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[brandonh83]

Can someone who's not a Silent Hill or Wii fanboy give me an honest review of this? I don't give two shits about Silent Hill lore or being true to the series, I just want a fun scary game.

Even if I weren't a SH fanboy, I wouldn't find the game scary in the slightest. Even people who don't care about SH doesn't think it's scary. It's just simply not a scary game. It's not even remotely creepy. Would I say it's fun? Well, the controls are cool when you're not being chased, so I suppose some of it can be fun to mess around with. The twist at the end is worth playing the game though.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Even if I weren't a SH fanboy, I wouldn't find the game scary in the slightest. Even people who don't care about SH doesn't think it's scary. It's just simply not a scary game. It's not even remotely creepy. Would I say it's fun? Well, the controls are cool when you're not being chased, so I suppose some of it can be fun to mess around with. The twist at the end is worth playing the game though.

Why is it not "remotely creepy"?

 

[El Pescado]

Can someone who's not a Silent Hill or Wii fanboy give me an honest review of this? I don't give two shits about Silent Hill lore or being true to the series, I just want a fun scary game.

If I had a choice between playing Silent Hill (PSX) or Shattered Memories I'd go with Shattered Memories.

I don't think it was scary per say, but I did find parts disturbing and unsettling. I played it at night in the dark with the sound turned up though.

I also liked the chase sequences and didn't really have as much of a problem with them as anyone else is having. I'm only on my second Playthrough and already had no problem getting lost during one.

 

[plagiarize]

Why is it not "remotely creepy"?

yeah, fear is completely subjective. a friend of mine can't play it (and she's a huge Silent Hill fan) because she has a really strong fear of being chased.

for people trying to work out the enemy morphing...

Spoiler

i got the hole faced cross heads. i'm wondering if it's because i was generally looking people in the eye when they were talking to me. anyone else with the hole faces that wasn't looking characters in the eye? it'd make sense that they'd remove the faces for that paid most attention to that part of the various characters.

 

[MyEpitomeCliché]

I played it at night in the dark with the sound turned up though.

I'm curious if the folks who claim the game isn't scary did the same.

 

[John Harker]

The game has been out one day (technically).

I think a wider variety of opinions than brandons 30 out of 50 posts per page are needed before decisions are made hell, I don't even have the game yet and I'm dying to play...

Though I bet it takes me a week or two to complete. I'm not programmed to complete games in 1 sight through, I take way too much time just engaging with it

 

[brandonh83]

I think a wider variety of opinions than brandons 30 out of 50 posts per page are needed before decisions are made hell, I don't even have the game yet and I'm dying to play...

No one should make any decisions based on what I, or anyone else says for that matter. All I do is offer up my own insight to what I believe Climax both nailed and failed about the game. You'll never see me try to convince anyone of anything, but as a game I looked forward to for months, and where I have beaten it twice, I do feel compelled to discuss it. People will either agree with me or disagree, but in the end all I want to do is explain what I liked and what I didn't like about the game, and I secretly hope that some of the developers may read what I say-- designers read impressions all the time for insight so I'm just offering up some of my own. Silent Hill fan or not I do believe I have valid criticisms toward the game design here, criticisms that seem to be shared by many who have played the game so far.

I am an admitted hard ass on these games, and while I was disappointed with the aspects of horror in this game, I do believe that it had a lot going for it but at the same time I feel that some of the mechanics introduced in this game could be very good if refined.

 

[SlasherJPC]

I played it at night in the dark with the sound turned up though.

I'm curious if the folks who claim the game isn't scary did the same.

I played it like this and got spooked a few times. I enjoyed the chase sequences as well. I'm so good at them my second and third play through went VERY fast. 2 -3 hours.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

No one should make any decisions based on what I, or anyone else says for that matter. All I do is offer up my own insight to what I believe Climax both nailed and failed about the game. You'll never see me try to convince anyone of anything, but as a game I looked forward to for months, and where I have beaten it twice, I do feel compelled to discuss it. People will either agree with me or disagree, but in the end all I want to do is explain what I liked and what I didn't like about the game, and I secretly hope that some of the developers may read what I say-- designers read impressions all the time for insight so I'm just offering up some of my own. Silent Hill fan or not I do believe I have valid criticisms toward the game design here, criticisms that seem to be shared by many who have played the game so far.

