# SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING (Got it!!!!)-->very minor spoilers



## Simon Atavax (Oct 13, 2008)

Amazing opening. First person POV on a stretcher being rolled through a hellish hospital, lots of _Jacob's Ladder_-type horror scenes. Then a nightmare sequence (literally a nightmare--you wake up at the end) level in a (what else?) hospital. Then given a ride back home by none other than Travis Grady of SILENT HILL: ORIGINS. He looks like hell here, which is a nice touch. Grady drops you off at Sheperd's Glen, your home town ("you" are army veteran Alex Shepherd--I think that's his name, anyway ). Your home town is a lot like Silent Hill--foggy, deserted, strange. You have a creepy conversation with your lunatic mother, then kill a monster in your basement. 

And that's where I'm at. Amazing game, from the tiny bit I've played thus far.

Anyone else have this?


----------



## Darkwolf71 (Oct 13, 2008)

Been playing it for a couple of weeks. Great game, I like the new combat system.

It's not as 'scarey' as Origins, but it's very good. I'm actually re-playing the first part of it now, because I got to a point where I was out of FAKs and Health Drinks. Couldn't make any forward progress. And if you think Moms a bit whack, wait till you learn more about dear old dad.


----------



## TwistedBishop (Oct 13, 2008)

I finished it on Sunday.  Initially the story wasn't grabbing me, however it gets exponentially better as it passes the halfway mark.  Between the four Silent Hill games I've played all the way through, I'd put its story behind SH2 but ahead of SH1 and Origins. 

The combat is a mixed bag.  Definitely an improvement on the older controls, but also with some timing quirks that kept it from feeling as smooth as I'd like.  The main thing I'm happy with is the puzzles.  The developers managed to integrate them into the actual story narrative quite nicely.  Instead of collecting random music boxes that fit into a puzzle and open a doorway, you collect items that represent your past and assemble them to access your future.  That's slick.

Main complaint, for me, would be the save points.  Games really need to do away with those entirely.  Don't force me to leave the system on pause all night because I couldn't find a new save point in the last 30 minutes.


----------



## Simon Atavax (Oct 14, 2008)

TwistedBishop said:


> Main complaint, for me, would be the save points. Games really need to do away with those entirely. Don't force me to leave the system on pause all night because I couldn't find a new save point in the last 30 minutes.




Actually, I have a question about that.  I can't seem to find any save points in Shepherd's Glen (after leaving mom's house).  How does one save at that point?


----------



## Darkwolf71 (Oct 14, 2008)

Simon Atavax said:


> Actually, I have a question about that.  I can't seem to find any save points in Shepherd's Glen (after leaving mom's house).  How does one save at that point?




In the Town Hall, there are two back rooms. The Judge is in one, you can have a short conversation with her. The other room (the one on the left) has a save point.


----------



## Mercule (Oct 14, 2008)

I haven't played any of the Silent Hill games, but they sound interesting.  Are they really that good?  Are they all worth playing, or should I skip one or two that haven't aged well/tanked?

I'm not much of a gamer and only have a GameCube, PS2, and PC.  Will they all play on one of those platforms?


----------



## TwistedBishop (Oct 14, 2008)

All the Silent Hill games, except Homecoming, will run on the PS2.  

I'd personally start with SH2.  Its had the greatest resonance with players and definitely shaped the franchise.  The basic premise of the town is laid down in SH1 and Origins, but I think the games are best when they explore tangental stories like SH2 and Homecoming.  

Overall it's an exceptional series.  Provided you like stories full of very personal horror and metaphor.


----------



## frankthedm (Oct 14, 2008)

I beat the first game and played some of the second, but it has been a while.

In homecoming, can you whack things with the melee weapons as you run by them? 

Are you forced to "take melee stance" before you can swing?  I have come to really dislike that sort of combat style.


----------



## Simon Atavax (Oct 14, 2008)

Mercule said:


> I haven't played any of the Silent Hill games, but they sound interesting. Are they really that good? Are they all worth playing, or should I skip one or two that haven't aged well/tanked?
> 
> I'm not much of a gamer and only have a GameCube, PS2, and PC. Will they all play on one of those platforms?




