Reply Previous - Next - Back

"Guillermo Del Toro and Hideo Kojima..."
On 8/12/2014 at 6:53:09 PM, PaulSF started the thread:
Announce



The latest installment in the Silent Hill franchise, and utilizing Fox Engine.

One hour and sixteen minutes in:

http://www.twitch.tv/soapywarpig/b/557446887

I can't really articulate my feelings right now at fucking all, so I'm just reporting this in news anchor fashion and quite frankly fucking off. Bye.

    Replies: 4

---

Msg #4: On 8/12/2014 at 8:18:42 PM, Ostromite replied to Msg #3, saying:

---

Msg #7: On 8/12/2014 at 9:15:10 PM, PaulSF replied, saying:


Larger screen grabs:

http://i.minus.com/iP3pPInICiZAy.jpg

http://i6.minus.com/iThZTCmCyCQfi.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/10535640_1460580997546590_6007441654552882222_o.jpg

---

Msg #8: On 8/12/2014 at 9:47:03 PM, Snake Mark replied, saying:
Paul - care to be a guest writer and dish out the inevitable reveal article I'm going to have to write tonight for my website?

:D

I'm actually pleased to have these two rebooting the franchise. This is one of the few that I want to see rebooted only because it kind of drifted away a bit at the end there.

And yeah... quite the gorgeous game.



    Replies: 10

---

Msg #9: On 8/12/2014 at 10:55:07 PM, Raptor Vinny replied, saying:
I got like 15 minutes into the demo before I had to shut it off.

Paul can attest that I screamed like a little girl.

Gonna finish it tomorrow. Wow. What a way to kick a franchise in the balls and get it going. This is awesome. So pumped.

---

Msg #10: On 8/13/2014 at 4:17:49 AM, PaulSF replied to Msg #8, saying:
Sure, though I'm probably way too late!

    Replies: 13

---

---

Msg #11: On 8/13/2014 at 1:49:10 PM, Cameron replied, saying:
Meh

---

Msg #12: On 8/13/2014 at 5:42:38 PM, raptor2000 replied, saying:
Well, I was excited until I saw it was PlayStation exclusive. So much for that.

    Replies: 14, 18

---

Msg #13: On 8/13/2014 at 5:58:04 PM, Snake Mark replied to Msg #10, saying:
Y'know what.. if you seriously want to, feel free. Not an announcement piece so much but a reaction from a real Silent Hill fan. I love the series, but my passion for it died over the past two entries, so I'll be bitter about it, I'm sure

    Replies: 33

---

Msg #14: On 8/13/2014 at 11:19:10 PM, Raptor Vinny replied to Msg #12, saying:
1. That's not set in stone. Only PT is a PS exclusive.

2. Why would that be a dealbreaker?

---

Msg #15: On 8/13/2014 at 11:22:37 PM, Raptor Vinny replied to Msg #4, saying:
"Guys I'm not negative"

*Literally focuses on what the game is called and how TERRRIIIBBLLE it is rather than how fucking great the demo is and how cool it was how they announced the game*

    Replies: 17

---

Msg #16: On 8/14/2014 at 12:09:32 AM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #4, saying:
"Silent Hills" is a lot better than something like "colon Homecoming" or "colon Downpour" or "colon Shattered Memories". It feels like it's actually conceptual instead of just blatant. It also hints at a duality or plurality that fans by now have already noticed - the multiple versions of the town itself, whether it's just foggy, or rusted steel, or pitch blackness. I don't think that's a bad thing.

The story itself, at least from the playthroughs of PT i've seen... I mean, i don't want to spoil too much, but it's very SH2. Horrifying and tragic. Is that who Daryl's character is supposed to be?

---

Msg #17: On 8/14/2014 at 11:30:43 AM, Ostromite replied to Msg #15, saying:
I said "cool." I thought that counted as saying how cool it was. I guess not. I also tried to watch the video Paul linked to originally but it didn't work, so I didn't see anything about the game itself.

