Product Description

Silent Hill Homecoming is the latest entry into the Silent Hill franchise. The story follows Alex Shepher, returning to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother. From Shepherds Glen to the foggy streets of Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother's and fathers disappearances, and confront the evil that has taken hold of his own flesh and blood.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2691 in Video Games
• Brand: Konami
• Model: 20179
• Published on: 2008-10
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Number of discs: 1
• Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
• Subtitled in: English, German
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .58" h x 5.38" w x 6.76" l, .30 pounds

Features

• Enter the next chapter of Silent Hill and learn the town history
• first silent hill game on PS3
• All new next gen graphics bring silent hill to life like never before
• solve treacherous and deadly puzzles to learn dark secrets
• features an all new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka

Amazon.com Product Description
Silent Hill: Homecoming marks the debut of the renowned psychological horror series on next-generation consoles. Building upon the series' trademark foundations of atmosphere, adventure and storytelling, it introduces a frightening new and standalone gameplay experience destined to haunt the dreams of both first-time players and those with some experience wandering the famously fog-shrouded streets of the town of Silent Hill and its new sinister sister city Shepherd's Glen.

Survive Shepherd's nightmare

Explore Silent Hill as Alex Shepherd. View larger.

Battle frightening enemies. View larger.

And the unexpectedly frightening. View larger.

Use tools and your wits to puzzle-solve. View larger.

The Story of a Grim Homecoming
Homecoming's story follows the nightmare turned real life of Alex Shepherd, a war veteran returning to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his kid brother, Josh. From Shepherd's Glen to the foggy streets of dreaded Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, it's here that Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother's disappearance, and confront the evil that takes hold of his own flesh and blood in the process.

Improved Gameplay
Firmly steeped in the Survival-Horror genre its series has been pivotal in establishing, action in Homecoming remains based on exploration of the terrors residing in the communities surrounding Toluca lake and puzzle-solving skill as a means of surviving them. But to its credit game developer Double Helix refuses to rest on past laurels, choosing instead to include new more accessible gameplay in the hopes of gaining a new audience for Homecoming. Examples of this gameplay include:

Next-Gen Visual and Spatial Features - Every sequel seeks reinvent the namesake game in their series. Homecoming does this in three ways, by adding the ability to toggle between a traditional third-person view and an action-oriented first-person view; by adding fully 3-D physics to the game, creating a realistic range of motion for any and all objects impacted by the player; and by adding transitions or "Hell States" that alter the game's physical landscape at points in the game both in real-time and via cinematics. All three actively change the way players see themselves and in the process create a whole new game experience.

An Enhanced Combat System - Adding to the standard knives, axes, pipes and other melee weapons that made up the arsenal of previous Silent Hill games, Homecoming adds a wide variety of guns and explosives. Fitting with the military back-story of protagonist Alex Shephard, these weapons can be wielded in attacks weighted as weak or strong and can be strung together in combos to stun or incapacitate opponents, who can then be taken out with powerful finishing moves. With practice players can even perform evasive ducks and rolls and follow these up with counterattacks. But remember that enemy AI has also been significantly improved to compensate for your higher degree of combat prowess, and that it's not uncommon to battle multiple monsters simultaneously.

Key Features:

• Enter the next chapter of Silent Hill as you delve deeper in the tormented history of the town and learn of the evil that surrounds Toluca Lake.
• Silent Hill: Homecoming is the 1st Silent Hill game designed for PlayStation 3.
• From the murky fog to the ominous shadows, all-new next-gen graphics bring Silent Hill to life like never before.
• Survive the denizens of Silent Hill with an all-new enhanced combat system that gives you a wide array of attacks and counters.
• Solve the treacherous and deadly puzzles of Silent Hill to discover its darkest secrets.
• Silent Hill: Homecoming will feature an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka.

Exceptional Replay Value
Although Alex Shepherd is the only playable character in Silent Hill: Homecoming there are many other important characters--some returning from earlier games in the series--that can have a dramatic impact on the game. When interacting with these, players are given a choice in how to proceed via dialog trees. Will you take the short route letting only the search for your brother guide you or will you explore the nooks and crannies that make up the mystery of Silent Hill hidden in the small talk you share with non-playable characters? The choice is yours, with different paths providing for possible alternate endings each time you delve into the game.

