Can Silent Hill be saved?

I liked the Silent Hill series, well really the first, second, and third game along with shattered memories which I believe was the 6th installment. The first movie that was made was alright as well, aside from the 2nd tragic sequel which I believe someone produced while sitting on a toilet. The 4th, 5th, and 8th game installments were failures in my opinion... they ran the nightmare sequences into the ground and didn't provided indepth stories that made you wanna know the protagonist more. Silent Hill as a place of horrors and life changing truths has been lost, but I believe it needs an overhaul. Yes the nightmare sequences of this game can be terrifying, but why not make them more artistic... make Silent Hill a gateway to a world of nightmarish dark beauty and wonders, a place where some go for refuge from their reality.

I suppose anything can be saved literally speaking, just takes a seriously good title. One thing that does concern me about Silent Hill specifically is that a reboot was already wasted on a mediocre title.

Your right a reboot has been wasted, maybe third times the charm... if there is anymore money left in the budget.

What is this reboot you're reffering to? Shattered Memories? That was a spinoff.

And I don't think it needs to be "saved." I thought Downpour captured the essence of the series very well, despite the weak combat and monster designs. The way they told the story was definitely very Silent Hill-y

Downpour didn't fit the bill for me, it lacked the original music composer, the combat and monster design as mentioned was weak. The nightmare sequences were derivative and cheap, like they've been done a million times over. The story didn't have any real substance to bite down into, it just wasn't enough for me.

Downpour didn't fit the bill for me, it lacked the original music composer, the combat and monster design as mentioned was weak. The nightmare sequences were derivative and cheap, like they've been done a million times over. The story didn't have any real substance to bite down into, it just wasn't enough for me.

tmthywtsn

Uh what exactly was wrong with the story? I thought it was quite well done, especially near the end... It was definitely better than a lot of other games, and despite the weak monster design, each one had some element of symbolism... The Doll enemy was the most symbolic.

And again what is this reboot that was mentioned?

What is this reboot you're reffering to? Shattered Memories? That was a spinoff.

And I don't think it needs to be "saved." I thought Downpour captured the essence of the series very well, despite the weak combat and monster designs. The way they told the story was definitely very Silent Hill-y

turtlethetaffer

"The game is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill video game series and a reimagining of the first installment"

Point is, spin off or not, it was a reimagining of the first title and they're not going to do it a third time. It was a wasted reimagining or reboot, however you want to word it.

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

What is this reboot you're reffering to? Shattered Memories? That was a spinoff.

And I don't think it needs to be "saved." I thought Downpour captured the essence of the series very well, despite the weak combat and monster designs. The way they told the story was definitely very Silent Hill-y

Yama

"The game is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill video game series and a reimagining of the first installment"

Point is, spin off or not, it was a reimagining of the first title and they're not going to do it a third time. It was a wasted reimagining or reboot, however you want to word it.

How was it wasted? It took the loose story of the original (more just the character names) and made it into something truly unique/ awesome. Not so much a horror game as it was pure adventure, but still. It told one of the best stories in gaming and had a seriously kick ass soundtrack, too. Don't see how it was "wasted." And since it never claimed to be a reboot, the series hasn't officially been rebooted yet, so I could still see a reboot in the future, for better or worse.

[QUOTE="Yama"]

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

What is this reboot you're reffering to? Shattered Memories? That was a spinoff.

And I don't think it needs to be "saved." I thought Downpour captured the essence of the series very well, despite the weak combat and monster designs. The way they told the story was definitely very Silent Hill-y

turtlethetaffer

"The game is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill video game series and a reimagining of the first installment"

Point is, spin off or not, it was a reimagining of the first title and they're not going to do it a third time. It was a wasted reimagining or reboot, however you want to word it.

How was it wasted? It took the loose story of the original (more just the character names) and made it into something truly unique/ awesome. Not so much a horror game as it was pure adventure, but still. It told one of the best stories in gaming and had a seriously kick ass soundtrack, too. Don't see how it was "wasted." And since it never claimed to be a reboot, the series hasn't officially been rebooted yet, so I could still see a reboot in the future, for better or worse.

Perhaps it wasn't the correct terminology, I didn't dislike the game and enjoyed it to some extent myself. My point was, they're not going to re-tell the story for a third time, thus if it was desired that specific title more or less took away the option, branded as a reboot or not. It wasn't a title that matched any of the first three games quality wise in regards to the time of their respective release, thus it didn't help the series any. Decent game, sure. Not what the series needed to recapture the glory days. Far from arguing though, your view points are obviously valid. In fact, like we both alluded, if enough time goes by it's somewhat forgetable release might be a non-issue and an actual reboot could still happen. I wouldn't mind seeing just that next generation.

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

[QUOTE="Yama"]

"The game is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill video game series and a reimagining of the first installment"

Point is, spin off or not, it was a reimagining of the first title and they're not going to do it a third time. It was a wasted reimagining or reboot, however you want to word it.

