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Silent Hill Downpour |OT| Rain, Rain, Go Away
- Thread starter brandonh83
- Start date
Risk Breaker
Member
addyb
Member
I was very impressed with it overall. The technical flaws were not game breaking at all and I loved the atmosphere all the way through.
I started playing silent hill again today (psone classics) on my ps3 and oh my it's painful to play now. Maybe I just need to get into it again.
I started playing silent hill again today (psone classics) on my ps3 and oh my it's painful to play now. Maybe I just need to get into it again.
Yup, I did. It is incredibly easy. Don't be put off. You can beat the game in like 3 hours anyways. For any outdoor section, simply run past everything. For indoor parts, either run, or fight them and knock them down to the floor but don't finish them off.
If he doesn't have a PC then that wouldn't have even entered his frame of thought when making that comment, so no he really shouldn't be expected to.
Blood Curse is an almost comedic bastardization of the original Siren game with a completely pointless and immersion breaking episodic structure, and I wouldn't call the super sayain drunken hobo simulator a horror game tbqh.
EDIT: Don't take that as me not liking those games--because I do (except whoever thought the last episode of Blood Curse was a good idea can eat a shit sandwich)--but I just wouldn't classify them as good horror titles (or horror titles at all in C2s case).
brandonh83
Banned
I'm sorry, but while I haven't actually played the game, this post just seems too hyperbolic. I know the feeling of finishing a game and being ecstatic about it, but I also know that this immediate sensation tends to bias or overlook the flaws of the game in question. In my experience it's usually better to let the impressions brew and mature a little, while giving the aspects of the game more thoughts before proceeding to communicate broad, overtly optimistic claims, such as "best horror game bar none this gen". Just a minor comment.
I've noted all the problems I have with the game, and they're all strictly technical. The great thing about opinions is that you nor anyone else has to agree with them.
This is the second time I've been called out on hyperbole, and really, I don't know what to say about that. At this point I'm pretty sure if I said "I beat it, it was decent" someone may find that to be hyperbolic.
I thought they did a great job with the game, technical limitations aside, and while it's unfortunate that the game didn't look or run better, I felt that they got the things I love about the horror genre down pat. That's plenty enough for me. I had a blast with it, loved the story, and found the atmosphere genuinely unsettling.
If I had to guess, the part where I said that it was the best horror game this gen is likely what tipped off your post. And that's fine. The thing is, I haven't personally been excited about that many horror games this gen. Dead Space was cool, but more of a shooter. Amnesia didn't do anything for me and I didn't care much for Siren. What else is there? I guess what I'm saying is that while I think it's the best horror game this gen, for me anyway there hasn't been much in the way of competition.
edit: didn't see this until now. Gotcha. I addressed this above.
Condemned was okay. Both of them. I liked the first one enough, second didn't do a lot for me. And as I said, perhaps I'm in the minority but I didn't like Siren.
addyb
Member
I'm confused by your post brandon. Why would I need to sleep on it? All I know is I was after a good survival horror fix and downpour provided that for me. I found it unsettling all the way through and it's been a while since any game has done that to me.
I loved entering buildings not knowing what was in store for me, I liked murphy and his story and overall just really dug the ambience and vibe of the game. Admittedly there were occasions that my enthusiam dropped when patrolling the streets but then the game would pull me back in with some great side quest or some head fuck in the main story.
I loved entering buildings not knowing what was in store for me, I liked murphy and his story and overall just really dug the ambience and vibe of the game. Admittedly there were occasions that my enthusiam dropped when patrolling the streets but then the game would pull me back in with some great side quest or some head fuck in the main story.
I'm sorry, but while I haven't actually played the game, this post just seems too hyperbolic. I know the feeling of finishing a game and being ecstatic about it, but I also know that this immediate sensation tends to bias or overlook the flaws of the game in question. In my experience it's usually better to let the impressions brew and mature a little, while giving the aspects of the game more thoughts before proceeding to communicate broad, overtly optimistic claims, such as "best horror game bar none this gen". Just a minor comment
I finished the game about 3 weeks ago and still feel the same way as brandon does. So it's definitely not a just "finishing the game and being ecstatic". For me, it's easily the best survival horror game of this generation. Sadly, it's really the only one. At least in the sense of what made a horror game in previous gens, it feels like an old style SH1-3/RE1-CVX type of game. It's not a Dead Space (which I love, but it's really an action game). That's what I love about it, and it does something that horror games just flat out don't do anymore in this generation.
The only flaws the game has are technical issues, and while disappointing they don't hamper the experience in any significant way. It's also something that could be eliminated if Vatra is given another opportunity to work on the franchise, which they absolutely deserve.
brandonh83
Banned
eh I made a joke and then decided to edit it out because it's not very constructive. I'm totally 100% with you about the game.
addyb
Member
I thought so. I was just making sure. I'm glad someone feels the same way as me about it.