---

Msg #18: On 8/14/2014 at 2:57:56 PM, Snake Mark replied to Msg #12, saying:
I don't think it is an exclusive... the exclusive demo is a little odd... but not necessarily a sign of how it will be released.



Incase you haven't seen it yet, Lee.



    Replies: 19

---

Msg #19: On 8/14/2014 at 3:09:08 PM, Ostromite replied to Msg #18, saying:
It looks good, I guess, but that video alone kind of just hints at what the atmosphere of the game will be look, i.e. like Silent Hill 2 updated with a modern engine (fucking finally). I'm excited about the game more for Del Toro's involvement than Kojima's, but the FOX engine looks pretty sweet and I'm glad it's going to be implemented in a game I give a shit about.

---

Msg #20: On 8/16/2014 at 3:25:59 PM, Grizzle replied, saying:
I've been on the fence about whether to get a PS4 or XBone.

If it really is PS4 exclusive then the decision is already made for me.

---

Msg #21: On 8/16/2014 at 4:39:24 PM, PaulSF replied, saying:
Here's way more of it (and my favorite section) with theradbrad.



    Replies: 22

---

Msg #22: On 8/16/2014 at 9:06:27 PM, Raptor Vinny replied to Msg #21, saying:
I'm actually amazed the balcony demon isn't more common. Paul, you watched me look up there a bunch of times... every time I was fully expecting SOMETHING to be there and it was freaking me out.

If I actually saw her up there I probably woulda turned the game off.

---

Msg #23: On 8/16/2014 at 9:36:02 PM, Velociraptor87 replied, saying:



Suffice to say, the fact that a fucking hallway is this effective at instilling dread and anxiety in people speaks volumes about the overall quality of the full release. I'm very very excited.

    Replies: 24

---

Msg #24: On 8/16/2014 at 9:56:38 PM, PaulSF replied to Msg #23, saying:
Yeah it's wonderful. I keep both seeing and feeling something new every time I watch. It reminds me of the original 3, as in it gets to the point where it's almost psychologically draining. I wish I had a PS4 at the moment just to play this alone with my Pulse Elite firmly planted on my head.

---

Msg #25: On 8/17/2014 at 1:09:53 PM, raptor2000 replied, saying:
This does look excellent. I am desperately hoping it will be a multi-platform release so I can play it on Xbox One. Buying a PS4 is out of the question.

The last Silent Hill game I played was Downpour and that was...not garbage, but not very good either. Same with Homecoming

---

Msg #26: On 8/17/2014 at 7:40:25 PM, Seth Rex replied, saying:
I've played:

To Completion: Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 4: The Room.

Incomplete: Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill Homecoming.

And I've seen and own the two movies.

I like Silent Hill. I haven't exactly considered them scary experiences but I think Paul would at least understand my saying that I loved the atmosphere of the town of Silent Hill. I may try this game when it comes out for PS4 and I get one.

    Replies: 27

---

Msg #27: On 8/17/2014 at 9:53:53 PM, raptor2000 replied to Msg #26, saying:
I love the atmosphere of the games. I just hate the wonky controls that plagued the early Silent Hill games and all the Resident Evil games until 4. Downpour at least got the controls right (can't remember if Homecoming did of not). It's just too bad the atmosphere was all wrong and the enemies were completely generic clones.

    Replies: 28

---

Msg #28: On 8/17/2014 at 11:50:27 PM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #27, saying:
There's an option to change the tank-like/'Resident Evil' control scheme to a 3D scheme in SH2, 3, and 4, IIRC. Homecoming was about the same as that scheme.

    Replies: 29

---

Msg #29: On 8/18/2014 at 12:18:33 AM, raptor2000 replied to Msg #28, saying:
Really? I will have to check into that. I have the HD collection for Xbox 360 that I never played much based solely on the control issue. That will be great if I can finally play through that without being hindered by the controls.

    Replies: 30

---

Msg #30: On 8/18/2014 at 12:31:54 AM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #29, saying:
Yeah - instead of pressing 'Up' for 'Forward', 'Up' corresponds to the literal up on your TV screen. I think you either change it via in-game Options or before you select a save file, I forget.

