Silent Hill: Downpour
polycounter lvl 18
Alright, couldn't find a thread for it, so here it is. I'm not finished with this game, probably not even 1/4th through but thus far..
Pros:
1.Character/Environment art is pretty nice.
2.Genuinely interested in most characters/plot elements
3.Tries some new stuff, doesn't cling to series staples (hospitals, schools, certain monsters)
4.Puzzles return! Actual puzzles. Fantastic.
5.Can slowly open doors, which can be a life saver..
6. Cool otherworld effects, IMO
7.Get some choices to make that effect things. More obvious how to get different endings, rather than in 1 or 2 where unless you read online you could accidentally get the worst one, although there was some charm to that, I suppose.
Cons:
1.Murphy Pendelton (LOL CUZ HE WAS IN JAIL)
2.Lighting can be..odd, lightning storm effects are weird
3.Combat. I honestly think combat in the first game was better than this. Seems like they've tried everything from new combat systems to removing it all together, and I still prefer the way combat worked in 1-4, personally.
4.Monster design isn't quite as good, at least from what i've seen, but then again it hasn't been since the 3rd one, IMO.
5. Akira Yamaoka wasn't involved. His music was some of my favorite, video game or otherwise. The music in the game works, but it just isn't the same.
6. Weird framrate issues/stuttering, mostly during transitions from small areas. Similar to Shattered Memories type stuttering, probably due to what I assume is a 'streamed' world? IDK if xbox version has same trouble, i'm playing ps3 version.
7. Doesn't feel as intense or overwhelming as other entries into the series, mostly just frustrating. The first few silent hill games had their frustrating moments too, but they seem to crop up in every combat scenario in this game. Not to mention randomly respawning monsters, although I suppose the first few had nigh unto infinite monsters if you stuck around.
8. The 'Side Quests' seem really weird and out of place. "Free all of the birds"? Hmm.
That's about it. Overall, I'm finding it enjoyable, but as with every Silent Hill game, it's flawed. At least they didn't phone in Pyramid Head for this one.
Pros:
1.Character/Environment art is pretty nice.
2.Genuinely interested in most characters/plot elements
3.Tries some new stuff, doesn't cling to series staples (hospitals, schools, certain monsters)
4.Puzzles return! Actual puzzles. Fantastic.
5.Can slowly open doors, which can be a life saver..
6. Cool otherworld effects, IMO
7.Get some choices to make that effect things. More obvious how to get different endings, rather than in 1 or 2 where unless you read online you could accidentally get the worst one, although there was some charm to that, I suppose.
Cons:
1.Murphy Pendelton (LOL CUZ HE WAS IN JAIL)
2.Lighting can be..odd, lightning storm effects are weird
3.Combat. I honestly think combat in the first game was better than this. Seems like they've tried everything from new combat systems to removing it all together, and I still prefer the way combat worked in 1-4, personally.
4.Monster design isn't quite as good, at least from what i've seen, but then again it hasn't been since the 3rd one, IMO.
5. Akira Yamaoka wasn't involved. His music was some of my favorite, video game or otherwise. The music in the game works, but it just isn't the same.
6. Weird framrate issues/stuttering, mostly during transitions from small areas. Similar to Shattered Memories type stuttering, probably due to what I assume is a 'streamed' world? IDK if xbox version has same trouble, i'm playing ps3 version.
7. Doesn't feel as intense or overwhelming as other entries into the series, mostly just frustrating. The first few silent hill games had their frustrating moments too, but they seem to crop up in every combat scenario in this game. Not to mention randomly respawning monsters, although I suppose the first few had nigh unto infinite monsters if you stuck around.
8. The 'Side Quests' seem really weird and out of place. "Free all of the birds"? Hmm.
That's about it. Overall, I'm finding it enjoyable, but as with every Silent Hill game, it's flawed. At least they didn't phone in Pyramid Head for this one.
Replies
I am a big fan of Akira Yamaokas OST.. i have all of them and i listen to them often. But i was kind of excited for this one. The guy who does the soundtrack for Dexter is the guy doing the music. Daniel Licht, here is his website. http://www.danlicht.com/ Is the music not that good? I was expecting good things from him.