High five, fist pump and chest bump bro!
brandonh83
Banned
What can I say, I'm a sucker for old school horror games. I get that others have different, maybe even higher expectations than me especially in this current market (like with how many people rag on the technical setbacks) but it's all about the mindset I have when I approach games like SH.
My biggest gripe is that I felt like the art direction was so good and got incredibly creative and unique as it went, but the graphics weren't really able to compliment the vision. I saw some awesome vistas and such that, with better visuals, could have looked incredible.
addyb
Member
Yeah I agree about the mindset. It's strange but it can make all the difference. When I first launched the game I was ready and willing to be taken on a chilling journey (as cheesy as that sounds) and I just embraced what the game threw at me. I find it laughable when people complain about technical issues when they don't effect the game in anyway. They have no business playing games IMO. Lol.
I've enjoyed it that much I'm actually playing silent hill again but I am struggling to get into it again for some reason. Guess I just need to adapt to tank controls again as its been a looong time.
brandonh83
Banned
well even my hyperbolic self had issues with the technical limitations, mainly because had it ran smoother and had it looked better, I think it really could have gone a very long way in the general consensus of the title.
it didn't ruin the game for me (clearly) but I was annoyed by all the stuttering and texture loading... I mean I would come out of a menu and watch Murphy's clothing textures reload.
one thing I do want to mention is the combat system. uhm, really? before I played the game I thought it was going to be some disaster, but I thought the game had the best gameplay in the series. the creature designs weren't very inspired, but actually fighting them was never a problem. it was very basic and incredibly easy to do, and as far as I know people don't really want complicated or combo based combat in Silent Hill.
edit: about to change my avatar because I feel like it makes my posts look mean or something for some reason.
addyb
Member
well even my hyperbolic self had issues with the technical limitations, mainly because had it ran smoother and had it looked better, I think it really could have gone a very long way in the general consensus of the title.
it didn't ruin the game for me (clearly) but I was annoyed by all the stuttering and texture loading... I mean I would come out of a menu and watch Murphy's clothing textures reload.
one thing I do want to mention is the combat system. uhm, really? before I played the game I thought it was going to be some disaster, but I thought the game had the best gameplay in the series. the creature designs weren't very inspired, but actually fighting them was never a problem. it was very basic and incredibly easy to do, and as far as I know people don't really want complicated or combo based combat in Silent Hill.
edit: about to change my avatar because I feel like it makes my posts look mean or something for some reason.
Don't get me wrong there were a number of issues with the game some technical that did bug me like you stated and I also thought the game could of been far better with more imagination put into the enemy design. The only ones I liked were the mannequin shadows. As for the combat well I actually hated it during my time in the caves but once I was settled into the town itself I didn't have a problem with it and come the last level I was swatting nasties away left, right and centre.
I've sold the game now as I tend to only playthrough games once initially but I will be returning to this game sometime again this year to explore what I've missed side quest wise and see what different endings I can get. But overall I'm actually really surprised how much I enjoyed the experience as a number of reviews were putting me off it and it was actually fellow gaffers that convinced me it was a decent return to form for the series.
I do hope vatra get another crack at it because If they can iron out the technical issues, fine tune the combat and put some creativity into the enemy design they could produce a stellar entry into the series.
brandonh83
Banned
for me it was literally just... draw weapon, hold Y to block, enemy strikes a few times, then you just take em out. It was stupidly easy IMO. which may sound to some like a bad thing but for SH it's a good thing.
addyb
Member
I have a question for veterans of the series. After reading up on sh homecoming (ive never played it) and seeing that it gets mixed reactions I wondered what was so terrible about it. I can get the game really cheap now and my curiosity is getting the better of me so know ill take a look at it at some point.
For all the negativity is it got anything going for it at all?
For all the negativity is it got anything going for it at all?
Combat is interesting if not a bit unbalanced, and the house/hell's decent aren't bad.
That's really about it though. Worth checking out if you're a fan just 'cause, not much else there.
I'm primarily a PC gamer. Anything less than 1080p @ 60fps with 0 screen tearing in this day and age is hideous to me.
I should not be forced to lower the res to 480p where on my TV it becomes a massive mess of jaggies and late loading textures.
Before I ever loaded up the game, I set it to 480p to "eliminate" the issues people talked about. It didn't eliminate SHIT. It just made the game look worse, and ran at a low FPS.
lol then why buy this game in the first place as it was obvious before it was even announced it wasn't to run like that
Also, I'd expect a primarily PC gamer to realize the difference between upscaling (glorified stretching of the image) to 1080p and rendering @ 1080p, but that's just me I guess.
I said 720p bro.
