I can say at long last that we FINALLY have a true survival horror game in our midst that not only proves to be one of the best horror games in recent years, but also one of the best Silent Hill has to offer. Given the track record of the games made after Silent Hill 3 I have to say that I was weary about this game right off the bat when it was first announced. Yet another team was handling it. Akira Yamaoka was stepping down from doing the music. There were delays. It's natural to think this could have been the worst game.

Not by a long shot.

Daniel Licht proves to be a worthy successor to Akira Yamaoka. His score sets the mood, brings a fresh perspective and has tidbits that pay tribute to Akira and vocalist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.

The exploration is so grand that I found myself getting lost even with the help of a map. For a small town this game creates a wide open environment to travel through.

The plot is your typical Silent Hill fare. Not of looking for a missing daughter/wife but rather of troubled souls venturing through the town and facing their own demons. This time we have a convict who on a prison transfer manages to escape when the bus crashes and he makes his way into the town. Through this journey you uncover more about what kind of man he is, and some of your decisions will help determine his fate in one of many different endings. You do not need to have played any Silent Hill game to understand this one although there's references to the previous games that Silent Hill fans will note off the bat. Could be a music choice, a painting, a room, or even a cameo appearance from a character. Doesn't effect the plot, but pays tribute to the games before it.

There's a lot of side quests to be had. Each involving more time and exploration out of the game. Some of them can enhance the plot while others are merely there to give you a new perspective on the city or reward you with health and ammo for solving them.

There's a good range of monsters. Some of which you can not make out too which adds to the fear of not knowing exactly what you're running away from or fighting.

The biggest thing horror games have lacked over the years has been challenging puzzles. I'm happy to say that Downpour excels in this category. You have game difficulty and puzzle difficulty just like the good ol' days. And these puzzles have required me to venture into other locations to find a hint of some kind or refer back to the notes I've found. Checking the game stats I've spent a fare share of time in the journal section reading all the pieces of information that I find which are plot and puzzle related. A modern horror game that has my brain working is refreshing.

Combat is not the strongest point, and that's not bad for this game. They stripped some of the mechanics of the more action heavy 'Homecoming' and made it so that you have to run and evade more than confront. You have the choice to use one melee weapon and a handgun or two fire arms. Melee weapons are varied and scattered everywhere. They range from objects such as a brick to a rake to an axe. Ammo for guns is also scarce. You can block enemy attacks if timed right, but chances are you'll still take some damage so you're best best is run as often as possible.

Med packs are needed to replenish health. There's no health bar on the screen, but the game implements damage done to your character (that transitions over to cutscenes) which help you conclude the state of his condition. The more bloody and torn up he looks as he staggers through the game the less health he has. If you need a definite answer go to game stats and see a health percentage there.

The game also takes the best part about Shattered Memories and incorporates chase sequences through the Otherworld during times when fighting isn't even an option. At this point it's running for your life toppling things behind you to slow your pursuer down. It's very tense and heightens your quick reflexes without adding any kind of action.

The water effects are also really neat. Rain plays a heavy focus in the atmosphere. The more it rains, the more aggressive enemies become. For such a big game the weather is randomized so you never know when it'll rain for sure. If it does it is recommended to take shelter in one of the many buildings you can explore just to wait for the weather to get better. Good weather doesn't mean no monsters unlike Shattered Memories. It just means you'll encounter fewer.

This game was designed for old school fans of the survival horror genre. There are certain mechanics that can help casual gamers out, and the good news is that these are optional. You can turn "item shine" on and off. You can turn button prompts on and off (ie. Press "X" to open a door). There's also a save checkpoint system so even if you die (and you will) you can always return to the last checkpoint. With easy difficulty in puzzles and the core game then this could be a real treat for casuals adjusting.

With all that said I should talk about the bad parts which unfortunately are technical. There's frame rate drops and screen tearing. The delays should have been enough to fix bugs and such, but as you progress from area to area it is jarring to see the game slow down as you run through. The graphics are a mixed bag since the water effects are cool, but everything else looks outdated.

