Homecoming does not live up to the legacy of it's previous games, but is still a great addition to the series.
I have very little complaints about this title. The graphics are looking fairly great, but could have been a lot better. Some of the effects like puddles of blood just don't quite look right. The mirrors could have had better reflective properties, and the fog was far too thick to even make your way through. The levels are all ridiculously dark, and the flashlight does very little to help. Even with the brightness turned all the way up, it is still a challenge to make out what is only a few steps in front of you. The physics in the game are way too sensitive, bumping into a table will send it flying across the room. Also, the enemies are extremely difficult to kill. So difficult, in fact, that I thought they were boss fights the first time I fought them. There are so many of these enemies in each level, and I should not have to work this hard to kill them. Especially with the health drinks and ammunition being so scarce.
Homecoming relies heavily on melee combat. There is very little gun play throughout the game, and your primary weapons are a hunting knife, a steel pipe, an axe, and a pistol. It is very unlikely that you will have enough ammo to even use the gun, though. Battling even basic enemies will require at least ten shots to knock them down, thus emptying your supply of ammo. A major part of fighting enemies is using the new dodge technique. I'm not particularly fond of the dodge move, and it rarely works as planned. But it is something that is easily adapted. The boss fights are difficult, and involve proper timing. They are not as simple as running around and shooting, but you must destroy various limbs of the creature too by using your knife. The one thing Homecoming lacks that the other games were full of are puzzles. The puzzles that exist in this title are far too simple, and require no form of thinking.
Overall, Homecoming is an interesting experience. Reading other reviews I figured this would not be a very good game, but I'm actually enjoying it quite well. If you enjoy survival horror games, go ahead and get it because you won't be disappointed. And if you are, you can always play your copy of Condemned 2 or Dead Space.
**EDIT 1/18/09**
No longer will I post a review of a game I haven't completed. I finished it, and all of the alternate endings were terrible. I must have been stoned out of my mind when I wrote this review. SHH is by far one of the worst games I've played. I posted this review after the first four levels. Those were alright, but then I realized how boring and trashy this game really is and stopped playing it for a few weeks. I picked it up this morning, realizing I spent $60 on it so I may as well try to finish it. Well I was immediately disgusted upon completion, took the disc out and drove straight to the local GameStop. Trade-in value? Only $17. Do not buy this game unless you are really interested. If you have to get it, buy my copy of it. I never want to touch this game again.