I guess i'll have to give it a spin.
EDIT: http://soundcloud.com/milanrecords/daniel-licht-downpour-intro
The music isn't bad at all, it's just not the same as Akira Yamaoka's work.
In some ways, I feel it is. They have puzzles and honestly, one of them stumped me completely. They're pretty much classic Silent Hill puzzles. Story is pretty good overall, but monsters/combat are the biggest detractor for me. Mostly just because I feel incredibly frustrated in combat scenarios, even if i'm doing well in them. I can't place why but it just completely removes me from the game, because I really enjoy just exploring and solving puzzles. In the other games, it felt like a natural part of the game, if clunky and troublesome. Idk, overall I'd recommend it but maybe not at full price if you're unsure..
i meant to get it when I went in to the store, actually. Ended up getting Downpour instead, forgot it came out. I'll probably get SM and HD collection sometime when I can afford more stuff. Much love for the Silent Hill series, finished 1+2 at least twice each, very good stuff.
really sad about silent hill 1 director currently making gravity gaze puzzlie for psv while konami can't care enough to dispatch a Japanese art-director for their outsorce studios.
as for SH, it lost the sophisticated art-direction first, the genius of yamaoka second.
anyone really cared about SH gameplay? I never did except for ST where it is a big part of experience;
the classic SH always was a twisted eye-candy with terrific OST, they could haven't changed the formula from SH1 at all, it would still be good.
The recent outsourced games feel like any other western survival horror with action, mannequin looking characters and falling apart art direction of game.
I'm listening to downpour ost atm, and it's mostly ok, really appropriate, kudos for hiring Licht.
No vocal tracks from Mary Elizabeth McGlynn - she only does some background woahwahhhs in a track or two, no Joe Romersa, and horrible, horrible J Davis feature all indicate a really sloppy approach.
At least they tried?
Here's to hoping that the next Silent Hill (forgetting Book of Memories) is another step back in the right direction, or so bad that it finally kills the series.
(hoping, of course, that afterwards they sell the rights and hopefully someone halfway competent picks them up. Or goes to kickstarter. I'm just dreaming here.)
To be fair, I got all fanboying over McGlynn after this - [ame="
(also probably the best part of sh4 overall)
I have no idea where this series goes after tbh. I think shattered memories approach won't work twice (but hey you can give that dude machine guns and make it first person!), and I can't imagine downflop reaching decent sales.
Even if they cut off a major chunk of development costs by picking an Eastern European sweatshop to work on this title, what's the point of staining the flawed brand even more by releasing overall mediocre games.
ps: just checked out book of memories, slightly horrified.
I guess if they're trying to kill this franchise classily, they're getting quite close to achieving this.
what the hell.
i'm more and more convinced that konami just doesn't understand what people want from this series anymore
I can't picture downpour selling well either. Idk what's going to happen next, I just know that after downpour the vatra guy says he wants another one, but whether or not konami is down with that..
Idk, I think that Vatra might better next time, with more refinement but honestly i'd like nothing more than for a much more capable developer *(coughtheoriginalteamcough) to do it. But even silent hill 4, their last offering, was a step in the wrong way. idk. it's a confusing series, and I don't think many people will ever come close to nailing the feeling/story/everything if anyone
It's just a dream...
flop of memories ost features two new tracks with Mary Elizabeth vocals and Akira Yamaoka guitar in love psalm
composing done by Daniel Licht
[ame="
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not bad, but pretty basic, both music and lyrics.
HA.
I think she provided great vocal finish for Romersa/Yamaoka composing and lyric work. Her presence alone indeed doesn't save the sinking sh ship; I do find tracks with vocals to be more playable (none of above made it into my playlist though).
I also can not think of any better vocalist in the weaboo part of world (apparently she was known for anime voice-overs before teaming up with silent hill music team);
and it's not even her voice, it's level of refinement and finish that previous composers provided. Licht tries, but fails imo.
@ Darth Tomi
SH: I wish it would stop flopping