Worried that Downpour will be too "casual."

[stopped_clock]

I'd like a couple of added rooms on the harder difficulties that maybe contain a memo with some info that expands the story a little but it's full of monsters. Which wouldn't be a problem on easy mode, and then people would just avoid the room on harder difficulties, but that's not the case here...

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Difficulty level should change more than just basic stuff like monster damage, why not throw in some extra rooms or extra items too? Maybe even an extra ending that is only achievable in hard mode. Y'know, give people an incentive to play it!

I completely agree with this, I've always thought that games need to throw you a few curve balls when you ramp up the difficulty, otherwise it's just the same old fewer items and more/tougher enemies. It'd be nice to play it on hard mode after completing on normal and find that there are some new challenges. That's one of the reasons I'm happy that they are putting in puzzle difficulty levels.

(Of course, that won't matter if Vatra make rubbish puzzles, but we'll just have to wait and see.)

[KiramidHead]

I dunno, I like how the series has handled the alternate endings so far. SH2 did that one best. Who honestly would have thought that all those little things would have an effect on the ending?

Edit: If they have to assign an alternate ending to hard mode, make it the UFO ending. I can live without getting that one.

[stopped_clock]

No, the UFO ending ought to have some UFO related task in order to get it, otherwise it's just lame. (I'm looking at you Homecoming.)

But an extra ending for the hardest difficulty mode would be a neat idea. There's always the personal sense of achievement for finishing a game on it's hardest setting, but it'd be nice to see the devs recognise it with some bonusy tid-bits. (and 15 gamerscore or a Silver Trophy or whatever doesn't count!)

[Mephisto]

It would be nice to have an UFO ending just like the one in Shattered Memories. With the whole "characters from the past games making a cameo" thing.

[KiramidHead]

^Except this time, we get a huge reunion of every protagonist. That would be awesome.

[Tillerman]

I completely agree with this, I've always thought that games need to throw you a few curve balls when you ramp up the difficulty, otherwise it's just the same old fewer items and more/tougher enemies. It'd be nice to play it on hard mode after completing on normal and find that there are some new challenges. That's one of the reasons I'm happy that they are putting in puzzle difficulty levels.

(Of course, that won't matter if Vatra make rubbish puzzles, but we'll just have to wait and see.)

Yeah... I love games that do this. For example, in Contra 3 there is an extra boss on hard mode. I don't understand why more games don't do this, it is such a nice reward to find additional content after struggling through a hard mode. I mean, I can understand why casual gamers dont want to miss out, but we're only talking about a little extra content here... if you can struggle through that, why not be rewarded? It doesn't necessarily have to be additional story or an ending either... even something like extra enemies or an extra boss would be awesome enough.

[KiramidHead]

I actually will play on the higher puzzle difficulties for 2 and 3. I'm interested to see how this will play out. The devs for SH4 must have been allergic to puzzles, and climax was allergic to difficulty levels in general, for whatever reason.

[Tillerman]

I actually will play on the higher puzzle difficulties for 2 and 3. I'm interested to see how this will play out. The devs for SH4 must have been allergic to puzzles, and climax was allergic to difficulty levels in general, for whatever reason.

I don't remember a lot of good puzzles in SH4 but I haven't played in awhile. There was that water tower thing...

Funny thing about SM, the difficulty levels were set at: puzzle level super super easy, challenge level: frustration.

[KiramidHead]

When I say puzzle, I mean classic SH riddles that you have to think about a bit. Sh4 had a bunch of fetch quests.

Edit: I was just thinking about something. As long as we're talking about difficulty, how should the gun play work in Downpour? I personally would like to at least have the ability to use the iron sights on the gun. Any dope could figure out how to use them to aim, so it wouldn't detract from the realism. Also, if ammo is very limited, you wouldn't be able to go crazy with a gun. SH2 and 1 were very guilty of that. On the flip side, I think there should be certain situations where using firearms is necessary, so that those of us who stick to melee weapons don't end up with over 9000 handgun bullets. Thoughts?

[Catch22]

^I don't know how I feel about iron sights. I'm not totally against it; it could work, and work well, but from my experience switching from TPS to FPS is clunky and more of a pain than anything else. Plus, I'd like to see FPS mechanics and the SH series kept seperate, but that's just personal preference.

I'd like to see over-the-shoulder aiming, like in Homecoming or RE4. But I'd like it to be more difficult to shoot and aim than those two titles, which were more action-oriented (especially RE4).

