Konami has released new images of Silent Hill: Downpour – the eight game in the series, if anyone’s lost track – along with the first sounds from the series new composer, Daniel Licht. Details from the new game are already being surmised by the fandom, and with Konami keeping tight-lipped about the game, we can only hope more is revealed soon with such beautiful screens. More info on the game below the cut!
For this game, we follow the story of convict Murphy Pendleton, as his transport bus happens to lose control and crash in a nearby forest. Murphy, escaping the bus, heads for a nearby town for help, and runs into a corrections officer hunting down the remaining prisoners. As for where Silent Hill comes in, well, it appears the nearby ghost town that he’s escaping in happens to be a part of Silent Hill in some way, much like how Shepherd’s Glen was connected in Silent Hill: Homecoming. From the screens, it seems that the game looks to be returning to a Silent Hill 2-like settings, which most fans are probably going to enjoy. Hate to say it, but it also has areas reminiscent of Alan Wake, but we shall see if there really are any comparisons as more is released on this game.
The new game, under the development of Vatra games, is the third major game in the series to be developed by someone other than Team Silent (the other two being Shattered Memories and Homecoming.) It seems to be taking hints from it’s predecessors as well, returning to the original fixed cameras of the early games, yet keeping the multiple based endings on various minor actions you might take (much like Shattered Memories.) Also, helpless chase scenes shall be returning from Shattered Memories, much to everyone’s chagrin.
Silent Hill fans will be a bit disappointed to learn that there will not be any of their favorite locations returning in this game, along with no multiple weapon inventory, making decisions a bit harder in the long run. Puzzle difficulty will return, and this game will be introducing the use of real time level changes and shifts based on one’s time-of-day. Being dedicated horror fan myself, I can only hope this is done well enough to force me to play in the daytime.
Unfortunately, Akira Yamaoka and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn do not appear to be returning to the series, though they are apparently working together on what can be assumed to be Shadows of the Damned, which looks something like what the new Devil May Cry should be. But I digress. Daniel Licht shall be composing the soundtrack, with his credits being Dexter, Hellraiser and Children of the Corn. Wired has posted the first sample of his music, which already sets the scene rather well. Fingers crossed the rest of the OST keeps in line with this! (Thanks, Wired!)
With a hopeful release date of Fall of this year, fingers are crossed that Vatra games can capture the essence in this well-loved horror series. Both cons and pros already set behind them, we can only wait and see just how they plan on terrifying us this time.
Screenshots
No returning locations? No Akira Yamaoka? No Mary Elizabeth McGlynn? No Team Silent?
Color me skeptical, but I’ll have a hard time calling this a Silent Hill title. The necessary elements simply aren’t there.
@Joe Pomerening, I know, right? But, this is the first game to have all of this lacking, so I’m willing to give it a chance. They might be able to play it off right, or it could totally run straight into the ground. I’m trying to keep positive though…trying.