Silent Hill: Downpour - Xbox 360

Foggy With A Chance Of Mediocrity

Tim Turi — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:25:00 GMT

Like a fleshy mannequin creature emerging from a nightmare world, the Silent Hill series has been trying to claw its way back to prominence since the PlayStation 2 era. Silent Hill: Homecoming attempted to empower players with a combat-savvy protagonist, while Silent Hill: Shattered Memories removed fighting from the equation altogether, pleasing few gamers in the process. Silent Hill: Downpour is a more balanced effort, but an unfocused story, miserable combat, and general lack of creepiness restrict the game to a limbo of mediocrity.

Similar to other Silent Hills, Downpour ignores past storylines in favor of a new tale. Players learn about protagonist Murphy Pendleton’s shady prison stint through scattered files and vague flashbacks. The game gets points for having the most coherent story in franchise history, but fumbles trying to weave two narrative threads. The straightforward yet clichéd tale of Murphy’s loss is cheapened by a tenuous surprise twist in the third act. I saw two of the game’s four endings, and neither left me feeling satisfied.

While I was initially impressed playing early previews of Silent Hill: Downpour, in the end the combat system leaves much to be desired. Enemy variety is downright shameful. I must have encountered the same screeching banshee lady three dozen times. Juking enemies in horror games is usually done to conserve precious ammo, but I ran from the horrendous combat system. Attacking and blocking with degrading weapons is boring and sloppy, made worse by a camera that goes crazy whenever you’re trapped in a corner. Murphy must have some debilitating carpal tunnel syndrome, because the man can’t hold a firearm steady. Poor marksmanship may make for a believable average Joe, but steering a quivering reticule is agonizing. The game boasts one of the most interesting and well-executed final boss encounters in the series, but that doesn’t forgive the core combat.

Silent Hill: Downpour shines brightest when you’re exploring murky, poorly lit buildings and solving puzzles. The best brainteaser in the game involves playing stagehand for a macabre production of Hansel and Gretel, in which you crank levers and provide effects. Another highlight involves searching for clues in a workshop scattered with loud machinery that enemies randomly activate, impairing your hearing and providing a decent fright. Unfortunately, Silent Hill’s unsettling transformation into the iconic, rusty nightmare world is reduced to lame chase sequences in Downpour. Fleeing from an ambiguous floating void was interesting the first time, but the thrill is gone for these formulaic chase sequences. Don’t go into Downpour expecting scares comparable to this generation’s great horror titles like Dead Space or Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Roaming the foggy streets is usually a staple of Silent Hill games, but town exploration is mainly reduced to vague side quests in Downpour. I spent a healthy chunk of time combing the ruinous roads, but to my frustration I only found one optional task to complete. I came across plenty of keypad-locked safes and other supposed riddles, but never had enough information to complete them. Unless the idea of knocking on every door in Silent Hill sounds like fun, through no fault of your own you may come out feeling like you didn’t see everything the town has to offer.

I don’t regret my time with Silent Hill: Downpour, but mediocrity hung over most of my playthrough like a fog. Vatra Games shows real potential for becoming a developer that can tell great stories, but nurturing one narrative yarn would be better than juggling two ho-hum tales. I left this Silent Hill with the same feeling I have after walking out of most haunted houses near closing time – a little annoyed at having cages lazily rattled at me.

Surviving On The Streets Of Silent Hill: Downpour

Tim Turi — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:07:00 GMT

Silent Hill has an almost magnetic draw for me. Year after year, I somehow end up wandering its foggy streets and fending for our lives against unspeakable evils. I recently returned to the town in Downpour, taking to the twisted streets after a harrowing trek through an underground nightmare. My hands-on time gave a good feel for developer Vatra’s take on the iconic horror series’ locations, puzzles, enemies, and combat. Downpour is shaping up to be a polished return to the classic survival horror formula.

My time with the game picks up as Murphy, an escaped convict with a murky history, travels into a dank underground tourist attraction. Named the Devil’s Pit, this relic of a mining facility is home to foreboding stalactites, flooded passes, and threatening shadows. Unfortunately for Murphy, it’s his best shot at getting to Silent Hill and hopefully finding some help for his crashed prison transport.

