Support NeoGAF

[plagiarize]

Well damn. I never expected the game to get reviews like this. This is pretty much the highest scoring game in the series. Amazing.

let's not get ahead of ourselves. we've only had a handful of reviews so far, and those are in line with the higher scoring games in the series so far. i would be surprised if this ends up averaging higher than 85% which is top end for the series.

 

[brandonh83]

Glad my avatar is providing such heavy service around these parts :lol

Also glad to see good reviews. I just wish I could share the enthusiasm.

 

[TheCardPlayer]

let's not get ahead of ourselves. we've only had a handful of reviews so far, and those are in line with the higher scoring games in the series so far. i would be surprised if this ends up averaging higher than 85% which is top end for the series.

Eurogamer is notoriously harsh. So if they found the game, that enchanting, then there shouldn't be any doubt that the rest will follow suit.

Anyway, I can't really afford this one right now. And I want to concentrate on Spirit Tracks...we'll see if the following reviews will tip the scale.

 

[schuelma]

Wow..was not expecting that Eurogamer review.

 

[gamergirly]

We have a review -

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/silent-hill-shattered-memories-review

What actually is normal is increasingly difficult to fathom as you progress. New characters appear in the oddest of circumstances, and it's not ever clear whether any of this is actually happening. In between the madness, the game switches back to the relative calm of the analyst's couch as you face another round of probing exercises. Some come across as trivial and innocuous, but at some point you realise that your responses have a subtle bearing on how the game plays out too. Characters may respond differently to you, or their clothes and the decor of their house may reflect the results of a colouring-in test.

Another thing to celebrate throughout Shattered Memories is the pacing. What it lacks in terms of length it more than makes up for in how well it holds your interest. By switching regularly between analysis, puzzle exploration, one-off set-pieces and nightmarish escape sequences, nothing ever outstays its welcome. As soon as you've seen enough of one particular location, you're off to the next, and, crucially, without any of the tedious backtracking and laborious map-checking that characterised all previous entrants in the series.

The flashlight effect is also mightily impressive, as well as being exceptionally intuitive to control via the Wiimote. Comparisons to Alan Wake spring to mind as you roam the detailed, gloomy environments admiring real-time shadows and recoiling from the menacing atmospherics. The importance of the audio conjured by Akira Yamaoka cannot be overstated, either, and if it does prove to be his swansong it will be a worthy one, demonstrating an understanding of exactly what's required to build tension. Excellent voice work and characterisation back this up, with Climax doing a fine job of creating a credible cast that does justice to the series.

They really have shaken things up this time around, for the better

Im kinda sad to hear that the rusty etherworld is replaced. Kinda gave you a feeling like you were in hell

 

[Dascu]

Goddammit. Now we can't blame it on poor review scores when the game bombs.

 

[badcrumble]

Sounds like Eurogamer hated the previous Silent Hill games.

 

[hellclerk]

Goddammit. Now we can't blame it on poor review scores when the game bombs.

reviews are never the problem. MARKETING is.

 

[brandonh83]

Sounds like Eurogamer hated the previous Silent Hill games.

That's what I'm getting from it. The positive things they are saying about it, I won't deny, it's just that I can't bathe in the positives because of the sheer amount of problems I had with it. And some people won't have those problems. That's their own outlook and experience though, but as someone who demands more from this series, I'm not content with cool bells and whistles.

 

[SlasherJPC]

That's what I'm getting from it. The positive things they are saying about it, I won't deny, it's just that I can't bathe in the positives because of the sheer amount of problems I had with it. And some people won't have those problems. That's their own outlook and experience though, but as someone who demands more from this series, I'm not content with cool bells and whistles.

Yeah. I rated the game a 8.5 because as a game its standout. If the game was more Silent Hill-ish. Would have gotten a higher score. Though I simply couldn't give it a low score because its not the SH I truly remember. Shattered Memories draws the line. It will be interesting to see which side people take.

 

[plagiarize]

My video review. Obviously some slight spoilers but no story spoilers. There is one part that shows a cutscene that will indeed make you think about the story...but it gives no answers. My final score was 8.5

good review. only complaint i'd have is to point out that Climax are a UK studio not an American one.

 

[SlasherJPC]

good review. only complaint i'd have is to point out that Climax are a UK studio not an American one.

