Each entry in Konami's "Silent Hill" franchise has explored a deep and dark portion of the human psychological makeup. The original game was about a father, desperate to find his lost daughter. The second game focused upon a man in perpetual grief, who comes to the haunted town to find his missing (and deceased) wife. The fourth game had a number of layers. Each game has that sort-of Grimm's fairy tale quality- there is always a moral, no matter how hard the trials may be, and "Homecoming" is no exception. It tells a tale about loyalty and love within the family unit, set within a hellish facade of horror and mayhem.
Being that this is my first review of a video-game, I'm going to do things differently- I'm going to give a brief, spoiler-free plot synopsis, and follow it up with an analysis of each major aspect of the game. (Graphics, sound, etc.)
The game follows Alex Shepherd, a soldier who returns home from battle to the small town of Shepherd's Glen. He has had a troubled relationship with his family- he cares deeply for his younger brother Joshua, but has grown distant from his mother and especially from his strict and seemingly emotionally abusive father, Adam, also an army man, who lives by the strictest of rules.
Alex notices that something is wrong the second he arrives. His town is covered in a thick fog, and everyone seems to be missing. Running into his childhood friend (and token hot female character) Elle, he learns that people have slowly been disappearing from the town, and that fiendish and otherworldly creatures have arrived, making travel dangerous. He also learns that his father and Joshua have gone missing. Feeling a special bond with his brother, he decides to go look for him, starting a quest that will take him to the bowls of hell and back, and eventually to the dark town of Silent Hill itself, on a mission to save the one family member that truly seems to appreciate him.
That's the basic plot, now here's a breakdown of actual game mechanics and facets, rated on a 1-10 scale:
Graphics... 7 out of 10 The Graphics in this game are, for the most part, superb. Characters almost look real, especially when viewed on a high-deff TV, and the creatures (more on those later) are incredibly designed. That being said, I have some complaints. For one, it seems to be a trend that no matter how good a character looks, their teeth are always... unnatural. This holds true for Alex, who looks like an animal with bared teeth during conversations. Also, some of the graphics become a little redundant, and there are some cheaply and quickly designed areas. And some cliché design. But overall, good, presentable graphics.
Sound... 6 out of 10 The voice acting is what kills the sound category. I know voice over work has never been a highlight of the series, but "Homecoming" boasts some of the worst the series has had to offer. The actors really seem to be just reading their lines, and not actually, well, acting. Thankfully, the rest of the sound work is great, and makes up for it. And as always, Akira Yamaoka's score is haunting and poignant. Sound effects are great for the most part, as well, although some of the creature sounds are a bit lame. Overall, average sound work that could have been perfect with slightly better performances.
Controls... 4 out of 10 Here we go. "Silent Hill: Homecoming" controls beautifully when your exploring areas and searching for clues. But the second combat begins, prepare for frustration. The combat controls dropped this category from a solid 8 down to a 4. I've never seen a system so clunky... so unresponsive... so- - - WRONG, in my life. The developers tried to make this a more action oriented game than previous entries, and therefore beefed up the combat system, adding new attacks, new weapons, a new "evade" button, and more. And nothing works. I can't tell you how many times I used the evade button and it failed, or how many times I just flat-out missed my target due to bad controls. Prepare to be killed... a lot, due to the poor combat system.
General Gameplay... 7 out of 10 The general gameplay is similar to other entries in the series. Explore an area, look for clues, proceed to the next area and do the same. Fight some monsters and get some new ammo and health, and continue the cycle, occasionally encountering a cut-scene or two. It's a very "true to formula" entry, although that's what I wanted, hence, I can't complain. Basic gameplay is solid.
Story... 6 out of 10 Everyone in a "Silent Hill" game seems to be looking for something on the outside, and something on the inside. This game is no exception. While the story is essentially a watered-down retread of the first two entries, it is enjoyable enough, although the characters are underdeveloped. But it works, and works well. Some of the twists and turns are predictable, but I didn't mind. Also, you can tell this game is from an American developer as opposed to the Japanese developers who worked on previous entries, because despite similar styles and themes, the game does feel more "American", and as with American cinema, the game just isn't a subtle as the first few entries. But for their first "Silent Hill" game, they did a great job, and stayed true to the spirit of the game.