Before entering the mines, Murphy runs into a down-and-out man named JP. The protagonist attempts to squeeze some truth about the Silent Hill area from JP, but predictably the man speaks in riddles. Tiring of the dead-end conversation, Murphy takes an elevator into the bowels of the Devil’s Pit. Lighting is sparse in the decrepit caves, and unfortunately Murphy lost his flashlight during a close call on a collapsing bridge.

Fumbling through the darkened mines without a light source keeps me on edge. A healthy chunk of time has passed since my last encounter with an enemy, so I’m bracing for a surprise. After aimlessly creeping through the blackness for a few minutes, I remember a lighter Murphy acquired earlier. Flicking the flame reveals a stairway that was obscured by the darkness. I probably passed the same stairway in my search for the correct route half a dozen times, and while I’m relieved to discover it, it creeps me out to think that other things could be lurking in the dark.

The stairway leads Murphy to a series of cranks used to route the mine’s hydro-powered machinery. Arranging the flumes one way drains a flooded passage and grants Murphy access to a medkit, while organizing the waterway in the opposite direction powers an old elevator. I enjoyed the puzzles Downpour has provided previously, but I especially like the idea that solving them in different ways offers more than one path.

After guiding Murphy back to the elevator, I spot something moving down by the elevator. A gangly, pinkish creature crouches over a corpse, loudly taking his fill. This subtle introduction of a new enemy chills me. I appreciate that Vatra allows the new threat to be revealed organically rather than forcing a rigid cutscene down my throat. The creature skitters away as Murphy descends the stairs, clearing the way to the elevator. The rickety lift’s slow descent is interrupted by snarling and a loud slam. The creature from above appears to have taken an interest in Murphy. The beast cuts the elevator cable, sending Murphy plummeting down the shaft.[PageBreak]

The remainder of Murphy’s time in the Devil’s Pit is filled with several creepy surprises that I won’t spoil for you here. What I will say is that Vatra is continuing Silent Hill’s long history of disturbing mannequin moments. Murphy also finds a newspaper clipping that reveals a dark secret about JP, the sullen man Murphy encountered outside the mine. What happens between JP and Murphy after his treacherous escape from the mine will likely stick in the minds of Silent Hill fans for a while.

With the Devil’s Pit behind him, Murphy finally takes to the streets of Silent Hill. For the most part, these winding, ruinous streets are just like I remember them. Murphy spends most of his time trekking down a road only to find a gaping chasm. Piles of garbage and items clutter lawns and stoops, adding a touch of grimy detail unlike previous entries. Each disheveled yard, street corner, and building seems to have its own unique story to tell. While the visual variety is much appreciated, you’ll still find yourself running around in circles quite a bit – something fans of the series are likely expecting.

With new territory come new enemies. Vatra continues its trend of anticlimactically introducing new foes; this time it’s a shirtless beast man with claws and a demented face. Think of a botched Weapon X experiment with homicidal tendencies. At one point, I was being chased by two of these freaks along with a couple of the shrieking banshee ladies I’ve seen in previous looks at the game. Outmaneuvering and ditching Silent Hill’s unsavory population nerve-racking in a way horror fans will appreciate.

While dodging and running helps preserve medkits and bullets, sometimes a scrap is unavoidable. Thankfully, Downpour features one of the most reliable combat systems in the series so far without removing the element of fear and surprise. I switch between pick axes, rebar, baseball bats, and crowbars against my foes. The rhythm of combat usually involves taking a few swings, blocking the enemy’s attack, and then going in for a few more swings. Given that Murphy’s adversaries are haunted creeps, their movements are erratic and difficult to predict. Combat is consistently challenging without being too frustrating, unlike the clunky encounters of the original Silent Hill. Weapons also have durability, so that attempted kill shot with the baseball bat may leave you with a splintered mess and a pissed off monster.

Like the older Silent Hill games, roaming the streets in Silent Hill: Downpour presents plenty of subtle, unsettling moments. One misadventure that stuck with me involves Murphy exploring the basement of a random house. Entering via a window, Murphy is greeted only by the noise of soft sobs. Examining a nearby milk carton reveals an ad for a missing child, hinting at the origin of the haunting wails. After finding the rest of the basement locked off, Murphy follows the sound of TV static upstairs. Flipping the switch causes the TV set to short circuit and explode. The crying stops immediately. Traveling back downstairs, Murphy finds that the once locked door is now open.