Yama

How was it wasted? It took the loose story of the original (more just the character names) and made it into something truly unique/ awesome. Not so much a horror game as it was pure adventure, but still. It told one of the best stories in gaming and had a seriously kick ass soundtrack, too. Don't see how it was "wasted." And since it never claimed to be a reboot, the series hasn't officially been rebooted yet, so I could still see a reboot in the future, for better or worse.

Perhaps it wasn't the correct terminology, I didn't dislike the game and enjoyed it to some extent myself. My point was, they're not going to re-tell the story for a third time, thus if it was desired that specific title more or less took away the option, branded as a reboot or not. It wasn't a title that matched any of the first three games quality wise in regards to the time of their respective release, thus it didn't help the series any. Decent game, sure. Not what the series needed to recapture the glory days. Far from arguing though, your view points are obviously valid. In fact, like we both alluded, if enough time goes by it's somewhat forgetable release might be a non-issue and an actual reboot could still happen. I wouldn't mind seeing just that next generation.

I think the issue, honestly, was that they advertised it so much as a reimagining of the first game, when, in reality, it has literally nothing to do with the series at all.  Everything, from the atmosphere, story, mood is radically different... I think they should have simply made it a spinoff, renamed the characters and we would have had a game that isn't misread as a true remake/ reboot.  The only reason it can be considered a remake is because both games have a car crash as a pivotal plot point and the characters have the same names in both games, but aside form that it's hardly even a silent Hill game.  

Oh well, I personally still enjoy the series (Downpour was a great horror game IMO) and I have high hopes for it. I think if fresh blood is brough in more often, it can remain generally high quality.

The thing is that then way the multiverse of Silent Hill is done allows for a ton of creativity.  Since it's a series where more or less anything can happen, the fact that the games are growing "stale" has more to do with the fact that the devs aren't really trying too much new.  I don't think we need an official reboot, but an unoffcial one, one that remains in the same universe but essentially breaks from the conventions we've come to expect.

I agree with that wholeheartedly, I think the reviews would have been less critical too if they didn't describe it as so.

I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed Downpour as I have it sitting here unopened. Atmosphere outweighs just about every element for me when it comes to a horror title and to me Downpour seemed very interesting in that regard. Perhaps I'll rip it open finally.

I agree with that wholeheartedly, I think the reviews would have been less critical too if they didn't describe it as so.

I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed Downpour as I have it sitting here unopened. Atmosphere outweighs just about every element for me when it comes to a horror title and to me Downpour seemed very interesting in that regard. Perhaps I'll rip it open finally.

Yama

You should enjoy it if atmosphere is important.  It's pretty great in that game.  Although most of the monster designs are very weak when compared to other games (reason I say most is because there's one that's creepy as testicles) the atmosphere really is superb.  All of the environments have the "Silent Hill" feeling to them.

That being said, be aware that the combat is still clunky as hell (although you can run from a ton of the encounters... Only a few times where fighting is necessary) and the frame rate stutters at points.  I personally didn't think it was a big deal, but that turns some people off, so I'm just warning you.

Also, I think it has one of the better stories in the series.  IMO, the top three are, in this order, Shattered Memories, 2 and Downpour.  It doesn't have that whole "main character did something awful, holy hell what a plot Twist!" thing that Homecoming tried to do... Instead, we, the player, are fed bits and pieces at certian times.

Not only that, but many of the sidequests are surprisingly well integrated into the world without feeling "gamey."

Overall, I thought it was a strong horror game, despite its issues.

Why does it need to be saved? It's arguably recieved the best treatment of any franchise to be around this long, right up there with Zelda. And what other non-exclusive game, other than CoD and Final Fantasy, has been around through multiple generations of consoles? There just aren't many, and with Silent Hill being a survival horror game this is all the more impressive. Look at what Capcom felt they had to do to keep Resident Evil relevant. They ruined it compared to what it used to be, and while Silent Hill might tinker with the formula from time to time there are rarely drastic changes, and the theme of the games is always the same.

Silent Hill is one the greatest and most popular long-running franchises for the same reasons the Zelda games are; the games are relatively the same in spirit and design. Saying Silent Hill isn't as good now as it used to be is missing the point, the same things are said about Zelda and Final Fantasy and Call of Duty...the point should be there is a reason these franchises survive like they do, and it isn't because of people who compain about how the newer games suck. Konami knows what they're doing with Silent Hill, and I hope they never lose sight of that; I will be there day one every time to buy their SH games as long as they don't.

Atmosphere outweighs just about every element for me when it comes to a horror title and to me Downpour seemed very interesting in that regard. Perhaps I'll rip it open finally.

Yama

Do so. The atmosphere in Downpour is tremendous, and the story is more than good enough to maintaign engagement.

[QUOTE="Yama"]

Atmosphere outweighs just about every element for me when it comes to a horror title and to me Downpour seemed very interesting in that regard. Perhaps I'll rip it open finally.

Blueresident87

Do so. The atmosphere in Downpour is tremendous, and the story is more than good enough to maintaign engagement.

[QUOTE="Blueresident87"]

[QUOTE="Yama"]

Atmosphere outweighs just about every element for me when it comes to a horror title and to me Downpour seemed very interesting in that regard. Perhaps I'll rip it open finally.

