Silent Hill: Homecoming

"Next-Gen Silent Hill is taking a step in the right direction."

To begin with, I have never written a review on GameFAQs, but I felt inclined to write one for Silent Hill solely based on the level of respect I have for the game. My first Silent Hill was the original, WAY back on the PS1. I was around 8 years old at the time and believe me, I was scared out of my pants the whole time. But the thing is, I enjoyed it. The experience was terrifying and it couldn't have been any better than walking alone down that dark hospital hall and suddenly a huge, deformed creature jumps out at you. This is one of the many things that makes Silent Hill a top-notch series. I have been a horror fan since I discovered the genre and Silent Hill is definitely one of, if not the best horror series on the market. Anyhow, time to move on to the actual game review.

The Story: As you all know, Silent Hill is known for having symbolic and generally messed up storylines. This one is no exception. I won't give anything away, but I say it still holds true to its roots.Silent Hill: Homecoming is the first Next-Gen installment of the Silent Hill series. Along with a re-vamped look, we get new characters, locations, and enemies, but it's still the same old Silent Hill we know and love. Alex Shepherd is a military man who was recently discharged for an unknown reason. After having a vivid dream of a nightmarish hospital and a frantic search for his little brother Josh, he arrives in his hometown of Shepherd's Glenn. Not everything is quite like he remembered and he meets some old friends only to learn that there has been a mass disappearance of Shepherd's Glen citizens. Now, searching for his brother and the answer to this mystery, Alex will have to journey to the depths of Hell, fighting off grotesque monsters and exploring his hometown as well as our favorite location, Silent Hill.

The Monsters: Okay, so Silent Hill is mostly known for its screwed up monsters, right? Silent Hill: Homecoming doesn't feature as many monsters as the previous installments, but still serves up a satisfying amount of gore and disgust to keep the fans happy. Homecoming brings back an old favorite: The Nurse. This time, however, the Nurse has been redesigned a la Silent Hill: The Movie. Homecoming also introduces new monsters including Ferals (think Resident Evil dogs), Swarm (insects that thirst for your blood!), Lurkers (creepy Wolverine-clawed monsters that inhabit various bodies of water), Needlers (deformed bodies with knify limbs), and Siam (think Silent Hill 3 Closers with a design twist).

The Sounds: Probably most adored for its music and sound effects, Silent Hill: Homecoming still has the Silent Hill flair to its unsettling soundtrack. You're walking down a hallway, everything's calm, all of a sudden a door slams shut. As you go to investigate, the music swells and the familiar rustling of static makes your heart drop as a Needler rushes you from the ceiling. Moments like these make being a horror fan completely worth it.

The Gameplay and Weapons: Ok, so the combat system of Homecoming is different from the other installments. You lock on to your target and proceed to beat them to death with your crowbar. Combos are the key tactic in Homecoming. As the game progresses, the enemies hit harder and faster, leaving you defenseless if you don't use the right weapon and take advantage of the new dodge system (which I enjoy quite a bit, to be honest). Unlike the other games where if you take the axe or pipe you can pretty much destroy anything without a second thought. That doesn't work here. Ferals for example are fast. You can't take an axe into battle with them because it's just too slow.The pipe or ideally the knife will aid you with less damage in exchange for maximum survivability. There are a few glitches in the combat dealing with just getting stuck on things (specifically backing into a corner), and the fact that you can exploit an enemy's weakness by walking through a doorway and beating them senseless while they can't move. The weapons are very limited in Homecoming, leaving your arsenal slightly "naked" if you're a veteran of the series. The special weapons are also limited (A laser that can destroy anything is available for unlocking the "UFO ending" and the chainsaw is available after beating the game once on any difficulty). Ammo is pretty scarce on harder difficulties so make sure you make use of your survival horror training and CONSERVE as much health and ammo as you can for when you really need it (Bosses).

The Graphics: Let me just say that Homecoming is not the best looking game for this stage in Next-Gen graphics. It honestly is on par with Silent Hill 2 CGI. The game still has great use of dynamic shadow and light, but it could have been more detailed in my opinion. Still, the game looks good and I'm not one to be too concerned with graphical issues.

The Difficulty: Silent Hill is survival horror. It's going to be difficult. You need to conserve your supplies and not use each health drink you find whenever you get hit ONCE. You will not make it past the first level I guarantee you. Normal mode has a pretty balanced amount of health and ammo and the monsters don't hit too hard. I recommend all newcomers begin at this level. However, if you really want the 100 point achievement for beating it on hard, then go for it. If you're a veteran, this will be no problem for you on Hard. Enjoy your achievement. There are some points in Homecoming that are frustrating, but with patience and skill, you'll have this game finished in no time.

Overall, this is a very solid installment of the beloved Silent Hill franchise and I really hope to see improvements and future games down the road. I give Silent Hill: Homecoming and 8/10. Good job Double-Helix. Thank you all for reading my review and I hope it made a good first impression. Expect more reviews later! Thanks again, guys!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/08/08

Game Release: Silent Hill: Homecoming (US, 09/30/08)