What happened next is one of the most disturbingly confusing moments I can remember in any horror game. A woman’s angry groans sound from the back of the pitch black room. Flicking on my flashlight reveals a shadow and nothing else. Suddenly something cracks Murphy over the head with an intimidating shout. I swing with futility at invisible enemies. How do you combat a ghost? I track the phantom’s shadow on the wall in order to gauge its location but can do little to fight it. Eventually I lose my nerve (and health), and decide a hasty retreat is in order. I’ll live to discover the truth behind this surprising paranormal occurrence at a later date.

More puzzling and haunting incidents happened to me during my time with Silent Hill: Downpour, but I’m hesitant to share -- not because recalling the events is too taxing on my fragile heart. Rather, I don’t want to rob the impact from eager horror fans that deserve a good fright. During the rest of my playthrough Murphy encounters an enigmatic mailman, soothes the unsettled souls of apartment tenants, and travels to the gigantic clock tower in the middle of the city. A memento from Murphy’s past greets him at the clock tower, revealing more about his mysterious stint in prison. Based on what I’ve played of Silent Hill: Downpour I can’t wait to learn more about Murphy’s checkered past, and what other scares Vatra has in store come March.

Silent Hill Downpour's Latest Trailer Pumps Out Story Content

Andrew Reiner — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:44:00 GMT

Konami's new Silent Hill Downpour trailer is lengthy and heavy on story content. Given just how much is shown here, I'm going to throw the SPOILER ALERT onto this video. If you don't mind seeing several plot points as well as a handful of cool "this town is messed up" gameplay moments, dive right in. This trailer does make protagonist Murphy Pendleton seem like one of the series' strongest leads. I especially like the build up of "Revenge is a long, treacherous road, Mr. Pendleton. Where do you suppose it ends?"

As I'm sure you've noticed by now, the trailer also plays out like a Korn music video. I'm not a huge fan of Korn, but the song fits nicely. Is it just me or are you also getting a strong Alan Wake vibe from this game?

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Getting A Grip On Vatra's Creepy Horror Title

Tim Turi — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:48:00 GMT

Last year I traveled to the Czech Republic to be among the very first to check out Vatra Games’ Silent Hill: Downpour. The demo I saw involved Murphy exploring a decrepit diner near a gigantic gorge, getting lost in a nightmare world, and battling lunatic monsters. The demo at the Konami booth of this year’s E3 2011 featured the same areas, but I got to play the game this time.

Previous Silent Hill games have suffered from intentionally shoddy controls in order to boost the tension of the game. Downpour does away with this frustration while retaining the series’ trademark suspense. Using Murphy’s flashlight to explore a derelict kitchen is easy, and the camera moves fluidly. One sequence involves Murphy running through a nightmare world away from what appears to be a void warping and absorbing everything in its path (formerly a smoke monster last time I saw this area). This odd threat was unnerving, but with a quick press of a button Murphy can glance over his shoulder to see how close his pursuer is. Despite having seen this portion of the game already and being surrounded in a crowded convention, I was still on edge. As far as exploration goes, Downpour delivers the most satisfying controls so far.

Combat is a different story, however. Allowing players to fight the deadly enemies of Silent Hill without endowing them with too much power is tricky for developers. Murphy can pick up items in the environment like chairs, crowbars, wrenches, etc -- anything that looks like it could leave a dent. I faced off with a couple shrieking banshee ladies. Their stilted, jittery movements reminded me of the girl from The Grudge or The Ring. These beasts can lay down a beating on Murphy. His block move didn’t end up doing me much good during fights. My strategy was to land a few hits, run around to regain my health, and then land a few more. Fleeing becomes difficult with the monsters’ scream incapacitates you, forcing you to wiggle an analog stick to regain control. Fighting two of these things meant that the high-pitched screams were coming nonstop, so much so that I had to remove my headphones because it was giving me a headache. That’s some impactful game design. Downpour’s melee combat is a bit sloppy at this point in development, and we still haven’t seen gunplay. It’s hard to gauge if the imprecise battles will wear on gamers throughout the title, or rather enhance the experience.

