Silent Hill Homecoming

Silent Hill Homecoming

With Resident Evil pursuing the action-oriented route, responsibility for the chill factor falls into the hands of the eerie Silent Hill.

The sixth instalment in Konami’s successfully terrorising Silent Hill series brings a new hero to town. Alex Shepherd has returned home to investigate his brother’s mysterious disappearance, but arguably more unsettling is that ‘Shepherd’s Glen’ appears to be suffering from a freak fog incident in which There Be Monsters.

True to form, Silent Hill Homecoming is as grim as can be. Visually grimy and stylistically grainy, invariably disgusting if not downright vulgar, its scenes can turn your stomach. Silent Hill games earned their stripes by playing down the combat and ramping up the fear of the unknown, a torch-light casting deeper shadows ahead while something horrible shuffles and moans approaching from behind. Suspense remains at the cold heart of Homecoming but Shepherd has more options for self-defence, including close-quarters combat moves that include counter-attacks.

Emphasis on fighting highlights the tactics required to beat down the wide variety of diabolical foes - all of which look terrific although psychologically disturbing. Each weapon has its own pros and cons, and you'll settle on favourites for routine and special circumstances. Experimenting with your options can prove fatal, however, which is annoying.

In the early stages Silent Hill Homecoming feels like a game that has lost its way, much like its hero. You’ve seen it all before – the mutants, the peeling walls, the filthy toilets and rusty cages – and wonder why you’re doing this all again. But after a few hours gameplay the plot thickens and the more action-oriented gameplay comes into its own while at the same time lashing on those feelings of dread. The most radical change is that you are encouraged to engage the enemy, which can be upsetting when struggling with the slightly unwieldy control system and occasional issues with your view being obscured by scenery. Failure (death) brings its own annoyance too, as restart points put you several minutes back in time forcing you to replay tiresome routines such as retrieving a particular weapon while dodging another slow-moving foe.

Success in this game is all about perseverance, something you’re almost certain to find within yourself in pursuit of the compelling storyline. The game couldn’t look any better on PS3 or Xbox 360, with movie-like special effects showing the transition between the real world and nightmare realm and incidental unsettling effects caused by the spooky lighting. Silent Hill Homecoming is a terrific haunted house experience that you’ll certainly have fun surviving with the lights out late at night.

4 out of 5