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New Silent Hill soundtracks available to give your eardrums nightmares
Halloween is still a couple weeks away, but thanks to Sumthing Else Music, you can start getting in the spirit now with newly-released digital soundtracks from some of the more recent Silent Hill games, including Silent Hill: Downpour and Silent Hill: Book of Memories. While the Silent Hill series used Akira Yamaoka's creepy, clashing chords up until Silent Hill: Homecoming, it was Daniel Licht who composed the scores for Downpour and Book of Memories. Licht also composed last year's Dishonored, as well as the Showtime television show, Dexter, so the spookiness is strong with this one. Fog machine and bad dreams sold separately.
Silent Hill: Downpour patch makes its way to PS3
The patch for Silent Hill: Downpour that hit Xbox 360 last month is now live on PS3. Konami claims the patch improves the frame rate, fixes the save system and bugs in the "Homeless" mission, and enacts "several other" performance enhancements.Meanwhile: Konami is offering exchanges for broken Xbox 360 copies of Silent Hill HD Collection rather than issuing a patch, and Silent Hill: Book of Memories is still a top-down dungeon crawler.
Silent Hill: Downpour patched on Xbox, Games on Demand version due Oct. 30
Yes, a Silent Hill game has been patched on Xbox 360. No, it's not that one. Instead, Downpour has been updated to improve the framerate, "fix" the save system, and eliminate bugs in the "Homeless" mission, among other unspecified fixes. The patch will be released on PS3 "in the coming weeks."The Xbox patch comes just in time for a Games on Demand release of Downpour. It'll be downloadable for Xbox 360 on October 30 for $39.99.
Silent Hill: Downpour PS3 forecasts a November 8 launch in Japan
The future may not be so bright for Silent Hill: Downpour developer Vatra Games, but Japanese gamers looking to play the latest in Konami's scary series will get their shot later this year. Silent Hill: Downpour will launch in Japan on November 8, the official Twitter account has revealed.Konami will only localize Silent Hill: Downpour on PS3, choosing to forego an Xbox 360 port for obvious reasons – those obvious reasons being that nobody in Japan buys Xbox 360 games. Ever. Not a single person ever. Go ahead and check; we'll wait.Told you so.
Silent Hill: Downpour studio Vatra Games 'under review' for closure, 'no decisions have yet been made'
Silent Hill: Downpour's Czech Republic-based developer Vatra Games is "under review," according to a statement from UK-based parent company Kuju Entertainment. The statement comes after a damning tweet from former 2K Czech employee David Semik stated, "Vatra Games RIP," though Kuju contends that "at this stage, no decisions have yet been made."Vatra is said to be working on a non-Silent Hill game following this year's Downpour. Eurogamer Czech was told the project is akin to Darksiders or God of War-style action games. It's unclear if that project will continue, or how long Vatra has before hearing of its fate. Downpour received mixed reactions from critics. The studio's only other game thus far has been Rush 'n Attack: Ex-Patriot. It was formed by several ex-2K Czech employees in 2009.
Visit Silent Hill during Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights this October
You know, we were just saying the other day how we wished we could spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a trip across the country to be tortured by grotesque manifestations of our terrible inner demons and dark secrets. How serendipitous then that Universal Studios and Konami should announce a partnership that fulfills that exact wish!Well, maybe the Silent Hill portion of Universal Studio's upcoming Halloween Horror Nights attraction won't actually transform life into an unending fount of misery and soullessness, but walking around a replica Silent Hill does sound like a pretty sweet idea.The announcement video above specifically calls out Fog World, Otherworld, Pyramid Head and the Nurses as parts of the Silent Hill mythos that will be brought to life by the attraction, so if you're seeking redemption for the terrible sins you've committed, maybe book a flight to Hollywood or Orlando this October.
Konami patching up both Silent Hill Downpour and HD Collection
We're having a hard time thinking of other instances of a simultaneous patch announcement for two different games. Konami has issued a rare Two Patch Announcement for Silent Hill Downpour and Silent Hill HD Collection, planning to fix framerate problems and audio synching in the former, and auto-save issues in the latter.Both updates will be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in "the coming weeks." Still unaddressed, however, is the strange bug that occasionally causes the in-game environment to get all creepy and evil-looking.
