Silent Hill 8

[Malacite]

IGN: Silent Hill 8

Staying true to the franchise's original roots, this eighth installment of the Silent Hill franchise returns with an all new thought-provoking horror storyline. Players will once again find themselves face to face with their deepest sins and fears in the strange world of Silent Hill. The survival horror experience begins after a prison transport vehicle careens off the road, leaving lone inmate Murphy Pendleton stranded in Silent Hill. Gamers will encounter mind-bending puzzles, as well as horrific creatures and other world terrors using everyday objects from wooden chairs to glass bottles to fend off their enemies. The natural response, fight or flight is left to the player as they unravel a dark, thought-provoking storyline which will appeal to fans of the early, classic Silent Hill series, as well as anyone who enjoys a deep, psychological horror experience. In addition to the main storyline, players will also be presented with variable side quests along the way that can change depending on their play style, revealing unknown evils within the town.

Trailer looks pretty good, hoping very much that this is an accurate description of the game. The series went to hell with 4 and on. It would be really nice if they could finally top SH2, which IMO is still the single greatest survival horror title of all time. Very, very happy that they are going back to a story-driven setting focusing on psychological terror. The last few games just haven't been that big of a mind screw, Shattered Memories was especially weak - While it had novel concepts, the implementation of that game was so bad it wasn't even scary.

No, I miss the heavy (almost over saturated really) symbolism that 2 had, and the uniqueness of the Town in that game. Ditch the evil, possessed by demons crap and go back to where the Town is some kind of mysterious entity that plays on the sins and personalities of it's visitors. It's far more interesting when SH is a unique and distinctly different hell for each and every person (or in the case of the little girl from SH2, just an abandoned old town with nothing remarkable)

[jenova_9]

Re: Silent Hill 8

The music is extremely good so far. And pretty good atmosphere. I also like the lighting and how realistic the flashlight effects affect objects and stuff in the darkness. It's too early to tell if it will be REALLY scary and good, but it sure looks better than the recent ones. Whatever happened to Silent Hill 5, 6 and 7? I think Homecoming is 7, but I haven't noticed much of the series after 4.

They seem to be taking the RE4 tried and true formula with it's controls/camera, but there better not be money to pick up and buy weapons from some menu or merchant that's full of more plot holes than swiss cheese.

But I dunno, isn't the silent hill series basically a dream? Like it's really not real in the first place? The monsters are just in their mind?

I dunno I still place the series underneath the original Siren, now that's the scariest and hardest survival horror game ever. (I also like the first person free roam controls feature too. As well as strategic turning on/off flashlight, opening/closing/locking doors, etc.)

Yes blood curse was dumb and terrible, but Siren 1 and 2, are sooooo scary and evil and the puzzle element to unraveling the story makes it even more interesting and rewarding! But I admit the mission requirements to unlock other missions may too hard for some to figure out. And the mission concept itself makes it feel kind of divided, but the 10 playable perspectives, realistic atmosphere and more makes up for it.

Another thing I like of the first 2 Sirens is that they present at least 10 playable characters with their own perspective and involvement in surviving the horror, making you guess who's gonna make it, and be shocked when the unexpected is revealed!
And another thing is Siren is one of the rarest survival horror games that doesn't involve american characters.

It's already bad enough that most american developers only make games that involve americans.
Japanese survival horror developers doing the same thing is just getting too cliche with survival horror characters.
Mr. John Doe here. Ms. Jane Smith there. ugh......

I find Japanese or asian only casts to be far more interesting and fascinating (and realistic asians in a videogame, not that 3-D anime style that Fatal Frame series has.) Siren has really been the only quality survival horror game with an all Japanese cast of characters.

I'm not saying Silent Hill should take place in Japan or something like that, but I dunno Japanese developer should stop believing only western characters would sell their game to western audiences.