SILENT HILL 2 is the way to go, I'd say.  You can get it on PS2, though nowadays it might be hard to find and eBay might be the best route.  It's definitely worth it.  SILENT HILL 3, also on PS2, isn't as good (IMHO) but is probably worth playing if you enjoy SH2.  There's also a SILENT HILL 4: THE ROOM available on PS2 and XBox, but most people (including me) will tell you to avoid it.  

There's also SILENT HILL: ORIGINS available now for PS2 (though it's a port of a PSP game) and it's pretty good, but I'd say it's too similar to SH2 to make it worth playing both (also, SH2 is vastly superior).  

Finally, the original SILENT HILL is available only on PSone.  If you fall in love with the Silent Hill games, it may be worth digging up, but I wouldn't bother.  

Hope this helps!


----------



## Darkwolf71 (Oct 14, 2008)

frankthedm said:


> I beat the first game and played some of the second, but it has been a while.
> 
> In homecoming, can you whack things with the melee weapons as you run by them?
> 
> Are you forced to "take melee stance" before you can swing?  I have come to really dislike that sort of combat style.




Agreed, haveing to 'stance' is annoying. And, yes you do have to do so in Homecoming. It is fairly fluid, but there is that bit of lag between when you want to 'HIT THAT F*&^%R' and when you can actually swing.
Still an awesome game. IMO


----------



## Simon Atavax (Oct 15, 2008)

Darkwolf71 said:


> In the Town Hall, there are two back rooms. The Judge is in one, you can have a short conversation with her. The other room (the one on the left) has a save point.




Found it! Thanx, dude.  Otherwise I'd have been wandering around in the fog (literally ) for who knows how long before finally shutting off the console in frustration without saving.


----------



## Simon Atavax (Oct 15, 2008)

BTW, is it just me or does the camera in this game seem mildly whacked? It seems like I'm constantly  having to adjust the camera with the right stick as I move with the left.  Am I doing it wrong?


----------



## InVinoVeritas (Oct 30, 2008)

Simon Atavax said:


> BTW, is it just me or does the camera in this game seem mildly whacked? It seems like I'm constantly having to adjust the camera with the right stick as I move with the left. Am I doing it wrong?




Bah, you young whippersnappers gots it so easy! Back in my day, we couldn't move the camera!

Quirky camera angles are one of the hallmarks of early Silent Hill games. It goes with the horror theme. The fact that you can move the camera at all in Homecoming is a major change.

As for where to learn the series, definitely Silent Hill 2 sets the tone. Not only is it an excellent game, it is, in my opinion, one of the first true pieces of literature in video game format. The story is beautiful, and acted extremely well. Other games have filled me with pride, made me scared, fired up a competitive spirit, and made me switch from frustrated to elated. Silent Hill 2, though, is the only game that has made me cry.

Furthermore, there's a lot of art history to mine in the game. The setting of the scenes come from earlier horror films--the two clearest sources being _Jacob's Ladder_ and _Session 9_. However, monster design hearkens back to Hans Bellmer's Dolls, Francis Bacon, and the Suprematist movement. Finally, you can see how the game not only set the tone for the whole series, but has influenced the horror genre since then.

As for the other games in the series:

Silent Hill: Good, but very clearly shows its age at this point. 

Silent Hill 2: The masterpiece.

Silent Hill 3: Well done. Story is decent, and the gameplay is quite good. If you play a second Silent Hill game after 2, this is the one I'd recommend.

Silent Hill 4: The story is okay. Walter Sullivan is an interesting character, but somehow feels underutilized. The game, though, is tedious. Watch a walkthrough on Youtube; you'll see the tedium even there. Monster design is less inspired.

Silent Hill Origins: I like this one a lot. It feels like it solidly belongs in the series. It doesn't really break new ground, but it doesn't need to.

I don't know enough about Homecoming to say.


----------