---

Msg #31: On 8/18/2014 at 12:40:06 AM, PaulSF replied, saying:
Yeah you just change the "3D control" setting to 2D control in the option menu. Every time I point this out to newcomers, they cease having serious issues with the gameplay. If you can tie your shoes, you can complete those games under that setting with no problems.

    Replies: 32

---

Msg #32: On 8/18/2014 at 12:44:22 AM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #31, saying:
R2 practically auto-aims the guns haha.

---

Msg #33: On 8/20/2014 at 7:08:56 PM, PaulSF replied to Msg #13, saying:
If you're still interested in publishing an article, here's my write up re-capping the "next-gen" of Silent Hill from 2008 through to now. It would be more personal and a bit deeper, but it's not of Silent Hill overall and what it means to me, per se. Includes spoilers of previous titles.

"Silent Hill".

The very name should inspire some intrigue and even a hint of melancholy. How appropriate in that over these past six years, each of these elements have been injected in such large doses. Intrigue in that a new installment is announced, and our eyes widen in hope that it'll be grander and above all, more terrifying than the last for the latest generation of not only hardware, but gamers. A series of anything is only as strong as its audience. The weaker in number they become, the weaker the product you're likely to receive. Over the past six years, things have been relatively gloomy. We were given the first next-gen installment in several years on the new PlayStation 3 System; "Silent Hill: Homecoming". While by no means an outright failure and certainly successful in exploring new gaming territory in the series in various ways, including the best of all, no loading times when going through doors, the release was so troubled technically that this became the first game in the series not released in its home country. This was also right out of the gate, the first shift between Japanese and American developers. With the previous Silent Hill games, a strong sense of culture was intertwined within every scare, every thread of atmosphere you were surrounded by. It was deeply uncomfortable.

A word from series Producer Akira Yamaoka:

"In the Silent Hill series, the feeling and sense of Japanese people are combined with the foreign cultures and environment, so people sometimes feel uncomfortable or strange. But it actually created the unique horror and universe. I think Homecoming lacked such feel. We need to provide the unique feel and horror of the series." http://www.silenthillmemories.net/creators/interviews/2009.01.26_yamaoka_music4games_en.htm

With Homecoming, the horror is more manufactured. It goes through the motions of what you've come to expect in a scary horror game rather than putting you through the motions of your own troubled mind, and letting the rest unfold organically from there.

I should say that I do not dislike this game. As a work of horror, while not providing in lasting impact known to such an outstanding series, it works as a fast paced thrill ride of sight, sound, and fury. With some of the eeriest music, most aggressive sound design, boss battles, and visceral violence of the series, it's a still an entertainingly demented trip through hell. You know, if that's your thing. It is mine. Double Helix, including writer Jason Allen and Producer William Oertel, deliver the twisted goods. That Scarlett confrontation is one for the ages. Still, the series deserves more than entertainment value.

Enter "Silent Hill: Shattered Memories." This is where I strongly disagree with the direction the series took, now under the commanding leadership of Producer Devin Shatsky, Senior Associate Producer Tomm Hulett, and writer Sam Barlow. While I have no intention of personally attacking these individuals, it is impossible for me not to point out the sheer wrongheadedness and disrespectful attitude toward both the audience and series itself at least one of these developers presented themselves with. A word from Devin Shatsky:

"I didn’t really care for all the heavy occult based storyline in SH1 and 3. I felt SH2 had the best stand alone storyline, and provided the best atmosphere of all the SH games by far. My fundamental view is that The Order should’ve remained in Silent Hill 1, and every other Silent Hill after 2 should’ve had its own self contained storyline as well. Yes, if you play the game (Shattered Memories) without constantly comparing it to the past, I think you’ll enjoy yourself much more; and if you’re looking for answers about what happened to Walter Sullivan’s biological mother or why Claudia Wolf doesn’t wear shoes, then this game is going to disappoint you. This isn’t a sequel or a prequel or a continuation of the soap opera that is The Order."

