Firstly I don`t hate Silent Hill Homecoming despite what the title says. What I mean by it it feels like an American BOO horror game rather than an older Silent Hill title which had more japanese horror elements (because of Team Silent of course) and a bigger influence on a mind screw, head messing story and subliminal messages in almost anything like locations, monsters etc.
I know Silent Hill Homecoming was made by an American company.(Double Helix or Climax? I forgotten please correct me.)
I like playing the game but its just not creepy like previous installments no head messing like Silent Hill 2. Even the story really felt tacked on to a degree. I also know they taken elements from the Silent Hill film so its almost a mix of everything Silent Hill.
So do you any of you think it feels like an American horror film than a game about self discovery and dark meaning?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion so please express it.

There is this notion expressed frequently that the Japanese have a cultural monopoly on psychological approaches to horror.

Then, I read a list of cited inspirations for this series and find that Team Silent was inspired predominantly by Western horror.

It's bullshit. American horror (or any other culture) does not stick to a single approach. Can we please get over this? Like, now?

I guess so. I just thought to mention it.

I know. It sounded as harsh as it does because it addresses a fair number of people who have been here much longer than you. Nothing personal.

Welcome in, by the way.

There are quite some topics that may help you. Moreover, remember: the search button is your friend.
http://silenthillforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23113
http://silenthillforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=22594
http://silenthillforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23376

I respect the help. Its kinda hard making new interesting discussions almost every aspect of Silent Hill has been covered. So apologies for not looking properly feel free to lock my discussions I created thanks both of you.

Well as far as video games they kind of do. For now anyway.



Often times things that are inspired by something are usually nothing like the source material, and end up being better than the source material. The texas chain saw massacre was inspired by a murder that's nothing like the movie at all.



Very true. But each culture does tend to have certain types of approaches to horror that they're known for.

@mikefile, none of those topics are the same as this one really. OP already said he doesn't hate homecoming, it's not supposed to be a dislike of homecoming thread.

^ I never stated these topics were the same. Furthermore, the main discussion of this one is the underrated/low-grade type of horror features Homecoming offered in spite of the typical SH feel. The links I proposed are supposed to help him in finding some info, since in these threads, it was fairly discussed about Homecoming's horror elements among other things (albeit containing some 'dislike' discussions).

Isn't Silent Hill kinda inspired by movies like Jacob's Ladder and Session 9?
Both American movies I think. And both pretty great psychological horror/thrillers.
When you see those movies you'll understand where Team Silent got some of their ideas.
But that is just two movies, there's a crapload of Western horror that's just cheap scares and gore.
And Homecoming feels like that at some points, in my opinion.

You can apply this to any region though. I watch a ridiculous amount of horror movies, American, British, European, Asian it really doesn't matter, it's always a case of sifting through several tonnes of crap to find the handful of gems.

For every Session 9 there are a whole bunch of Death Tunnels

For every Uzumaki there are a whole bunch of Shiryohas

^ I agree with the above post.

The point is that if SH Homecoming feels like a horror film, it doesn't feel like a good horror film.

Not really...


There's kind of a reason for things being inspired by source material not to be exactly like the source material, they even created a word for it, plagiarism, and at least ripping off to a lesser extent.

Once again, not really... You also just contradicted yourself entirely, the only reason cultures SEEM to have different styles of horror they're known for is because most people just focus on the here and now. It's not like any particular area has been following one formula for ages- the 90s and early 00's were all about the slasher revival craze, while at the same time a lot of thrillers and psychological horror movies were being put out, where as now- the torture porn is sort of on its way out again now that the Saw series is done with and it's back in with the SPEWKY GOSTE STERIES OMG WATS AROUND THE CORNER.

Just as in Japan there were trends, there's trends here, you're deluding yourself if you think otherwise.

Why not? Ask yourself what has been considered the most successful psychological horror game so far? I'm not saying other people don't make any great ones(eternal darkness is IMO one of the best psychological horror games out there).



Obviously but that's not what im saying. I just meant that it doesn't really matter if it's inspired by western horror because it's nothing like that style at all. Things can be inspired by something and still be similar to the source material without plagiarizing or ripping off of it by the way.