I am an admitted hard ass on these games, and while I was disappointed with the aspects of horror in this game, I do believe that it had a lot going for it but at the same time I feel that some of the mechanics introduced in this game could be very good if refined.

No offense, but they're not exactly shining through in your review. It mainly reads "I like this because it reminds me of Silent Hill" and "I don't like this because it's not like Silent Hill" and having never played Silent Hill I don't give a shit about how close it is to the original team's source material. that's why I asked for another review from an observer who's looking at this game for what it is, and not what's come before it.

 

[brandonh83]

No offense, but they're not exactly shining through in your review. It mainly reads "I like this because it reminds me of Silent Hill" and "I don't like this because it's not like Silent Hill" and having never played Silent Hill I don't give a shit about how close it is to the original team's source material. that's why I asked for another review from an observer who's looking at this game for what it is, and not what's come before it.

Honestly, there isn't one reason I have against the game because it's against the source material. I don't like the game because I think the chase sequences suck, it's not scary to me, and the plot is largely boring until the end. That's why I don't like the game. I just think it's largely uneventful and doesn't ever manage to squeeze out an ounce of creepiness. I mean I don't see how anyone could be creeped out by this game unless simply putting them in a dark room with a flashlight does the trick. It has nothing to do with my history as a Silent Hill fan. Yes, it's true that I think this game is a pitiful attempt at a Silent Hill title but even if I weren't stacking it against those older games, I would still think this one is incredibly mediocre.

I hope that was clear and to the point enough. I'm a fan of horror, in general, not just strictly Silent Hill and I just simply don't think this game is fun beyond the control mechanics, or creepy/freaky/scary/etc. at all. That's the long and short of it. If you guys want to persist with the delusion that the only reason I don't like this game is because it isn't as good as the others, fine, but you're all horribly mistaken.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Honestly, there isn't one reason I have against the game because it's against the source material. I don't like the game because I think the chase sequences suck, it's not scary to me, and the plot is largely boring until the end. That's why I don't like the game. I just think it's largely uneventful and doesn't ever manage to squeeze out an ounce of creepiness. I mean I don't see how anyone could be creeped out by this game unless simply putting them in a dark room with a flashlight does the trick. It has nothing to do with my history as a Silent Hill fan. Yes, it's true that I think this game is a pitiful attempt at a Silent Hill title but even if I weren't stacking it against those older games, I would still think this one is incredibly mediocre.

I hope that was clear and to the point enough. I'm a fan of horror, in general, not just strictly Silent Hill and I just simply don't think this game is fun beyond the control mechanics, or creepy/freaky/scary/etc. at all.

Fair enough.

I do have one question for you as a SH fan though; Where the games generally in closed off claustrophobic areas? I thought from the second I looked at this game that it was a little too open ended to keep the player confined, which is paramount in scare factor.

Also, i'm pretty sure that's the reason the chase sequences have loads of dead ends.

 

[brandonh83]

I do have one question for you as a SH fan though; Where the games generally in closed off claustrophobic areas? I thought from the second I looked at this game that it was a little too open ended to keep the player confined, which is paramount in scare factor.

The environments were incredibly varied in the older games. A lot of hallways and stairwells, sure, but the town exploration can be kind of wide open in some instances. But yeah, most of the time you're sort of confined to cramped corridors and the like, but there were a ton of very different rooms connected to them. The icy dimensions in this game are definitely a lot bigger, and I actually thought that the outside parts were pretty enjoyable to look at. But when you're being chased inside interiors, it becomes very repetitive and samey.