Silent Hill: Downpour review: When you're strange
If you had told me in 1999 that Silent Hill would ever be anything less than terrifying, my response would have been an incredulous, nervous laugh, muffled by the blanket I used to shield myself from newfound imaginary horrors. And yet, the human mind quickly adapts, swiftly categorizing and sterilizing even the bizarre world Konami created all those years ago. With seven games to its name, Silent Hill has arguably been gathering rust for quite some time.Silent Hill: Shattered Memories did wonders to revitalize the series, though the fresh take on its mythos did little to move copies off of retail shelves. Enter Silent Hill: Downpour, which tries to have it both ways, hewing a bit closer to the series' roots while attempting to offer a new twist on the twisted traditions of Silent Hill.%Gallery-114964%
PEGI: Silent Hill 2 and 3 separated from HD Collection on XBLA and PSN
The Silent Hill HD Collection is set to launch for retailers on March 6, containing remastered versions of Silent Hill 2 and 3 on a single disc, in the same distribution pattern as the Metal Gear Solid and Zone of the Enders collections -- that much we knew. But new PEGI ratings suggest Konami also plans to release Silent Hill 2 HD and Silent Hill 3 HD separately, most likely through XBLA and PSN, just as it did with the previous collections.March is Silent Hill madness month, with the HD Collection hitting March 6, Silent Hill: Downpour on March 13, and the Vita's Book of Memories on March 27.
Silent Hill HD Collection, Downpour and Book of Memories all coming in March
You know what they say about March: In like a lion, out like a twitchy, messed up sex monster. That is to say that Konami has revealed that Silent Hill HD Collection, Silent Hill: Downpour and Silent Hill: Book of Memories will all be released this March. Breaking it all down, HD Collection will be released on March 6, Downpour on March 13 and the Vita exclusive Book of Memories on March 27. Then again, maybe a March release makes sense, what with the madness and all. Check out some new screens of the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 iteration, Silent Hill: Downpour, in the gallery below.%Gallery-144415%
Silent Hill: Downpour brings the old back to the new
As we saw back at E3, Silent Hill: Downpour evokes the feel of old Silent Hill games, by sending its protagonist Murphy into the familiar town, where he finds monsters, creepiness, and all sorts of dangerous puzzles. But producer Tomm Hulett says this version of the game isn't just about revisiting the setting of the old titles -- he's trying to collect some new fans as well. "Bringing Silent Hill into sort of a modern game, for old fans, mainstream, for new fans, whatever, it's interesting," he told us at a recent preview event. "Because you need to keep those classic elements but you need to make them interesting for people who are used to Dead Space or Red Dead." To that end, Downpour has a few systems in it designed to make sure that the new game not only lives up to the Silent Hill franchise, but allows newer players (and even those who just want a good scare) to experience all the frightening fun, too.%Gallery-142907%
Silent Hill: Downpour Design Director leaves Vatra Games
Brian Gomez, design director for Vatra Games' upcoming Silent Hill: Downpour, has left the company in order to pursue other opportunities a little closer to home. "When it was announced that Downpour was being delayed to 2012, my family and I came to the decision that I couldn't keep making the commute between Los Angeles and Brno for another 4 to 6 months," Gomez said in a letter to the Silent Hill Historical Society. Gomez reassured the Silent Hill hopeful that his absence will have no adverse effect on Downpour's development, as it is nearly completed. Gomez also implied creative differences between his vision and Konami's, although he did not cite them as a reason for his departure: "There's a lot of things I still want to do in this genre that Konami simply didn't let me do." Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, is a solid 6,049.2 miles away from Los Angeles, which is a fairly substantial commute for any family man. Silent Hill: Downpour is still slated for a 2012 release, come rain or shine.
2012 goes Silent Hill crazy with Book of Memories, HD Collection, and Downpour launching in Q1
Originally slated for Fall 2011, Silent Hill HD Collection is now heading to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on January 24, 2012. Konami is also putting Silent Hill's first PlayStation Vita outing, Book of Memories, in the handheld's launch window of February 2012 (Vita itself hits retailers on February 22). Rounding out the survival-horror trio of launches, Silent Hill Downpour falls to retail sometime in March. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game was pushed back to the murky "Q1 2012" earlier this month, but it seems that Konami has cleared things up. Here's hoping you're ready for a surprisingly macabre beginning to 2012!
