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Rumor: Climax developing Silent Hill remake for Wii, PSP
Our good friends at the rumor mill are at it again, this time churning out a most delicious prospect: a Silent Hill remake for the Wii and PSP. Supposedly under development at Climax, a report suggests that the return trip to Silent Hill is one of two Konami projects at the studio, the other being (according to job listings) a "ground breaking next-gen game for the PS3 and the Xbox 360."We've asked Konami and Climax for comment and we'll be sure to update you as soon as we receive a response.
Philosony: Will the real Alex Sheperd please stand up?
One thing that I think we all love about our chosen hobby is that the experience of a single game can be drastically different for each person. I don't mean this in the way we mean about other "static" media where we might each interpret what we read/see/hear in unique ways. I mean that though two people may play the exact same game, the cut scenes they view and the boss battles they fight may be completely different. This might be most evident in sandbox games or titles that have a prodigious amount of side quests, but sometimes even the main story can take wildly different paths depending on player input.Heavy Rain director David Cage has expressed his desire to create a game that allows you to really suffer consequences that affect the story and continue playing, always conscious of your input in the overall plot. We may be entering an era in which we gamers may not only see different stories but have to actually reflect on what the path we choose says about us as well as the story. When my recent play through of Silent Hill: Homecoming was rewarded with a less than satisfying ending I immediately cursed the game's writers for their ineptitude. But looking back I've begun to wonder: am I partially to blame? Are bad endings increasingly becoming the consequence of bad or even inconsistent decisions by players? Don't worry, the spoilers don't begin for another 300 words.
Silent Hill and DanceDanceRevolution now on iPhone
Though neither of them rhyme with "Petal Near Squalid", two of the four portable games Konami announced have arrived for your stroking and poking pleasure on the iPhone and iPod Touch this morning. The first, Silent Hill: The Escape, will run you $7.99 and allow you to "escape the suspense with full use of the touch panel and confront evil with the accelerometer." Watch your back, evil!Also arriving in the iTunes Store is DanceDanceRevolution S Lite, an early version of the game – the "full version" is "currently in the works." It's being distributed for free, which seems like a bargain until you factor in the price of replacing your iPhone after you jump all over it.Download – Silent Hill: The Escape [iTunes link]Download – DanceDanceRevolution S Lite [iTunes Link]
Silent Hill: Homecoming's Australian edits detailed
We reported last week that Silent Hill: Homecoming was finally classified by Australia's OFLC after having been refused classification when it was first submitted last year. It was reported that changes had to be made to the game in order to be classified MA15+, the highest classification offered to video games by the OFLC. Now, thanks to Edge, we know the nature of those changes. Atari, which will distribute the game Down Under, told Edge that the majority of the changes are being made to the game's cutscenes, in which "new camera angles and techniques will be used to reduce the impact of the unclassifiable material." At least some of the "unclassifiable" material, if you'd like to know, was related to the improper and grisly use of a power drill. Atari assures Edge that the changes only apply to "some scenes" and that "the original storyline remains unchanged."Keep in mind that the wording of the article implies that some changes may have been made to actual gameplay, though the nature of any such changes is unclear. Meanwhile, Atari stated that the New Zealand version of the title has received an R rating and that it will not receive any edits.[Via Joystiq]
Silent Hill: Homecoming classified by Australia's OFLC
After being refused classification by the OFLC -- Australia's ratings board -- Silent Hill: Homecoming is finally coming home Down Under with an MA15+ rating. The game had earlier failed to net an MA15+ rating in September of 2008, effectively banning it from sale. It wasn't alone, as several other titles, including F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and Fallout 3, ran into the same situation (both of which were later classified). According to Gamespot, Silent Hill: Homecoming was apparently resubmitted to the OFLC and has now been classified MA15+, though it's unclear what changes were made to the game, if any.Hopefully, the pervading creepiness is still intact, because that's all that matters.[Via Joystiq]
Silent Hill: Homecoming obtains classification in Australia
Australia's OFLC has apparently seen fit to "unban" Silent Hill: Homecoming and grant it an MA15+ rating. The survival-horror game was previously refused classification by the organization for its violence. Gamespot reports there's no word on what edits -- if any -- were made to the Aussie version. F.E.A.R. 2 recently received a rating on appeal to the board without requiring any edits.Despite there being no word on when the game will release in the region, distributor Atari had previously mentioned it would like to get the game onto Aussie retail shelves by Q1 2009. [Via GamePolitics]
Konami announces four big titles for iPhone
Unfortunately, not one of them is Contra. But the iPhone is going to get some pretty big name titles from Konami -- the company announced yesterday that Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Dance Dance Revolution, and Frogger were all coming to our favorite mobile gaming platform from the company's vaults.Frogger you know, and Dance Dance Revolution and Silent Hill look like fairly faithful (if a little tweaked) recreations of the dancing and horror games that both series are known for. Metal Gear Solid Touch seems the most interesting title -- that series seems to reinvent itself almost every time it reaches a new platform. There have been strategy versions, card-based versions, squad-based versions, and even the old 2D games, so though all we know is that MGS Touch has eight levels and will use the touchscreen, from there Konami could do anything they can think of.Great to see that a historic publisher is investing heavily in the App Store, though. If these games turn out to do well, we could see some other big-time developers follow suit.
