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Silent Hill Downpour |OT| Rain, Rain, Go Away

Melchiah

Member
Well, it's not the final solution to that sidequest, but I changed it just the same (couldn't remember the name of it at the time). And those are all the titles of the sidequests, so no real spoilers there.

*Phew!* Good to know, as I've yet to buy and play the game. I'm a bit worried about the bugs, particularly those that might have an effect on the progression of the playthrough.
 

Roubjon

Member
Just ordered the PS3 version off of Amazon for $20. I've been on a Silent Hill kick recently, playing through all of the games for the first time, and judging by the comments in here I'll definitely get at least my money's worth, if not way more, from this game.

I'll get to it after I beat 2,3,4, and Shattered Memories, lol.
 

nel e nel

Member
*Phew!* Good to know, as I've yet to buy and play the game. I'm a bit worried about the bugs, particularly those that might have an effect on the progression of the playthrough.

Glad I could ease your concerns.

I can only speak for myself, but I've done 2 playthroughs now in the last week (360), and the only problems I had was some frame rate slowdown here and there. Every now and then something would load properly, or a puzzle wouldn't register as solved, but a save reload would fix that.
 

Melchiah

Member
Glad I could ease your concerns.

I can only speak for myself, but I've done 2 playthroughs now in the last week (360), and the only problems I had was some frame rate slowdown here and there. Every now and then something would load properly, or a puzzle wouldn't register as solved, but a save reload would fix that.

That was what I was worried about, and what others said about certain doors staying locked, but apparently reloading a save fixes both (on the PS3)?
 

nel e nel

Member
That was what I was worried about, and what others said about certain doors staying locked, but apparently reloading a save fixes both (on the PS3)?

Yeah, I only had 1 puzzle lock up on me, and the checkpoint was literally about a 10 second run back from that point, so a reload wasn't that big of a deal.

The doors being locked I also had but it was for the shortcuts you can open up, and honestly it wasn't that big of a deal since the map isn't so large that going the long way around isn't really a hassle.

I actually found myself doing what I do in stealth games where I was reloading certain sections over and over because I knew I could do it more 'perfect' (i.e. wasting less ammo/health etc)
 

Melchiah

Member
Yeah, I only had 1 puzzle lock up on me, and the checkpoint was literally about a 10 second run back from that point, so a reload wasn't that big of a deal.

The doors being locked I also had but it was for the shortcuts you can open up, and honestly it wasn't that big of a deal since the map isn't so large that going the long way around isn't really a hassle.

I actually found myself doing what I do in stealth games where I was reloading certain sections over and over because I knew I could do it more 'perfect' (i.e. wasting less ammo/health etc)

Good to hear. I think I'll buy the game when I've finished some of the older games I have.
 
did they cancel the patch?

i've been anxious to play this on ps3, but the technical issues have kept me from buying the game. i can't stand glitched quests or constant framerate issues any longer in my games..
 
I asked Tomm Hulett a while back about who handled patches - Konami or Vatra, and he told me that something like that would be handled by the devs. Unfortunately, Vatra seems to be in a state of turmoil and could possibly close down. Don't expect a patch any time soon, at least.
 

nel e nel

Member
did they cancel the patch?

i've been anxious to play this on ps3, but the technical issues have kept me from buying the game. i can't stand glitched quests or constant framerate issues any longer in my games..

They're not that bad. Not game breaking by any means. Like I said, the only puzzle that glitched on me in 2 playthroughs was fine after a checkpoint reload, and the shortcuts getting glitched seems to be universal, but also not gamebreaking since you can still get to everywhere you need to go.

Unless your policy is Zero Tolerance, you shouldn't have any issues that a reload won't fix.
 

Lime

Member
They're not that bad. Not game breaking by any means. Like I said, the only puzzle that glitched on me in 2 playthroughs was fine after a checkpoint reload, and the shortcuts getting glitched seems to be universal, but also not gamebreaking since you can still get to everywhere you need to go.

Unless your policy is Zero Tolerance, you shouldn't have any issues that a reload won't fix.

Reloading won't fix shitty framerates.
 

Jharp

Member
So I just finished
the tram ride to hell/Silent Hill
and I am digging the shit out of this game so far. Granted, I'm only like two hours in, but man, up until now it has all been about exploration and creepy atmosphere. Yeah the combat totally blows, but it wasn't really forced on me. I ran away from almost every monster. I still wish combat wasn't so goddamn wonky though. It takes the scariness out quite a bit because of how goofy it looks.