Now I've read the mixed reviews for this game. I have to say that the technical complaints I agree with. If not for those then this game would be near perfect. That said, this isn't a survival horror game that holds your hand all the way through. It requires you to think, use your instincts, be patient and have good reflexes when they're needed. If that's too difficult for you then stop right now. Otherwise this game is a must have for any fan of survival horror games. Not just Silent Hill, but Resident Evil, Clock Tower, Siren, Fatal Frame, Dead Space, etc.

Vatra proved themselves as worthy developers to carry on the Silent Hill name, and this game should be a challenge for other developers to see if they can make a survival horror game scarier and more effective than this one.

Play it.

You nailed it. Word of advice on the technical shortcomings with tearing and frame rate drops: manually put the game to 480p and performance is significantly better.

Those wondering if either version fairs better, neither do. I picked up the 360 version but it's a technical mess too so go with whichever controller you prefer.

What's this "I can say at long last that we FINALLY have a true survival horror game in our midst" all about?

Old school horror design, reminiscent of the genre pre RE4. It's designed with a focus on exploration, puzzles and let's say some scares (depending on how desensitized you are). Combat is clunky not unlike SH2 and 3 and that's its sore point, aside from the technical issues with performance.

Played some of it at my friends house. According to what I have heard and what I played- PS3 version is the way to go. The environment is what got me, it's insanely breathtaking and BIG.Unfortunately, I get overwhelmed easily and that's what made me put it down. ^^'

There's modern mechanics you can utilize if you desire, but this isn't part of that action romp third person shooter category. You don't have people (or the game) holding your hand on this adventure. You have to piece things out for yourself.

I've been waiting for a survival horror game that challenged me in every area aside from action, and gave me genuine fear in the process. And from my experience the more action integrated in Resident Evil the less it tends to scare. RE6 seems to step up that action, and since its found a target audience of attracting CoD gamers I don't expect this game to take steps back anytime soon.

Resident Evil Revelations was a game trying to return to its roots, and as far as the new games are concerned it did the best job of playing like a traditional survival horror game. My complaints with that one fell on the idea that this game seemed tailor made to be a co-op title with the amount of time you interact with characters. It may be a single player game, but with partner characters like Parker, Jessica and Quint following you and mocking the environment or its creatures it really brings the scare level down. In a game like the RE remake the characters were new to their threat and took the situation more seriously. Most of the time you were by yourself solving your way through the challenges with little interaction from the supporting cast.

In Downpour it's just you. You'll run into people. Some can be helpful, but for the most part they are vague and leave you with figuring the rest out on your own. Or they want you to put yourself on the line to get something in return. Even with an objective to continue the story forward, this game is chalked with a lot of side quests that can benefit you if you wish to peruse them.

Controller preference and possible gamma settings. Other than that, unless you're running a 7.1 setup, they're both iffy. In fact, most people thought the game was mere stereo. That's how poorly the sound is mixed.

I've been waiting for this game since I saw the trailer and now I'm finally going to go get it today. I'm looking forward to seeing how much of Silent Hill you can explore, and I've heard a lot of good things about this game so I'm pretty excited.

Thanks for writing all of this. I'll hopefully have something good to say about the game tonight.

Yeah, the Silent hill afficionado friends I have are saying amazing things about DP too. Although there will always be a solid part of the fanbase who bitches about how "Murphy's sleeves are rolled up" and how "the fog doesn't look japanese enough", in other words referring how this game sucks because it is not made by Team Silent. If they had their logo on this game's box, you can bet your ass that everyone would love DP.

I can't get this yet, but I have it pre-ordered and will as soon as it launches in Europe. That's the only thing I am unhappy about - the delay in Europe. Atleast it isn't 6 months like with Homecoming though.

Really wanna play it. I actually liked Homecoming so if this is better all the better. Just can't afford it right now. But, I do want it.

Sent from my Droid