Topic: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

[Stogi]

And I suppose it's those same people that have no problem with Mario's storyline.

Look, I understand the complaints, but this is a videogame, not a movie. It's not all about the story; it's about entertainment. If you can't see that, then why do you play videogames?

[mac<censored>]

I'm kind of glad about a lack of combat.  Every other damn game out there does the combat, how about something a little different...?

[KDR_11k]

Redoing the first work of a series is done when the series has veered off-course and gone downhill with a feeling that any sequels will just get worse so they go back in the desperate attempt to recapture what people actually liked about the first entry.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

I like puzzles, and I like dodging/defense as a mechanism for creating adrenaline situations.

[BlackNMild2k1]

New Trailer: Lost in the Snow

And a hands on impression

Probing everything from how easily you make friends to whether you've ever role-played during sex, even these early questions have a radical effect on Silent Hill's opening few sequences. State that you're fond of a drink and the game replaces the town's diner with a bar. We also noted our answers affected whether an early store location sold electrical goods or clothing – each permutation featuring unique puzzles – and if our first character encounter occurred with a cop or a waitress. Even conversations take on a different tone – from perfectly pleasant to outwardly aggressive - and answer phone messages switch from inquisitive to thoroughly menacing. It all goes a long way to ensuring your experience is relentlessly, refreshingly, unpredictable and you're never at ease with your surroundings.[/b]

[broodwars]

Meh, the new trailer looks alright, but after playing so many Silent Hill games I have to admit I don't care for the new "Ice" look for the town's Dark Side.  It's been blood and rust for so many games now that it's just ingrained me with that that's how it should look.

[BlackNMild2k1]

which is exactly why the went with ice. This is not the SH that you've played before, and iice symbolizes a fresh start.

[GoldenPhoenix]

which is exactly why the went with ice. This is not the SH that you've played before, and iice symbolizes a fresh start.

Exactly, we have to remember that the series has been in turmoil for quite some time. The reasoning behind this game is to give the series a new start and to make it fresh again. Recycling too many themes from previous games kind of defeats the purpose of it. Not to mention Silent Hill can look like anything depending on the person!

[broodwars]

which is exactly why the went with ice. This is not the SH that you've played before, and iice symbolizes a fresh start.

Exactly, we have to remember that the series has been in turmoil for quite some time. The reasoning behind this game is to give the series a new start and to make it fresh again. Recycling too many themes from previous games kind of defeats the purpose of it. Not to mention Silent Hill can look like anything depending on the person!

Well, I don't agree about the series being in turmoil, as I haven't seen a bad Silent Hill game yet and I've played 2-5.  My only real complaint with Homecoming is that the damn thing is ridiculously difficult with hard-to-kill enemies and only a handful of health items.  Every time I try to make some progress in that game I get stuck in the face of a monster gauntlet, and this is on Easy!

In any case, I'm still willing to give Shattered Memories the benefit of the doubt on the whole Ice thing, but they're going to have to prove that it's just as sinister a look for the town as the town's traditional look.  In that trailer the transformation looks rather N64-ish with the extremely blocky ice. 

[GoldenPhoenix]

which is exactly why the went with ice. This is not the SH that you've played before, and iice symbolizes a fresh start.

Exactly, we have to remember that the series has been in turmoil for quite some time. The reasoning behind this game is to give the series a new start and to make it fresh again. Recycling too many themes from previous games kind of defeats the purpose of it. Not to mention Silent Hill can look like anything depending on the person!

Well, I don't agree about the series being in turmoil, as I haven't seen a bad Silent Hill game yet and I've played 2-5.  My only real complaint with Homecoming is that the damn thing is ridiculously difficult with hard-to-kill enemies and only a handful of health items.  Every time I try to make some progress in that game I get stuck in the face of a monster gauntlet, and this is on Easy!

In any case, I'm still willing to give Shattered Memories the benefit of the doubt on the whole Ice thing, but they're going to have to prove that it's just as sinister a look for the town as the town's traditional look.  In that trailer the transformation looks rather N64-ish with the extremely blocky ice. 

Well you may not see it that way but many have seen it (including myself) as a series that needs a fresh start.

[broodwars]

which is exactly why the went with ice. This is not the SH that you've played before, and iice symbolizes a fresh start.

Exactly, we have to remember that the series has been in turmoil for quite some time. The reasoning behind this game is to give the series a new start and to make it fresh again. Recycling too many themes from previous games kind of defeats the purpose of it. Not to mention Silent Hill can look like anything depending on the person!

Well, I don't agree about the series being in turmoil, as I haven't seen a bad Silent Hill game yet and I've played 2-5.  My only real complaint with Homecoming is that the damn thing is ridiculously difficult with hard-to-kill enemies and only a handful of health items.  Every time I try to make some progress in that game I get stuck in the face of a monster gauntlet, and this is on Easy!