 

[plagiarize]

as i keep saying, fear is inherently subjective. with the psych profiling i was hoping that this game could get to more people by tapping into what scares each player to a degree. it'll take a lot of peoples experiences with it to find out if that is the case, but i definately found the game one of the scarier games i've played in a good while.

i always remember hearing people saying that RE4 was the scariest ever because you were overwhelmed and all that, with other people saying it wasn't remotely scary anymore.

it's just... fear is subjective. if you aren't afraid of being chased through a nightmarish landscape, then it's probably not going to scare you, but that is a very common nightmare...

being chased through unfamiliar territory.

for some people it's anything with being underwater that scares them.

for some it's darkness.

for some it's loneliness.

for some it's being exposed.

for some it's being confined.

i'm sure anyone with a child would find the central premise much scarier than someone without.

if it doesn't scare you, that's going to be disapointing espescially if you were scared by prior games in the series.

maybe it's part of why peoples opinion of the series (and games within it) has always been so subjective, because it doesn't go for the kind of shit jumping out of the dark at you scares that work on pretty much everyone.

i've always found the series scary because of the constant threat of the dark world forcing it's way in at any possible moment. it finally happening in real time in front of me (why oh why did homecoming only do it in cutscenes or empty rooms?) has only added to that.

then once i'm there it's a nightmarish race back to sanity... like trying to wake up from a nightmare. that's a very different experience for me than in any other game, and Shattered Memories has that in a much more concentrated and intense form than any other title in the series.

obviously my one gripe with it, is massive. namedly that i hit a glitch hours in that forced me to start over, and ruined my plan to just play through the game in one sitting giving everything my natural reaction to see how i got profiled before 'role playing' in subsequent play throughs.

for me that's the kind of crushing flaw that just can't be denied and i'm glad that it's only happened to one other person so far...

but that said, saying that it isn't scary because it's predictable is just an opinion. i don't find the pacing the game less scary because it's predictable. i find inevitability scary, so for me, knowing that i'm going to be dragged into the dark world, and knowing that i'm going to have to run for my life when i'm there is scarier.

i know you are just giving your opinion, that you don't find it scary, but that doesn't mean that anyone that does is a pussy. fear is inherantly personal.

that this even attempts to tap into that makes it unique to my knowledge. it'll take a wider sample than we have here so far to know if it succeeded... but it's likely that only a game that takes this kind of approach could get near to being something universally scary without resorting to 'cheap' universal BOO scares.

 

[SlasherJPC]

as i keep saying, fear is inherently subjective. with the psych profiling i was hoping that this game could get to more people by tapping into what scares each player to a degree. it'll take a lot of peoples experiences with it to find out if that is the case, but i definately found the game one of the scarier games i've played in a good while.

Good post. I agree 100% Hell one part that even freaked me out right good was

Spoiler

when the SUV crashed into the water and I couldn't escape the flooding vehicle. I was terrifed.

though that was probably due to a fear something like that happening to me.

 

[hellclerk]

Got it in. Blinds are down and lights are off. It's scary time!

 

[brandonh83]

Good post. I agree 100% Hell one part that even freaked me out right good was

Spoiler

when the SUV crashed into the water and I couldn't escape the flooding vehicle. I was terrifed.

though that was probably due to a fear something like that happening to me.

It was a really cool scene, I agree. Very well done.

 

[Ridley327]

Huzzah! My TV is getting fixed tomorrow. I might actually get to play the rest of the game now!

 

[Hellsing321]

Damn! The stupid snow delayed my package. I wanted to play this game so bad today. Fuck you mother nature!

 

[brandonh83]

Damn! The stupid snow delayed my package. I wanted to play this game so bad today. Fuck you mother nature!

Interesting.

 

[Ridley327]

Interestingly, I started playing the game in the middle of an actual snowstorm.

 

[brandonh83]

I got the game on the first day it snowed here. Also got pulled over for driving with expired tags that morning :lol

 

[ace harding: private eye]

This is the exact, EXACT same hardcore fan reaction seen from a lot of people when RE4 came out. Deal with it.

There's no comparison! Even though RE4 mixed things up, it was still regarded as an incredible game, even by diehard fans who eventually came around.
Shattered Memories mixes things up, but is not regarded as an incredible game. Plus, the Silent Hill franchise is much more of a fan-supported series (compared to blockbuster RE games that everyone plays), so the fans are the people you want to keep happy when making a Silent Hill game. Why else would Shattered Memories pre-orders be so high?

Think I'm going to play 0rigins. There's not much I remember about it. I remember the theater being really creepy. Proves Climax DOES understand how to make something creepy, but for some reason they just chose not to with this game.

That's what surprised me most about this game. They did a very good job with Origins, so I had greater expectations for this title.

