Better than Silent Hill Ascension, that’s for sure.
Such a mixed experience. It has moments of greatness, but some major low points sprinkled throughout sour the game. The end chase sequence was abysmal, potentially the worst chase sequence I’ve ever experienced.
The twists and turns of the story were enough to keep me interested, with a payoff that was acceptable. The live action cutscenes were a highlight and made me feel uncomfortable as the game went on, which I’m sure was the intention. A lot of the story is given through notes, which I would’ve preferred another method of storytelling.
This game is a walking simulator, with chase sequences sprinkled throughout. There is a clear distinction between “exploring the areas/getting story” and “dangerous areas/chases.” This is kinda lame because you always know when you’re in danger. I didn’t die until the last sequence, where I died like 5 times because I was continuously getting lost. Removing the danger from story heavy areas completely removed tension once I realized that’s how the game was structured. Credit where credit is due, however, this game did make me scream multiple times with a few good scares.
One thing I love about other Silent Hill games (I feel like it’s fair to compare them since this is now an entry among them) is their replay value. There is not a universe where I will play through this again. Even PT is repayable and has that “I want to show this to friends” appeal. I have no desire to sit through this ever again.
Overall, for a free shadow dropped experience, this was worth playing as a Silent Hill super fan. While it didn’t do anything that blew me away, it had interesting ideas that it mostly pulled off. However, it felt like it was missing that indescribable feeling that the classic Silent Hill games had which made them masterpieces. The obvious comparison to this game is PT, and as I expected, this game shouldn’t even be in the same conversation as the teaser for the cancelled Silent Hills. Hopefully Konami’s revival of one of my favorite franchises gets better from here.
Also, I understand the need for the disclaimer regarding suicide and information on how to get help, but the 7th time it was shown to me felt a little ridiculous.
Edit: I can’t stop thinking about this game after playing. My opinion keeps switching between a 2.5/5 and 3.5/5. It truly has some high highs and low lows. If you have any interest in playing, you absolutely should. It’s definitely not a bad game, it just didn’t fully pull off what it was going for.
Edit #2: I take my first edit back. I watched my friend play through it and all the issues I had were magnified on a repeat viewing. 2.5/5 is what it deserves.
Such a mixed experience. It has moments of greatness, but some major low points sprinkled throughout sour the game. The end chase sequence was abysmal, potentially the worst chase sequence I’ve ever experienced.
The twists and turns of the story were enough to keep me interested, with a payoff that was acceptable. The live action cutscenes were a highlight and made me feel uncomfortable as the game went on, which I’m sure was the intention. A lot of the story is given through notes, which I would’ve preferred another method of storytelling.
This game is a walking simulator, with chase sequences sprinkled throughout. There is a clear distinction between “exploring the areas/getting story” and “dangerous areas/chases.” This is kinda lame because you always know when you’re in danger. I didn’t die until the last sequence, where I died like 5 times because I was continuously getting lost. Removing the danger from story heavy areas completely removed tension once I realized that’s how the game was structured. Credit where credit is due, however, this game did make me scream multiple times with a few good scares.
One thing I love about other Silent Hill games (I feel like it’s fair to compare them since this is now an entry among them) is their replay value. There is not a universe where I will play through this again. Even PT is repayable and has that “I want to show this to friends” appeal. I have no desire to sit through this ever again.
Overall, for a free shadow dropped experience, this was worth playing as a Silent Hill super fan. While it didn’t do anything that blew me away, it had interesting ideas that it mostly pulled off. However, it felt like it was missing that indescribable feeling that the classic Silent Hill games had which made them masterpieces. The obvious comparison to this game is PT, and as I expected, this game shouldn’t even be in the same conversation as the teaser for the cancelled Silent Hills. Hopefully Konami’s revival of one of my favorite franchises gets better from here.
Also, I understand the need for the disclaimer regarding suicide and information on how to get help, but the 7th time it was shown to me felt a little ridiculous.
Edit: I can’t stop thinking about this game after playing. My opinion keeps switching between a 2.5/5 and 3.5/5. It truly has some high highs and low lows. If you have any interest in playing, you absolutely should. It’s definitely not a bad game, it just didn’t fully pull off what it was going for.
Edit #2: I take my first edit back. I watched my friend play through it and all the issues I had were magnified on a repeat viewing. 2.5/5 is what it deserves.