In any case, I'm still willing to give Shattered Memories the benefit of the doubt on the whole Ice thing, but they're going to have to prove that it's just as sinister a look for the town as the town's traditional look.  In that trailer the transformation looks rather N64-ish with the extremely blocky ice. 

Well you may not see it that way but many have seen it (including myself) as a series that needs a fresh start.

I didn't say that the series didn't need a new direction, just that I didn't think it was that badly off before.  The problem with the Silent Hill franchise lately is that no one seems quite sure what to do with it so there's no one creative vision guiding it.  Well, that and the fact that the development teams became obsessed with the exact same core design for each game.  Plus, no one at Konami really seems to want to advance the central story of the town beyond Silent Hill 3, or create a strong standalone story on the level of Silent Hill 2.  My big concern with this game is if they can pull off the whole "no combat" thing and bring back the more subtle horror that the series started with.

I don't know, there was an interview done with the folks behind Shattered Memories on a farily recent Retronauts podcast, and every time they were asked a question they always replied with the stock "well, we've reimagined it."  They used that phrase so many times in the interview it makes me wonder if they're relying on that buzzword a bit heavily to hide some underlying design problems.  But hey, I'm hoping this one turns out well for the good of the franchise.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I think they may use the term in order to explain differences fans of the series I may have with this. In a way I think it could be just them defending what they feel is a good design choice even if it is different from the other games. We'll see though, but so far I'm impressed with many of the ideas, could make for a unique experience which makes me extremely happy because I love the SH series as well (I still need to get HOmecoming).

[ShyGuy]

I really liked the walkthrough vids at IGN Best lighting on the Wii?

[ShyGuy]

Sorry, link to said vids http://media.wii.ign.com/media/143/14325477/vids_1.html

[NovaQ]

I just watched those walkthrough videos. This game is looking solid, for sure.

[DAaaMan64]

The game is gonna be saaweeeet

[Dirk Temporo]

That cop makes me feel funny in the pants.

EDIT:

Looks like the guy demoing missed something.

[BlackNMild2k1]

New Trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-silent-hill/50852

Movie Preview-ish. looks good

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

I accidentally misspelled "memmories" everywhere mm for mammaries.  Will fix soon.

>> Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
E3 2009 teaser trailer
E3 2009 trailer * 480p

[broodwars]

New Trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-silent-hill/50852

Movie Preview-ish. looks good

That was actually a really good trailer.  I don't care for the new slutty teenage Dahlia, though.  And what's with there seemingly being a whole lot of people in Silent Hill?  Part of the series formula that has been successful all these years is that you're isolated with at best a handful of people, some of which may not even exist and all of which are probably more than a little crazy.  Homecoming made this same mistake as well.

[KDR_11k]

From the previews it sounded like you meet different people in the same places depending on your psychological profile so it's likely your character is imagining them.

[DAaaMan64]

Wow that preview made the game look like it was gonna be pretty freaking. I'm very excited for this game.

[broodwars]

From the previews it sounded like you meet different people in the same places depending on your psychological profile so it's likely your character is imagining them.

Could be, but I get the feeling among the many "reimaginings" this game is doing is doing away with such subtlety but we'll see.

Actually, on that subject there is one "reimagining" I'd like to see for this series, and it's something that was actually proposed by a character in Silent Hill 3: at one point in that game, your main character starts getting self-righteous with one of the more enigmatic characters in the game.  In response, he suddenly starts lecturing you on hypocrasy, asking how Heather can be so self-righteous considering all the brutal things she's done to so many "people" in the game.  Heather, shocked, asks him if he's talking about the monsters.  He just grinningly replies..."they look like monsters to you?"  Sadly, that idea gets dropped immediately after he asks it, but I always felt that was a fascinating idea for the series: that what you see as monsters in the game are actually other wanderers/lost souls just like you, and that Silent Hill alters your perception of them for its own twisted ends.

Now THAT would be an awesome idea for a Silent Hill game.

[Stratos]

New Trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-silent-hill/50852

Movie Preview-ish. looks good

What is the song being played in that trailer?

This game looks awesome.

[NovaQ]

Actually, on that subject there is one "reimagining" I'd like to see for this series, and it's something that was actually proposed by a character in Silent Hill 3: at one point in that game, your main character starts getting self-righteous with one of the more enigmatic characters in the game.  In response, he suddenly starts lecturing you on hypocrasy, asking how Heather can be so self-righteous considering all the brutal things she's done to so many "people" in the game.  Heather, shocked, asks him if he's talking about the monsters.  He just grinningly replies..."they look like monsters to you?"  Sadly, that idea gets dropped immediately after he asks it, but I always felt that was a fascinating idea for the series: that what you see as monsters in the game are actually other wanderers/lost souls just like you, and that Silent Hill alters your perception of them for its own twisted ends.

Now THAT would be an awesome idea for a Silent Hill game.

I really like that idea. I'm surprised none of the SH games have used it yet.