Still, though, exploring the diner and opening area was making me nostalgia hard for the earlier games. Also, the cool little shit in the game is just so awesome, like the sights you can see with the viewfinders that overlook Devil's Pit. Is this stuff pretty constant throughout the game? Should I keep my eyes peeled for more? Without spoilers, where and when can I expect that sort of stuff, because I had to reload a save to check out the viewfinder stuff when I heard about it. Didn't even occur to me to use the spare change on them.
 
There isn't any other "viewfinder" stuff, but there are plenty of little things to discover throughout the rest of Downpour. The majority of the things will tie into side quest stuff, but it's still fun finding a few interesting extras scattered about. : )


Be prepared for the slowdown when you hit the open area of the game.
 
Yeah, I bought it today for my PS3.
I need horror...not action....yes that was a hint :p
Played SH 2,3,5 and Shattered Memories.

Did they patched the framerate? Is it really a big issue?

Edit: Oh they didn't ...damn....well...Hmm I guess I'll try it anyway
 

LaneDS

Member
Although I'll probably still get it not too long from now, the demo and reviews for RE6 caused me to skip it on release day and instead I went and finally ordered Downpour (for the 360). I think that'll be a better experience, bugs and all, because I want something at least a little scary.
 

nel e nel

Member
Is this stuff pretty constant throughout the game? Should I keep my eyes peeled for more? Without spoilers, where and when can I expect that sort of stuff, because I had to reload a save to check out the viewfinder stuff when I heard about it. Didn't even occur to me to use the spare change on them.

If you look at your map when you are close to a discoverable, it will show up as a question mark (I think?). You can then poke around until you find it. Keep in mind that if you have the puzzle difficulty set to Hard, these map locators will not show up. You are on your own to discover them.

There are lots of little sidequests/puzzles that aren't directly related to the main storyline, but tell a short vignette that gives more color to the location/residents of Silent Hill.

Yeah, I bought it today for my PS3.
Did they patched the framerate? Is it really a big issue?

Can't speak for PS3, but the framerate on 360 was fine. It would stutter here and there but only when I was trying to spin the camera around too quickly, and it would only last 1-2 seconds. I also installed it to my HD.
 
Oh god yes this game is awesome...

Old school puzzles....I missed you so much
Atmosphere is fantastic
Visuals are great
Soundtrack is wonderful

Yes, there are slowdowns...I hope they don't get worse (3 hours in)

Great game. Is this the only survival horror this gen (Besides siren blood course)? I think so...
 

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Is this the only survival horror this gen (Besides siren blood course)? I think so...

Depending on how broad your definition of survival horror is, there's also Dead Space 1 (the sequel is good too, but a bit more action-oriented than the original), the Condemned games, Amy and.. I dunno if Deadly Premonition and Rise of Nightmares count as survival horror?
 
Wow @ the gramophone sidequest.
I hope Vatra makes another SH game. Downpour is really great.

It's just cool and fun to walk around the city and explore everything.

Best SH game since SH3 imo
 
Wow @ the gramophone sidequest.
I hope Vatra makes another SH game. Downpour is really great.

It's just cool and fun to walk around the city and explore everything.

Best SH game since SH3 imo

The Gramophone sidequest will probably go down as my single favourite 'moment' in a video game this year. Wish I had a camera on me as that was all playing out.
 

Cudder

Member
Watching my friend play 20 minutes of RE6 yesterday made me so glad that we got a game like Downpour this late into SH's life cycle. Seriously looks like a masterpiece next to RE6. I literally think seeing RE6 made me like Downpour more.
 

Jharp

Member
Just got to St. Maria's and I can't tell you guys how much I love this game. It's quickly become my game of the year so far, edging out Diablo, Mass Effect, Amalur, Max Payne, Guild Wars, Darksiders, and whatever else has come out this year that I've played. I don't know that it'll stay my goty after Assassin's Creed, Dishonored, Halo, and so on, but damn... I love it so much.

