Customer Reviews
A Great Game 
2009-01-04
Like a couple of others here I was a bit put off woth some of the negative reviews from game mags like IGN etc. It's defintely not a 5 or a 6 game. Out of all the Silent Hills, I enjoyed this one the most. Silent Hill 4 I barely got passed the beginning before I got bored with it, and 2 was decent. I say that because people think that because Double Helix did the game, something was lost in the process. I disagree.
The game does start off a little slow. The story is a little light in the beginning, but midway through the game it starts to pick up steam. I would have loved to see a little more character and plot development. Silent Hills before would leave me perplexed at what the heck is going on story wise. I don't really like stories or games that leave it up to me to interpret what's going on.
I play games, read books, watch movies for the story a person wants to tell, not for interperting it with my imagination. The story in 5 was straight forward and progressed nicely. At first I thought it would end up ambiguous like the SH before it, but loose ends were tied up and explanations were made. I liked that. I do wish more plot and character development was had. I still don't know what the heck silent hill is after 10 years of playing the games. Is it a place for the dead, is it a cult, it it pergatory? What is it already. I guess that's half the fun of the games is that you don't really know. I would love to finally get some more clues as to what it really is though. The ending was a little meh, unless you get the "good ending", even that was a little short and light on details. Overall though I enjoyed the story.
A few complaints I heard of the combat is that it takes away from the tension of the games. Which is true in a sense, your character is much more compotent in combat, but personally I enjoyed it. While the combat system isn't terribly deep, it's fun and relativly engaging. The dodge system is nice and weapons like the axe and knife are fun to hack away monsters with. It could use some refinement though, but to me doesn't take away from what Silent Hill is like some think.
The overall presentation is nice. The box art left a lot to be desired, it intially gave the opinion of a cheaply done game. It just doesn't really tie in to the feel of silent hill. There are no CG intros and endings, which I wish developers would do more of. Like I said, the beginning is a little slow and doesn't draw you in as much as the middle, but it does a nice job. Once you get in the game though the presentation is top notch.
Audio is great as well. It isn't all ambient beats like before, you'll hear the signature Silent Hill guitars and Akira music in certain spots throughout the game, and it goes with what your character is currently doing on screen. The music is also great as well. Different types throughout and each tune is catchy and has the appropriate feel. I feel like it's the best soundtrack of the series, possibly outdone by Silent Hill 3, but better than the rest.
There are some parts throughout the game that really shine. A torture scene and a couple of others that are unique and different and you sort of wish more of those were interspersed throughout. A couple more of these moments, with a little more plot and character development would have made this game really shine. A few more psychological episodes like the torture scene would have been perfect. The music is great and the combat is fun. Overall the monster design is better than in past series. I like the nurses that are from the movie, and a lot of the monsters are just plain creepy. The previous silent hills had little monster variation and this one suffers from some of that as well. A ouple more varieties would have been nice.
One point about the "ease" that some players feel. I personally enjoyed it. I wouldn't call it easy, but I wouldn't call it difficult. It was nicely balanced to where you don't feel cheated when you die, and you never get stuck on one certain part as to put the game down and never pick it up. This is the first game in awhile that I actually finished, not because of difficulty, but because it was never so hard that I get frustrated and put the game down saying "I'll finish it later". Then later never comes and I have another game I'll never finish. Everything was made to keep the flow of the game up. Sure you'll die a couple of times, but instead of being frustrated, your challenged to try again. Mostly if a boss is difficult, it never takes you more than 3 or 4 tries to figure out what needs to be done to kill them. To me that's great because it keep things flowing. I hate dying ina game and feeling frustrated at the game and not simply my own skills. A player should never have to feel like a games limitations are what's keeping him from progressing. I feel like Double Helix did a great job in this regard.
Overall this was a great game. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it. The story was nice, the combat felt good, and the atmosphere was spot on. There are a couple of flaws here and there, but nothing worthy of a 5 out of 10 review. I think if Double Helix gets to do a sixth one, they can really make it shine if they combine some of the more tense and psychological elements of the past games with the new direction theyve brought this game. Don't listen to the naysayers and try it for yourself. I did and this is a game I've throughly enjoyed.
Real Review 2008-12-31
Story: Don't expect a groudbreaking story, but you will be entertained and care for the story. You also have dailogue choices to craft the story. As for scares this game has a few predictable shocks, but there will always be something to make you get creeped out.