Why is it not "remotely creepy"?

The regular world has NO enemies, and NO danger whatsoever. You just walk around, picking up trash. The ice world can be tense, but remains mostly annoying with non-stop running and awkward motion control.

The biggest reason Silent Hill games are great is because they reward exploration of dark, scary areas. Shattered Memories throws this idea away completely.

 

[SlasherJPC]

There's no comparison! Even though RE4 mixed things up, it was still regarded as an incredible game, even by diehard fans who eventually came around. Shattered Memories mixes things up, but is not regarded as an incredible game. Plus, the Silent Hill franchise is much more of a fan-supported series (compared to blockbuster RE games that everyone plays), so the fans are the people you want to keep happy when making a Silent Hill game. Why else would Shattered Memories pre-orders be so high?

Well some people might find the new SH game incredible or good. Even if you and others find it not to be. It still is mixing things up with some fairly positive comments coming back to it. Eurogamer and Igns review just as an example which seems to be how some fans or newcomers are taking it. Really good in their eyes.

Some fan love it, some fans hate it. Some newcomers will like it, some will hate it. Welcome to Silent Hill. These sorta debates, topics, arguments have been going on forever.

 

[NintendosBooger]

Beat the game last night. Definitely one of the best survival horror games I've played, which probably doesn't say much since this is the first SH I've played, but the horror literature fan in me enjoyed the ride. The experience definitely reminded me of some of the old Lovecraftian stories.

 

[brandonh83]

Beat the game last night. Definitely one of the best survival horror games I've played, which probably doesn't say much since this is the first SH I've played, but the horror literature fan in me enjoyed the ride. The experience definitely reminded me of some of the old Lovecraftian stories.

Could you elaborate for me? I would like to know some of the references, if any, and what made you able to connect this game to other stories.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Hey Silent hill fans. I've got a question not related to shattered memories but im in a mood to replay the whole series lately.

Gonna play the silent hill PSX on PC emulator so thats fixed but..

Silent hill 2, 3 & 4, are they superior on PC ? I dont care about reviewers dropping the score because it was unplayable on keyboard, im gonna use my wireless 360 pad anyway. I managed to find 3 & 4 used for not much on amazon.ca, 2 is like a freaking collector's edition or something.

Shit ports or they're everything the console versions were AND higher res, forcing AA, better texture quality even perhaps? 16:10 hack ?

 

[Ridley327]

SH2's PC port is really, really, really bad; it's a bitch to get running correctly and even if you do, it's littered with bugs and glitches.

SH3 and SH4, on the other hand, were very good ports. There are perspective hacks out there for both if you want to get them running on a widescreen monitor properly.

 

[Truelize]

I don't know what to think of this game right now. I've just gotten to the high school, saved it and shut it down. But so far I'm not really impressed. But I'm also not disgusted with it.

Totally on the fence right now.

I don't like the chases so far. And I HATE having to swing my arms around to get bad dudes off me. I'm not really used to the controls yet but I'm not always having success on my first try to shake dudes off of me.

* should I be searching around a lot for these hidden items? Do they do anything later?*
* and how does the buzzing work that is alerting you to grab your camera? I've done it a couple of times and then other times I guess I didn't need my camera out to trigger an event*

 

[scitek]

SH2's PC port is really, really, really bad; it's a bitch to get running correctly and even if you do, it's littered with bugs and glitches.

SH3 and SH4, on the other hand, were very good ports. There are perspective hacks out there for both if you want to get them running on a widescreen monitor properly.

The FOV hack won't work for me in SH3. I don't know why, but it just does nothing to the game. Maybe a different version of the game since I No-CD'd it to avoid the disc crash problem.

Just picked up SH2 for the PS2 earlier for $15, too. It's not the Greatest Hits version, though.

Okay, I'm a fucking idiot for being stuck so early here, but someone tell me what I'm supposed to do.

Spoiler

Just got out of the police car and am wandering around the wooded area and pump station not having a clue where to go. I've found 3 different photo spots and some other mementos, but nothing...and I was sad to see the bear from Disaster. Poor guy.