It's creepy, it's subtle, it's got immense atmosphere, and while I hated the combat at first, and still kinda do, I get a little giddy feeling every time I see an enemy and run in terror, get jumped by an enemy and frantically beat it to death with my pistol in order to preserve precious bullets, or get jumped by an enemy and out of sheer terror empty two clips into it, and miss nearly every shot. By giddy feeling, I do of course mean immense fear, followed by massive hyperventilating. The inclusion of a "look behind" button is indicative of this game's overall feel. Even when I know nothing's there, I'm constantly hover my finger over L1, because goddammit there might be someone or something there!

And it has one of the most enjoyably explorable environments in a game I've ever played.

Just a goddamn shame the game was buried and no one talked about it. I really wish I could go back and tell myself to buy it day 1 just to show my support. I didn't expect it to be this good, and dammit, GAF, it is that good!

Oh, and this game went completely un-discussed by every podcast I listen to. Are there any decent discussions out there on it? I thought 8-4 Play might have, but a quick google search of "8-4 Silent Hill" yielded little in that regard, and then I remembered it wasn't developed in Japan, and therefore probably earns the ire of several fans of Team Silent-only SH games, and likely wasn't talked about by those guys.
 
Just got to St. Maria's and I can't tell you guys how much I love this game. It's quickly become my game of the year so far, edging out Diablo, Mass Effect, Amalur, Max Payne, Guild Wars, Darksiders, and whatever else has come out this year that I've played. I don't know that it'll stay my goty after Assassin's Creed, Dishonored, Halo, and so on, but damn... I love it so much.

It's creepy, it's subtle, it's got immense atmosphere, and while I hated the combat at first, and still kinda do, I get a little giddy feeling every time I see an enemy and run in terror, get jumped by an enemy and frantically beat it to death with my pistol in order to preserve precious bullets, or get jumped by an enemy and out of sheer terror empty two clips into it, and miss nearly every shot. By giddy feeling, I do of course mean immense fear, followed by massive hyperventilating. The inclusion of a "look behind" button is indicative of this game's overall feel. Even when I know nothing's there, I'm constantly hover my finger over L1, because goddammit there might be someone or something there!

And it has one of the most enjoyably explorable environments in a game I've ever played.

Just a goddamn shame the game was buried and no one talked about it. I really wish I could go back and tell myself to buy it day 1 just to show my support. I didn't expect it to be this good, and dammit, GAF, it is that good!

Oh, and this game went completely un-discussed by every podcast I listen to. Are there any decent discussions out there on it? I thought 8-4 Play might have, but a quick google search of "8-4 Silent Hill" yielded little in that regard, and then I remembered it wasn't developed in Japan, and therefore probably earns the ire of several fans of Team Silent-only SH games, and likely wasn't talked about by those guys.

This game gets more shit because of technical issues than game stuff. Although I will contend the enemy design in this game is by far the worst in the series, the game itself is ultimately fine. The fact it has some of the worst framerate dips in a game this gen and a completely stupid save/checkpoint system is what warrants the hate.

Oh yeah, and Tomm Hulett was involved
 

UrbanRats

Member
Installed this on my ps3, will begin when i have time.
Gotta be honest though, the screams/cries in the main menu are not a great sign.
 

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
This game gets more shit because of technical issues than game stuff. Although I will contend the enemy design in this game is by far the worst in the series, the game itself is ultimately fine. The fact it has some of the worst framerate dips in a game this gen and a completely stupid save/checkpoint system is what warrants the hate.

Oh yeah, and Tomm Hulett was involved

It's pretty bad, but it's not really worse than the dulltastic enemy design found in Shattered Memories. Still, what I played of the game was good, but I'm still waiting for that patch they promised before I go back to the game.
 
It's pretty bad, but it's not really worse than the dulltastic enemy design found in Shattered Memories. Still, what I played of the game was good, but I'm still waiting for that patch they promised before I go back to the game.

I agree with this. I really didn't play much Shattered Memories, so I always forget about that one.
 

LaneDS

Member
Installed this on my ps3, will begin when i have time.
Gotta be honest though, the screams/cries in the main menu are not a great sign.

Started this weekend and felt the same, but after playing the first hour or two I'm pretty impressed. Combat is super janky, but aside from that my complaints are few. Running from encounters seems best, and I'm okay with that. The atmosphere for the most part is really good, and I like it a lot better than Homecoming at least early on (never played Shattered Memories).

