Rated-Rsuperstar
Member
Wow this is really cool. Thanks for posting this.
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Silent Hill Downpour |OT| Rain, Rain, Go Away
- Thread starter brandonh83
- Start date
Wow this is really cool. Thanks for posting this.
Liking this game, but wtf I'm stuck!
About an hour or so in, just played a mini-game:
Also this game runs SO, sooooooooooo bad on PS3. I didn't realize the game ran on UE3.0 when I pre-ordered it like a year ago. Would've gone for the X360 version. I can kind of tell myself the crappy framerate and tearing and stuff just add to the horror of the game, but the constant stutters, freezes, and skips are just freaking annoying, especially when you are dodging enemies while the framerate is dying. It's not like the game is pushing amazing visuals; this late in the generation you'd think they could make a non-shitty PS3 version of a UE3.0 game
About an hour or so in, just played a mini-game:
Just got the tram ticket but uhhhhh HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS AREA?!? The lift that took me up has closed off, there is a dumpster blocking the stairs back up to the 2nd story of the motel, all of the cabins don't lead anywhere, the area ends at the lake viewing, and there is one place where you can squeeze behind a dumpster to find a get but it's locked and it's telling me to use an item and the only items I have are (money, key from motel, and tram ticket) and none of those do anything). Am I just missing an item that is hidden somewhere in this area, or is there another exit?
Also this game runs SO, sooooooooooo bad on PS3. I didn't realize the game ran on UE3.0 when I pre-ordered it like a year ago. Would've gone for the X360 version. I can kind of tell myself the crappy framerate and tearing and stuff just add to the horror of the game, but the constant stutters, freezes, and skips are just freaking annoying, especially when you are dodging enemies while the framerate is dying. It's not like the game is pushing amazing visuals; this late in the generation you'd think they could make a non-shitty PS3 version of a UE3.0 game
Liking this game, but wtf I'm stuck!
About an hour or so in, just played a mini-game:
Just got the tram ticket but uhhhhh HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS AREA?!? The lift that took me up has closed off, there is a dumpster blocking the stairs back up to the 2nd story of the motel, all of the cabins don't lead anywhere, the area ends at the lake viewing, and there is one place where you can squeeze behind a dumpster to find a get but it's locked and it's telling me to use an item and the only items I have are (money, key from motel, and tram ticket) and none of those do anything). Am I just missing an item that is hidden somewhere in this area, or is there another exit?
Also this game runs SO, sooooooooooo bad on PS3. I didn't realize the game ran on UE3.0 when I pre-ordered it like a year ago. Would've gone for the X360 version. I can kind of tell myself the crappy framerate and tearing and stuff just add to the horror of the game, but the constant stutters, freezes, and skips are just freaking annoying, especially when you are dodging enemies while the framerate is dying. It's not like the game is pushing amazing visuals; this late in the generation you'd think they could make a non-shitty PS3 version of a UE3.0 game
get the change of clothes in one of the rooms you can enter
Good question, I'd like to know too, cause I just threw my
demon statue
I finished all the sidequests, now i'm off to the
monestary
Thoughts so far:
- Monster designs are uninspired, but they will never be as good as Ito's so I should just lower those standards
- I really don't like UE3...
- The game started off slow, but is getting better, I had a good time doing the sidequests
- That chugging performance, especially in the
underground tunnel system
Ok, read the last few pages and tried Dark1x's suggestion of playing in 3D. I normally don't even bother because I figure the game will run even worse, but he's right, it actually looks...better? Not just the 3D effect, but the game seems a little smoother and the IQ seems better. Like they drop something to compensate for the 3D and that dropping makes the game a little more ok. Just went through the
and graphically it looked pretty cool.
When do the "sidequests" start showing up in the game? Are they easy to miss?
I have to say that outside the horrible horrible tech performance, I'm enjoying this game waaaaay more than I thought I would. It really feels like a true Silent Hill game. Lots of exploration, creepy settings, little bits of story and mythos. Walking around in the dark with a lighter is perfect. Even the music, which I wasn't sure what to expect, just sounds like Yamaoka (a little boring that he just copied Yamaoka's style) so it basically looks and sounds like Silent Hill. Early on it's definitely seeming like the first real "next-gen" Silent Hill game. Game is doing a good job of building up suspense and not just having dogs jump through windows.
I agree with the whole "not knowing what you're picking up" thing though. I'm just picking up everytime it prompts me so I don't miss any actual items. If it's a weapon I just drop it and pick the old one back up again.