A Frighteningly Masterful Soundtrack
All games in the Survival-Horror genre seek to create tension and unease through sound and Homecoming does this masterfully through the compositions and sound engineering of Akira Yamaoka. Having scored the music and effects for dozens of video game titles, including all of the previous games in the Silent Hill series, Yamaoka is considered a master at using sound to illicit a response.

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Customer Reviews

They say you can never really go back home
Silent Hill 2 is on my short list of favorite games, as it is, I'm sure, on most Silent Hill fans' lists. It, and the first game, are shining examples of why this series is spectacular. Unfortunately, they are the only two games that I feel are great in the series. The third one felt more like a coda to the first (and was way too short), while the foruth one had more than a few design flaws that made me lose interest.

So, now the torch has been passed to Double Helix, an American developer, and the result is Silent Hill: Homecoming. Even with its flaws (and boy does it have some), Homecoming has become my second/third favorite game of the series and bodes very well for Silent Hill's future.

The story begins with you, as Alex Shepherd, tied to a gurney and being pushed down dilapidated halls of some hellish hospital. Looking to your right and left, you see even more disturbing sights as doctors drill into a patient or drop a body down a large and presumably deep hole. Eventually, you're led into an observation room and left alone. The doctor that left you is murdered, you break free of your bonds and have to make sense of where you're at.

Right away, the game had its hooks in me. This first level terrifically set up the rest of the game, but also presented some genuine frights and more than a few disturbing sections. From here, you'll go back home and try to figure out why Shepherd's Glen is cloaked in fog, where your brother left, why your mother seems catatonic and what exactly lurks in your flooded basement...

From a story perspective, Homecoming feels like a mix of Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 (with a splash of Saw thrown in the mix), which is definitely a good combination. Unfortunately, the story is also the most straight forward of the series (it's a Western game now) and while they try to mimic the essence of Silent Hill, they lose the ambiguous feel that tasks you with putting everything together. By the end of the game, you pretty much know all there is to know. Some might like that, but it was a sore spot for me.

The combat system, which was supposed to push Silent Hill into this new realm, isn't very good. In fact, I found myself trying to avoid enemies more in Homecoming than in any of the previous titles. On paper, it sounds good: light attack, strong attack and dodge. But the problem is that you absolutely have to dodge attacks or even the lowly dogs will eat your face. The problem is further amplified by the small, claustrophic areas you are in. A lot of battles take place in very tight corners, making dodging very difficult. And even when you successfully dodge in the small rooms, eventually you'll run into a corner, the camera will go wacky and you won't be able to see what you're fighting or, more importantly, see when to dodge.

Then, when you're in the big rooms, Double Helix is kind enough to throw two or three (or five) enemies at you at once. Dodging one is a pain in the butt as it is, but trying to juggle three enemies is...well, it's hell. Add to this some enemies with their gaseous breath that I could never seem to dodge and halfway through the game I never wanted to see another monster again. And don't get me started on the boss fights...

So, why the four star review? Because of what happens halfway through the game. At the halfway point, the game ratchets up the tension, brings the story into new light and really made me want to play more. In fact, I played the last half of the game in one sitting because I had to see how it was going to end. The last half really makes up for any of the deficiencies in the game.

Graphically, Homecoming is obviously the best in the series. The new sheen of gloss mostly works, though some of the monsters with the more colorful highlights (the gaseous monsters, for instance, with their red chests) look fake and break the color scheme. Taking a page from the movie, the transitions to the other world are real time, with the paint flaking off and floating into nothingness. It's cool but it's not as terrifying as waking up or just finding yourself in the other world.

And, of course, the music is phenominal. Akira Yamaoka, series music/sound effects creator and producer, returns to craft a haunting score that mixes industrial with noises, rock and some heart-pumping effects. Very awesome, some of the best of his music in my opinion.

In the end, Silent Hill: Homecoming is a great addition to the series. It feels like the most cohesive Silent Hill story since the second game and tries to branch into new territories. Having a new developer really helped the series avoid becoming stagnant. And even with some faulting moments, it really is an involving and engrossing trip into hell. Definitely recommend giving it a chance.