(yes I know I said 480p 20-30 pages ago or whatever, but that was before I was informed the game's native res is 720p and all the benefits carry over. That being said, I still stand by what I said that it looks/runs better in 480p mode than the upscaled 1080p)
Yes it does, there's noticeably less screen tearing for one (I can personally attest to that). People have reported higher framerates but that's hard to effectively test as there's about a million different reasons why the framerate may drop in any particular area.
It's not a terribly bad game if you can pick it up for cheap and just want a decent horror game. It's just a bad Silent Hill game. The combat feels completely out of place (I don't want to be side stepping and dodge rolling in a Silent Hill game) and the enemies aren't designed well to match the combat. None of the locations are particularly memorable or all that interesting to be in, and the story is dull by Silent Hill standards. That's my opinion on it anyways, it wasn't a terrible game and I wasn't gouging my eyes out trying to play it, but it just reeks of "meh" all around.
addyb
Member
Yeah thanks for the info. I think I'll pick it up once I'm done with the hd collection. Like I said I can get it for around £10 so I'm thinking it's at least worth a shot at that price.
I've really got into SH again now but oh my it took me a while to get to grips with tank controls again. I've just got to the school after lots of running around like a headless chicken as I'd totallly forgot where the keys were after a 12-13 year hiatus of playing it.
I'm actually still amazed at how good this game is.
See nekofrog it's not all about the visuals. I'm playing a true classic psone game and couldn't careless because at the end of the day a quality game doesn't need high end pc specs.
I'm really glad I don't have that mindset when it comes to games. Anyone who lets a game be ruined by being anal about all nicey nicey graphics really needs to get a life.
It's really sad to see some people who post about PS1 games being unplayable because of their graphics. There are so many classic PS1 games that are still a blast to play despite being blurry polygonal blocks. Silent Hill 1 is a great example. It's funny that a game that looks like a blurry mess can be scarier than these games with huge production values.
addyb
Member
If a game was playable to me 10-20 years ago it's still playable now imo. To be honest an hour into silent hill again and it's almost like ive gone back in time and I'm totally used to the visuals now. I'm actually digging the blurry effect especially in the school with my flashlight on. It's pretty creepy.
Yes. It's a lot better then Downpour. Well, at least mechanically and er, graphically.
It gets too bad of a rap.
I agree. Play it. It's a lot of fun. So many series issues like constant loading are dealt with.
Door handle jiggling sim ftw.
brandonh83
Banned
I didn't see it, did you just add me today?
RadioHeadAche
Member
I thought I was the only one.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
The story is fanfic level garbage, with Pyramid Head included for no real reason besides half-assed fanservice. The latter half of the game is more or less Silent Hill: The Movie - The Game, only nowhere near as good as the movie was, and at one specific scene you're left wondering if you're playing a SH game or watching a Saw movie. Character models are generally flat out bad, and the graphics aren't all that impressive either (except for the Otherworld transition, which was kinda cool). As for the combat, ymmv, but personally I found it to be the most broken, frustrating shit I've seen in any SH game to date (the game loves to let enemies corner you and completely rape your health, while at the same time being cheap as fuck on ammo and health supplies). It's just a completely shitty game through and through, so don't waste money on it.
brandonh83
Banned
I don't hate it, and I can see how it was a good game for some. I'm just saying that from a horror perspective it didn't really creep me out or engage me. In that case yes I probably could have, should have been more specific. It's far from a bad game.
legacyzero
Banned
Are you kidding? Blood curse scared the shit out of me. I agree with the episodic structure, though, what the fuck were they doing?!
Perhaps it wasn't so bad for me because I had the imported disc version.
And dont make fun of Condemn 2!........Because....Becauuuuse.........I SAID SO
brandonh83
Banned
The gameplay in Blood Curse just annoyed me. I didn't like the whole jacking system thing, it just seemed like a useless gameplay mechanic that added nothing to the experience. I think they were on the right track for an idea that could have made the game creepier but for me it just didn't work.
Enemies in horror games just don't do it for me. I like Silent Hill because there's so much more to the atmosphere and overall creepiness than just the enemies. The games don't rely on the creatures to make it scary whereas the Shibito were the driving force behind the scariness of Siren. Sure there were some other elements here and there, but I think the Silent Hill games, including Downpour, completely flatline the competition when it comes to the breadth of cool, creative horror elements.
I thought some of the sidequests in Downpour were more effective than the entirety of any horror title I've played this gen -- excuse the hyperbole.
Enemies in horror games just don't do it for me. I like Silent Hill because there's so much more to the atmosphere and overall creepiness than just the enemies. The games don't rely on the creatures to make it scary whereas the Shibito were the driving force behind the scariness of Siren. Sure there were some other elements here and there, but I think the Silent Hill games, including Downpour, completely flatline the competition when it comes to the breadth of cool, creative horror elements.