Overall, I give this game a 7 out of 10. It's very enjoyable, and fans of the series should like it, I know I did, and I've been playing the series since its debut. Get ready to get your mind messed with once again!
Being that this is my first review of a video-game, I'm going to do things differently- I'm going to give a brief, spoiler-free plot synopsis, and follow it up with an analysis of each major aspect of the game. (Graphics, sound, etc.)
The game follows Alex Shepherd, a soldier who returns home from battle to the small town of Shepherd's Glen. He has had a troubled relationship with his family- he cares deeply for his younger brother Joshua, but has grown distant from his mother and especially from his strict and seemingly emotionally abusive father, Adam, also an army man, who lives by the strictest of rules.
Alex notices that something is wrong the second he arrives. His town is covered in a thick fog, and everyone seems to be missing. Running into his childhood friend (and token hot female character) Elle, he learns that people have slowly been disappearing from the town, and that fiendish and otherworldly creatures have arrived, making travel dangerous. He also learns that his father and Joshua have gone missing. Feeling a special bond with his brother, he decides to go look for him, starting a quest that will take him to the bowls of hell and back, and eventually to the dark town of Silent Hill itself, on a mission to save the one family member that truly seems to appreciate him.
That's the basic plot, now here's a breakdown of actual game mechanics and facets, rated on a 1-10 scale:
Graphics... 7 out of 10 The Graphics in this game are, for the most part, superb. Characters almost look real, especially when viewed on a high-deff TV, and the creatures (more on those later) are incredibly designed. That being said, I have some complaints. For one, it seems to be a trend that no matter how good a character looks, their teeth are always... unnatural. This holds true for Alex, who looks like an animal with bared teeth during conversations. Also, some of the graphics become a little redundant, and there are some cheaply and quickly designed areas. And some cliché design. But overall, good, presentable graphics.
Sound... 6 out of 10 The voice acting is what kills the sound category. I know voice over work has never been a highlight of the series, but "Homecoming" boasts some of the worst the series has had to offer. The actors really seem to be just reading their lines, and not actually, well, acting. Thankfully, the rest of the sound work is great, and makes up for it. And as always, Akira Yamaoka's score is haunting and poignant. Sound effects are great for the most part, as well, although some of the creature sounds are a bit lame. Overall, average sound work that could have been perfect with slightly better performances.
Controls... 4 out of 10 Here we go. "Silent Hill: Homecoming" controls beautifully when your exploring areas and searching for clues. But the second combat begins, prepare for frustration. The combat controls dropped this category from a solid 8 down to a 4. I've never seen a system so clunky... so unresponsive... so- - - WRONG, in my life. The developers tried to make this a more action oriented game than previous entries, and therefore beefed up the combat system, adding new attacks, new weapons, a new "evade" button, and more. And nothing works. I can't tell you how many times I used the evade button and it failed, or how many times I just flat-out missed my target due to bad controls. Prepare to be killed... a lot, due to the poor combat system.
General Gameplay... 7 out of 10 The general gameplay is similar to other entries in the series. Explore an area, look for clues, proceed to the next area and do the same. Fight some monsters and get some new ammo and health, and continue the cycle, occasionally encountering a cut-scene or two. It's a very "true to formula" entry, although that's what I wanted, hence, I can't complain. Basic gameplay is solid.
Story... 6 out of 10 Everyone in a "Silent Hill" game seems to be looking for something on the outside, and something on the inside. This game is no exception. While the story is essentially a watered-down retread of the first two entries, it is enjoyable enough, although the characters are underdeveloped. But it works, and works well. Some of the twists and turns are predictable, but I didn't mind. Also, you can tell this game is from an American developer as opposed to the Japanese developers who worked on previous entries, because despite similar styles and themes, the game does feel more "American", and as with American cinema, the game just isn't a subtle as the first few entries. But for their first "Silent Hill" game, they did a great job, and stayed true to the spirit of the game.
Overall, I give this game a 7 out of 10. It's very enjoyable, and fans of the series should like it, I know I did, and I've been playing the series since its debut. Get ready to get your mind messed with once again!