Eh, nah i haven't contradicted myself actually. You're completely missing the point. Of course no area has only followed ONE formula(who even said that?) But there really are styles of horror that each area is more known for whether you believe it or not. Japanese horror is known to focus more on psychological horror more and ghost And no that doesn't mean that japanese horror is better either. Styles of horror are influenced by cultures. And yes every culture goes through trends in horror but the trends are different and influenced by culture:

"Japanese horror movies draw on thousands of years of folklore, ghost stories, supernatural myths, and tales of honor and loyalty.

Movies like 1954's Godzilla grew out of Japan's World War II experience with the atomic bomb and were concerned with mass destruction. The 1960s, though, saw a spate of artfully made ghost stories.

"These were safe, distant fantasies for audiences that felt secure in their community," said Stuart Galbraith IV, a film historian who lives in Kyoto, Japan"

"Today's Japanese horror filmmakers, many of whom grew up in the 1980s, may not have the same connection to history. As a result, their movies deal more with the breakdown of reality, of families, and of the mind.

"The world has become a much scarier and more irrational place in the last few years," Macias said. "These films, on a subconscious level, are about dealing with the unexplained."

The Japanese thriller Ringu spawned the successful U.S. remake The Ring in 2002. The movies tapped into contemporary Japanese anxieties about mass media with its story about the vengeful spirit of a little girl who kills people through a haunted videotape.

"Films like Audition, [in which a widower screens potential new wives], Ringu, Ju-On and others touch on sadism, torture, eroticism, revenge, and other themes that are psychologically disturbing as well as just plain scary," said Steve Ryfle, author of Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of Godzilla."

Horror, Japanese Style: Beyond "The Grudge" You should check out that article(mind there is some bias though)


I'm not saying that everyone doesn't go through trends in horror, but the trends are different and can lead to different approaches to horror. Which can lead to certain cultures being known for certain styles more. Simple.

American big-budget horror films definitely aren't psychologically heavy in most cases, but that doesn't indicate anything except that psychologically-heavy entertainment is not usually easy to mass-market. That doesn't mean Americans can't or don't make such films in huge numbers.

^Which i would agree with. Again im not saying we're incapable of making these kind of films(we have made classic psychological horror movies like jacobs ladder and the shining to name a few), just that we don't focus on them as much.

^ Because it's always easier to make a bloody Scream sequel, than a buff-psychological horror (or thriller, though). And shit like The Eye or Abnormal Activity don't count! If heavy psychology movies interested people so much, yeah Americans would do it. But honestly, by default- most of it would end up too commercialized, and so.. again, by default- lame.

You said "very true" and then said the opposite of what you were quoting is that not contradiction? It's not so much me missing the point, more you actually contradicting yourself


That's kind of weird, I remember Jacobs Ladder, The Machinist, and just about every other american psychological horror taking a pretty familiar approach, like "OMG AMNESIA" or "hes actually dead". Has that not been used as plot devices in the series before? It's quite the familiarity by now.

The series has ALWAYS had more in common with American horror than Japanese, the only game out of the original 4 that has almost anything to do with Japanese horror was indeed the 4th one. That was a pretty direct approach to "japanese horror" as a lot of people put it and it's more likely to strike a chord with fans of Ju-on than Jacobs Ladder. "Japanese Horror" also utilizes just as many if not more jump scares than American Horror has been accused of.

Wasn't Silent Hill 1 intentionally heavily influenced by American style horror and meant to evoke the mood of a B-movie from the 70s?

Exactly my point, Thanks Drew.

Oh yeah, and zombies and shit...

Uhh no. AITT said:

To which i responded:

Saying each culture has types of approaches they're more known for isn't saying that they stick to a single approach. So no. You might of unintentionally missed my point there, my bad if i didn't make it clear though.



Who said i was only talking about story? I won't deny that horror stories can have similar plot devices but it's more than that. A big part of psychological horror is disturbing imagery also. The abstract atmosphere of silent hill is pretty unique.



Not really(feel free to use some examples though). And keep in mind i never said it favors japanese horror either.

. . .what do jump scares have to do with anything? I never mentioned them.