leftshoe18 wrote:It doesn't matter that Pyramid Head is in Homecoming since it's probably not even the same canon as James' story. I like to think that Homecoming takes place in the same canon as the movie, which also had PH, for a few reasons.
There's a few things you're overlooking, but I'll get to them in a moment. I'll address some of your points first.
leftshoe18 wrote:1. The presence of The Grand Hotel
I don't recall exactly where about the Grand Hotel was in Homecoming, but there are two possibilities; It's located in an area we've never been to before, or it was built not long/some time after Origins and SH1. It's not uncommon for towns to change over time, especially considering that Origins apparently took place in the 70's, and SH1 in the 80's (I think), while Homecoming was set in whatever year it was released. That's almost 20 to 30 years of potential development.
leftshoe18 wrote:2. Pyramid Head's appearance
I think this has been mentioned on the last page. Basically, James' PH is based on the executioners from Silent Hill's cult as is Homecoming's PH. I believe there are a few differences though. For example, James' PH was mostly based off the painting he saw in the Historical Society. He probably knew about the towns past, and subconsciously though executioners = justice. And given his guilt...
As for Homecoming, the cult in SG was a split off from the cult of SH, so they would've retained some of their original stories and beliefs, including that of the executioners. Because they messed up with the sacrifices, they expected to be punished, hence PH being in Homecoming. What I believe to be the main difference is that the people of SG (or the four families) were more closely related to the executioners and the stories than James, given their religion. Meanwhile, James was just a tourist.
leftshoe18 wrote:3. The map clashes with previous games' maps (and not just in building placement; Toluca Lake is restructured, eliminating a road that appeared on SH1's and SH0's maps)
Like I said with your first point, it's something like 20 to 30 years since Origins/SH1, so changes are to be expected. I don't necessarily mean town development either. Because of the bad floods in Queensland (and then the cyclone) I won't be surprised if a lot of towns look greatly different to what they did before once they're rebuilt. It could be something similar with SH. Sure, there's no mention about such things in Homecoming, but not every little thing needs to be documented in-game. It could just be left for the player to figure out.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure the cult the SG founders broke away from was the cult of SH (the game, not the movie). I recall notes and memos actually mentioning "The Order", which is what the SH cult is referred to as. One note even mentions The Order being exposed and broken up. The religious people in the movie didn't have the chance to be exposed and...what? Disbanded?
There is also Wheeler's conversation about a missing police officer, who many people believes might be Cybil. He mentions a female police officer from Brahms going missing while he was looking for work there. That was years before Homecoming. It couldn't be Movie-Cybil because she only recently found her way to Silent Hill.
Ok, I
think that was all I wanted to say...
Too much typing...