* and how does the buzzing work that is alerting you to grab your camera? I've done it a couple of times and then other times I guess I didn't need my camera out to trigger an event*

If you can use your camera, you'll see a ghostly image of the thing you're to photograph, otherwise it will just automatically send a message to your phone when you get to the right spot.

 

[brandonh83]

Spoiler

Just got out of the police car and am wandering around the wooded area and pump station not having a clue where to go. I've found 3 different photo spots and some other mementos, but nothing...and I was sad to see the bear from Disaster. Poor guy.

You

Spoiler

follow the dirt trail past a pump station to another set of cabins.

 

[scitek]

You

Spoiler

follow the dirt trail past a pump station to another set of cabins.

Spoiler

I've been down by the water and everything, and I can't figure out what to do with this cabinet with a dead rabbit and a leg or something in it. Anything there?

 

[pakkit]

So, uh, some reviews have suggested that this is more like an evolution of PnC adventure games of the past than an evolution of survival horror. To which I say, awesome. I really can't wait to play the hell out of this game come winter break.

 

[scitek]

So, uh, some reviews have suggested that this is more like an evolution of PnC adventure games of the past than an evolution of survival horror. To which I say, awesome. I really can't wait to play the hell out of this game come winter break.

That's what I've thought of it, too, and I have the same reaction. It's not a scary game, but it's freaky, and I'm really enjoying it.

Spoiler

The part where you go off the bridge and have to escape the car was amazing, and the shadow puzzle blew my mind. Great stuff.

I'm really loving the storytelling, and the voice-acting is pretty great. I think it's a great game once you get all the mechanics down.

 

[faceless007]

SH2's PC port is really, really, really bad; it's a bitch to get running correctly and even if you do, it's littered with bugs and glitches.

I've had no problem running SH2 on my XP-32 system, which I've upgraded the hardware of a few times since I bought it in 2005. That said, you're right about the glitches. Though I was able to complete the game and Maria sub-game successfully, I hand a handful of freezes and the sound system sometimes stutters (which really kills the mood for a horror game).

Still, I think I prefer the 1600x1200 to playing it at 480i with load times after every door.

 

[John Harker]

I think my biggest gripe is that half you bitches already beat the game and I havent even had a chance to go to the store yet to get it! :lol

this whole thread is nothing but a mix of personal opinions and spoiler tags - it's painful!

Hopeful I'll be able to escape and get it friday.
sleeper sales hit or less-than-Homecoming bomb?

 

[ace harding: private eye]

Well some people might find the new SH game incredible or good. Even if you and others find it not to be. It still is mixing things up with some fairly positive comments coming back to it. Eurogamer and Igns review just as an example which seems to be how some fans or newcomers are taking it. Really good in their eyes.

Some fan love it, some fans hate it. Some newcomers will like it, some will hate it. Welcome to Silent Hill. These sorta debates, topics, arguments have been going on forever.

Correct, my point was that Shattered Memories has so far received heavily mixed reviews, while the general consensus for RE4 was overwhelmingly positive.
And I don't agree that these arguments have been going on forever. Discounting the misstep of SHIV, the major debates didn't really start until Konami began outsourcing the series. Most fans seem to be in agreement in citing 1,2, or 3 as their top title.

So, uh, some reviews have suggested that this is more like an evolution of PnC adventure games of the past than an evolution of survival horror.

This is exactly what I realized halfway through the game.

 

[scitek]

So, I beat the game in one sitting. I liked it a lot. It's not much of a horror title, but it's got some pretty good atmosphere and it's really trippy throughout. To me, it seemed more like Max Payne sans shooting than a survival horror game. It's definitely much more story-focused than I expected, and the presentation was great, so I appreciated it. I know I got different results than a couple of you here. In slasher_thrasher's video review, Harry was running around in a green jacket, and in my game Harry sported a black leather jacket with his shirt unbuttoned half-way. Just little superficial things I guess the answers you give changes.

Now for the ending:

Spoiler

So is Harry making a sex tape of a threesome with Michelle and Lisa the same ending everyone else got? It made me laugh.