That was the mistake when Project Siren team remade Siren 1 into Blood Curse, they replaced most of the great Japanese characters with American ones, and even if you never played the original Siren to feel insulted by this,
it still cheapened the experience because American culture seems so forced in these games and we rarely get to see it from a foreign cultures' perspective and community. It's always "Americans vs. horror!"

well that's my rant for now. Ya Silent Hill is located in a western area and stuff, but I expect other survival horror developers to provide survival horror scenarios in foreign countries with all foreign cast like the original 2 Siren games.
What about a survival horror story in Taiwan with taiwanese characters? or China? That would be something interesting.

And also another thing I would like to see is that if they are going to drag and dump Americans in a western horror scenario,
at least provide more open minded character selection like Resident Evil Outbreak (at least 8 playable characters).

Maybe if there was a "Mass Effect" of survival horror we could see more variety and innovation from survival horror games.
Even if there is not create a character, maybe something like Outbreak's selection (at least 3 types of ethnic backgrounds and 8 different occupations.) they could carve something like a new Silent Hill into a more multi perspective, multi campaign twist with a brilliant formula to fit them all.

Well okay okay that's my rant for now. But I'm very miffed how the genre is overflowing with american-only casts to the point of poisoning and limiting how much more new and fresh they can be. The majority of games either take place in North America, Europe, Russia, Africa (RE5), and Central and South America. Asia is an extremely rare place to visit in games without "tourists" ending up being the protagonists.

[Malacite]

Re: Silent Hill 8

But I dunno, isn't the silent hill series basically a dream? Like it's really not real in the first place? The monsters are just in their mind?

No, SH has always been very real, which begs the question of how the fuck hasn't anyone noticed this place yet especially the Government! But w/e, gotta let that slide I suppose.


Origins, 1 3 and 5 (Home Coming) follow the plot of the Cult with the Town being possessed by their Demon God. The place is in shambles and monsters roam freely, with everything getting worse in the most insane ways possible during the Nightmare transitions.

2's take on it is my favorite, where the Town is a neutral entity that reflects the sins of anyone who enters. As I said before, there's the 8 year old girl (6 or 8 I forget) who is still innocent, so all she ever saw was an empty town while everyone else was forced to confront their inner demons. This makes it the most interesting by far since the other cast members each have a unique take on the horrors.

4 didn't even involve Silent Hill, just had very loose ties to 2, mainly just the name Walter and the two kids that were mentioned in one of the files James can pick up. Shattered Memories however

SPOILERS

Was in fact a dream yes; It was all in Harry's daughter's mind. Her dad died in an accident years ago and all the crap you do as him is really inside her subconscious, the monsters represent her mental barriers trying to "stop" Harry from uncovering the horrible reality that she has been trying to block out; She can't accept that her father is dead.

I really want to see them try and overthrow Silent Hill 2 because we're seriously overdue for a genuine scary as all hell mind fuck.

[jenova_9]

Re: Silent Hill 8

maybe but isn't SH8 in the hands of westerners now? well maybe they might do a good job.

Not sure if they have the same genius minds as the ones that left and started making the Siren series (well until the underrated Siren 1 sold bad and afterwards they sold out to the western audience with the awful blood curse.) -.-;

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Silent Hill 8

No, SH has always been very real, which begs the question of how the fuck hasn't anyone noticed this place yet especially the Government! But w/e, gotta let that slide I suppose.

I'm sure this guy might be able to help:



Be warned, he might get distracted by the UFO endings. He also seems to lose whatever evidence he finds on most matters.

[Kailea]

Re: Silent Hill 8

mmmm another Silent Him to go in my collection, mmmmm I cant wait ^.^

[jenova_9]

Re: Silent Hill 8

Silent Hill: Downpour Doesn't Need Pyramid Heads to be Scary

E3: Silent Hill: Downpour is exactly what I wanted -Destructoid


new info and stuff added!

[jenova_9]

Re: Silent Hill 8

oh here's the actual demo