Silent Hill: Downpour officially pushed to Q1 2012
Please disregard initial forecasts for Silent Hill: Downpour. The launch has been delayed from 2011 to the first quarter of 2012, giving us all more time to fill bags with sand, collect tin cans full of preserved meats and, of course, panic over what the hell we're going to do about Pyramid Head. MCV broke the news earlier today, confirming the new launch window with Konami. Though the publisher has yet to release an official statement, several outlets have confirmed Downpour's going back in the oven. That's a good thing, probably: how else is protagonist Murphy supposed to dry his clothes?
Silent Hill: Downpour trailer channels Children of the Korn
Silent Hill: Downpour was always going to be scary; this we knew. What we didn't know was that it would be 90s quasi death metal turned Christian rock band scary. The latest trailer straight out of Tokyo Game Show gives us a look at the atmosphere in Downpour, accompanied by the tonal tunage of Korn. Downpour is the first Silent Hill game to not include music by Akira Yamaoka, and is instead composed by Jonathan Davis Daniel Licht, the man behind the music of Dexter.
Konami media roundup: Silent Hill and so many Metal Gears
Konami's media offerings at Gamescom include a new look at the upcoming Silent Hill: Downpour. After the break, you'll find a gallery full of new screens that are creepy, dark, atmospheric, and dark. Konami also included new screenshots of all three updated games in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. You can really tell the difference between the graphical capabilities of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 when both have been amplified! There's also new media for Metal Gear Solid 3D, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights, and more. Oh, and keep an eye out for a surprise guest appearance by Megadeth!
Silent Hill: Downpour 'not missing out' without Yamaoka, says Vatra dev
Vatra Games design director Brian Gomez doesn't feel that his studio's upcoming survival-horror title, Silent Hill: Downpour, is being too adversely affected by the absence of longtime series composer Akira Yamaoka. "I was worried when we lost him, we lost him really early on in Downpour. But I was a big fan of Dexter already, so I'm happy we got Daniel Licht," Gomez told me this morning after a GDC Europe panel on the SH franchise. "It was the closest to Akira but also brought something new to it," he added. Back in 2009, Downpour producer (at Konami) Tomm Hulett told us, "If Akira's music isn't there, it just doesn't sound quite right. And I'm sure that there are people out there who could emulate the sound and try to get it close, but there would be something missing." But time heals all wounds, and Gomez thinks the game will still fall in line with the franchise's established standard of audio. "As much as I would've loved the honor of working with Akira, I don't feel that we're missing out by not having him." That said, it's clear that Gomez wants Yamaoka back at Konami, and back on the Silent Hill franchise. Speaking to the ongoing friction between Yamaoka and his formeremployer, Gomez added, "I think this whole feud between he and Konami is just fucking stupid. Everyone needs to calm down, and bring him back in, and do something." Gomez had yet to play Yamaoka's latest work, the critically acclaimed (but commercially ignored) Shadows of the Damned from Grasshopper Manufacture and EA. "I've just been too busy with Downpour, unfortunately."
Shine a light on these Silent Hill: Downpour screens
Silent Hill: Downpour protagonist Murphy Pendleton is holding a flashlight in most of the game's latest screenshots. We could definitely see where a handheld illuminator would come in handy in the rain, though we'd happily trade it in for an umbrella. Or a poncho! Or some rigid, classy galoshes.
A few shots of the Silent Hill: Revelation movie set
A handful of new photos have been posted on the Silent Hill: Revelation Facebook page. The pics don't offer a great deal of new information on the film, though we do get to see a bit of Silent Hill's traditional ashen/snow-covered wastes. We also get our first peek at Carrie-Anne Moss, who's looking awfully pale. Oh, and the nurses! Let's not forget the nurses ... as if our tortured psyche could ever let them go.
Silent Hill: Downpour preview: Shattered Homecoming
Noisy trade show floors are notoriously bad places to preview survival horror games. You can try to preserve crucial atmosphere with headphones, but even then it's hard not to be at least a little distracted. As such, it's hard for me to compare the overall feel of Silent Hill: Downpour to that of its moody brethren, but I can at least offer a technical rundown.%Gallery-126003%