And yeah the surround sound seems busted. In the
sequence I just saw a bit ago, there was absolutely nothing coming out of the rear speakers even though
. Definitely comes off a little quiet. I think I prefer headphones for this game because of that.
top of the Tram area and the early parts of the caves
When do the "sidequests" start showing up in the game? Are they easy to miss?
I have to say that outside the horrible horrible tech performance, I'm enjoying this game waaaaay more than I thought I would. It really feels like a true Silent Hill game. Lots of exploration, creepy settings, little bits of story and mythos. Walking around in the dark with a lighter is perfect. Even the music, which I wasn't sure what to expect, just sounds like Yamaoka (a little boring that he just copied Yamaoka's style) so it basically looks and sounds like Silent Hill. Early on it's definitely seeming like the first real "next-gen" Silent Hill game. Game is doing a good job of building up suspense and not just having dogs jump through windows.
I agree with the whole "not knowing what you're picking up" thing though. I'm just picking up everytime it prompts me so I don't miss any actual items. If it's a weapon I just drop it and pick the old one back up again.
And yeah the surround sound seems busted. In the
elevator crash
the elevator was crashing down and making noise all around him.
canadian crowe
Member
The game seems to run okay on my 360. I hate the voice mixing though. All of the voices sound like they are coming from a sound booth.
They begin as soon as you reach Silent Hill. They're easy to miss, but they're not tied to game events for the most part. You can do them at your own leisure. They're worth it, too, since they generally dole out at least health packs, if not special weapons, and they're cool self-contained stories.
Xander51
Member
This is amazing, thank you so much for linking to it!
SlasherJPC
Banned
Question to those playing on 360. You playing with the game installed or off the disc. Someone told me it runs better of the disc. Can anyone test that?
brandonh83
Banned
ok,
I screamed like a total bitch.
so in the "Cave of Tears" (awesome) I was looking at those miner mannequin things, but all I had was the lighter so I was up close... AND THEN ONE OF THEM FUCKING FELL DOWN
I screamed like a total bitch.
plagiarize
Banned
i'm glad to see you guys both saying this. i haven't played the game in 2D yet, and aside from the obvious stuttering whenever it says 'saving' in town, i'd found the IQ and framerate pretty good in 3D land, certainly compared to other 3D console games. i was beginning to think that either i'd gone mad, or everyone else had.
it's incredibly weird though if what you are saying is true about the IQ being BETTER in 3D. is there some overly agressive post process AA that gets turned off or something?
i wish digital foundry would hurry up and put their equipment to use.
i've played the game off the hd and off the disc. didn't really notice a difference, but i switched over to playing off the disc before i got into town, and that seems to be the area that gives the game the most fits. one of my 360s (the one my HMZs are hooked up to) has a really janked up DVD drive. usually i can get the game installed and if i can it works fine. if not, i get all sorts of issues.
i switched over to my 3DTV and playing on my other 360 when i got motion sickness after a couple of hours in HMZ-T1 land (something i'm still adjusting to).
as i mentioned before, the depth could be more agressive, but crosstalk is practically none existant on my 3DTV. i know they started talking about 3D a good while back, and it shows. crosstalk is generally an issue caused by display, but there are things you can do to minimise it. maybe it's just a coincidence, but the art style here makes it so i actually have to look for it, when normally it's something i can't avoid seeing.
MyEpitomeCliché
Member
If you care about achievements/trophies, don't do any side-quests until your second time through the game. You won't be able to do all of them the first time out since a specific one isn't accessible until you've cleared the game once. That being said, I do like the majority of the side-quests, especially "Ribbons" and "The Gramophone".
Also, I know I've mentioned my distaste for the enemy design earlier in the thread, but now I know why. These monsters look like they're pulled straight from The Suffering. One of them actually says "Raaa" as he lunges at you. Yeesh. The
are kinda creepy, but are really obnoxious to deal with.
You know what the best part of this game is? The sound design. It's really spectacular. The music is unique yet spot on for the franchise, and the atmospheric stuff is wonderfully effective, especially in some of the indoor locations. Best use of sound I've heard in a horror game in a long time, probably since Amnesia.
But the combat is horrible, the visuals are hampered by some nasty technical problems, and I didn't really find the story or the writing to be very interesting. As a whole, it's not a very good game. But I still would recommend it to fans of the series or horror games to at least give it a shot. It's got an interesting old-school approach to exploration and discovery that I really enjoyed, and the puzzles are often pretty clever, especially on the hard setting.
Also, I know I've mentioned my distaste for the enemy design earlier in the thread, but now I know why. These monsters look like they're pulled straight from The Suffering. One of them actually says "Raaa" as he lunges at you. Yeesh. The
Mannequins
You know what the best part of this game is? The sound design. It's really spectacular. The music is unique yet spot on for the franchise, and the atmospheric stuff is wonderfully effective, especially in some of the indoor locations. Best use of sound I've heard in a horror game in a long time, probably since Amnesia.
