enjoys other Western inclusions, such as a highly functional camera. The combat also features a host of improvements. What used to be a muddled affair, perhaps made scarier by the sheer clumsiness of your attacks, now feels more fluid. You can dodge attacks for the first time, and your weapons, although not plentiful, pack a real punch. Beating down creatures is actually a fun and rewarding experience.
Still, the game doesn't stray far from its roots. The story follows a lone protagonist, this time Alex Shepherd, a troubled ex-military type returning home to revisit a disturbing childhood and a mystery that has engulfed the town. The story is actually quite comprehensible to Western audiences, probably another result of its stemming from a U.S. developer. It won't win any awards, and the voice acting does feel stiff at times, but the plot will actually make sense for a change.
As a whole, though, this is still the Silent Hill that you've grown to love (or at least appreciate) over the years. You'll travel between two worlds, both twisted, but the other world being a twisted, decayed copy of the other. The transition between the worlds is especially impressive, as watching the wallpaper peel and the floors become bloodstained all happens in a real time and is genuinely frightening. In addition, there are still plenty of deformed nurses and disgusting monsters slowly roaming the streets, and lots of locked or blocked doors that lead you down a mostly linear path to the end.
While it would be nice for Konami to revamp Silent Hill, a la Resident Evil 4, we thoroughly enjoyed Homecoming. This is an easy recommendation to begin your Halloween celebrations.
Reader Comments (0)