I think that there should be sections were firearms are preferred and tactically superior to melee weapons, but I don't want sections that absolutely require you to use firearms. If someone wants to go the difficult route and use a pipe to kill a creature that is despatched a lot easier using a shotgun, they should be able to do that. I think that would encourage variety in which weapons a player uses while still giving them a choice in the matter.

[Tillerman]

^I agree, I'd like to see FPS mechanics and Silent Hill stay very separate. I don't even want to see RE4 style aiming, I would prefer that the guns continue to be auto-aiming like they were in the past. I'm a little bored of every modern game morphing into an FPS game; Silent Hill doesn't need to be yet another test of the player's aiming skill.

[Don, Aman]

As long as we're talking about difficulty, how should the gun play work in Downpour? I personally would like to at least have the ability to use the iron sights on the gun. Any dope could figure out how to use them to aim, so it wouldn't detract from the realism. Also, if ammo is very limited, you wouldn't be able to go crazy with a gun. SH2 and 1 were very guilty of that. On the flip side, I think there should be certain situations where using firearms is necessary, so that those of us who stick to melee weapons don't end up with over 9000 handgun bullets.

Iron sights could be a good addition, I think. It might be kind of weird to zoom from a third-person fixed camera angle to first-person like that, but they could make it look smooth. As far as ammo goes, I think it should be very limited, making you think twice before "cappin' that fool". That could be affected by difficulty level, though. And I imagine guns would play into the whole weapons break/rust-ability aspect. So they may even give you just as much ammo as is already in the gun when you pick it up.

[Doctor Eggnog]

The only time I'd ever like to see some form of FPS is in a sniper rifle (which I wouldn't find, I might even find it scary in an intense way) but that's just me hating first person stuff.

[Catch22]

^I agree, I'd like to see FPS mechanics and Silent Hill stay very separate. I don't even want to see RE4 style aiming, I would prefer that the guns continue to be auto-aiming like they were in the past. I'm a little bored of every modern game morphing into an FPS game; Silent Hill doesn't need to be yet another test of the player's aiming skill.

I would be open to the traditional lock-on third person view. Actually, I would love it if you were given the option of use any of the three styles; first person, over-the-shoulder, or "classic". But I know that won't happen, unfortunately. And even if it did, that would just mean that each style would be unpolished. I just wish they could somehow accommodate all camps.

[Tillerman]

I would be open to the traditional lock-on third person view. Actually, I would love it if you were given the option of use any of the three styles; first person, over-the-shoulder, or "classic". But I know that won't happen, unfortunately. And even if it did, that would just mean that each style would be unpolished. I just wish they could somehow accommodate all camps.

Yeah, somehow including all 3 would probably be ideal, but that's unrealistic. And I mean, if people like FPS games, they are more than accommodated by today's gaming market, they are pretty much catered to exclusively. There are even a fair amount of FPS horror games. So I think it'd be nice if Silent Hill remained a totally 3rd person game.

[Yuki]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind them going first-person with Silent Hill. I prefer third-person, but there were some really tense parts in Mirror's Edge, and giving that a horror aspect could be amazing.

[CondescendingMan]

All I can think for a nice hard mode unlockable would be unlockable enemies. Hidden bosses. A couple well done alternate NPCs and some unpredictable pantshiteries.

[KiramidHead]

^How about unlockables for all the difficulties? I mean, it would suck if hard mode got extra NPCs, enemies and endings, and all the normal/easy crowd got was a million alternate costumes. Seriously, we need to have quality unlockables across the board.

[stopped_clock]

^How about unlockables for all the difficulties? I mean, it would suck if hard mode got extra NPCs, enemies and endings, and all the normal/easy crowd got was a million alternate costumes. Seriously, we need to have quality unlockables across the board.

Gaming for communists.

I thoroughly disagree. Whilst I don't feel that any extra npc's or heavy story aspects should be denied to the "casual" gamer (except for the already discussed possibility of an alternate ending for the hardest difficulty) I do feel that unlockables should be scaled, increasing in awesomeness as the difficulty of the challenge increases. I mean, you can't give a gold medal to everyone who runs a race regardless of where they place.

It's almost strange for me to say this, because I really am not a competitive person, but that's just how I feel.

[KiramidHead]

What I meant was give something worthwhile to unlock for all difficulties. I mean, they should still be cool on the normal difficulty, not just crap.