Began to play a week ago Homecoming ,and though it's kinda buggy in parts, I feel it's ok. Though this is the first SH I play. Also, how's Shattered Memories?Also, fucking needlers.
Shattered Memories was a let down for me. The story is interesting but to me it just wasn't Silent Hill. The gameplay all around also lacks. It's just run around an empty town (and I mean empty as there's nothing in it that can even kill you) then the town goes frozen, you run around a maze avoiding enemies until you reach the end, then everything goes normal and the process repeats itself till end game.
Homecoming is pretty good, but it lacks a bit in terms of subtlety. I cringed a little when Curtis informed me that HEY DID YOU NOTICE ALL THE CLOCKS ARE BROKEN AT 2:09???That said, the visual and auditory presentation are topnotch, and the writing's not terrible either. Not my favorite game in the series, but a worthy addition, I think.Also Alex is totally a gay dude in denial.
>>86272>The gameplay all around also lacks.>Silent Hill
As for Shattered memories: it's probably my favorite in the series, right up there with 3. The exploration sections were very moody and atmospheric, and very well designed, the flashlight and phone mechanics worked great, and I think the removal of the combat element was a great move. The chase sequences were pants-shitting scary, if occasionally frustrating; the sense of disorientation and confusion you feel is a perfect emulation of what Harry would be experiencing.And the writing? Best in the series, hands-down, IMO.There were a few things that could be improved - more monster variety, less of a binary relationship between exploration and chase sequences - and it's certainly a different animal than the rest of the series, but the combined package works incredibly well.
I still haven't played Homecoming. Or 0, for that matter. I think the fact that the original team didn't have a hand in them and the lukewarm reception killed most of my motivation to play them. This isn't to say I won't pick them up ever--it's just that nothing about them has really sparked my interest.Shattered Memories, on the other hand, sounds pretty neat, even without the original team on board. The most common complaint I've heard about it is that, in the end, it still isn't very Silent Hill-y, but almost all of those statements usually attach a "But it's still pretty good" at the end. I'll probably play it when I've finished most of the games currently on my plate.
I'm going to wax homosexual a moment and shine up my fanboy card.I highly recommend you play the first three games. If you can excuse the original Silent Hill's PS1 era graphics. Later editions, for lack of a more kind way of saying it, take the series in directions that just lack the unique mojo that made the originals good. They're survival horror games in the wake of that 1, 2 and 3 established... but they don't fill their shoes.As far as games go, I won't say these newer Silent Hill games are bad *survival horror* games. They just aren't what I'm looking for in an oldschool, true blue Silent Hill game. Ever since the feature movie took such liberties with the metaplot, the things changed or modified have had such an effect on the flavor of the world and.. in my opinion, are kind of detrimental to the established atmosphere. But seriously. Play the original trilogy. Nothing but gold, man.
I've heard there's a PS2 version of Shattered Memories,how good or bad is?>>86283I wish Steam could release a a pack with the first 3 SH, since it would be easier to get them for me, mostly since it will be either near impossible to get any of the original for consoles, or too expensive.
>>86286The PC versions of SH1-3 are kind of shit, though. Homecoming, by contrast, had a pretty graceful transition.
>>86275Yes, all around gameplay. As in the parts where the game were also supposed to be scary, which it didn't have at all.I hate that Silent Hill fans have basically obsessed themselves with the stories so much that they basically neglect everything else. You could feed them dog shit but as long as it has an interesting story they'll accept it as quality.
>>86290>I hate that Silent Hill fans have basically obsessed themselves with the stories so much that they basically neglect everything else. You could feed them dog shit but as long as it has an interesting story they'll accept it as quality.I don't see the problem with that. Unless you're referring to how it leads them to believe that a good story renders any complaints about the other aspects of the game irrelevant--in which case, yeah, that's always annoying.
>>86291I'm okay with fans liking the story of the games. I'm pretty much the same way in that I really liked the story of them. But I just hate how SM has basically shown that fans seem to think as long as the story is good, everything else can blow ass.
>>86295Uh, the rest of it didn't blow ass.
>>86296I wasn't implying everything outside of SM basically blew ass (though I and many other people found it boring). I'm just speaking in a general sense.
One thing to remember for Homecoming is to make loads of saves, especially before the Mercer House puzzles turn up. It's really easy to get stuck at an impassable glitch in this game, the house notoriously so. Shattered Memories is probably the only Silent Hill I couldn't bear to finish. It's not a Silent Hill, not really. Theres no tension outside the nightmare realm, its ugly as sin, and the nightmare sequences themselves are awful--just run around getting lost while some stupid creatures chase you. Meh. Presentation is fantastic though.1 > 3 > 2 > 4 > HC > SM > Origins >>>>>>>>>>>>> comics > arcade > movie
Origins is probably my favorite, followed by 2, I really do suggest it if you have a PSP.
>>86290Uh. You are aware that the original Silent Hill games were successful BECAUSE the story was wonderful, and only that, right? Of course fans of the series wouldn't give two figs about the gameplay. It wasn't about the gameplay, it was about the story and the audio and visuals were just part OF that story.You could improve the combat system. Maybe add a dodge. You could even put in a warthog and gravity hammer into the game and put in an over-the-shoulder view for firing the guns. It wouldn't improve the story much, but maybe some gamers aren't so concerned about the story and narrative as they are smashing and shooting things.