 

[gamingeek]

Joystiq review Silent Hill Shattered Memories "Climax set out to re-imagine Silent Hill and it succeeded"

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/09/review-silent-hill-shattered-memories/

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories GT review 8.5
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-silent-hill/59790

Sourced from http://www.thevgpress.com

 

[plagiarize]

Correct, my point was that Shattered Memories has so far received heavily mixed reviews, while the general consensus for RE4 was overwhelmingly positive.
And I don't agree that these arguments have been going on forever. Discounting the misstep of SHIV, the major debates didn't really start until Konami began outsourcing the series. Most fans seem to be in agreement in citing 1,2, or 3 as their top title.

trust me when i say that we don't 'agree' when we cite 1, 2 or 3 as our top title. we argue fervently. FERVENTLY.

i'm in the group that felt 2 was a serious disapointment after the first.

then there are others that think 2 is a game that completely transcends gaming and is a landmark in story telling. not story telling in games, story telling period.

this one is splitting people a bit more for a couple of reasons. one, is that the 'chase sequences' are pretty unique in gaming period, and whether or not you've played the original silent hill games it's a divisive mechanic.

the other is that for people that *have* played the originals we all have our own metric of what makes a game a Silent Hill game. for you it's that they "reward exploration of dark, scary areas".

that isn't remotely it for me, and it never has been. there is no agreed upon measurement of silent hillness.

i love RE4, it's my favourite game in fact... but i'd say that this Silent Hill for me, feels closer to the old games than RE4 does to it's predecessors.

because for me Silent Hill hasn't ever really been about the game mechanics, but the feeling of isolation. the feeling of lonelyness. and then in the dark world, that feeling of desperately trying to wake from a nightmare. it's always been about an uneasy sense that things aren't really what they appear to be at face value.

shattered memories has all that in spades, wrapped up in what i find to be much better game mechanics...

so for me, it's vintage silent hill (up to the school anyways... i will start over today and hopefully not get glitched out in the school again. i will be backing up my save files).

 

[dark10x]

Beat the game last night. Definitely one of the best survival horror games I've played, which probably doesn't say much since this is the first SH I've played, but the horror literature fan in me enjoyed the ride. The experience definitely reminded me of some of the old Lovecraftian stories.

Glad you enjoyed it.

You should really consider going back and playing some of the PS2 games as well (mainly just SH2 and SH3).

 

[Miburou]

What made me love the series (and especially parts 1-3) was that the game always gave me a sense of isolation, a sense of doubt and confusion as to what was real and what wasn't, and a sense of dread of being chased by monsters in poorly lit areas.

I just finished my first playthrough of Shattered Memories (I had to give the Wii back, so I'll borrow it again to replay the game) and I have to say it's better than I expected and as a game it's pretty good but not amazingly so.

It still retains the the isolation factor and your still not quite sure what is real and what isn't, so it captures the feeling of a Silent Hill game in that regard (sorry shidoshi!). But there's not much dread or fear while I played the game, mainly because of the monsters appearing only in the ice world, and you only have to out run them to find the exit. The lack of inventory management and the infinite continues means it's only a matter of time until you clear those sections. You can also save at any time.

I always found the puzzles to be overly simple and easy and the lack of interior maps understandable seeing as how you never spend much time in any one place.

I liked the story, characters and dialog and the game at least partially succeeds in capturing the SH feel, so I can say it was at least an enjoyable 8 hours or so. But it has nothing to match the beginning of SH1 (the nightmare), the hotel and prison in SH2, the otherworld of SH3 or even your house in Homecoming.

In terms of where I'd rank it among the other SH games (my current ranking is SH3->SH1->SH2->SHO->SHH->SH4) I'd say that's a tough one. It's definitely behind SH1-3, but while it's definitely a more even game than Homecoming, the best bits in Homecoming were better than anything in SM (and the worst parts worse), and it's a more original game than Origins but that game was more intense, and it doesn't have the repetition and clunky controls of SH4, so I'd say somewhere among those 4 games.

I like the minimalistic style of the game, and I'm OK with no combat, although I wish it weren't separated and confined to the ice world. I also wish it had more original locations with more of a backstory behind them.

Whether you're a diehard SH fan or have never played one before, I think this game is worth playing for its original take on the genre, but I think if Climax makes another SH game, they should try to make it more fleshed out.