Gameplay: The new combat system needs a quick learning curve and you may result to online hints on how to fight an enemy, but it works well. Some might hate it, but if you give it a chance you'll have fun with it.
You'll be doing classic survival horror game exploration and puzzles. Some puzzles are interesting while some will have you helplessly moving around blocks and wires. The exploration is where the game works best with hints written in blood and a map that automaticially makes notes for you. Most of your time will be spent finding a place you can't go to, fighting, exploring, fighting, cutscene, getting a new item or weapon, fighting, backtracking, cutscene, and repeat until you reach a boss, and finally story.
Graphics: The game looks great. There's not much more to say. The camera is decent, textures are creapy, animation is smooth, and so on. You may want to turn your sound all the way up because the game is noticably dark with only your flashlight. Sound is where the game excedes with excellent music to fill any scene.
Design: The game has multiple endings depending on what you say during story dailogue options. The game will also encourage another playthourgh with an unlimited ammo gun and and a saw when you start your next playthrough. You may want to play again so you can easily defeat the enemies that kept killing you but the other endings are best seen on the internet instead of playing the game over and over again
Overall: 8.5/10
Story:9/10
Gamplay: 8.5/10
Graphics:8.5/10
Design:8/10
Pleasantly Surprised 2008-12-30
Silent Hill: Homecoming came with a lot of hype and proved to underwhelm several critics and regular folks. However, I went into this with an open mind and not expecting much. What I came away with was a surprisingly good experience. I really enjoyed Silent Hill 2 and Origins (I also liked the movie), so I guess I'm a fan. Homecoming actually has a pretty compelling story, nice graphics, and decent mechanics. It didn't really scare me or creep me out that much, but I found myself really drawn to the story and anxiously awaiting the next tidbit of info to unravel the mystery. Graphics are very grainy (more so than the usual fog-laden environments). Character animations and cut scenes are very good. Spoken dialogue isn't too cheesey. Controls are pretty good, but there were times when it took forever to line up with a door to get that "open" option to pop up. The score and sound effects definitely served to heighten the tension. Puzzles aren't too challenging, but they aren't a walk in the park either. I think if you like survival horror you will find something to like in Homecoming. It's definitely worth a rental or purchase used.
Writers take note!!!! Absolutely brilliant!!! 
2008-12-27
Absolutely brilliant on multiple levels of artistic excellence! A wonderful and compelling addition to an already radiant series.
My highest recommendation goes to Silent Hill 5!
HOMECOMING? I DON'T THINK SO 
2008-12-14
Since the release of 'Silent Hill' 1 on the Playstation, I have been a collector and an avid fan of the 'Silent Hill' series. 'Silent Hill' always provided a distinct flavour to other survival horror/role playing games. I have always favoured SH to any 'Resident Evil' installment. Whenever word broke out that 'Konami' was releasing a new 'Silent Hill' adventure, my brother and I would await with frenzy to get our hands on a copy.
It was not that other games sucked, but SH had always been different, rendering it special. The everlasting shroud of fog that greets us upon entering SH, the penetrating shrill sound of the siren signaling the encroachment of the 'Otherworld' (alternate) and of course the sight of 'Cone Head' or 'Pyramid Head' that sends a shudder down your spine.
When I heard of the new SH: Homecoming' being released, I mistakenly thought that with the term 'Homecoming' in the title, Konami would like to retrace back to the original SH1 as a sign of homage to the original and as the first input of SH by Konami to the next generation platforms. Especially as the SH series has taken a turn with the release of SH4, only to be put back in track with the superb but short 'SH5: Origins'. How wrong I was.
Do not get me wrong, Homecoming has excellent graphics; it clearly shows the capabilities of the PS3, and the leap in technology. The sound is second to none, as it adds those layers of sonic eeriness. The creatures we grappled with are scary and grotesque. But that's about it, I'm afraid.
From the onset, you are thrown in the ever eerie nightmare that looks like SH, leaving you to discover the new controls, which have significantly changed, where as in previous SHs the controls were one and the same.
The story line was not engaging as previous SHs. the creatures have clearly been working out as they have speed an agility to catch up to you when you decide to outrun them. There were times when we were suffering from motion sickness from all the ducking under, squeezing through, the climbing and dropping down. It gets confusing.
