Silent Hill: Downpour Poisons Water With Horror

[WittyInfidel]

I was intrigued until I read about Quick-Time boss fights and degrading weapons. Having a katana or sledgehammer break after three or four good swings just pisses me off. QTE make me want to chew the face off a puppy, I hate them so much.

The story and setting had me curious, but the actual mechanics sounds like an inner ring of Hell. I'm going to give this a pass. Which is a shame. I used to love Silent Hill games. But it's crud like this that just turns my stomach about the series now.

 

[Jonci]

I don't know. The trailer gave me goosebumps. I see myself playing this regardless of QTEs. If the atmosphere is right and gameplay decent, I think it will hit the spot.

 

[Corven]

If I do get this game I'll stick to fixed camera angles compared to the middle-of-the-back camera positioning they have in the trailer, I want to see whats ahead of me not the main characters ass.

 

[Lucifer dern]

Can't wait to see Yahtzee tear this one to shreds.

Yeah, the whole quick time events thing is just going to make him tear it apart.

Oh yay QTEs and water levels....

I don't mean to sound like a dick but what's exactly wrong with a water level? I kinda like them but I'm a sucker for water....

The mechanics are always poorly implemented, the fact there's normally about 1 or 2 uses of them in the whole games means they always end up being a shoddy badly designed part of the game. The swim mechanics are almost always nothing like really swimming, and more like activating no clip, plus it removes any ability to really explore as you have a time limit. That and combat never functions very well without a stable base for it to take place on. Like in Primal for example. To top it off the camera is always distorted by some stupid water effect that never really looks anything like water, normally just adding a greenish blue filter...
That is my reason for hating water levels

 

[Missing SHODAN]

Players will be able to make choices and decisions that affect Murphy's future.

How is that different from any of the other Silent Hill games? Multiple endings are a staple of the series.

Vatra is going back to the "classic style" of Silent Hill with Downpour's camera system. It'll feature two kinds of sections where players either control the camera or have a predefined camera angle set for them. The goal is to add a feeling of tension, as players won't know whether a fixed camera switch will lead to a "scare moment" or not.

Sounds potentially pretty good.

Murphy can hold one weapon at a time, such as a crowbar or pipe, and all weapons have limited durability.

Ah, durability systems. These developers understand - true horror comes from inventory management.

Fighting should be avoided whenever possible in Downpour, with boss battles mostly taking place through QTE.

Nothing screams "THIS IS SCARY" like "PRESS X TO NOT DIE" flashing in giant glowing letters over the monster that just jumped you.

Additionally, Silent Hill: Downpour features what could possibly be the biggest playable world of any Silent Hill game. Players will actually have to utilize a subway system to move between areas. Despite the size, Vatra isn't reusing any locations from earlier titles. The whole game is said to last around 10 hours.

Not really sure about this, but if it means not visiting the hospital in Silent Hill yet again, I think I'm for it? Also, a subway system seems out of place for how I've always imagined the town.

 

[Monshroud]

I think the overall look of the game is being done right. At first I freaked out about the lines in the article talking about degrading weapons and QTEs. Then I remembered that this is Silent Hill and let's be honest, Silent Hill games were never about the fighting.

So I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt right now, and will wait to pass judgement until I learn more or get my hands on a beta.

 

[Darks63]

So what they are saying is that the game is in effect one giant sewer level good to know.

 

[Zeroresistence]

Ok am i the only one who is excited for this game, sure QTEs in boss battles arent exactly a great idea but im starting to feel like thats all people saw and they just didn't bother to pay attention to anything else, did you read the other stuff. Its like everyone just decided to panick and run for the hills screaming "Ahhhhh!!!! its the quick time events!" and then decided to just say the game is bad before it even came out.
Now i don't know if this is going to be a good silent hill or a complete waste of time but don't condemn it before it even sees the light of day. The silent hill series has always been known for doing things that have never been done before,maybe the QTEs will be used in a new way that works. And if you read the other things that are said that are going to be in the game it sounds really good, an open world silent hill count me in. Think about it this way when people asked Yahtzee what he thought of portal 2 he said i dont know it hasnt come out yet, if people are so willing to stand behind yahtzee as some type of sheild realize that he doesn't judge how a game plays till he plays them

Im not asking you to agree with me, but i am asking for you to give the game a chance.

 

[Wondermint13]

Underground tunnels in all its forms are really dying out for me..
I like a good grey sky above me and some fog when I'm playing a horror game. And if I want to wander into a dark room, building or sewer and get jumped by something f***ing scary. I will gladly blame myself for the sh*t in my pants!

 

[BleedingPride]

dont care if its new, dont care if its old. its Silent Hill, and im willing to trust this one.

 

[JaymesFogarty]

All of this, and it'll still never be as scary as Amnesia.

The complete and utter inability to fight back is a powerful thing.

Do you mean this game should take from it's predecessor, "Silent Hill: Shattered Memories,"?

Honestly, no idea. I've never played the game.

Neither have I.

 

[esperandote]

What's solid snake doing in silent hill?

The trailer doesn't even compare to SH4 trailer, SH most boring trailer ever.

 

[Gindil]

...

QTE, REALLY?! For friggin Boss battles?! WHY?!

Yes, I'm highly upset about this one. If anything, it's like I'm playing a movie and not playing a game.

I know some people like a cinematic finish but this is beyond ridiculous to have QTEs overtake a gaming experience in such a way.

 

[chuckman1]

Degrading weapons, quick time events, what's next are they gonna tell us Pyramid Head is returning AGAIN?

 

[Utarefson]

The trailer actually looks like a bad version of alan wake combined with hydrophobia, although the music was kinda good

i also tried to play silent hill 2 recently, and let me just say, it didn't age too well

 

[icame]

I said it once and I'll say it again. Get rid of the QTE

 

[leonnasagawa]

You know, I really wish they had an option to turn off quick time events, that way everybody wins... The people who hate QTE and the people who like QTE. Regardless I am looking very forward to this game. So far I haven't been disappointed with the games that have come out this year (by games, I only mean one and that's Dead Space 2), so with the addition of F.E.A.R 3 and Silent Hill Downpour, I look forward to what the horror genre of games will hold for us.

 

[Duffeknol]

Oh great... I'm hydrophobic -_-

 

[ZombieGenesis]

As a man who greatly loves well done water effects, I support this hugely.

Especially rain- I LOVE the rain.