Aww shit! My bad, I'll edit that into the description field. Thanks.

 

[Dascu]

I've only played SH2 and I'm currently going through SH3. I think I'll enjoy this either way: I haven't grown that attached to the setting and characters, in the sense that I'd be upset for this not being a true Silent Hill game. Heck, this actually gives me incentive to play through SH1 too.

 

[stuminus3]

OK, so far it sounds like this is a Silent Hill game I want. SH2 is one of my all time favorites but I'm well aware it's a once in a lifetime thing, that game will never happen again... so all Shattered Memories has to do is not suck to get my interest, and apparently it doesn't suck.

Now I bail out from the internet until I get my own hands on it. No spoilers!

 

[plagiarize]

with the soundtrack being what it is, and the graphics being what they are, i think i'll have little problem considering it a true Silent Hill game personally, but i'll see where the story goes.

i'm not really hung up on the continuity of the series, more than i am the 'feel'.

eitherway, i'm glad we've got people debating whether it's really Silent Hill or not, because I'm not expecting a traditional Silent Hill experience now, and as a result I'm not going to be disapointed if I don't get one.

 

[SlasherJPC]

with the soundtrack being what it is, and the graphics being what they are, i think i'll have little problem considering it a true Silent Hill game personally, but i'll see where the story goes.

i'm not really hung up on the continuity of the series, more than i am the 'feel'.

eitherway, i'm glad we've got people debating whether it's really Silent Hill or not, because I'm not expecting a traditional Silent Hill experience now, and as a result I'm not going to be disapointed if I don't get one.

Thats really the best way to go about getting into the game. Take it for its own thing. I think many people will find this game surprisingly good.

 

[Curufinwe]

Sounds like Eurogamer hated the previous Silent Hill games.

Eurogamer gave:

Silent Hill - Not reviewed
Silent Hill 2 (PS2) - 9/10

Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears (Xbox) - 9/10
Silent Hill 3 (PS2) - 9/10
Silent Hill 4: The Room (Xbox) - 6/10
Silent Hill Origins (PSP) - 6/10
Silent Hill Homecoming (360) - 6/10

All of the games below the break were reviewed reviewed by Kristan Reed, the reviewer of Shattered Memories.

[EDIT] I found more! Kristan is obviously the Silent Hill guy at Eurogamer.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Eurogamer gave:

SH - Not reviewed
SH 2 - 9/10
SH 3 - 9/10
SH 4 - 6/10

Silent Hill 3 and 4 were reviewed by Kristan Reed, the reviewer of Shattered Memories.

Oh SNAP!

 

[gamergirly]

Eurogamer gave:

SH - Not reviewed
SH 2 - 9/10
SH 3 - 9/10
SH 4 - 6/10

Silent Hill 3 and 4 were reviewed by Kristan Reed, the reviewer of Shattered Memories.

She also gave Silent Hill:Homecoming a 6/10. So she just hated the last two Silent Hills. But she liked this one(and 2 & 3) so it seems pretty on par with the general consensus for the series

 

[plagiarize]

Eurogamer gave:

Silent Hill - Not reviewed
Silent Hill 2 (PS2) - 9/10
Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears (Xbox) - 9/10
Silent Hill 3 (PS2) - 9/10
Silent Hill 4: The Room (Xbox) - 6/10
Silent Hill Origins (PSP) - 6/10
Silent Hill Homecoming (360) - 6/10

All of those games were reviewed reviewed by Kristan Reed, the reviewer of Shattered Memories.

[EDIT] I found more! Kristan is obviously the Silent Hill guy at Eurogamer.

what did they give 0? supposed UK dev bias and all that.

 

[Dascu]

She also gave Silent Hill:Homecoming a 6/10. So she just hated the last two Silent Hills. But she liked this one(and 2 & 3) so it seems pretty on par with the general consensus for the series

Kristan's a dude, bro.

 

[Futurevoid]

what did they give 0? supposed UK dev bias and all that.

Do you mean Origins? It's on the list. They gave it a 6/10 (generous IMO). Also, yes Kristan is the resident Silent Hill freak over there. I remember him doing a few interviews with Yamaoka and going a little nuts in anticipation for Silent Hill 4 back in the day.

