Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

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oneofthem1s
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Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by oneofthem1s »

Hi guys, this is a question I've been wondering as a fan both of the Silent Hill series, and of Survival Horror as a whole. The fact that Konami let the series go in 2004, the same year that Resident Evil 4 incorporated more action elements into the genre, shows that perhaps they saw which way the market was leaning and thus decided they could do no more with their typically isolationist, minimalistic series.

Having not yet played Downpour but heard positive previews to this effect, I need some confirmation as to whether or not 'Survival' (rather than 'action') horror lives on, and if so, to what extent does Downpour hit the subtle tones of the series' golden years on PS2?
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Yuki
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Yuki »

I replied to this over at Silent Hill Community, too, but no, I don't think it does. It's a great game despite some glitches, but I don't think any single game--especially one that was as poorly advertised as this--could revitalize it. It certainly has great atmosphere, for me, and the right ratio of creepy versus jump scares.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Glenn »

I don't think it "revitalizes" survival horror either. It hasn't gotten enough attention, high scores, advertisements, or anything where millions know and have played this game. I don't think survival horror is dead either as we've had a few titles over these years.

I do think it comes pretty close to the old style with fixed camera angles (very rare though) and some backtracking as well as inspecting and picking up items. Ammo is rare, but I was able to build up about 60 pistol bullets before the point of no return. It sort of feels like a game of the past, but it isn't.
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teosoleil
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by teosoleil »

The aspect of a single game just coming out and immediately revitalizing an entire genre is almost impossible unless it gets worldwide and international acclaim, incredible sales, etc. So far, in the past decade or so that "ended" the "old-school survival horror genre", the only games I could say that have reviatalized the genre would be Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space.

Silent Hill: Downpour? Definitely a big no. Keep in mind that the game was clearly designed on a more conservative taste. It doesn't look like survival horror games of the current date, and I agree that it fits in with the older Silent Hill's, Resident Evil's. etc. In fact, I would say that Downpour itself is one of those games that might hold back an evolving genre. Also, it really doesn't introduce anything new to the survival horror genre itself, only the Silent Hill series.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Tillerman »

Well I still haven't had time to play it, and I really want to soon... so my opinions are gonna be uninformed as usual. But I will say this: I believe if the game were good enough, it could revitalize the series. The reason Resident Evil 4 revitalized that series is quite simply because it's a fantastic game. Unfortunately it's more action than horror, so it didn't really do anything for horror genre, even if it did keep the Resident Evil series relevant.

The horror genre really needs a Resident Evil 4. It needs a game that will grab people's attention and make people think "wow, this is what a horror game should be!" IMO we haven't had a game like that since Silent Hill 1. There have been some games like Amnesia and Shattered Memories that have tried new things with a mixed degree of success, and some games like Dark Souls and Minecraft that do a great job of incorporating horror elements into different genres, but we don't have a game that everyone wants to rally behind and say "this is the future of the genre." But for a game to accomplish that it has to be really special, and that's really hard to do. When Silent Hill 1 came out I don't think we realized how lucky we were to get a game of that caliber.

Of course, just because Downpour isn't revitalizing the genre, doesn't mean it's not a good game.
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clips
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by clips »

I'm not sure if it revitalized the genre, but i think it defintely revitalized the SH series. I wasn't too fond of the weak enemy design and their behavior/mannerisms, but the game had a decent amount of atmosphere and some of the area's made you actually not want to continue...yet you had to progress the story.

It's a game that restores some of the earlier games roots, while implementing gaming mechanics that makes the game feel fresh. Tbh...the only game this genre that i thought revitalized the genre was Dead Space...even tho it was more action....the 1st game had tons of atmosphere, incredible visuals, and a slick interface. I love that Downpour has an old-school feel to it and it's resisted the option the go all action horror...there are some genuine creepy set pieces in Downpour and i commend the team for the effort.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Skele »

I wouldn't even say it's revitalized the SH series. aside from this site, every other site i've been to is pretty much split on whether this game is good or not. it's the worst ranked SH in the series, and i personally dislike it. However, the game does give me a sliver of hope that if Vatra were to return, they could possibly create a game I would love. This game reminds me so much of SH4 where if the few things that were botched were fixed, i'd love the game instead of hating it.
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clips
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by clips »

Downpour's otherworld segments were impressive....tho i would have liked them to have ditched the chasing sequences aspect of it, because i honestly would have preferred to explore the otherworld like what was seen in other games because they did look interesting.

