8 Jan, 2011
Silent Hill 8 is no longer Silent Hill 8.
Thanks to a Game Informer reveal, we now have a sub-title … ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Silent Hill: Downpour.
Whilst the specifics have still yet to be confirmed, GI reports that in a departure from the norm, we shouldn’t expect to go wandering around the usual hospitals or schools this time around. Instead, the story will focus on the previously unexplored south-east side of the town. Game Informer also confirms that we’ll be going back to the days of breakable melee weapons (ugh), quick-time events (more ugh), boss battles (meh) and adjustable puzzle/riddle levels (yay).
Unsurprisingly given the title, it appears that water will feature heavily in the game, although perhaps not as we know it; the article reports a scene where water runs upside down in the wrong direction …
“Thematically, psychologically, story-wise, obviously water is playing a big part in it,” says Gomez, exemplifying how Vatra wants to break the “predictable mold” of the parallel otherworld synonymous with earlier Silent Hill games. “Ours isn’t nearly as uniform as some of the more recent games were.”
For more information, check out the full translation and fan discussion at GGs Gamer’s sister site, SHH Forums. (Thanks, Kerrigan!)
The fan response is already divided … but what do you think?
Source: SHHF
Breakable melee weapons and quick-time events both upset me a bit, breakable weapons in particular really got on my nerves in SH4, but we’ll see how it is when it’s released.
Yup, I completely agree. But I’m happy to reserve judgment until I have the game in my hands. :)
I like the idea of water. Want to see how it works out in the Otherworld.
Right now, this is looking out to be Homecoming 2. Why breakable weapons and quick events again?
Let’s just wait for release to see how it ends up. :x
Yeah, I HATED the QTEs in Homecoming. I’m less concerned by the degradable weapons, but I have to admit that I never liked that aspect of Origins much.
But I agree – the idea of water as a foe does sound great, so I’m prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt. After all, a new SH game is a new SH game – hard to be upset about that, beings as I love the series so much!
Ohh goody. The entire reason I never played Silent Hill Origins was because of the breakable melee weapons! Nothing annoys me more than a sledgehammer that breaks after 3 hits. I mean what do they make their stuff out of over there in Silent Hill; paper mache? Soggy cardboard?! I don’t even know. As for the lack of school and hospital levels, this saddens me slightly considering I love the classic Silent Hills. But I hope that this game returns back to the story quality, and the same overall dark and scary mood that Silent Hill 1, 2, and 3 had. Like when Silent Hill was actually Silent Hill, and not just Henry’s apartment or the movie’s rendition of Silent Hill made into a video game. Do you know if Konami is actually developing this game, or if they’re only publishing it like what they did with Silent Hill: Homecoming and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories?
But to be completely fair and honest, I do look forward to hopefully a better quality Silent Hill game than what there have been released these past years. Also, I think it’s still too soon to tell exactly if the game is going to be good or not; but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the quick time and breakable melee weapons will be made up for in gameplay and story.
No, Vatra – a Czech developer – are creating the game. Konami are obviously over-seeing and publishing it.
Like you, I’m sitting back and waiting until I have the game before I form a verdict. Tom Waltz – the writer behind the recent Past Life comics and all round awesome guy – is writing it, and that makes me really excited as I think he really understands what Silent Hill “is”. It’s that that is keeping me optimistic for now.
I also don’t mind that they’re dropping the school and hospitals; as interesting as they were, they’ve been done to DEATH. Seriously – how many schools and hospitals can one tiny lakeside town have?! lol Looking forward to some new, spooky environments to explore …
I think this is the problem with the most recent SHs. Most of them always try to capture the essence from the first or the second games, instead of creating a completely new experience.
To be honest I think the problem with the most recent games is that Homecoming was entirely based off of how the movie portrayed Silent Hill, with pyramid head and everything. Shattered Memories was just a lame “re-imagining” of the first one because someone couldn’t think of anything else to do. And if you reach a bit farther back, SH: The Room wasn’t even originally a Silent Hill game, but they decided to add the Silent Hill mythos into it, and slap the SH name to get more sales. Personally, I think THAT’S what has been the problem with the most recent SHs. Plus the fact that none of them were developed by Konami.
^ This.
Eee, I’m excited for this game! I’m intrigued by the water/rain aspect and the fact that we’ll be exploring a new part of town.
I am afraid of the breakable weapons, though… let’s hope they’re more durable than the breakable weapons in Origins. -_-;
The breakable weapons sound awful, but everything else at least sounds intriguing.
Having read Tom Waltz’s work so far with the ‘Past Life’ series, I have ever faith the story is going to be the real meat and potatoes of this game. I am really looking forward to picking it up!
I believe that so long as the game keeps to its roots of the original 2 silent hills it will be an absolutely brilliant game. If it shows up like Silent Hill Shattered Memories or Silent Hill Homecoming it will be a little dissapointing. I will still play it of course for I am an avid fan. But I still enjoyed the first 2 or 3 way more than SH:SM or SH:H.