I enjoyed the review from Eurogamer. Still not getting my expectations that high but great to see the game getting good word of mouth. I'll be up late tonight and I have off of work tomorrow. Marathon session until I beat the game.

 

[plagiarize]

Do you mean Origins? It's on the list. They gave it a 6/10 (generous IMO). Also, yes Kristan is the resident Silent Hill freak over there. I remember him doing a few interviews with Yamaoka and going a little nuts in anticipation for Silent Hill 4 back in the day.

I enjoyed the review from Eurogamer. Still not getting my expectations that high but great to see the game getting good word of mouth. I'll be up late tonight and I have off of work tomorrow. Marathon session until I beat the game.

damn edits.

 

[savor100]

Looks like Im going to add another unexpected game to my Wii library. How long does it take to beat this game?

 

[gamergirly]

Kristan's a dude, bro.

My bad

 

[plagiarize]

Looks like Im going to add another unexpected game to my Wii library. How long does it take to beat this game?

about six hours.

like most silent hill games, it's a bit on the short side, but replayable.

apparently.

 

[savor100]

about six hours.

like most silent hill games, it's a bit on the short side, but replayable.

apparently.

Cool, six hours it's not bad for this type of game. +1 copy sold.

 

[ZauMelz]

Gone is the hapless and ungainly combat, and out goes the need to check every empty room in the search of anything not nailed down too. Gone, in short, is all the tedious stuff.

Pffffff...

And what with the people who actually liked, no, loved "all the tedious stuff"?
Fuck this shit. *goes back playing SH3*

 

[brandonh83]

I thought Homecoming was a fuckton better than this game, and if I'm the only person in existence who believes so, so be it.

This one has a lot of good things going for it, but they're all the things that, IMO, don't matter the most with this series. No one has to agree, but it's one man's opinion.

 

[gamergirly]

Pffffff...

And what with the people who actually liked, no, loved "all the tedious stuff"?
Fuck this shit. *goes back playing SH3*

I have to admit that "combat" in SH series is pretty tedious and clumsy and tends to take away from the pacing of the game. I would have liked it alot better if you only fought bosses or particularly important enemies.

 

[Erebus]

I haven't read the Eurogamer review yet but I'm totally surprised they gave it such a high score. Wow.

 

[brandonh83]

Whether it's tedious or not, SH combat has always been really, really easy and largely avoidable for the most part, so I can't really imagine having problems with the combat in the past games. You can either run around most things, shoot them a few times, or whack 'em a few times-- nothing which is hard, takes any considerable amount of time, and is a hell of a lot better than the chase sequences in this game.

 

[plagiarize]

Whether it's tedious or not, SH combat has always been really, really easy and largely avoidable for the most part, so I can't really imagine having problems with the combat in the past games. You can either run around most things, shoot them a few times, or whack 'em a few times-- nothing which is hard, takes any considerable amount of time, and is a hell of a lot better than the chase sequences in this game.

really easy and largely avoidable... aka almost pointless? not remotely scary?

no matter how you slice it, the combat in SH2 is shit. the bosses are cool enough, but the regular enemies are totally non threatening at range and can't recover from a melee hit before you get in the next one up close. they're either a waste of ammo or a waste of time.

i'll wait until i play the chase sequences to judge them against the combat in SH2, but if you took out the regular enemies in silent hill 2, hell, I'd probably like it more than i do.

i'm used to running away from stuff on the streets of silent hill. i've been doing it since the first one. i only fought things indoors personally. when i was outside and exposed? i just legged it.

 

[Majmun]

Silent Hill 1 to 3 definitely deserved a 9. The Room was also good, a 6 score is way too low. Origins and Homecoming are the worst Silent Hill games so far.

Good to see Shatterd Dreams hanging there with the big boys. Hype +++

 

[Dascu]

Whether they posed a real threat or not, the enemy designs in previous SH titles were usually fairly creepy. Running through a dark corridor and seeing a grotesque monstrosity coming your way, is a pretty spooky feeling.

 

[Erebus]

Whether it's tedious or not, SH combat has always been really, really easy and largely avoidable for the most part, so I can't really imagine having problems with the combat in the past games. You can either run around most things, shoot them a few times, or whack 'em a few times-- nothing which is hard, takes any considerable amount of time, and is a hell of a lot better than the chase sequences in this game.