>>86311>You could improve the combat system. Maybe add a dodge. You could even put in a warthog and gravity hammer into the game and put in an over-the-shoulder view for firing the guns. It wouldn't improve the story much, but maybe some gamers aren't so concerned about the story and narrative as they are smashing and shooting things.And then SH loses the entire fanbase, which is replaced by fratboy neophytes that don't care about story and atmosphere so long as there's explosions.It'd be Fallout 3 all over again.
>>86311>Uh. You are aware that the original Silent Hill games were successful BECAUSE the story was wonderful, and only that, right?I'm pretty sure it's because they succeeded in being scary as hell. I even remember back around pre-4's release date there was a lot of discussion going on about how the game might be disappointing because they were ditching the flash light so the game wouldn't be scary. I didn't see much discussion on the story at all. Not until the games started being developed by western developers. Also what you're saying is a bit of a contradiction because I see many people complain about the cult story and people wish the series would get away from it.>>86315Fans have pretty much already ditched the series for the most part.
I feel like the best Silent Hill game is 2 because it incorporates everything you think Silent Hill would be in the one game. (If that doesn't make sense, I'm sorry.) I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE WANTING TO PLAY SILENT HILL My favorite is 4, but it doesn't play strictly like a Silent Hill game. (no UFO ending? come on!) I somehow fell in love with the characters, including those that fall under the love to hate category. EILEEN GALVINHenry's blandness really caught me off guard. I thought I would hate him for it, but somehow it helps me see him as more realistic in all of the events that happen to him. COMPARED TO JAMESI killed my wife with a pillow but seeing crazy ass monsters doesn't make me rage in the slightest, I just wanna talk my way out of my problems.As for the gameplay, I feel the reason SH fans like the story and don't complain about the gameplay is that the game was built specifically FOR THE STORY. The creators made the gameplay around suspense and not how accurate you could shoot a gun or how big of an explosion you can make.
I love Silent Hill with a passion that can only be described as "boom de yada, boom de yada." I've heartily enjoyed all of the games Except I haven't played Homecoming yet. I want to. I WILL SOME DAY. and I look forward to the next installment with GREAT ANTICIPATION. That said, I think there are three primary factors that determine whether or not something is "Silent Hill," and a game's gotta hit at least 2/3 to be good.1) A protagonist who just can't deal with pain/loss: we've got James with Mary, Heather with Harry, Walter with his parents, Travis with HIS parents, Alex with Josh, and Cheryl with Harry. (especially if SM is the true canon and SH1 is a delusion) The human pain that drives Silent Hill's various plots is some powerful, POWERFUL stuff. 2) Monsters and obstacles of a highly symbolic nature: this needs no explanation. As far as I'm concerned, every game so far has hit this particular nail on the fucking head. It's not always done as smoothly as it was in SH2 (Two-Backs of Origins, I'm looking at you...), but no matter what the monsters are always there for a reason.3) GODDAMN TERRIFYING SHIT: The cat in the locker. SH2 in its entirety. "Monsters? They looked like monsters to you?" Andrew DeSalvo's floating head. The Artaud Theater. CHASE SEQUENCES. This series. THIS FUCKING SERIES.Honorable mentions go to fog, rust, flashlights, SEX EVERYWHERE, broken locks, and on a more serious note, DAT MUSIC.
I like to think the UFO endings are the true endings.
>>86325>Also what you're saying is a bit of a contradiction because I see many people complain about the cult story and people wish the series would get away from it. it's a bit of column A, a bit of column B. Yeah, the cult story is a bit hokey (although 3 handled it pretty well), but that's only one aspect of the story. The greater part of the story, about Cheryl and Alessa, is still pretty awesome, and the telling of that story is what MADE SH1 scary as hell (in large part).I mean, yeah,. I roll my eyes when Dahlia says that it was 'foretold by Gyromancy'. You've got to hold it to the standards of the time, though.
>>86335>You've got to hold it to the standards of the time, though.Oh hai, meet another game from the same year. Go on, compare stories, I'll wait.So yeah, what makes Silent Hill is, putting aside the UFO endings, the pants-shitting atmosphere. Not the plot, not the writing, not the gameplay, the ATMOSPHERE. The fog, the creepy metaphorical monsters, the music, all that shit.
>>86335>the telling of that story is what MADE SH1 scary as hell (in large part)I don't really think so. I'll agree on it for SH2 because there was so much tie in with the main character that it wouldn't have been what it was without the story. Though to me what made SH1 so scary was all the freaky shit that went on in that game. Those lockers, the freaky ass monsters, the music and ambiance. Though I still think the story is "typical crazy cult" done right.Also for the record I'm not saying that SH needs to turn into Resident Evil 4/5 or Gears of War. I don't need to go into the town guns blazing with rocket launchers and chains saws. I just want the developers focus on freaking me the fuck out instead of thinking up a story mostly composed of plot twists and references. If you're going to tie in the two together, that's great and I agree it can make the game a lot better. But if all people want is a story with plot twists and references, why even ask for a game? Why not just a graphic novel or something?