Branching Dialogue: Survive All Horror (Part Two)
Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err ... stuff I didn't think to put in this introductory line. Though the latest survival-horror scare pair, Dead Space and Silent Hill: Homecoming, are unlikely to be praised for oozing INNOVATION! out of every pore, both games do a lot to improve and streamline the genre's traditional gameplay. So much so, in fact, that some of the contrivances I would have vigorously defended before, passed off as "misunderstood" by run 'n' gunners, no longer seem worthy of the effort. But which genre staples can be safely torn out without leaving the design document in tatters? Well, there are two in particular which I'm glad to be rid of.
Branching Dialogue: Survive all horror
Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err ... stuff I didn't think to put in this introductory line. With the debut of a brand new IP and the return of an over-the-hill franchise taking place in the space of a few weeks, fans of survival-horror have undoubtedly felt relieved to find their genre considerably more alive than many of the frightful creatures that inhabit it. Counting myself among them -- the fans, not the creatures -- I've eagerly been spending my evenings roaming the sinister streets of Silent Hill: Homecoming, as well as the cramped corridors of Dead Space. While they shamble towards the subject of scariness in remarkably different ways, both highlight the same, inherent contradiction that lies at the still-beating heart of the genre: A good survival-horror is one you don't enjoy playing.There's an element of self-deception at work here, one that willingly sets you up for the scare and the relief that comes when you realize that, oh, none of it's real. Of course it isn't, you're playing a game! But a good survival-horror will make you forget that critical fact, long enough for you to question what's around the corner and frequently enough to have you gasping at the sight of polygonal blobs leaping through the windows. It is -- and should be -- a stressful experience, a constant source of worry and unanswered what-ifs. Are you anxiously counting your spent bullets? Do you hesitate before ambling down a suspiciously long hallway? What a weird way to have fun.
Silent Hill: Homecoming for Europe delayed
Sorry Europe! Despite the fact that folks in the US have been playing Silent Hill: Homecoming since last month, you guys won't get your hands on the game until next year -- February 2009, to be exact. Konami did not issue a reason for the delay. CVG suspects it might be due to translation or certification issues, but that's as good as anyone's guess. Reviews for the title have been mixed, so maybe you Europeans aren't missing out on much.
Silent Hill: Homecoming Euro release now in '09
Even though the latest Silent Hill installment has already released to North American retailers, Europeans will have to wait until February 2009 to get their hands on Konami's Silent Hill: Homecoming.For reasons unknown (though localization seems to be the culprit), Homecoming has been delayed for release in Europe, pushed back from late October to sometime in February of next year. But don't be too sad Silent Hill'ers, because there's a certain game releasing this week and it should satisfy your horror needs until next year. Promise.
Three tracks (for free!) from the Silent Hill: Homecoming soundtrack
Whatever qualms you may have with Silent Hill: Homecoming, which probably ranges from the awkward combat system to the absence of Team Silent, one thing that's undeniable is the quality of the soundtrack. Akira Yamaoka delivers yet another broodingly morose soundtrack that critics and fans alike have applauded since the first game. Those of you who ordered the game with Amazon were treated to 3 bonus tracks -- but now you can download them for free, even if you've never touched a Silent Hill game -- right here.The three tracks included are The Sacred Line, Witchcraft and Cold Blood. We are pretty sure that's frequent collaborator Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's vocals on The Sacred Line, but you can be the judge for yourself after you listen to the track.[Thanks, anonymous!]
Metareview - Silent Hill Homecoming (PC, PS3, 360)
Within the circle of paranoid and traumatized Silent Hill fans, there are two fundamental truths that must be embraced upon the release of each new entry in Konami's survival-horror franchise. The first, and more difficult to accept, is that the core gameplay in Silent Hill is sort of awful. Oh, but that gripping atmosphere! That inescapable miasma of melancholy! That's where the second truth comes in: if series sound maestro, Akira Yamaoka, composed the soundtrack (and he did for Homecoming), then it's probably an experience worth having. What say you, early reviews? 1UP (B): "Homecoming stays true to the macabre Silent Hill atmosphere without feeling stagnant. Exploration's perfectly in line with previous games, complete with tons of locked doors, decaying structures, and doubling back between the real world and its hellish counterpart -- but some little nuances intrigue." Cheat Code Central (84/100): "This game delivers on the experience you have come to expect from the franchise. It will also give you reason to begin clamoring for the next installment. The folks at Double Helix gave me the Silent Hill I wanted: a nerve-racking, scary as hell experience to hold me over this Halloween season." IGN (67/100): "Unfortunately, I admit that the game feels like a bit of a letdown. The gameplay has been reduced from a tense psychological experience fraught with spine tingling jumps and scares to a generic, predictable action title set in the location with good graphics and a great soundtrack."