I thought some of the sidequests in Downpour were more effective than the entirety of any horror title I've played this gen -- excuse the hyperbole.
disappeared
Banned
I'm still on the fence about buying Downpour. I want to, but something tells me I'm going to spend $60 and regret it.
Hmm...
My love for this series wanes with every passing year. SH2 was eleven years ago and that scares the shit out of me, more than Downpour probably will.
Hmm...
My love for this series wanes with every passing year. SH2 was eleven years ago and that scares the shit out of me, more than Downpour probably will.
disappeared
Banned
Just picked it up tonight. Nobody in town had the PS3 version so I bit and got it for 360. Installing now.
Coincidentally enough, it is absolutely pouring outside right now. First good rain of the spring.
I'll be back here in a few days.
Coincidentally enough, it is absolutely pouring outside right now. First good rain of the spring.
I'll be back here in a few days.
The gameplay in Blood Curse just annoyed me. I didn't like the whole jacking system thing, it just seemed like a useless gameplay mechanic that added nothing to the experience. I think they were on the right track for an idea that could have made the game creepier but for me it just didn't work.
Enemies in horror games just don't do it for me. I like Silent Hill because there's so much more to the atmosphere and overall creepiness than just the enemies. The games don't rely on the creatures to make it scary whereas the Shibito were the driving force behind the scariness of Siren. Sure there were some other elements here and there, but I think the Silent Hill games, including Downpour, completely flatline the competition when it comes to the breadth of cool, creative horror elements.
I thought some of the sidequests in Downpour were more effective than the entirety of any horror title I've played this gen -- excuse the hyperbole.
I sort of love/hate Siren too. I think it nails the atmosphere, is incredible complex and deep in its game design, and the story is interesting. However, the games are really really tedious to play. I played Siren 1 & 2, but didn't finish either because I just got bored eventually. Great experiences, and I respect them as games and would like more Siren games, but I don't find them that fun to play, which is probably why I still haven't started Blood Curse.
You made the right choice, 360 version performs better than the PS3 version. Enjoy!
Blood Curse has been dramatically streamlined from 1-2. You should try it.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Hate to say it but once again, I'm with Brandon on this. Even after having completed it three times and put it down for a couple weeks. I still find myself thinking about how much I enjoyed it and looking forward to playing through it again once I'm home in a week.
I've got the hd collection sitting at home waiting along with alot of other games... yet I find myself wanting to replay DP. While I'm not saying its the best game ever, as far as horror games go, I really ranks high up there for me. Just was an incredible memorable journey.
I've got the hd collection sitting at home waiting along with alot of other games... yet I find myself wanting to replay DP. While I'm not saying its the best game ever, as far as horror games go, I really ranks high up there for me. Just was an incredible memorable journey.
Stephen_drewz
Member
Ughh! I want to play this game so bad but cant for the life of me make it look good enough to actually play for more then 10 minutes. I dont know if it's the actual game or if its a setting on my TV but it looks so...blurry a lot of the time to the point where distinguishing objects can be difficult. Even seeing doors etc is sometimes extremely hard. I get the game is meant to be dark, but I dont think blurry is how it should be.
The only issue with an expensive LED tv, so many visual options.
EDIT: After scanning the thread again apparently playing in 3D helps a bit. Hm, will have to test this out.
The only issue with an expensive LED tv, so many visual options.
EDIT: After scanning the thread again apparently playing in 3D helps a bit. Hm, will have to test this out.
RedAssedApe
Banned
Still no Bomba prices on this yet? Even Mass Effect 3 had a sale already. Patiently waiting...
Timekiller
Member
Holy shit, at around 50% now. It feels like i'm living in that haunting town again. Good job, Vatra.
Timekiller
Member
It seems i cant get the
sidequest to start, to appear in my journal as an objective.
is this a glitch or what?
art collector
I went in the basement, checked the paintings, got all the notes, put 3 paintings down, but nothing starts
is this a glitch or what?
kunonabi
Member
The problem is it barely resembles Siren anymore. Running past enemies are just confronting them in combat is incredibly easy. Sight jacking is rarely if ever needed. The Siren series has potential but it has to find the balance between punishing stealth horror puzzle game and accessibility and pacing.
brandonh83
Banned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dBqHSrcfUxo#
Pretty awesome Love Psalm remix for Book of Memories (didn't know where else I should post this, just wanted to share).
Pretty awesome Love Psalm remix for Book of Memories (didn't know where else I should post this, just wanted to share).
Thanks for sharing. Imo it lacks restraint and subtlety. Drums are over-mixed and there's too much 'oomph'. At least it's a different sound for Akira, but to me it sounds too heavy-handed and forced.