Despite not seeing anything new and having some problems warding off the abominations of Silent Hill, I’m still excited for Downpour. It's intensely spooky atmosphere, impressive visual, and unique locations lead me to believe it may be among the series' best entries.

Interview: Dexter Composer Dan Licht On Silent Hill: Downpour

Tim Turi — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:24:00 GMT

Konami’s Silent Hill: Downpour not is not only being handled by new developer Vatra Games, but the iconic horror series’ soundtrack is being created by Dexter music man Dan Licht. This marks the first entry in the series without musical backing from famed Silent Hill composer and producer Akira Yamaoka. As a longtime fan of the series and video game music in general, I sat down with Licht to ask him about his past experience, what he thinks of Silent Hill, and what it’s like following Yamaoka’s act. We also have a full sample track from the game exemplifying Licht's unique style.

Download the sample track here (or simply listen to it below).

GI: How did your involvement with Silent Hill: Downpour begin?

Daniel Licht: I was approached by Konami. I know that they wanted to get someone that the fans might be happy about to take Akira [Yamaoka]’s place. We know Akira’s very popular with the game. I guess the idea is that the composer for Dexter might come up with some interesting ideas for Silent Hill.

GI: You also worked on the Hellraiser series. You have something in common with the design director for Silent Hill: Downpour, Brian Gomez, who also worked with Clive Barker on Jericho. Did you work closely with Clive Barker?

DL: Well, Clive Barker hired me, definitely. I’m pretty good friends with Christopher Young. I’ve actually worked for Christopher Young for awhile. He’s the composer of the first Hellraiser. But Clive was aware of my work and picked me to do Hellraiser IV. I didn’t work with him specifically other than he had to okay the score. It’s not like he came over every day, I worked with the director on that and the producers.

GI: Where does most of your inspiration come from?

DL: Other than the great horror masters of the past? Obviously Bernard Herman [composer for Hitchcock classics like Psycho –Ed.] a… is that what you mean by inspiration? Or inspiration for this particular job?

GI: Anything.

DL: Well I’m absolutely influenced by scores like Gerry Goldsmith’s The Omen, and Alien, and I’ve studied a lot of 20th century composition. I’ve always liked to incorporate a lot of atonal and experimental sounds into my work. That’s kind of one of the things that attracts me to working in the horror genre, is that you can push the envelope a bit and go out on the edge. But then there’s also a very emotional aspect to a lot of music. There’s always moments – obviously because there’s a lot of death – there’s a lot of emotion going on. So horror films tend to have music with a lot of strong emotion to it. That’s always been important in what I like to do.

GI: You mentioned sound experimentation and I know you’ve used human bones as instruments in Dexter. I also know that in the past Akira did sound design for Silent Hill games. Do you have any part in the overall sound design of Silent Hill: Downpour?

DL: I’m not involved on the sound design, other than I am doing some ambient music. In certain sections it may be hard to tell what’s sound design and what’s music, so I’m doing some kind of ambient, washy, tension sounds. I’m not involved in the specific sound design elements like the heart effects or room tones or anything like that.

GI: I’ve read that you aim for subtlety in Dexter rather than hitting viewers over the head with heavy string sections to accompany a jump scare or something. Are you taking the same approach to Downpour or are you trying something different?

DL: Well, I’ve played some of the earlier games…

GI: What’d you think?

DL: It’s a great game. I really like it a lot. I haven’t played them all just because I have a PS3, but I’ve had walkthroughs of the games I haven’t played just to get an idea. I’m trying to study the history of the game, so that what I do comes out of what has come before me. I’ve done that in the past with films. I did a Hellraiser, obviously I had to look at the other Hellraisers. I did an Amityville, and I had to look at the other Amityvilles. And I did a Children of the Corn, so it’s something I’ve had to do before. It’s always something you want to do, and put your signature on something, but you always want to serve whatever it is you’re working on first. If it’s something with a deep tradition, you generally want to acknowledge the tradition.

GI: Fans of Silent Hill love Akira’s work. His music is a little more out there and noticeable than most horror soundtracks. Are you going for something that’s more traditional for horror games, similar to Dexter, or quirky like past Silent Hills?

