I thought these may have already been posted here but I just read Downpour reviews on Rely On Horror and Destructoid that have me looking forward to it more than ever.

http://www.relyonhorror.com/reviews/rev ... -downpour/

http://www.destructoid.com/review-silen ... 2794.phtml

There were also some fairly average reviews on Game Informer and an Australian Xbox magazine or something, but they've probably been posted here already and I don't have links to them.

Expecting more reviews soon so just thought it'd be good to have a thread for them... Oh and the Destructoid review mentions a couple of things like game locations, probably not spoilers per se but just a warning for anyone who is intent on going into the game with as little info as possible.

If you decide to add your own thoughts/reviews when you play it, please try to avoid spoilers!

IGN gave it a 4.5, but who takes them seriously anymore?

http://ie.ps3.ign.com/articles/122/1220529p1.html

Ow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IGN gets a lot of bashing, but a 4.5 is pretty much A death blow to me!
If they give it a 4.5, then there must be something wrong with it.


TwinPerfect fans will rejoice...

Well the review does state that there are very strong and very scary moments throughout the game but those are just too far apart.

I am still going to try it out since it reminds me of Sh1 with the aimless wondering. However I am just going to put action to low and puzzle difficulty to high.

IGN, lol!

Glad it's getting good reviews by more reputable sites, and I haven't read anything but overall positive impressions from Silent Hill fans who have played the game. Looking forward to it more than ever.

Also, a couple of interesting comments under the review from someone who has played the game already

"Alright, as someone who has beaten the game and on his second playthrough, I cannot fathom this guy's review. He makes it sound like it's the worst Silent Hill game ever, heck, the score compared to IGNs other SH reviews reflects that. But it almost feels like he was playing a completely different game than I was. I know Silent Hill games are polarizing, but damn.Some 8s and 9s from other sites, and then this review. I personally feel like it's the best SH game since the original trilogy. Maybe he disliked it because of the focus on exploration and puzzles over action, since he complains mostly about the combat in the review. Completely disagree, but whatever."

"Yeah, my store called me last Friday and told me my copy was available and I bought it so I've had the game and have beaten it since then. In my opinion, this is the first horror game this generation to be a good 'old-school' horror type game, it was very creative in it's scares, environments, and set-pieces and had a bigger focus on exploration and puzzles than combat, which was somewhat clunky. I know games like this are polarizing, so I was expecting 7-8s with a few 9s and 6s tossed in. And so far it's been exactly as I predicted, except for this review which is a lot lower than any of the other reviews. To put in perspective, this is the only review less than a 7 so far."

I can't blame IGN for their take on the review. The clips they used were a good example as the indoor sections had a texture pop in every 2 seconds. it make me wonder just how buggy the game would've been had the game come out October 2011. Let us remind ourselves that IGN gave Duke Nukem Forever a 5.5. I think they've made it pretty clear what they think of the game.

Gamespot was more forgiving and i consider it a more fair review as they show a greater understanding of the series' mythos. A 7.5 is a very good score or the game, it's pretty much an equivalent of 8.5 on an IGN review.

It's interesting to me that IGN slams the combat when it's never been good in the series to begin with. Also, it didn't really say why the author disliked anything, in my opinion. I also really dislike that they were so harsh in the presentation aspect when they outright say the story's pretty good. Finally, the opening paragraph reads less like "this is a review of the game" and more of "I WANT THIS TO BE SILENT HILL 1/2/3"...
Also, getting annoyed at environments for being dull and gray when I distinctly recall them being as such in the non-Otherworld segments of SH2...

The Rely On Horror review is pretty good; it gives some information about the game and the side quests, which is really nice. I'm excited, and it seems like, after the Destructoid review, the side-quests can be the scariest parts. I was really apprehensive about Jim Sterling's review--I'm not a fan of his--but it was well-written and informative.

All that remains is or us fans to decide whether or not we like the game.

Eh im not happy to hear about the combat sucking again, but at least exploration is back.

Few things I was glad to find in the reviews I've come across so far: 1) Respectable, subtle ending with a twist, 2) Murphy as a unique and interesting character, & 3) Game-long story raising questions within the player, making one actually think. If any of these elements are present in Downpour, it should help wash the distaste of a couple past titles out of my brain, a couple not even offering me one of the three major aspects above I enjoy so much. I say "game-long story raising questions" above, because too often I play games carrying plots that die about half-way through the game, and because I've gotten the impression from reviews that the mystery of the story reveals itself fittingly versus being so blatantly obvious or linear from the get-go.

Hopefully the positive highlights carry over into our personal experiences with it, and maybe more.

Okay, the Gamespot review describes the Void as turning Murphy from a solid to a liquid. Seriously, the potential for MGS jokes there is off the charts.

http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill-downpour/reviews/silent-hill-downpour-review-6365456/?page=1

If you watch the gameplay video that demonstrates the combat, it's no wonder the reviewer had difficulty with it. I mean, the screamer is like ten feet away and he kept taking swings at it.

VERY VERY BIG SPOILERS.



MOD EDIT: Spoiler tags are your FRIEND! Use them!

I haven't heard any reviews state a difference between the PS3 and Xbox version, anyone know if there is one? Kinda important cuz my ps3 is readily available but I don't exactly have access to my xbox 360 at the moment.

I'm sure the 360 version will perform better in general, as it's developed on the Unreal engine. However, I don't know if there is any significant issues with the PS3 version.
I plan on picking up the game on PS3, and I'm hoping it works fine. : (

i seem to recall Whitney saying the 360 version seemed to run/play better when she and (i forget the other guy's name) played it in December. im going for the 360 version for sure, i just hope that a pc version gets announced at some point this year.

looking at the combat gameplay from gamespot, it looks OK. im more worried about the technical issues, and im hoping they don't ruin the experience.

Bah, looks like I'm most likely buying a new 360 since I doubt my old shit's ever gonna get fixed.

Stupid RROD. Stupid Microsoft. Stupid Monday.

It's my understanding that the technical issues aren't gamebreaking, just a bit annoying.

sorry man.. the first 360 i ever bought lasted me about 4-5 years until it got the RROD.

Also, going back to the IGN review, i never take their reviews too seriously. i mean they tend to over/underrate games all the time. they gave Streetfighter x Tekken a 8 or 9 i think, and i just rented it and don't think it's worth the high score they gave it. also, other sites are giving this game a 7-8, so im pretty confident the game will be enjoyable. i just hope whatever technical problems the game has is patched in the future.

So are all of these reviews based on the ps3 build? I have access to both consoles and would like the best technical experience if there are differences between the two versions.

I'm roughly 5 or 6 hours into the game and these technical issues definitely sometimes take away from the immersion of the game. There have been scenarios where I have been completely captivated by a set piece only to have the camera hiccup, and completely stop. While it's stopped, im usually trying to swing the camera around to view my surrounds, and when it unfreezes, the camera swings all over the place to compensate for my inputs.