I don't really know where to begin with something this irritating to read. Here's an individual put in charge, one thankfully now far away from the series where he cannot touch it, saying he has a distaste for ties to the occult.... in Silent Hill games. Just allow that to sink in, then perhaps brew yourself some Earl Grey and embrace a sunrise knowing Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro are now in his place (more on this later, I promise). It's also quite telling that he doesn't seem to realize how heavily the occult is hinted at in Silent Hill 2 as well, a story in which one of the endings includes its protagonists, James, carrying the body of his dead wife into a secluded church, where he speaks of "Old God's" having not left the town, and "granting power to those who venerate them. Power to defy even death." No Devin, no occult activity or cultist worship and influence has its place here, old sport.

Ahem.

"Silent Hill: Shattered Memories" was branded... endlessly by Producer Tomm Hulett as a "re-imagining". Unfortunately, this branding makes no sense whatsoever. A re-imagining is Christopher Nolan's Batman after the Tim Burton version, or sticking with superheroes, Marc Webb's take on The Amazing Spider-man after the Sam Raimi films. These are not works that merely begin the same way and then change every little faucet of why that story existed and what they had to say. Bruce Wayne's reasoning for becoming "The Batman" remain consistent. Peter Parker's reasoning for becoming Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man remain consistent. The only thing remotely tying Shattered Memories to "Silent Hill" are the names they slapped on it, including that one. What was once a story about a town "being invaded by the otherworld; a world of nightmarish delusions come to life." is now about a teenage girl with amnesia and daddy issues. Did your tea go cold? Go ahead and make a fresh pot, I'll wait.

While I'm making no attempt to hide my distaste for this "Silent Hill" game, it cannot be denied the emotional affect its had on many people. This is a positive thing. If it were simply called "Shattered Memories", I would have no problems with this. As A game, it's actually quite good and features a surprising, memorable conclusion. The Wii version looks visually quite often very nice, and the thematic, emotional overtones make for a suitable psychological drama. The problem? None of this is scary. It's really that simple with Silent Hill, or anything falling under the genre of horror. If all you've got to frighten me is a bunch of faceless screaming bubble-gum monsters chasing me around in snow (even less frightening than it reads), clearly your aspirations were not to make a work of horror, let alone a proper Silent Hill installment.

In mid 2010, "Silent Hill 8" was announced as being the latest title developed by Vatra Games. It was being billed as not only the "true" next-gen Silent Hill, but the one that would truly return to the roots of the series. Eventually titled "Silent Hill: Downpour", my personal opinion is that it does anything but these things, often making the visuals of 2008's Homecoming look like that of the Sistine Chapel. While surely having the most fluid gameplay to date and quite honestly, the strongest story in nine years, where we yet again fall flat is the "horror" in survival HORROR. Make no mistake, the story is often grim, and unlike Shattered Memories, there are frequent attempts to unsettle and deliver a true visceral response in the player. It is my opinion that around seven out of ten times, these attempts fall flat. The cause is many, but one can easily start with the games technical performance, which is dreadful. Even with a patch in tow, frame rate is quite distracting, and frequent auto-save screens halt your gameplay nearly every time you enter a new area. It takes you out of any atmosphere its attempting to create every time. This would not be a crippling factor in fear, though, if the general atmosphere and presence of threat were truly uncomfortable and filled with menace. They aren't. The games monster designs are so bafflingly uninspired and downright goofy, that it could easily be confused with an arcade adaption thrown together in a few weeks. Every time the player finally begins to get into the mood, the rainy atmosphere and ambient sounds of the town, a haunted patrol car turns a corner, blares a siren at you, and silly screamy monsters emerge from it. This entices nothing but laughter, and I can't imagine someone thinking this was a good idea for a Silent Hill game. While Homecomings monsters were a far cry from the creepy, incredibly strange nature of Masahiro Ito's brilliant artistry, to this day I dread encountering them. The nurses in the opening nightmare world are particularly frightening, and the way they're presented through lighting and sound design is especially unnerving. Just what in the hell happened over at Vatra?