DL: Yeah, I definitely want to do something that has a personality and is not just functional. In Dexter the music is a part of the feel of the show. It’s not just functional music. It really has its own character. Part of the reason is that it’s noticeable. I don’t do the obvious choices in terms of the music with Dexter. I’m playing against picture a lot. I don’t try to get attention, I always try to serve the story in the picture and move that along.

But yeah, I do want the music to make a statement, absolutely, and give a unique feel to everything. I do think that’s important. I think people spend a lot of hours playing these games and the music may loop or whatever, but I think if it’s good music it adds to the experience. I think that’s what people have felt about the music in Silent Hill. I think the music is interesting and it adds to their experience. That is definitely on my mind. I want to keep the music interesting and adding to the experience of the game, but not distracting from the gameplay, if that makes any sense.

GI: I’ve noticed this is your first time composing for a video game. Tell me about the process.

DL: It’s interesting because in a sense when I work on a TV show or a film I think of the music as functional pieces. In other words, I write all my themes first. I might write a chase theme, or a love theme, or an action theme, or a suspense theme, and then I’ll have those in my pocket when I’m ready to score the film. I might write them to a different scene or use them in different places. With a video game you’re doing the same thing, but you’re not always locking those themes to picture, if you know what I mean. You are for the cutscenes – you’re scoring the cutscenes – but the process of coming up with the material is the same, really.

Some people who are working on a film or TV sit down and they’ll just score the scene. I tend to think about the music and then I mold the music to the scene. So it’s a similar kind of process. I’m going through the game and trying to give an arc to it as well. Definitely between each level I’ll give an arc to it. Obviously you’re going to start with suspense then you go into a fight or an escape or whatever music. I’m trying to set up the levels so that they build. So in that sense it’s a similar process, but it’s just not tied to footage.

GI: Tell me about the instruments you’re using.

DL: I actually did use some mandolin for some of it because I know that was a key instrument.

GI: Great, that’s one of the things I wished they’d use more of in the entire series.

DL: Yeah, so that was kind of calling back to… I think it was Silent Hill 1.

GI: Yes, they have it at the very beginning of the game. Wasn’t it flamenco style or something? I’m probably wrong…

DL: It’s tremolo, a fast tremolo pick. So I’m using that. I still have a ways to go. I’m really just getting started with the music. In terms of what I intend to do I am using some piano. I did notice that on some of the blogs certain players have said there are similarities between Dexter and Silent Hill, and with sort of the dark, repeating figures, I did notice Akira did that sometimes. I do the same thing in Dexter, so we have a similarity of styles in a certain corner. He tends to be much more of an industrial sound than what I do, but I am working with some of the industrial sounds as well, to keep with the nature of the game. I’m also bringing in my style as a composer, I tend to use more organic sounds as well. I’m also bringing in some of my organic sounds – very tense or eerie sounding sounds.

GI: Are you going to be playing on any human femurs for Silent Hill: Downpour? Using a ribcage as a xylophone or something like that?

DL: Would you like to offer yours?

GI: Sure, if you’re looking for one. My body could be sacrificed for much less meaningful purposes.

[Laughs]

DL: I don’t have any ribcages available right now, but I do have a percussionist I work with who does have some human bones and stuff. I may use some human bones in the game. I guess they came from Mexico or something. There will probably be some human bone work in this Silent Hill as well. I guess it’s becoming a signature of mind.

GI: Is it tough following Akira, who earned such a rabid fanbase? Do you have anything to say to the fans?

DL: I really like his work. I have a lot of respect for his work, and I really like the series a lot. I’m trying to do my best to honor that and bring something new and exciting to that at the same time. That’s my intention. I’m hoping that the fans will be happy with it.

GI: From what I’ve heard I think they’re going to be. I’m a big fan of video game music and this is very impressive so far.

DL: I’m a big fan of music in video games as well – as long as it’s good.

GI: Do you have any personal favorites?

DL: For video game themes? I don’t know about particular themes, but I like the music in BioShock. I like the way it works and is placed. I just hear stuff that I like. I’m spacing right now, but I just hear good themes in it, and people put a lot of effort into it. There’s a lot of creativity.

GI: What’s your favorite Silent Hill? Either composition-wise or based on what you thought was cool.