>>86336The atmosphere is, in a Silent Hill game, a large portion of the storytelling, at least to my mind.
>>86302The arcade is railshooter, right?I wanna play that one since I do love rail shooters, even if SH isn't about shoot the shit out of everything and it's something radically different from the original concept. But still, it may at least have an interesting story.And I didn't knew about the Silent Hill comics until Linkara reviewed the Dying Inside comicsThe movie is a total waste of everything, right?>>86333Tempting...>>86330DAT PICAhahahaha, oh my.
>>86338It's true that atmosphere is, in many ways, telling a story without words, but if we accept that then we might have to call Bethesda good storytellers, and that's just not true.
>>86342the first two issues of Dying Inside are the only two issues as far as I'm concerned. Scott Ciencin is a huge chunk of shit.
>>86342>The movie is a total waste of everything, right? What movie?
I actually liked the movie.Feel free to lynch me now.
What the hell are you arguing about?>>86342Movie is just dumb. They took some key motifs from the Silent Hill series and slapped them onto another script, and it shows. It's probably as good as a videogame movie gets, but as part of the franchise it blows. It's a 2000s horror movie by the book. Also the originals are cheap as hell on ebay. Though if you have a good PC you could just emulate them with PCSX2.
>>86362I can respect that, and I wouldn't lynch you. Admittedly, the movie did have some rather interesting aesthetics.That said, there's something I have to get off my chest."So this Harry Mason guy runs off to search for his daughter in a nightmare town even though he's scared out of his mind? Fuck that, let's make him a woman. We can't have a MAN acting scared or vulnerable. Besides, only WOMEN really love their children, and our film should reflect this universal truth. On that note, let's make the girl's biological mother a good person. If we introduced a purely negative maternal figure, that might be controversial. Speaking of controversy, rather than denouncing religious dogma in general, why don't we just dump on Christianity? That's a popular, acceptable target now, right? But wait! Since Harry's character is now female, we don't have any prominent male characters! Time to let Sean Bean wander around for half the movie and tell us things we already know! And Pyramid Head. We need Pyramid Head and the big-tittied nurses because everyone knows about them. Consistency of symbolism means NOTHING as long as you have something the fanboys love, right?"tl;dr four years later, I STILL MAD
What I look for in a Silent Hill game:1.) Is the protagonist a flawed person? (The father, the amnesiac, the victim, the non-entity.)2.) Does the story take place in or around the town of Silent Hill, a sleepy coastal community plagued in the past by cults and the sale of White Claudia?3.) Forget if the monsters look intimidating or scary; do they somehow tie into the main character or supporting characters in some fashion?4.) Do we learn about supporting characters and their relationship with the town? If any.5.) Do we get to wander the town and see how it's being interpreted by the individual?6.) Are we dreaming? Are we awake? Is it magic, or drugs? 7.) Do the puzzles relate to the main character and their individuality in some fashion? Could they? Are they subtle and clever?8.) Is there hidden stuff to uncover and consider? In one room of the Apartment Complex of Silent Hill 2 is a painting of James and Mary. The front of the model of the man who is watching the broken TV is James. If you look into the rusty mortuary drawer, James will mention he denies seeing anything and will respond 'there's nothing there' if you pursue examination further.9.) Are the scares relevant to the plot, or the result of monsters going BOOGEDY BOOGEDY BOO and being outwardly gruesome?
>>86382not just the TV guy, almost every corpse you see is James model
>>86383I know, right? It's attention to detail like this that make replays so fun. Angela's dropped photo.
I get misty-eyed whenever I see this picture.
>>86454Is it because you're a girl or you're gay?
>>86494>has never played Silent Hill 2>trying to imply that it's not one of the saddest, most soul-crushing games in existence
>>86495It's still a videogame, you teary-eyed wimp.
>>86494>>86497Pardon me good sir, but I think you've might have taken a wrong turn. This is /cog/, the good board, I think you might be looking for /v/.
>>86499I know perfectly well where I am. And calling it the "good board" is a stretch. If it had a little more tg and a little less v maybe. But probably not.Either way, crying about a game. Hilariously stupid. Even if it's an exaggeration. Still hilarious stupid.
>>86500You're in the wrong place, friendo.>I'm so EDGY because I make fun of people capable of getting emotionally invested in mere works of fiction.
>>86500
Sorry, you can get back to your Japanese faggot shit now. I'll be over here not crying about videogames.(USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
>>86523You are apparently free of the mental burden of having taste in video games and of being able to sympathize with fictional characters. How I envy your unencumbered mind!And on that bombshell, let the fanart dump commence before this turns into a complete troll thread.
>>86500BAN THIS MOTHERFUCKER
>>86523>(USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
Submitted for your approval: a song that, in my eyes, perfectly sums up what Silent Hill is about at its coreWhen you're young, and there's time, you forget the past.You don't think that you will, but you do.But I know that I don't have time enough,And I'll never get over losing you.
>>86552>USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST
This is hands down my favorite painting of Pyramid Head.