Hey everyone, Hope your 2011 is going well. So I’m back with a new review the 1^st in a three part special I’ve been on a bit of a horror kick recently playing through Dead space again and the old Resident evil games via PC and Laptop ROMs and for Christmas my GF’s mom went and bought me two games knowing I like them..[ everythingwentbetterthenexpected.jpg]

Silent Hill Homecoming is the most recent release in Konamis’ never ending stream of franchise beating money grabbing world domination plans. The Game Centres around Alex Shepherd, US Marine who hears about his brother going missing back home in Shepherds Glen. What ensues is a battle for his very survival and the safe return of his brother.  While not set in Silent Hill itself the game follows the same ideas that made the Silent Hill series so popular.

Visually the game is very atmospheric, Fog covered streets and dreary scenery. Grey faced building after grey faced building, but stepping back from that you can see that all the graphics do is immerse you into the town and help you to feel the dark presence around you. You begin to feel like the fog itself is one of the nightmareish things you have to face. To be honest on a 360 or a PS3 your going to expect good decent detail on your characters and your surroundings any game that cant deliver at this stage shouldn’t be released. SH:H looks competent, shade of grey and brown after shade of black.

From a story perspective the game is pretty much self explanatory. Not much has changed overall from the series inception. Town goes nuts, scary things happen, there’s a lot of fog. People die and the nurses are all D cups and no one looks after their dogs. It was however pointed out that some of these monsters were manifestations of previous protagonist’s mental state. I.e. the nurses were a sigh of James Sunderland’s sexual frustration, hence why they all have large breasts on show. (Don’t censor this it’s a valid psychological point). As to why they are attacking Alex is anyone’s guess. Seems these people pissed off the wrong darkness monster. It is also worth noticing that Pyramid Head makes his appearance early on.

The combat system is basic, hit monsters with things or shoot them for massive damage.. But not really massive damage. You get the idea. The camera can sometime be a real pain during combat. Almost like it gets scared and goes to hide in the nearest closet leaving you to fend off monsters you can’t really see very well. Still the game is not as clunky and awkward as other combat games I’ve played. The ability to combo hits and weak or strong strikes makes things a little easier for the player. The boss battles are tough. That’s good though. Boss battles can be where a game falters. It’s not a case of blood sweat and tears to reach the boss then press B to win. (That really annoys me)

Silent Hill is a metaphor for a Fragmented mind, the light and shadow worlds being metaphors for a normal mental state and on of psychosis, taking away the layers and presenting them as compartmentalised emotion, Nurses are sexual frustration, the water monsters are its fear response, the dogs are the aggression and anger. But Homecoming isn’t set in Silent Hill so why are these things happening? Besides a short trip to silent hill midway through the game it’s hardly referenced at all.

Ben Croshaw (Yahtzee) said that this game would have been a fantastic game if it hadn’t been branded with the Silent Hill name. And it’s true the game itself is competent and fun, immersive and deep, scary and exciting. Its failing is that it has to live up to its predecessors which it sadly. Doesn’t.  But do not let that deter you from trying this game out. My advice is ignore the silent hill name, calling it

Scary crap happens to some injured marine oh god! Look at that thing it’s got four eyes I’m gona die: Homecoming

This game to be honest is hard to rate. So I’ll do it in two parts

Standing alone this game gets 4/5. For being scary and exciting at the same time. Making you want to play more to see what happens.

In sequence with the series it gets a 2/5, being that within the series its predictable and noting new happens.

Until next time friends.

Adios

Pvt. Caboose