If someone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Just got the ticket and
rode the tram to Devil's Pit, where I quickly ended up in a cave. Did the puzzle to re-route some water, but can't figure out where to go after that... seems like I'm stuck in the cave but didn't look around too closely. Also, are you supposed to lose your flashlight around the tram somewhere? All I've got is the lighter.

Anyway, totally glad I picked it up on 360 and especially at the price Amazon had it for.
 

Lime

Member
Just got to St. Maria's and I can't tell you guys how much I love this game. It's quickly become my game of the year so far, edging out Diablo, Mass Effect, Amalur, Max Payne, Guild Wars, Darksiders, and whatever else has come out this year that I've played. I don't know that it'll stay my goty after Assassin's Creed, Dishonored, Halo, and so on, but damn... I love it so much.

Edging them out is pretty easy, so you're not saying much about the quality of Downpour. Those mentioned games are flawed and shallow AAA games.

Do you ever play anything besides big blockbuster games?
 
Edging them out is pretty easy, so you're not saying much about the quality of Downpour. Those mentioned games are flawed and shallow AAA games.

Do you ever play anything besides big blockbuster games?

i'm playing this artsy and deep indie game right now.. but you've probably never heard of it.
 

Jharp

Member
Edging them out is pretty easy, so you're not saying much about the quality of Downpour. Those mentioned games are flawed and shallow AAA games.

Do you ever play anything besides big blockbuster games?

Not sure where the attitude is coming from, but yes. For example, I'm playing Silent Hill: Downpour. Also, I enjoyed every one of those games quite a bit. Even Diablo and Mass Effect. Herp derp, guess that makes me a simpleton! Further evidenced by my two favorite games last year: Dark Souls and Baston. And the year before that? Metro 2033 and Call of Pripyat. Surely, the biggest of AAA titles.

I simply haven't gotten around to too much this year that isn't major studio titles. Torchlight, Dustforce and Grimrock were all bitchin,' but that's about as indie as my 2012 playlist gets. I picked up Binary Domain from that Amazon sale early in the summer and that was a goddamn snoozefest (played to chapter 4 with the second Gorilla-bot encounter, got bored, stopped playing), and Spec Ops, which was alright.

And holy shit why am I defending my cred from some douche on NeoGAF? Yeah, douche, I play more than just AAA titles. I also enjoy AAA titles. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Stop being a douche, douche.

Anyways, still early on in Dishonored, but if it stays as awesome for the rest of the game as it was for the first hour or so, then that may take the cake this year for my GOTY list, and I just got to the
Overlook Penitentiary
in Downpour, and am still enjoying every last bit of it, so as for my current GOTY list, it's landing in either first or second. Though I've heard some bad things about the last portion of the game, which is where I'm at, and how it tries to force action on you. So hopefully that doesn't sully an otherwise fantastic experience. Man, some of those sidequests... Ribbons, the Gramaphone, the movie theater. Some insanely memorable stuff in this game. Pyramid Head and SH3 Amusement Park vibes all up in this.
 

Jharp

Member
Oh, and (major story spoilers)
HOLY FUCK at some of the stuff going on in this game. Themes of child molestation and child murder? Not even just the stuff with Charlie, but the Ribbons sidequest is about a mother who outright sent her autistic daughter to die in order to rid herself of the burden of raising a disabled child. And then the fucking child rape with Charlie and Napier! I've still yet to get to the end of the game, so I'm not sure if anything else gets revealed as far as that goes, but man... wow. I thought the guy you killed at the beginning (which I'm nearly certain was Napier, but a recent flashback seemed to be hinting that Murph was sent to the showers to kill someone other than Napier after he had already killed Napier, which I suppose may very well have been the man at the beginning of the game.) was going to turn out to have molested Murph when he was a teen or something, seeing as the guy was clearly a decade or more older, and all we got as a hint was Murphy saying "I used to be your neighbor."

But then it got so much worse. So, so much worse. And then you see the Bogeyman fucking CRUSH A CHILD'S HEAD! Who cares if it was a goddamn hallucination and it happens just out of sight, so you only really see a silhouette of it? They made a game where a giant fucking dude in an overcoat and a gasmask picks up an eight year old boy one handed and crushes his goddamn skull. Man, the balls on these guys. And, I'd say anyhow, they managed to pull it off without seeming exploitative.