Pretty good.....
I have to admit, I was a little wary of this game after hearing alot of not so positive reviews. I will say that most of the criticism this game has received is pretty on the money. The atmosphere is creepy, but not very scary. The controls are a little uneven in alot of points (you have to be standing just right to open doors and examine objects). And the stroy is very straight forward compared to Silent HIll's 1&2 (they're the only one's I've played lol).
Now that that stuff is out of the way, let me tell you why this game is actually worth owning (or at least maybe a weekend rental). The soundtrack is excellent. Alot of reviews. even the one's disfavoring the game are pointing out Akira Yamaoka's musical selection and it's some of the most eerie and rousing I've heard in a video game. It almost seems intune to what you have your character doing. The sound effects are perfectly tuned as well, from footsteps, to creaky metal sounds.
The story in this game comes across as a bit typical at first (the nightmare intro is VERY slow), you're a war veteran coming home to find your hometown empty of people and your brother and father missing. What I didn't expect was to be swept into the story and I actually wanting to keep playing to find out what happened next.
Another big criticism of this game was the fact you are playing a combat heavy character making alot of enemy encounters no where near as scary as they were in the previous titles. This is true. However I personally find this approach a bit refreshing. It took some getting used to, but once I tried out all the combos I actually had fun in fights. Again, not everyone's cup of tea but it's different.
The graphics aside from some clipping errors (and the sandy cam filter and lame water animation) are VERY good. You can actually look off in the distance and pick out locations in the game you've been to or are going to. The cemetary's, playgrounds and other outdoor locations really bring you into the world. It's no GTAIV, but you can pratically BREATH the fog and stale air.
Anyway, I hope this helps you decide on this purchase of the game. It's not perfect, but it's fun and unique enough that it kept me glued to the TV.

Silent Hill: The Action Shooter or Silent Hill the Movie: The Game!
Wow, I've needed to write this for awhile so that I can move on and bring closure to this area of my life. That being said...This game (Silent Hill Homecoming)coming out for me was a HUGE deal! Again HUGE deal! Flash back to the year 2005, it could have been 2004, whenever Silent Hill 4 came out.

My best friend and I were in our senior year of high school (Thank God it's FINALLY OVER!!!) and both worked 25 hours a week, 5 days a week at our part time jobs. That being said we had little time for anything outside of work or school. My friend had played around with Silent Hill 1 and 2 and he had seen me beat the first and second Silent Hill over at his parents' house. Also, he helped me with the third one. So Silent Hill 4 came out and we proposed it should be a joint venture all the way. So he got the game and the guide and what ensued was many wonderful Saturday nights, or whenever we could squeeze it in after school, cussing and yelling at the TV, eating cheetos and caramel popcorn, drinking way too much soda, all the while having the house to ourselves and playing this game with his 14 year old brother. He helped out, so it was cool. To say we had a blast would be an understatement!

Now skip ahead...about 4 years. We had both been jonesing to play a new Silent Hill game together for a long time, so it was another Saturday night and we headed to the store and loaded up on munchies and soda so that we'd be ready to go. No amount of soda, junk food, or good spirit could prepare us for the living Hell we were about to waste our Saturday night on!

First, off. The story is stupid. THIS IS REALLY NOT A JOKE! You are left not really caring about any of the characters and you don't really feel a need to play through this game to help them get to the bottom of their issues and find out what is going on. In the first Silent Hill, I WANTED to help Harry find his daughter. The second Silent Hill,I WANTED to help James find his wife and discover what was going on.

The characters are so stupid and unenthusiastic about anything going on in the game! (I really can't blame them, either!) I mean really, everyone in the town is missing and [...] off monsters are roaming the streets. Let's go post missing posters! That's exactly what your love interest in the game does. Time to reconsider...there are other fish in the sea.

Also, I want some of whatever the main character's mom in the game is on. You see, when you tell your mom your brother is missing, she sits there and says something like,"Oh are you going to go look for him? Come back soon!" Remember Maria telling James they had to find Laura in Silent Hill 2? That was intense and filled with emotion. This, no.

Second, the combat sucks. Just SUCKS! You have to role many times and rolling doesn't work a lot. You still get hit. Swinging a bat or another large weapon is likely to make you sit there and pee your pants in frustration as your character misses time and time again. So what are you to do? Your best bet is to try to stab everything in the game to death with the quickest weapon in the game, the knife. (Which just so happens to be the weakest weapon.) This means you get your A** kicked many many times.