Silent Hill not coming home in Australia
Atari, the distributor for Konami games in Australia, has stated (via GameSpot) that Silent Hill: Homecoming won't be coming to the land down under. The game has been refused classification by the OFLC, making it illegal to sell the game in stores. At earliest, the title is expected to arrive "next year" while Konami decides whether to edit the game for the region.Fallout 3, which was also refused classification in Aussieland, endured minor edits so it could be sold in the country -- and those edits poured over to other regions. That will apparently not be the case for Silent Hill: Homecoming, which is still due to arrive everywhere else this year.[Via Game Politics]
Silent Hill: Homecoming delayed till November [Update]
Update: Apparently, this information only applies to Europe. The US release date is still September.At LCG today, Konami informed us that the upcoming Silent Hill: Homecoming has been delayed till November. The sixth game in the survival horror series was originally slated for a September release, but apparently the newly announced PC version will debut simultaneously with the console versions. From the looks of our hands-on impressions at E3, perhaps Konami could use the extra time to polish things up a bit.%Gallery-12896%
WoW Moviewatch: Silent Wind
Elysia, a French machinimator, came out of nowhere to bring us her World of Warcraft spin on Silent Hill. If you enjoyed the critically acclaimed video game series, you'll like Silent Wind. She combined WoW scenery with scary elements, such as ghosts and children laughing, to replicate the eerie feeling you get when playing. My only complaint is that the machinima is far too short to thoroughly enjoy. I wouldn't mind seeing a series born out of this video. WoW is seriously lacking in the horror department![Via Warcraftmovies.com & mygroupie!]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Hands-on: Silent Hill Homecoming
Usually, a venue like E3 proves to be a bad venue for a game like Silent Hill Homecoming. The usual hustle and bustle of the E3 show floor makes for a game focused squarely on atmosphere to suffer. So, why was our playtest of Silent Hill Homecoming in a closed room with headphones so uninspiring? There are a number of issues that come to the top of our minds: the lackluster graphics stand out, for once. However, the most frustrating aspect of Homecoming is how familiar it all felt. Returning to Silent Hill on consoles after an adventure like Silent Hill IV: The Room is strange. Regardless of the execution found in that last Silent Hill title, one couldn't deny the interesting premise which took the series in a slightly different direction. Homecoming, on the other hand, plays it safe and feels like an HD remake of Silent Hill Origins (PSP).For those that are hankering for a new Silent Hill game, perhaps this by-the-numbers offering will satiate that itch. However, the setting is much too familiar, and the setup is just not that compelling. Waking up strapped down in a hospital bed, our protagonist Alex Shephard must break free and find clues on his missing brother. Combat works just as it has before: lock on and swing various melee weapons found in the environment.%Gallery-12896%
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming
A few things. First, I love the Silent Hill series. Second, E3 really isn't the venue for demoing a Silent Hill game. Even in Konami's relatively quiet meeting room, it was impossible to hear any dialogue or music in Silent Hill: Homecoming -- headphones were available, but they were broken ... grrr. Considering that the soundscape of any given Silent Hill game is responsible for half of the atmosphere (arguably more), it makes it hard to judge how the game feels. So, you'll just have to settle for a look at how the game plays.%Gallery-23416%
Spotted in Silent Hill Homecoming: Pyramid Head
There are two things we know about Pyramid Head. One, he is a physical manifestation of guilt. Two, he generally causes the physical manifestation of crap in your pants. Oh, actually, there is a third thing we know about Pyramid Head: he makes an appearance in Silent Hill Homecoming. This raises the question: what is protagonist Alex Shepherd guilty of? Our guess is that he feels guilty about the desperate fan service required to keep gamers interested in this series.Stay tuned for hands on impressions.
The Daily Grind: Could a survival horror MMO work?
Survival horror games like Silent Hill or Fatal Frame are fairly niche single player genres and that certainly has something to do with how they operate: scaring the bonkers out of people. While the big scares are certainly a high point within these games, it's the ever present sense of dread that makes the best of them truly horrifying. Some games like to give players terrible controls to heighten the scare factor, while others use forced camera angles. Yet this isn't the problem with transitioning them into MMO-form. The innate problem with making a horror MMO stems from the logical school of thinking that people probably don't want to be terrified for hours on end. Which is pretty reasonable when you think about it. Still, this isn't to say that a horror genre of some sort couldn't persist as a wonderful niche game like this within the greater MMO market.The question we pose today dear readers is: Do you think a horror MMO of some sort could work? Also, roughly how would it work? Any tolerable MMO obviously can't be hours of radio noise followed up by wiggling, throbbing, convulsing aberrations popping out at you. Well it could be that, although somehow we doubt such a game would find much success. One possible idea is to borrow from Myst Online with a persistent world that favors puzzle-solving over combat situations. We kind of like that concept.