But the combat is horrible, the visuals are hampered by some nasty technical problems, and I didn't really find the story or the writing to be very interesting. As a whole, it's not a very good game. But I still would recommend it to fans of the series or horror games to at least give it a shot. It's got an interesting old-school approach to exploration and discovery that I really enjoyed, and the puzzles are often pretty clever, especially on the hard setting.
Yeah, they use a VERY aggressive form of AA that does eliminate jaggies at the expense of clarity. Textures appear muddy and blurred out as a result even in HD. Using the HMZ the game actually appears native 720p (or close to it). It's surprisingly different.
plagiarize
Banned
i'll have to fire it up in 2D just to see for myself what everyone not lucky enough to have 3D as an option is stuck with. planning on playing this late tonight with all the lights out
-just got done with the
location. FINALLY a good location in this game. Loved exploring it, enjoyed the puzzles. So far the only location that has felt like classic Silent Hill. I loved checking my map every moment I got to make sure I didn't miss a door. I hate fighting the dolls though.
-I'm not sure I like the Otherworld in this game. Too colourful, brightly lit, short. I hope the other Otherworlds further in the game are better than the 2 I've experiences.
-I think I have somewhat of a grasp on the story and what happened, but hey, this is SH, you never know.
Library inside the Centennial building
-I'm not sure I like the Otherworld in this game. Too colourful, brightly lit, short. I hope the other Otherworlds further in the game are better than the 2 I've experiences.
-I think I have somewhat of a grasp on the story and what happened, but hey, this is SH, you never know.
legacyzero
Banned
I havn't been able to play this yet (should be getting it tonight via Gamefly)
I was worried about this too. The "otherworldly" portion of Silent Hill is the one I like best, and is typically make or break on if the game is actually good or not IMO.
please say this isn't so
MyEpitomeCliché
Member
Weird. I did all the available side-quests on my first play and didn't get the achievement. There are 14 total, including Digging Up the Past, correct?
I havn't been able to play this yet (should be getting it tonight via Gamefly)
I was worried about this too. The "otherworldly" portion of Silent Hill is the one I like best, and is typically make or break on if the game is actually good or not IMO.
please say this isn't so
Well, it's in my honest opinion that the otherworld in Downpour is on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of "oppressiveness" compared to SH1. SH1-3's otherworlds were amazing, dark, dreary, scary, and oppressive. Here they aren't even "real, proper" locations that you can explore (at least not yet).
*very minor spoilers about the otherworld*
The second shift to the otherworld was 95% comprised of running from The Void.
In the original games, you'd fully explore an environment (say, the Hospital), and then the otherworld would kick in, and you'd be in a much more terrifying version of the Hospital, where certain locked doors and closed paths in the real world would open in the other world and vice versa. You had to explore the environment again for the most part now that everything had changed. There is zero of that here, and I find it really disappointing. I find that in Downpour, I'm WALKING everywhere and taking it slow in the real world (because I find it much more menacing than the otherworld, and when the shift happens to the otherworld, I feel compelled to just run everywhere (not because sometimes you have to because of the void, but because I feel no sense of danger or oppression in it.
edit: i know it seems the last few posts have made me seem like I hate the game, but I dont. I'm just disappointed in certain aspects of it, mostly because if I'm going to be critical about one game series, it's Silent Hill. There have been instances that have sent shivers through my body in this game. I find it verrry creepy at points. whoever the guy in the wheelchair is, he has succeeded in freaking me the fuck out whenever I see him.
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
Not a story spoiler, but about the next Otherworld...
You'll be happy to know that the chase sequence is very minimal and most of the next Otherworld section is dedicated to a few puzzles and has enemies and some other surprises. The first one is mainly a chase sequence, the second one is mostly like a roller coaster ride, the third one is more puzzle-based.
Above I was talking about the
Radio station otherworld
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
I count that as the second one myself. The Cavern Railcar Ride I count more as a set-piece. The first is the Diner, which is more of a chase sequence. The second is the Radio Station, which is more of Roller Coaster Ride. The third is the next area, which is a lot more puzzle focused and has a theme I won't say because that would spoil it. But there's only one pretty short chase sequence, and then then a few puzzles, some enemies, and a new element to the Otherworld stages you'll figure out in the next stage, To be honest I think the next stage is one of my personal favorite stages in the game, will see what you think later.
Yeah my heart stopped for a split second.