Not all locations you visit transform to the dreaded 'Otherworld', which I believe is a big let down. Gone is the siren signaling the shift between worlds? And you don't get to visit 'Alchemilla Hospital'? Despite the fact you engage in combat with busty, voluptuous nurses at the very beginning of the adventure or misadventure. 'Conehead' makes a very brief appearance, he is sighted strolling through a corridor of the 'Grand Hotel' dragging his goliath butcher's knife, we assumed maybe he is tired and decided to take a nap in one of the rooms, as we didn't get to see him again!.
The flashlight was of no use at some locations, rendering it useless. In the old SH, when you switched off the light you were not detected by the denizens of SH. In Homecoming, however, it didn't matter whether you had your flashlight on or off, the SH goons still attacked you. There were huge locations in 'Homecoming' that we explored where we did not bump to any monsters, when suddenly you are greeted with 3 or 4 goons in one tight room. The boss fights were annoying and frustrating, leaving you to discover how to injure them with an inventory of very useless weapons.
The locations of the red, glimmering 'Save point' were sporadic and scattered at times. At some point of the game you were left without any 'Health Drinks', "First Aid Kits' and 'Serums' no matter how hard you tried to scout the streets of 'Shepherd's Glen' or 'Silent Hill'.
The game reminded me a lot of the 'Suffereing 1', some from 'Forbidden Siren'. But sadly, it failed to conjure up any 'Silent Hill'.
The effort placed in this game is tremendous, and it did provide a scare at times. However, if you're looking to extend your 'Silent Hill' experience with 'Homecoming', forget it, because it isn't 'Silent Hill' - it is a horror game called 'Homecoming'.
The next gen is here !! and takin' no prisoners.... 2008-12-07
Follow the story of Alex Shepherd, who is returning to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother. From Shepherd's Glen to the foggy streets of Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother's and father's disappearances, and confront the evil that has taken hold of his own flesh and blood.
Wait...what? 
2008-12-02
So as you might have surmised from the title of this review, that was pretty much my reaction at the end of the game. STUPIDEST ENDING EVER! If anything, you have to play the game JUST to see the horribleness of the ending. It's a cliffhanger too, to make things worse. It makes me afraid of the direction Silent Hill might be going. On the plus side, the monsters were pretty cool and extremely inventive, like Scarlett. Probably the creepiest freakshow mutants you'll ever witness in a Silent Hill game or ANY game at that. And they kept the nurses too, though they are more as they were featured in the movie than from previous games. Scenes, fights, and etc. were VERY graphic, disgusting really, which was awesome! And I liked how they made the game alot like the movie, which some stores were also giving away as a free promotional item with the game. I would suggest watching the movie first, then playing the game to get the full effect and appreciation of what the makers were going for. Cut-scenes were shown as if shot from an old-timey projector, which added an eeiry element. Overall, this was a pretty valiant attempt at prolonging the much acclaimed series. Only major problems were the ending (Dear god...that ending...YEESH!), the odd and extreme difficulty of the boss fights, and the story, which was strangely linear and dull coming from a psychotic's point of view (Alex Sheperd). Basically, if you're a Silent Hill fan like me, then I'd say your required to play this game. Otherwise, if you don't really like gore or creepiness or feeling jipped at the end of a $60 video game, then steer clear!
Scary! 2008-11-13
I like this game. I have all of the Silent Hill series now :) I haven't passed SHHC yet but, it's really fun and scary. Buy it if your into strategy and horror and love a good scare and or suspense get this game. I love stragety games so that's why I love Silent Hill. Along with Resident Evil.
Pros (To my knowledge):
Good sound-FX
Creepy old style Silent Hill environments
Soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka, what else can I say?
Story line makes you want to keep on playing
Pyramid head is back!
Cons:
New battle maneuvers are hard to adjust (Maybe it's just me)
Graphics could have been better
Could have added extra stuff in the game (It's a blu ray disc HELLO people!)
Over all:
Graphics: 7.5/10
Audio: 10/10
Fun factor: 10/10
Control (new combat) 8/10
waste of money 2008-11-09
i was so excited to receive this game but was very disappointed to find that it is full of glitches. After 3.5 hours into the game i reached a dead end where a game glitch stopped me from being able to open doors, i have contacted the game help section and they haven't been able to fix it, so take it from me save your money this game is not worth it!
Silent Hill: Homecoming 2008-11-09
I was suprised with this game, after i heard nothing but bad things about it, "This game isn't scary" and such. I found this game creepy, the monsters alot harder, and im loving the new combat features too. So!...my favourite silent hill so far!