The booby traps felt out of place and i already commented a thousand times on the monster design, but the one thing i keep coming back to is the atmosphere...Vatra can be pretty much fix the monster designs and everything else i complained about, but the one thing this series has been missing for a loong time was the atmosphere. Homecoming had it in bits and pieces, but Downpour nailed it the majority of the time....there were even times when i was just dreading going into the next room...that is how these games are supposed to make you feel.
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Kenji
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Kenji »

Survival Horror was always a small subgenre whose best days came and went with the first PlayStation bringing PC gaming to a larger audience that never had the cash to upgrade their PCs to gaming specs. That was when graphics, camera angles, and "more mature" games than Sega or Nintendo would offer actually meant something. Unfortunately, novelty wears off, so the whole genre contracted to a size more fitting its actual appeal.

The state of Survival Horror, shrinking into a small niche, is for all intents and purposes permanent. A series like Resident Evil can make compromises, but Silent Hill was built in such a way that it really can't. If it isn't scary, it serves no purpose.

And there is the source of Silent Hill's slow, possibly terminal decline. It's too rule-bound. The mythology that we fans love is exactly what's choking that unique brand of horror out of the series. That unique brand is a terrifying sense of uncertainty, that nothing you see or touch can be trusted (that what you see and touch is abhorrent is the reinforcement, not the foundation).

The first two Western Silent Hill were lovingly crafted, by-the-book recreations of (for Origins) the Japanese games and (for Homecoming) the movie. Both were stuffed with elements of fan-favorite SH2. Any other series, and this would've worked fantastically. Unfortunately, the familiar trappings were only tools to get at the true appeal of Silent Hill: the sense that the ground could give way to unimaginable damnation at any second.

Silent Hill's most basic problem, now, is that damnation is very imaginable. So, even though Shattered Memories and Downpour change up the surroundings (which is clever, btw), they can't break out of the malaise the series has settled into. This is why I don't believe changing the protagonist into anything will help.

Frankly, James ruined it for everybody. He taught us, the audience, to mistrust our protagonists. So, it doesn't matter if it's a crime, gender identity, rape, or anything under the sun. We already believe something's gonna be up with our avatar, so it will never, ever, ever have the same effect as the revelation about James.

Well, except for those who never played Silent Hill before, but even just replacing disinterested fans wandering off with new ones can only go so far. As I said before, Tomm and the Gang are only staunching the flow of blood. Until they find a new way to create uncertainty in us, the patient is terminal. This isn't because they're Americans, or they're not Team Silent, but because the very purpose of Silent Hill stacked the deck against content creators that maliciously.
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clips
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by clips »

I agree with mostly everything you stated Kenji. For SH to evolve in the way say that RE or even the Dead Space series has, would eventually destroy the formula that is SH. The slow descent into madness and the crippling terrifying atmospheres are themes that are at the core of the series.

what i slightly disagree with you is that while for the most part we know that something weird or off is going to be going on with the main character, i think that the storyline that we experience will trump whatever basic theme or SH cliche` that the series has to stick to.

SH can have a different story with different characters with each entry and it doesn't even have to be about the main character. You can have a situation like SH4 where the guy just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or you can have somebody else just get dragged into madness in some other fashion.

Or you can have a person that isn't necessarily a nut case or has issues, but just have them deal with a terrible situation that they were dealing with...miscarriage,divorce...crime..etc....i know we've seen those themes in SH before, but you can have so many variations of them that you can still come up with fresh ideas and story elements to keep the series fresh.