Third, I HATE the menus. They are in a stupid circle pattern which means twice my friend and I accidentally bumped the control stick with a
millimeter of our thumb and accidentally ended up using much needed health items when we were trying to use another item. You see, in this game, one tap of the X button or whatever and it uses that selected item.

I miss the old menus that were a straight line that you could cycle through, stop at the item you wanted, hit a button, and it asked you if you wanted to use that item.

Fourth, the levels blow! After trudging through, some crap like a sewer level and a hotel, which a mutual friend who's also TOTALLY into Silent Hill, said looked A LOT like the Hotel in Silent Hill the Movie, we were coming to a new area...My friend was done being frustrated and said," If I see a coal, mine, I'm done..." Low and behold, it was a coal mine with a fire below it! Wow, kind of like the movie!

Fifth, TOO MANY [...] enemies. With the sewer levels, I was being charged at by like 5 or 6 white things that looked like a big headed praying mantis alien thing. Also, I went to a Dr.'s office to find like 8 nurses in there. (No, that is not an exaggeration!) After being killed numerous times, I ended up rolling, which I died a couple times doing that, too, to get through that doctor's office.

Also, there is this stupid enemy who you can ONLY shoot in the bright, multi-colored, glowing pouch thing (THAT'S RIGHT. THE ENEMIES IN A SILENT HILL GAME NOW HAVE RAINBOW COLORS!!!) because he breathes smog at you if you get too close. Totally waste of ammo! Also, speaking of ammo, there isn't enough of it in the game! So your only option is to run away from everything and hope you survive! Which you most likely won't! Believe me, I tried!...Numerous times...

Sixth, damn the bosses to hell! I was fighting this doll thing and kept dying because of this stupid level design, that placed a huge fan above you so that you have a huge shadow of a fan projecting down on you, while trying to roll around in a dimly lit area and hit this boss. Rolling, surprisingly didn't work here either, as we kept getting hit by this long armed retard! And since there wasn't enough ammo in the game and we had used up much needed health items (We couldn't get more anyway, because there's like a total of 4 in the whole game) we were left using our, approximately, 6 remaining bullets on the boss and then whacking it to death with a pipe for about AGAIN and AGAIN FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!!! Every time we kept dying we were FORCED TO WATCH THE SAME CUTSCENE over and over before the boss battle because there was no way to skip it! Finally, my friend spiked his wireless controller across the room. The controller bounced off the floor and the battery pack went flying.

SERIOUSLY, I felt like CRYING after trying to play this game.The next morning, after playing this game, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach because I was SOOOOOOOO bummed out over how bad this game sucked. I am someone who can find something good about almost any game, not matter how bad, that makes it worth trying or playing through. This is the exception to that previous statement.

My friend and I both TOTALLY hated this game! In fact, I asked my friend to look up what to do in the game guide and he joked," You turn the page and it's a white page that says," This game sucks! We gave up on writing a guide for it." Also, our mutual friend previously mentioned, ACTUALLy beat this game...and drum roll... HATED IT!!! Really, this game should have never been made! Konami is laughing all the way to the bank on this one. And is it really any wonder why this wasn't released in Japan, like the previous titles?

And please don't try to tell me, I didn't like this game because I had grown and changed since Silent Hill 4 came out! That's bunk! I played, liked, and was very satisfied with Silent Hill: Origins. So I have nothing against new entries to the series, even if they are made by a new developer. This could've come out a month after Silent Hill 4 and I still would've hated it for the same reasons above.

I don't currently have a PS3 or X-Box 360, but if I ever do get one, I might pick this game up if it were about $10. No rush to look though. I have a small urge to try again, but believe me...I wouldn't shed one tear if it was ten years or more until I got to play this game again.

It sucked playing this so bad, because it shattered many great memories of enjoying the Silent Hill series. Really, if this is the future of the Silent Hill game series, I'd rather have no more games released in the series, and Silent Hill naturally fading away from our memories and dying with it's glory and reputation still intact. It's hard for me to write that, but it needs to be said.

Overall, this game was as much fun as hearing about or watching a story on TV about a parent dying while trying to save their children. No, that's not a joke and it's not meant to be funny. It's just the only close comparison you can draw.