Downpour's Otherworld is another major misstep. While arguably creative visually, it's thematically blatantly obvious at every turn. Our lead protagonist this time, Murphy Pendleton, is a convict, so therefore everything must now remind the player of prison bars and time. At one point, we even solve puzzles that have Murphy walk across holes on the hands of a clock. Get it? Hard time. While perhaps visually unique, absolutely none of this does anything to elicit fear or dread in the player unless you are very easily rattled by unusual imagery. It's all a very clean string of visual oddities with none of the terror or grit, as your mind casually observes instead of twists and cowers at the implications. It also breaks tradition with something Homecoming once again did very well on at least two occasions, and that's building up to the transition with an escalating dread, numerous "off" details, and a foreboding of horrible things approaching. Seemingly at random, the Otherworld will appear in a flashy, sparkly wave as Murphy is chased by a red ball of light where he then screams hilariously for several minutes. This could have been a scary idea, Silent Hill 3 did this very well at one point, but instead it just comes across as actiony for the sake of not boring a general audience. And it's not scary. Ultimately, the game for me is saved at the last minute by its intelligent story, which successfully gets you thinking, talking. The way it wraps up on a gameplay and story level is quite honestly rather ingenious. As down as I may appear on much of the game around it, and while this certainly does not entirely make up for these things, make no mistake that writer Tom Waltz deserves his paycheck and makes the game ultimately a worthwhile experience at least once. As for the rest, they're not only no longer involved with Silent Hill; Vatra doesn't even exist anymore.

"Silent Hill: Downpour" was released in March of 2012, did "fine enough" sales, but was crippled by both its technical issues and a severe lack of marketing by Konami. With the combination of yet another average "Silent Hill" title and a second sequel to a feature film with a dramatically cut budget doing abysmally at the box office, it felt like Silent Hill was, in essence, one of the final bosses of Downpour. If you've played, you know what I mean, but if you haven't, it involves life support.

Until...

one fateful evening in mid September of 2012:

"In the past I've mentioned Silent Hill in interviews, and as a result of that the president of Konami rung me up and said he'd like me to make the next Silent Hill," Kojima said at the Eurogamer Expo, according to a recap from Eurogamer. http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/9/27/3419450/konami-wants-hideo-kojima-to-make-a-silent-hill-game

My goodness. While no means confirmed or a sure thing at this point, it lit this fan up like Christmas. For the next near two full years, we were told not to get our hopes up. "Doesn't mean anything."

Thankfully, it means everything.

Not only is Hideo Kojima now announced to be involved, a thematic and energetic storyteller, but in tow is filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro. A true artist in every sense of the word. With every single project, he brings something unique. Whether it's uniquely funny, frightening, or thrilling. His monster designs are unparalleled, with only Silent Hill 2 and 3's Masahiro Ito, in my mind, measuring up. Not only do we have one of the finest talents in gaming working on the next Silent Hill, which is sure to bring out a proper budget for the scope of this story, but one of the finest in the medium of Film. Just think what doors this kicks open for a beloved series that was once the pinnacle of survival horror? The most disturbing, psychologically terrifying games ever made? Well, thankfully we didn't have to wait long for a taste. In a brilliant move and an industry first, the game was announced by way of a playable teaser titled, appropriately, "P.T." Players had no idea what this was at first. A clever, creepy little indie horror game? Cool. Then they played... and within just a few minutes it bypassed your expectations for what a "creepy little indie horror game" was. This was legit terrifying. The extent of DETAIL not just graphically, but by way of atmosphere was something we hadn't seen in the series in a decade. This was surreal, suggestive, gruesome and disturbing in all the correct ways. From the image of a crying fetus in a sink resembling a certain creation from David Lynch's "Eraserhead", to pictures that come alive in the form of eyeballs manically perusing something, to even a bloody paper bag that begins speaking to you, asking you if you're sure that "the only you is you" and warning you of a "gap in a door" that leads to a "separate reality". It's wonderful. It is absolutely fantastic. In just a brief hour (well, depending on your speed with that final puzzle) the sharpest talents in the entertainment industry have rejuvenated Silent Hill in a way I never expected, promising to easily be the truest installment in over a decade. With the Fox Engine in tow, maybe now we can actually get that Silent Hill game for the next generation we heard so much about years ago, and the minds of Kojima and Del Toro can similarly bring it back to its roots and simultaneously push it forward into the future in new and exciting ways never before dreamed of, or with this much optimism.

