Silent Hill: Homecoming Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Silent Hill 2 is on my short list of favorite games, as it is, I'm sure, on most Silent Hill fans' lists.It, and the first game, are shining examples of why this series is spectacular.Unfortunately, they are the only two games that I feel are great in the series.The third one felt more like a coda to the first (and was way too short), while the foruth one had more than a few design flaws that made me lose interest.

So, now the torch has been passed to Double Helix, an American developer, and the result is Silent Hill: Homecoming.Even with its flaws (and boy does it have some), Homecoming has become my second/third favorite game of the series and bodes very well for Silent Hill's future.

The story begins with you, as Alex Shepherd, tied to a gurney and being pushed down dilapidated halls of some hellish hospital.Looking to your right and left, you see even more disturbing sights as doctors drill into a patient or drop a body down a large and presumably deep hole.Eventually, you're led into an observation room and left alone.The doctor that left you is murdered, you break free of your bonds and have to make sense of where you're at.

Right away, the game had its hooks in me.This first level terrifically set up the rest of the game, but also presented some genuine frights and more than a few disturbing sections.From here, you'll go back home and try to figure out why Shepherd's Glen is cloaked in fog, where your brother left, why your mother seems catatonic and what exactly lurks in your flooded basement...

From a story perspective, Homecoming feels like a mix of Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 (with a splash of Saw thrown in the mix), which is definitely a good combination.Unfortunately, the story is also the most straight forward of the series (it's a Western game now) and while they try to mimic the essence of Silent Hill, they lose the ambiguous feel that tasks you with putting everything together.By the end of the game, you pretty much know all there is to know.Some might like that, but it was a sore spot for me.

The combat system, which was supposed to push Silent Hill into this new realm, isn't very good.In fact, I found myself trying to avoid enemies more in Homecoming than in any of the previous titles.On paper, it sounds good: light attack, strong attack and dodge.But the problem is that you absolutely have to dodge attacks or even the lowly dogs will eat your face.The problem is further amplified by the small, claustrophic areas you are in.A lot of battles take place in very tight corners, making dodging very difficult.And even when you successfully dodge in the small rooms, eventually you'll run into a corner, the camera will go wacky and you won't be able to see what you're fighting or, more importantly, see when to dodge.

Then, when you're in the big rooms, Double Helix is kind enough to throw two or three (or five) enemies at you at once.Dodging one is a pain in the butt as it is, but trying to juggle three enemies is...well, it's hell.Add to this some enemies with their gaseous breath that I could never seem to dodge and halfway through the game I never wanted to see another monster again.And don't get me started on the boss fights...

So, why the four star review?Because of what happens halfway through the game.At the halfway point, the game ratchets up the tension, brings the story into new light and really made me want to play more.In fact, I played the last half of the game in one sitting because I had to see how it was going to end.The last half really makes up for any of the deficiencies in the game.

Graphically, Homecoming is obviously the best in the series.The new sheen of gloss mostly works, though some of the monsters with the more colorful highlights (the gaseous monsters, for instance, with their red chests) look fake and break the color scheme.Taking a page from the movie, the transitions to the other world are real time, with the paint flaking off and floating into nothingness.It's cool but it's not as terrifying as waking up or just finding yourself in the other world.

And, of course, the music is phenominal.Akira Yamaoka, series music/sound effects creator and producer, returns to craft a haunting score that mixes industrial with noises, rock and some heart-pumping effects.Very awesome, some of the best of his music in my opinion.

In the end, Silent Hill: Homecoming is a great addition to the series.It feels like the most cohesive Silent Hill story since the second game and tries to branch into new territories.Having a new developer really helped the series avoid becoming stagnant.And even with some faulting moments, it really is an involving and engrossing trip into hell.Definitely recommend giving it a chance.

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Product Description:
Silent Hill: Homecoming marks the debut of the renowned psychological horror series on next-generation consoles. Building upon the series' trademark foundations of atmosphere, adventure and storytelling, it introduces a frightening new and standalone gameplay experience destined to haunt the dreams of both first-time players and those with some experience wandering the famously fog-shrouded streets of the town of Silent Hill and its new sinister sister city Shepherd's Glen.

Survive Shepherd's nightmare
Explore Silent Hill as Alex Shepherd.
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Battle frightening enemies.
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And the unexpectedly frightening.
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Use tools and your wits to puzzle-solve.
Viewlarger. The Story of a Grim Homecoming
Homecoming's story follows the nightmare turned real life of Alex Shepherd, a war veteran returning to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his kid brother, Josh. From Shepherd's Glen to the foggy streets of dreaded Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, it's here that Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother's disappearance, and confront the evil that takes hold of his own flesh and blood in the process.

Improved Gameplay
Firmly steeped in the Survival-Horror genre its series has been pivotal in establishing,action in Homecoming remains based on exploration of the terrors residing in the communities surrounding Toluca lake and puzzle-solving skill as a means of surviving them. But to its credit game developer Double Helix refuses to rest on past laurels, choosing instead to include new more accessible gameplay in the hopes of gaining a new audience for Homecoming. Examples of this gameplay include:

Next-Gen Visual and Spatial Features - Every sequel seeks reinvent the namesakegame in their series. Homecoming does this in three ways, by adding the ability to toggle between a traditional third-person view and an action-oriented first-person view; by adding fully 3-D physics to the game, creating a realistic range of motion for any and all objects impacted by the player; and by adding transitions or "Hell States" that alter the game's physical landscape at points in the game both in real-time and via cinematics. All three actively change the way players see themselves and in the process create a whole new game experience.

An Enhanced Combat System - Adding to the standard knives, axes, pipes and other melee weapons that made up the arsenal of previous Silent Hill games, Homecoming adds a wide variety of guns and explosives. Fitting with the military back-story of protagonist Alex Shephard, these weapons can be wielded in attacks weighted as weak or strong and can be strung together in combos to stun or incapacitate opponents, who can then be taken out with powerful finishing moves. With practice players can even perform evasive ducks and rolls and follow these up with counterattacks. But remember that enemy AI has also been significantly improved to compensate for your higher degree of combat prowess, and that it's not uncommon to battle multiple monsters simultaneously.

Key Features:

Enter the next chapter of Silent Hill as you delve deeper in the tormented history of the town and learn of the evil that surrounds Toluca Lake.
Silent Hill: Homecoming is the 1st Silent Hill game designed for Xbox 360.
From the murky fog to the ominous shadows, all-new next-gen graphics bring Silent Hill to life like never before.
Survive the denizens of Silent Hill with an all-new enhanced combat system that gives you a wide array of attacks and counters.
Solve the treacherous and deadly puzzles of Silent Hill to discover its darkest secrets.
Silent Hill: Homecoming will feature an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka.

Exceptional Replay Value
Although Alex Shepherd is the only playable character in Silent Hill: Homecoming there are many other important characters--some returning from earlier games in the series--that can have a dramatic impact on the game. When interacting with these, players are given a choice in how to proceed via dialog trees. Will you take the short route letting only the search for your brother guide you or will you explore the nooks and crannies that make up the mystery of Silent Hill hidden in the small talk you share with non-playable characters? The choice is yours, with different paths providing for possible alternate endings each time you delve into the game.

A Frighteningly Masterful Soundtrack
All games in the Survival-Horror genre seek to create tension and unease through sound and Homecoming does this masterfully through the compositions and sound engineering of Akira Yamaoka. Having scored the music and effects for dozens of video game titles, including all of the previous games in the Silent Hill series, Yamaoka is considered a master at using sound to illicit a response.

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