Except for Homecoming, the combat system was a pain in the ass for me in this game. They should have never included the dodge move.

 

[brandonh83]

It doesn't matter either way for me because I've never found the enemies in any horror games scary. They're not what scare me or creep me out in the games. I would rather have stale, boring combat that I can avoid which lets me continue being immersed in the atmosphere over horribly annoying and executed chase sequences that doesn't promote exploration in the slightest.

Except for Homecoming, the combat system was a pain in the ass for me in this game. They should never have included the dodge move.

I found it to be pretty easy but sometimes it got annoying-- but I still prefer that setup to what this game offers. Or tries to offer.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Ok lets not all start going ape shit, but just for a refence, and because I enjoyed SH SM. I rate the enjoyment of the series as following.

SH2
SH1
SH Homecoming
SH SM
SH 3
SH Origins
SH The Room

And again... I personally have enjoyed every single Silent Hill. Basically though I have my favorites and thats that. Personally I think Sh 1 and 2 scared me the most. Part 1 because it was new, I didn't know what was going on, etc. And 2 simple because it was the first upgrade in graphics where a game tried to scare you. After 2, I've felt the rest were creepy and interesting, sans one scene in part 3 that terrified me.

 

[gamergirly]

Whether they posed a real threat or not, the enemy designs in previous SH titles were usually fairly creepy. Running through a dark corridor and seeing a grotesque monstrosity coming your way, is a pretty spooky feeling.

They really did. The Nurses and Pyramid Head is pure genious. Not just infamous characters but people that have never played SH even recognize them

 

[gamergirly]

It doesn't matter either way for me because I've never found the enemies in any horror games scary. They're not what scare me or creep me out in the games. I would rather have stale, boring combat that I can avoid which lets me continue being immersed in the atmosphere over horribly annoying and executed chase sequences that doesn't promote exploration in the slightest.

I found it to be pretty easy but sometimes it got annoying-- but I still prefer that setup to what this game offers. Or tries to offer.

I think they both can become annoying when not executed right. Also, there's no reason why a thrilling chase and limited but intuitive combat can't exist in the same SH

Double post, sorry

 

[brandonh83]

I think they both can become annoying when not executed right. Also, there's no reason why a thrilling chase and limited but intuitive combat can't exist in the same SH

I agree. Wake me up when it happens.

 

[Sadist]

Wow, was expecting a 8/10 at best from Eurogamer.

I'm going to pre-order this in January.

 

[The Main Event]

Good thing this game is coming out during the Future Shop B2G1 Free =D

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I agree. Wake me up when it happens.

You seem pretty awake already.

 

[plagiarize]

while it's still up in the air for those of us that haven't tried Shattered Memories or not to say whether or not the chases are better or worse than the combat they replace...

who the fuck played silent hill for the combat anyway?

 

[SlasherJPC]

while it's still up in the air for those of us that haven't tried Shattered Memories or not to say whether or not the chases are better or worse than the combat they replace...

who the fuck played silent hill for the combat anyway?

True that. Honestly I didn't once miss it in SH SM nor boss fights and I thought I might going into it, but once it grabbed hold of me, I didn't give two shits about those things missing.

 

[ZauMelz]

while it's still up in the air for those of us that haven't tried Shattered Memories or not to say whether or not the chases are better or worse than the combat they replace...

who the fuck played silent hill for the combat anyway?

Raises hand.

Of course, not only for the combat. But, while I perfectly know I'm in the minority here, I always liked the feel of SH's combat; it's just so damn satisfying beating the crap out of the enemies with those raw whacks and blunt weapons. And after they fall to the floor... bam! Bam! God it's hilarious. Also, on very first playthroughs it just adds a lot to the atmosphere, getting a sense of panic by knowing that once you're in a fight with a monster you're very limited.

The battle system in Homecoming is what killed the game for me. Tastes differ.

 

[brandonh83]

You seem pretty awake already.

Yeeaahhh =(

 

[Lime]

Has anyone tried this on the Dolphin emulator?

 

[plagiarize]

Has anyone tried this on the Dolphin emulator?

i can't imagine the flash light working properly in anything but the native resolution. normally i'd be first to try something like that, but i won't be messing about with it until after i beat it on the Wii.