_Perfectionist

Do so. The atmosphere in Downpour is tremendous, and the story is more than good enough to maintaign engagement.

I liked HC, too :P

Although it is much more flawed than the other games I've played in the series. And it takes a lot of elements from previous games.

I think Resident Evil needs to be saved more than Silent Hill.

[QUOTE="Yama"]

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

What is this reboot you're reffering to? Shattered Memories? That was a spinoff.

And I don't think it needs to be "saved." I thought Downpour captured the essence of the series very well, despite the weak combat and monster designs. The way they told the story was definitely very Silent Hill-y

turtlethetaffer

"The game is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill video game series and a reimagining of the first installment"

Point is, spin off or not, it was a reimagining of the first title and they're not going to do it a third time. It was a wasted reimagining or reboot, however you want to word it.

How was it wasted? It took the loose story of the original (more just the character names) and made it into something truly unique/ awesome. Not so much a horror game as it was pure adventure, but still. It told one of the best stories in gaming and had a seriously kick ass soundtrack, too. Don't see how it was "wasted." And since it never claimed to be a reboot, the series hasn't officially been rebooted yet, so I could still see a reboot in the future, for better or worse.

Based on this post and the other posts you've made you obviously don't get the Silent Hill universe or what the original games (1, 2 and 3) were all about. You don't get the soul of the game I should say. 

I think Resident Evil needs to be saved more than Silent Hill.

-Water-Wings-

me to

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

[QUOTE="Yama"]

"The game is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill video game series and a reimagining of the first installment"

Point is, spin off or not, it was a reimagining of the first title and they're not going to do it a third time. It was a wasted reimagining or reboot, however you want to word it.

wumpscutnut

How was it wasted? It took the loose story of the original (more just the character names) and made it into something truly unique/ awesome. Not so much a horror game as it was pure adventure, but still. It told one of the best stories in gaming and had a seriously kick ass soundtrack, too. Don't see how it was "wasted." And since it never claimed to be a reboot, the series hasn't officially been rebooted yet, so I could still see a reboot in the future, for better or worse.

Based on this post and the other posts you've made you obviously don't get the Silent Hill universe or what the original games (1, 2 and 3) were all about. You don't get the soul of the game I should say. 

Or maybe I started the games late so I'm not some assmad fan who wants them to be "more like the old ones?"

Trust me, I am fully aware of what "they were all about."  3 is my fav horror game ever, it scared the hell out of me.

My point was that Shattered Memories was a spinoff... And a great one at that.  I don't get the hate so many people have towards spinoffs.  Granted, i think it was a poor chocie to advertise it as a "terrifying Silent Hill game" since it's barely even a horror game, but it is still great.

I'd also argue that SM was truer to the roots of the SH games than other recent ones... It is pure psychology, simple as that.  That was a huge part of the original games, and it holds true with SM, just in a very different manner.

I liked the Silent Hill series, well really the first, second, and third game along with shattered memories which I believe was the 6th installment. The first movie that was made was alright as well, aside from the 2nd tragic sequel which I believe someone produced while sitting on a toilet. The 4th, 5th, and 8th game installments were failures in my opinion... they ran the nightmare sequences into the ground and didn't provided indepth stories that made you wanna know the protagonist more. Silent Hill as a place of horrors and life changing truths has been lost, but I believe it needs an overhaul. Yes the nightmare sequences of this game can be terrifying, but why not make them more artistic... make Silent Hill a gateway to a world of nightmarish dark beauty and wonders, a place where some go for refuge from their reality.

tmthywtsn

Agreed. I Still have fond memories of Silent Hill, I just take/keep the good, SH1 SH2 & SH-Homecoming, and forget the rest. I do hope it can be saved and I have yet to play downpour but i hope that at least begins to bring it back.

[QUOTE="tmthywtsn"]

I liked the Silent Hill series, well really the first, second, and third game along with shattered memories which I believe was the 6th installment. The first movie that was made was alright as well, aside from the 2nd tragic sequel which I believe someone produced while sitting on a toilet. The 4th, 5th, and 8th game installments were failures in my opinion... they ran the nightmare sequences into the ground and didn't provided indepth stories that made you wanna know the protagonist more. Silent Hill as a place of horrors and life changing truths has been lost, but I believe it needs an overhaul. Yes the nightmare sequences of this game can be terrifying, but why not make them more artistic... make Silent Hill a gateway to a world of nightmarish dark beauty and wonders, a place where some go for refuge from their reality.

The-Longshot

Agreed. I Still have fond memories of Silent Hill, I just take/keep the good, SH1 SH2 & SH-Homecoming, and forget the rest. I do hope it can be saved and I have yet to play downpour but i hope that at least begins to bring it back.

You should play downpour. It really goes back to the series roots as far as psychology and storytelling goes. It's quite good.

Sweet! Thanks! I will check it out asap.

Sweet! Thanks! I will check it out asap.

The-Longshot

Enjoy :) I'm pretty sure that you can find it dirt cheap (ten to fifteen bucks) so even if you don'tenjoy the game that much you won't feel bad about it :p