It's just like sitcoms...you see different sitcoms every year, but you notice that each of them have the same themes or characters of similar shows that has come out before them...it's virtually impossible to come up with completely new ideas, but i think if you're creative enough, you can come up with ideas that are somewhat original and feel fresh enough for consumers to enjoy..
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by DistantJ »

For me, even with it's slick combat, Homecoming was still a survival horror. Resident Evil 5 pretty much jumped genre completely, doing away with what survival horror elements were left in RE4. Alone in the Dark '08 was decent albeit clunky (with awful driving sections) but also focused on being an action thriller more than a horror. Unlike these, Homecoming still focused on the scares and atmosphere, slick combat or not. So for me Silent Hill never really changed genre, it's been the one series remaining true to the genre.

However, Downpour does away with most of the action-elements from Homecoming, so I suppose it goes back to the roots of the genre.

Frustratingly, no other survival horrors tend to come out aside from a few B-games on the Wii (Alan Wake maybe??), and I don't think this game has much of a baring on the industry.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Tillerman »

It's not just the survival horror genre that's a shrinking niche. Pretty much every genre of game that used to be popular is shrinking, while genres like 1st person shooters, rail-roady QTE-fest action games, and open world mission based games take up a larger and larger share of the market. If you don't like one of those type of genres then you are pretty much a niche market now.
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DistantJ
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by DistantJ »

Well, not so much... The classic genres are all reviving on mobile platforms. On my iPhone and Android Tablet I've played an absolute tonne of new platform games, point & click adventures, arcade racers (not damn simulations), dungeon crawlers etc.

I would also add that the first person shooter genre has kind of been replaced by a different genre of game under the same name... I mean what I used to consider an FPS and what comes out now are a completely different thing. I used to love the Quake and DOOM games, GoldenEye, stuff like that, but now these games (bar one or two - Duke Nukem, Bioshock, Halo) are a completely different experience all about hiding behind cover and sniping enemies you can barely see before running to the next bit of cover... Similarly action adventure games seem to have been all but replaced with 'go here and do this for me' errand-runners.

What hurts worse is that when a game which fits more with a traditional genre comes out, sites like IGN seem to just slate it. Sonic games from 2008 onwards, Duke Nukem Forever, recent Silent Hills, Darksiders all have been drastically underrated.

The Wii was good for reviving old genres but the console's so washed out now (as with every Nintendo system since the N64, they just forget all about it after the first 3-4 years).

So yeah... Nowadays I spend more time on mobile gaming, and my Xbox 360 collection is quite small, mostly made up of games which haven't done very well with the critics at all, lol!
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by CandyLander »

people who say that the game wasn't scary at all didn't try to finish all the sidequests with a blind playtrough >_<
the monsters were kind of a failure, but the atmosphere was incredible
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by VenusDoom »

No, it just brings the stuff from the PS1/PS2 generation to the PS3/360 generation
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by odin1 »

Ive been waiting for a game to breath life back into the survival horror genre. This was perhaps the best opportunity to do so that I can remember in recent times. I think the game was really good and I loved playing it. However I think it maybe fell short of being incredible and breathing new life to the genre.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by TransientJetlag »

I don't think it revitalizes the genre at all. BUT, it is the only real survival horror game to come out in quite some time. It's refreshing to play, as so many other games are just shooters, even games advertised as "in-depth RPGS" like mass effect are still just third person shooters. It's cool to have a game where you need to run a lot, and the gunplay sucks, lol. IF they would have made some different design choices, this could have been a CLASSIC game instead of just another attempt at SH that everybody will soon forget about.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by fudgestix »

^ Considering this seems to be making its way in to a fair few peoples top SH games, I don't think people are merely going to just forget about it.

To answer the original question, sadly not. It was a game I really enjoyed, but as other have said, with how the market is now its just never going to happen again on a wide scale. It's a shame though.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Calamity »

I know I'm definitely not going to forget about it any time soon. It's honestly one of the best SH experiences I've had in such a long time.

Unfortunately though, with the way the industry is at the moment, I'm not sure a true survival horror game would sell well beyond the "old market" and since many companies seem to want to try to bring in a new audience, they try to cater to the more modern trends in gaming.
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Re: Does Downpour revitalise the Survival Horror genre?

Post by Mephisto »

TransientJetlag wrote:I don't think it revitalizes the genre at all. BUT, it is the only real survival horror game to come out in quite some time.
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