DL: That’s a good question. The one I know best is Homecoming, just because that’s the one I’ve played end to end. Other than that I like Silent Hill 2, the guitar pieces in there are really nice. The other games I’ve just gone through and seen clips from. I didn’t keep track of which games they were so it’s hard to say. I liked a lot of it.

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Crafting Atmosphere: Silent Hill: Downpour And The Czech Republic Influence

Tim Turi — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Silent Hill: Downpour is being developed by Vatra Games, a new studio based in Brno, Czech Republic. The unique Central European environment has the team’s creative juices flowing. Mummified corpses beneath the streets, a huge cavern with a dark past, and a history of Soviet rule make up a portion of the inspiration they’re surrounded by. Needless to say, the country’s chaotic past has made an impact on the team, and they’re eager to share their enthusiasm for their environment.

“There’s a completely different vibe and atmosphere here,” says Brian Gomez, design director for Silent Hill: Downpour. “In fact, this place probably has far more in common with Silent Hill than anywhere I’d find in my native Los Angeles, definitely. Just the whole culture here, if you look at the history, it’s had a pretty turbulent history.

“Some of the stuff that these guys have told me just about their childhood growing up about the Soviet Regime preparing school kids as young as seven-years-old, how to throw hand grenades and defend their factories from the invading west, that’s a really heavy psychological burden to stick on a seven-year-old kid.”

The oppressive, militaristic reign of the Soviet Regime didn’t end until 1989 with the Velvet Revolution. As such, the general vibe I felt in the Czech Republic was sullen and apathetic. Understandable, considering the barbed wire and obstacles on the borders were lifted a mere 11 years ago. Add it to a history of being invaded over and over and you begin to imagine how it may feel to live in such a shaky country.

“Our whole team is made up of people with these backgrounds, so these guys have an affinity, an appreciation for the macabre that I just don’t think you’d find in sunny Los Angeles,” Gomez continues. “You’ve walked around the town, you’ve seen the dead mummies under the street. There’s a dungeon up on the hill. There’s stuff that you can look at around the town that’s clearly from World War II. There are relics and remnants from the Soviet regime.”

The mummies Gomez refers to are preserved monk corpses under the streets of Brno, in the Capuchin Crypt. When these men of faith died back in 17th century, they performed a funeral service using a coffin with a false bottom positioned over the crypt. After a ceremony, the body would fall into a mass grave - the result of poverty. Rosaries, robes, and flesh remained intact, resulting in a grim piece of history.

When I entered the crypts I was startled by the level of corpses’ preservation. It contained the remains of a woman who was buried alive, her expression and limbs contorted in desperate terror. In another room, rows of mummies lined the walls. Some still wore their signature robes and rosaries, and one who lived to the ripe old age of 50 lay with a cross in his arms. In the middle of the room sat a mound of miscellaneous bones – monks who could not be put back together again.

“The place has an atmosphere that you could cut with a knife,” Gomez says. “I think these guys, just growing up in it, and even myself being immersed in it, has helped us shape our Silent Hill. Our Silent Hill is not going to look like Eastern Europe, but there’s just this certain heaviness that we wouldn’t have gotten if at lunchtime we were going out to the beach.”

The most obvious inspiration for Silent Hill comes from a huge gorge called Propast Macocha. Literally translating to “Stepmother Abyss,” this sinkhole drops down nearly 138 meters into the earth. The name comes from an old Czech fairytale about an evil stepmother tossing an unwanted child into the chasm. Nearly 80 unfortunate souls have thrown themselves into the famous pit in acts of suicide. For visitors uninterested in taking the quick way down, a cable car runs from the top of the gorge to the bottom. Vatra’s version of this transportation can be found in Silent Hill: Downpour in the form of the “Devil’s Pit Aerial Tram,” the game’s second level. When visiting Macocha Gorge I encountered misty woods, foreboding caverns, and underground waterways – all prime locations for a Silent Hill game.

“I guess we have different points of view on certain things, and that can help us to give something different,” says lead designer Marek Berka, regarding his home country’s influence on the survival horror game. “Maybe it’s not noticeable or describable by words, but it will be there. We hope so.”

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Be sure to read the entire Silent Hill: Downpour feature in issue #214 of Game Informer, the one with the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim cover.