Huh, I think that might be the scariest part... and I can't wait.

    Replies: 34

---

Msg #34: On 8/21/2014 at 1:39:24 AM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #33, saying:
That was a good read, Paul.

    Replies: 35

---

Msg #35: On 8/21/2014 at 6:43:48 PM, PaulSF replied to Msg #34, saying:
Thank you. I know there are still grammar issues in there despite my edits, and I know I have a much better SH article in me than this, but it at least being an enjoyable read about this specific era makes me feel better about it.

---

Msg #36: On 9/3/2014 at 12:32:04 AM, RezForPrez replied, saying:
i didn't read it but i'm sure it's gay

---

Msg #37: On 9/3/2014 at 12:32:18 AM, RezForPrez replied, saying:
nah just kidding

---

Msg #38: On 9/3/2014 at 12:32:38 AM, RezForPrez replied, saying:
but i didn't read it.

---

Msg #39: On 9/3/2014 at 12:39:50 AM, RezForPrez replied, saying:
now i did.

---

Msg #40: On 9/18/2014 at 4:01:15 AM, PaulSF replied, saying:

---

Msg #41: On 5/2/2015 at 7:44:07 AM, PaulSF replied, saying:
So... to bookend this thread.

Silent Hills Cancelled, Konami Confirms

"Konami is committed to new Silent Hill titles, however the embryonic Silent Hills project developed with Guillermo del Toro and featuring the likeness of Norman Reedus will not be continued," it said.

Confirmation of the project's termination comes weeks after it was revealed that Hideo Kojima, a director of the project, is preparing to leave Konami. Power struggles between staff at Kojima Productions and Konami had escalated to the stage where the publisher has begun seeking a new leadership team to work on future Metal Gear games.

"It's not gonna happen and that breaks my greasy heart." -Guillermo del Toro on #SilentHills.



    Replies: 42

---

Msg #42: On 5/2/2015 at 3:29:28 PM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #41, saying:
Konami can go fuck itself.

    Replies: 43

---

Msg #43: On 5/2/2015 at 9:24:03 PM, raptor2000 replied to Msg #42, saying:
Seriously. I get they had issues with Kojima, but Silent Hill is a franchise that has been plagued by mediocre entries for the last decade or so, yet P.T. was tremendously well received and had created unprecedented hype and excitement for Silent Hills, and Konami's response to that is to fucking cancel the entire game? Even if Kojima was gone, replace him. Sure the game may have ended up losing its focus and turned out to just be another generic bland entry in the series, but the hype from P.T. alone would have made it the best selling installment in years, if not ever.

Their "we're still interested in continuing the Silent Hill franchise but are not pursuing Silent Hills" says to me they have no interest in making a good, truly unique entry into the series and are instead just going to keep releasing mediocre installments to milk the franchise until it is dead . Sad.

---

Msg #44: On 5/3/2015 at 2:13:18 AM, Snake Mark replied, saying:
I feel like that is indicative of something more than that they have no interest in making a good game...

    Replies: 45

---

Msg #45: On 5/3/2015 at 3:58:39 AM, Velociraptor87 replied to Msg #44, saying:
That's optimism. Their track record is less optimistic - and from their quote, they seem more interested in the "Silent Hill" franchise as an ECONOMIC venture, meaning they care more about their profits. If they care about the artistic sensibilities, this would never have happened, whether or not they disagreed with Kojima's creative work ethic.

If you have a cash cow, you don't fuck over that cash cow. Konami FUCKED UP BAD.

---

Reply Previous - Next - Back