If only they hadn't included that cheesy ass scene of Murphy screaming "CHAAAAARLIE!!" in his best Darth Vader, which nearly ruined an otherwise incredibly emotional scene by turning it comical.

But man, I know that Homecoming also dealt with child murder, which was essentially that games' whole plot, but still, the subtleties of this game's themes, and what those themes center on are just some of the darkest shit I've seen in a game outside the indie space. And even then, I'm having a rough time thinking up too much that can compete with serious child-molestation motifs.
 

Lime

Member
Not sure where the attitude is coming from, but yes. For example, I'm playing Silent Hill: Downpour. Also, I enjoyed every one of those games quite a bit. Even Diablo and Mass Effect. Herp derp, guess that makes me a simpleton! Further evidenced by my two favorite games last year: Dark Souls and Baston. And the year before that? Metro 2033 and Call of Pripyat. Surely, the biggest of AAA titles.

It wasn't an attitude. It was a question on how you could possibly consider shallow and flawed examples of AAA games, like Mass Effect 3 and Diablo 3, to be the currently best of the year, when their game design, technical, and narrative failures are incredibly evident, thus making it legitimate to assume that you didn't play other games besides the ones mentioned. It doesn't make you a simpleton, but it indicates that either you simply haven't played other games this year than those games or that you somehow think no game is better than D3 and ME3. I mean, when you write an almost hype-fluffing opinion on Downpour and corroborate it with "better than masterpieces like flawed, but heavily marketed game X and Y", your opinion comes across as counter-intuitive.

I simply haven't gotten around to too much this year that isn't major studio titles. Torchlight, Dustforce and Grimrock were all bitchin,' but that's about as indie as my 2012 playlist gets. I picked up Binary Domain from that Amazon sale early in the summer and that was a goddamn snoozefest (played to chapter 4 with the second Gorilla-bot encounter, got bored, stopped playing), and Spec Ops, which was alright.

See, that statement makes your opinion more well-rounded and provides an indication to your preferences in gaming. If you don't want people to misinterpret or misunderstand your opinion, it always helps to clarify your position.

And holy shit why am I defending my cred from some douche on NeoGAF? Yeah, douche, I play more than just AAA titles. I also enjoy AAA titles. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Stop being a douche, douche.

That's not a nice tone you have there. I don't see how my questioning of your taste in games warrants personal attacks and I certainly didn't mean to sound overtly condescending. If anything it was more of a dig at the complete lack of quality in your supposed "GOTY" games.

But we're derailing the topic, so you can PM me if you want to continue the discussion (without the personal attacks, please).
 

Jharp

Member
Eh, sorry if I came off as a bit of a douche. Perhaps I was responding to a perceived snarkiness in what came across as a condescending assessment of the games I've played and enjoyed despite their flaws this years. Because honestly, Mass Effect 3 and Diablo 3 were all a great deal of fun to me. I'll also happily admit that I enjoyed, say, Alpha Protocol a great deal more than Mass Effect 3 (or 2, for that matter), but that too is a deeply flawed game. They're simply flawed in different ways, and hell, after ME2, Dragon Age 2, and Starcraft II, maybe I simply readjusted my expectations for future products from those companies and thus the games delivered in my opinion, endings notwithstanding. I also didn't like you shitting on Amalur, Max, and Darksiders.

But again, I appologoze for my own dickishness.
 

Lime

Member
It's understandable, I can see how my wording have different connotations than what I intended. And I am sorry if I came off as a douchebag - I just don't like Diablo 3, Max Payne 3 or Mass Effect 3 :)
 
I'd happily play through the game again if the PS3 version gets a patch too; one that actually resolves the myriad of performance issues the game has. I still really enjoyed the game, but the glitches and unstable framerate hampered the experience for me.
 

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
I'd happily play through the game again if the PS3 version gets a patch too; one that actually resolves the myriad of performance issues the game has. I still really enjoyed the game, but the glitches and unstable framerate hampered the experience for me.

I can't see any reason why the PS3 version wouldn't get the patch too, but then again, Konami cancelled the 360 patch for the HD Collection just because, so who knows.
 
I can't see any reason why the PS3 version wouldn't get the patch too, but then again, Konami cancelled the 360 patch for the HD Collection just because, so who knows.

That's why I'm wary. And even if it does, who's to say it even remedies the technical problems anyway. It's already looking like the 360 patch is a botch job.
 
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