The environments are nice, otherworld has a cool original feel, main character actually acts sort of similar to how a normal guy would if these events were happening to them, and at times the sound design is pretty unnerving/atmospheric. But the enemy designs really arent that great/too normal looking for Silent Hill...and some of the visual effects are questionable (lightening/the dark aura during chase scenes).
All in all, its not going to top the first 3 (or 4) but its a nice entry into the series. Certainly better than Homecoming, and one of the true survival horror titles this generation since there really isnt much in the way of hand-holding.
Big Chungus
Member
How long does this game take to finish?
I'm thinking about renting the game since I have a free rental at my local Rogers Video.
I'm thinking about renting the game since I have a free rental at my local Rogers Video.
buttonsmasher
Neo Member
installed, and it runs like absolute shit whenever the game autosaves. It turns into a slideshow for a few seconds, but other than that, that's all I've noticed. I'm going to try it off the disc later tonight, cause the skipping and fr dropping constantly during the autosaves really turns me off.
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
Length judgments for this game are incredibly difficult to pinpoint. This is in big part because of the fact there are various changes between difficulties, a LOT of optional content to delve into, open-world exploration, and the game doesn't hold your hand of where to go next so you sort of have to find it yourself. I also suggest taking your time with the game as exploring and side quest are quite fun and you'd be doing yourself a disservice to just go on and complete the story without doing some of them.
My first playtime was 14 hours, but I did a few side quest and some exploring and I got stuck on a few puzzles. That said, if you were to do everything and observe details it would take longer, or adversely if you were playing on Easy Combat, Easy Puzzle difficulty and knew exactly what you were doing, simply booking it from one story objective to the next, you could probably beat the game in about 3 hours, but this is definitely not a 3-hour long game as the same could be said about any game really. My main point is, in big part because of how the game is designed, there's not really a straight-forward answer to that. Estimating, I would guess that a normal playthrough for someone, with several variables in mind, would likely take someone somewhere between 7-16 hours. This is definitely the largest Silent Hill game, though.
So, I have something of a response to my question about quest rewards respawning.
They don't respawn, but they don't disappear. I had dropped off the quest reward from The Art Collector right by where you collect the reward for Shadow Play and went off to do
. When I got back, that quest reward was still sitting right where I dropped it. Unfortunately, this would also suggest that if you happen to drop a quest reward in
, you aren't going to be getting it back.
Long story short: the game seems to save where you drop stuff, for better and for worse.
They don't respawn, but they don't disappear. I had dropped off the quest reward from The Art Collector right by where you collect the reward for Shadow Play and went off to do
the monastery
the short Otherworld bit at the beginning of the monastery
Long story short: the game seems to save where you drop stuff, for better and for worse.
You're definitely going slower than me; I've got most of the sidequests done and am further in the story than you are and I'm a bit over 8 hours in.
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
You're going at a fairly good pace, I think it's good to take your time in the game. About the same I would say, you're about 40% done with the game right now. However, a whole new part of the town is about to unlock for you and with it, some of the game's coolest side quest.
I don't want super long horror games because I can only handle playing about 30-45 mins per night with the lights off and sound on Like Siren 1/2 is waaaay too long for me. 6-10 hours is perfect for a horror game imo. This one sounds pretty big though, but eventually I'll make it all the way through since I do like my Silent Hill games.
Like Siren 1/2 is waaaay too long for me. 6-10 hours is perfect for a horror game imo. This one sounds pretty big though, but eventually I'll make it all the way through since I do like my Silent Hill games.brandonh83
Banned
ok the
was absolutely fucking outstanding.
finally actually in the town now, and I love the weather mechanics and it was such an amazing touch how when you first arrive in town you can see lightning in the distance.
train ride through Devil's Pit
finally actually in the town now, and I love the weather mechanics and it was such an amazing touch how when you first arrive in town you can see lightning in the distance.
indigo-cyclops
Member
Damn, the best parts are ahead of you. And I mean BEST.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Man you guys are getting me pumped up! I'm still in Devil's Pit from the first night I brought it home. Haven't had time to play with work cockblocking me. Hope to put in another hour tonight
canadian crowe
Member
I have to stop reading the spoilers for this game. I love it though. I turned it off after I got frustrated with the
.
Classic Silent Hill though.
infinite staircase
Classic Silent Hill though.
brandonh83
Banned
I don't really consider it an actual otherworld segment though. I felt that it was a nice payoff to the whole tourist attraction thing going on and some cool things happened.
CadetMahoney
Member
they're not mannequins they're love dolls fools/
brandonh83
Banned
Oh yeah I've already seen. It's very unfortunate, I really wish they'd patch it.