Review: Silent Hill: Downpour

The Silent Hill series has been attempting to restore its name to video game glory ever since Silent Hill: Origins. Unfortunately with each subsequent release the only success it has had is to disappoint its incredibly loyal fan base. With the release of Silent Hill: Downpour can Vatra Games succeed where others have failed?

Silent Hill: Downpour takes a page from previous titles by exploring a narrative that is independent of the main story arc, making the main antagonist the town itself. The story follows the trials and tribulations of Murphy Pendleton, a convict who’s about to be transferred to a maximum security prison. During Murphy’s transportation, the prison bus overturns and Murphy is forced into the town that we both love and fear for another round of psychological torture.

Controlling Murphy is very intuitive and restores some of the older style control mechanisms, proving that new isn’t always better. The reinstatement of ‘hold-to-run’ and removal of the dodge mechanic are much welcomed changes. Combat is a simple affair with emphasis on melee combat and the introduction of blocking — a simple, yet very effective system. What does let this down, however, is the reintroduction of weapon degradation. There is nothing more frustrating than blocking against one of the many monsters you’re forced to face to suddenly have your weapon break.

The visual theme for Downpour is rain (which is obvious from the title); graphically, the style is well executed. The attention to detail in the environments is amazing, though there is quite a bit of re-interpretation on what the town of Silent Hill should look like. Vatra Games are quite within their rights to do that, but it raises the question – at what point does it start to become its own world rather than the one expected in a Silent Hill title?

Character models are sometimes hit and miss. Hair modelling on some characters looks like it’s from the last console generation. While some of the designs for characters are a bit more on the generic side, they are detailed and well constructed.

Animation during cut scenes is sometimes awkward. Character facial expressions sometimes lack emotion, resulting in certain scenes that feel flat and lifeless. In a series that relies so heavily on the emotional turmoil of its characters, not being able to see that on the faces of its numerous denizens removes you from its narrative. The vocal soundtrack, however, makes up for some of these lacking visual elements.

Regardless of these issues, Vatra Games has been able to create an immersive and genuinely terrifying entry into the Silent Hill universe. The ability to open doors in real time without loading screens is a fantastic step forward and being able to slowly open doors to inspect the room before entering creates such a high level of anxiety about what you could be facing. The addition of side quests strangely works. While still scaring players, the extra background on the town and of Murphy’s situation is rewarding for explorers. Those who stick to the main narrative though won’t be left questioning; there is an adequate explanation of the story to keep you out of the dark.

Since Akira Yamaoka’s widely discussed departure from Konami, there was much doubt on the future of Silent Hill’s future soundtracks. Daniel Licht, best known for his composing of music on the television show Dexter, was brought on board to handle Downpour‘s musical score. While Licht is no Yamaoka, there’s no denying that he brings something new and different to Silent Hill. The sound engineered for the title continues to create that uneasy and tense atmosphere associated with the series, and there are several times his use of musical silence is on par with Yamaoka’s.

Perhaps Silent Hill’s weakest point is its execution of the narrative. Silent Hill has always been a deeply psychological experience that didn’t require intimate physical displays of violence to progress its confusing agendas. It was something that burrowed under your skin and truly disturbed you. The opening sequence is an example of how it should not be done. The inconsistencies with the overarching mythology will also no doubt disappoint fans of the series.

Silent Hill: Downpour is a title with grand ambitions, accompanied by technical issues and misunderstanding about what makes a Silent Hill title. There’s a lot that was done right to reinvigorate the survival horror genre, however this isn’t the Silent Hill sequel fans have been waiting for to reboot the series. In fact it’s a title that could have benefited from existing as an entirely new IP as opposed to being tacked onto the existing fiction. As a survival horror title, Downpour is a terrifyingly good time; fans of the series though may come away wondering when they passed through the town they set out to revisit.

Silent Hill: Downpour is available now for both PlayStation3 and Xbox 360.