I didn't have very high expectations for Silent Hill Downpour; the series has been following a downward trend that started with the third game. While I personally enjoyed Silent Hill Homecoming, I can't say the game didn't have it's issues but it definitely had some elements that Downpour lacks. As a fan of the series and a good sport however, I decided to play it.
In the newest Silent Hill game you delve yet again into the twisted alternate reality of the mysterious town and explore the decaying psyche of a new protagonist. Players assume the role of Murphy Pendleton; similar to other protagonists of the series, Murphy has a guilty conscience and a dark past that is slowly revealed throughout the game.
Story
I plan to reveal next to nothing on the story since Silent Hill is all about the mystery and the twist at the end. So you can read on without having to bump into any spoilers. I liked the story of Downpour, yet I found it predictable; perhaps because as the fifth game in the series many elements of Silent Hill have become cliche. So if you're well acquainted with the series, don't expect to be too surprised. I can say with confidence that the story flows well and that it has all the elements of a Silent Hill game from the creepy and unexplained to the demented and just plain weird.
The game begins with Murphy in Prison; as the opening credits roll players are given a tour of the jail before being put on a bus with some other inmates to be transferred. It is unknown why Murphy is in Prison but the story will explain all. On the bus ride, things get rowdy and turn to worse when the bus swerves off the road and crashes into a creek, oh and did I mention the Silent Hill sign you passed about two minutes ago? It's all downhill from here as players take control of Murphy and dig up the past to fix the future.
Gameplay
As a Silent Hill game, Players should expect elements of light combat, puzzle solving, survival and horror. Downpour does a good job of blending the elements together but they aren't perfect. A lot of reviews seemed to complain about 'clumsy combat'. There is an attack button which can be held down for power attacks, a block button and a lock on button which allows you to easily track your target. It's not that hard nor did I feel it was difficult to operate. While the combat was easy I can't say it was as fun as past games. I really enjoyed the dodge/roll ability from Silent Hill Homecoming which was replaced in Downpour by the block button.
A multitude of melee weapons are scattered across silent hill and available everywhere. From basic tools such as hammers, crowbars and axes to the traditional pipes, 2x4s and even bricks, players will have no trouble finding a weapon nearby anywhere in the town. Weapons are breakable and don't last forever and some serve a specific purpose such as pulling down a ladder or breaking down a barrier. Firearms such as a pistol and or shotgun are available as well and looking in the right places will net you a nice collection of ammo. Players can only carry one melee weapon and one firearm at a time giving the game a more realistic feel. The flashlight and radio combo make a return as well. Players can also find a UV flashlight which is used to solve puzzles later on. Don't expect to turn off your light and radio however to avoid enemies, it didn't work for me.
I felt the enemies in the game were perhaps the greatest weakness; they were completely uninspired and just very boring. There are only 2 common types of enemy aside from the bosses whom I also felt were boring. One is some old-hag looking lady that screams at you and then tries to just maul you. The other is a man with some strange device on his head who basically does the same thing without screaming. They are the most common type of enemy you will encounter and very lame. The third and fourth enemies are slightly more interesting but are encountered less throughout the game. Dubbed the "weeping bat" this white monster has the ability to crawl on ceilings and sometimes during combat just stays up there and you can't do anything. Aside from him is an enemy called a 'doll'. You'll encounter mannequin looking women who stand still and statuesque but have some kind of invisible entity that attack you. You can attack the entity or the mannequin to deal damage to this foe. Nightmare sequences make a return yet players also have to escape The Void; a monstrosity that appears in nightmare sequences and chases you sucking all matter into a black hole-like vortex. I won't reveal the bosses so the game isn't spoiled but all but one seemed forgettable to me and again uninspired. The enemies didn't feel like they were from a Silent Hill game and were very disappointing; I felt there could have been more variety and creativity involved in their creation.
The other downfall of Downpour was in it's usually cleverly thought out puzzles, riddles and exploration. I set the puzzle difficulty to the highest mode as I usually do in all the Silent Hill games and yet I felt that the puzzles weren't all that hard. While some puzzles were decent and took more time than others, many lacked that Silent Hill vibe I was looking for.
The town of Silent Hill is open-ended similarly to the other games yet this time around you are able to explore buildings, houses and other establishments. I really enjoyed this feature and it definitely worked well to break up the pacing of the game. Inside these buildings or just around the town you can find side-quests for Murphy which will reward you with weapons, health items or clues and documents pertaining information to the story. I enjoyed breaking from the main story every once in a while and just exploring and seeing what I could dig up; the side-quests had their own mini-stories which worked very well in the game. While you're exploring outside, you need to be mindful of pouring rain from which the game earns its title. As it begins to rain enemies will become more plentiful and aggressive during combat so the best idea is to seek shelter inside until the storms pass.
Some of the side-quests you can initiate were actually pretty scary and had that twisted Silent Hill element the series is well known for. As far as the horror experience goes in Silent Hill you can expect some genuine scares even if you're familiar with the series. The game employs methods used in past Silent Hill games such as creepy noises, screams, cries, dark rooms, situations that just mess with your head and those moments that make you jump in your seat.
Downpour has no HUD so players will have to take cues from Murphy's physical condition on how much health he has. As you take more damage, Murphy will become more visibly wounded with blood and tears showing up on his body. Take on even more damage and he"ll begin to limp and pant. Actual health percentage can be checked by pausing and looking in the statistics menu.
Graphics/Sound
Downpour is easily the best looking and sounding of the series to date. If you're a fan of the Dexter series on showtime you may even recognize Daniel Licht as the composer of the games soundtrack. The music for the game fit great and really set the mood, however times were it actually played were few and far between. While musical scores of Silent Hill have always been pretty strong, voice acting hasn't. Downpour's actors delivered a great performance and the dialogue was much better written than in previous games.
The graphics are also the best the series has delivered yet as well. Facial expressions and character movement looked natural and worked well with what was going on. If Murphy was mad, sad or scared his face and his body language showed it very well. The same applies for the other characters in the game and I felt the updated graphics were possibly the strong-point of the game. Small elements such as clothes waving or becoming wet in the rain were also given proper attention. Dynamic lighting and detailed environments helped deliver the horror-themed atmosphere of the game. The town of Silent Hill looked great and you can actually see it because it isn't always hidden behind a dense curtain of fog. The streets and buildings give the town a creepy feeling as they just echo with feelings of isolation. Exploring was easily my favorite part of the game because the environments were so well done. From run-down establishments to dark festering caves the locations of Silent Hill felt very strong and immerses players into the world of Silent Hill perfectly.
Overall
Overall the game was entertaining but wasn't without its shortcomings. Downpour's story was good but I felt the game ended too soon; I was surprised when I realized I was finishing the game after only about ten hours even with the side-quests. The graphics and sound of the game were the most impressive and surprised me the most while the actual gameplay was somewhat disappointing and lacked some of the basic yet important features of past Silent Hill games. All-in-all, the game was still fun to play through and I still enjoyed it and that's why I chose to give it a solid
7.5 rating.