 

[El Pescado]

Now for the ending:

Spoiler

So is Harry making a sex tape of a threesome with Michelle and Lisa the same ending everyone else got? It made me laugh.

What?! That is not the ending I got at all. Now I have to play again. XD

 

[brandonh83]

What?! That is not the ending I got at all. Now I have to play again. XD

That's the ending I got the second time :lol

 

[SlasherJPC]

That's the ending I got the second time :lol

Damn perverts! lol.

Thats the one ending I didnt get yet. I've seen the rest. One of them perticularily made me squirm.

 

[dark10x]

Even though I'm not a huge fan of Silent Hill 4, there's never a bad time to post the amazing trailer for the game.

So amazing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiFaGtzJ7Ds

I like the minimalistic style of the game, and I'm OK with no combat, although I wish it weren't separated and confined to the ice world. I also wish it had more original locations with more of a backstory behind them.

Yep, that's the major stumble with this game. Removing combat would have been brilliant and tense if enemies could have been present at any point in the game. The sound of enemies moving through an environment would have created a feeling of dread (knowing that you could not fight them).

Most of the games that have tried to do this kind of gameplay do so in a gimmicky way (Haunting Ground/Demento, Clock Tower 3, RE3 etc.) and treat these encounters as very specific scenes. If the foes simply roam the level and you are aware of their presence but not their location I think it would have improved the experience dramatically.

I still don't think anyone has pulled this off as well as Looking Glass with the Thief games (the first two in particular). You were in these cavernous environments filled with hostiles. You could often hear them (and they sounded freaky), but you never knew where they were. The Children (the small mechanical beings) in Thief II were particularly creepy, I thought.

 

[savor100]

How many endings does the game have?

 

[Futurevoid]

I'm really torn on the game so far. I've played a little past the high school and thus far I think it's an absolutely solid game. The Wiimote as a flashlight works beautifully, the visuals (considering the platform) are fantastic, the cellphone integration is great and the way the story plays out is really rather interesting. I love the therapy sessions and I like the interactions I've had with the characters I've met so far. I'm really quite curious where the narrative is going.

Despite all of that, there really isn't an ounce of tension or any real atmosphere to be had in the game outside of the chase sequences and the opening trek through Silent Hill. I will say that the first time Harry enters the nightmare world, it's wonderfully executed and it is really damned creepy. The introduction of the creatures is also fantastic. The initial shrieking you hear as they pounce along being terribly unnerving. However, once you get past that initial "uh oh" moment, subsequent chases kind of lose their bite.

I'll continue playing because I do love the exploration and the way the narrative is playing out but thus far I'm a bit disappointed in the total lack of tension the game has elicited from me. Maybe that will improve as it goes on but as of now even Homecoming has been worlds better in that regard.

How many endings does the game have?

My understanding is that there are five endings total.

 

[scitek]

the best bits in Homecoming were better than anything in SM (and the worst parts worse)

Really? There were parts in Homecoming better than

Spoiler

the part where you're trapped in the SUV?

EDIT: By the way guys, I've seen it mentioned in a couple of reviews that you can't check your map during chases, but if you just zoom the map to fullscreen, it pauses the chase so you can take your time in finding the route.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Really? There were parts in Homecoming better than

Spoiler

the part where you're trapped in the SUV?

Hmm not so sure about that. That part was indeed awesome.

 

[brandonh83]

I'm really torn on the game so far. I've played a little past the high school and thus far I think it's an absolutely solid game. The Wiimote as a flashlight works beautifully, the visuals (considering the platform) are fantastic, the cellphone integration is great and the way the story plays out is really rather interesting. I love the therapy sessions and I like the interactions I've had with the characters I've met so far. I'm really quite curious where the narrative is going.

Do you kind of understand what I mean when I say that the game is uneventful? I mean, even in the other SH games there were scenes and happenings that made you feel like the world and story was very rich but in this game there's just... nothing to really discuss until the ending. On one hand I appreciate the restraint but on the other hand I just wish the game gave me something to talk about other than the ending.

Also, while the cell phone integration is awesome, am I the only one that feels that all the "horror" in the game relies strictly on the phone? I mean all they do is rely on text messages and voicemails for the creepiness, and it's not even really creepy aside from a few small instances.