Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Murphy's been a bad boy ...

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JuriDawn
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Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by JuriDawn »

So what did you love about Downpour? What was pretty nifty? What was a pleasant surprise?

This is the thread for everything Downpour did right. If you really liked a particular scene, but don't have anything to say about it other than that you really liked it, please don't make a new thread, just post it here. ;)

This is strictly for noting all the positive aspects of Downpour. If you want to share some gripes, do so here. If you want to share your overall impressions, post here.

And just a reminder: please mark all spoilers.
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Re: Downpour Pros (This was pretty cool)

Post by Aerith Gainsborough »

Awesome! I'll start off.

The number one thing Downpour had that I absolutely loved was its vast exploration. Former titles really lacked in the exploration department, so it was a breath of fresh air to see this in Downpour. I was getting tired of the usual getting from Point A to Point B that we always see in the games, and it was nice to have side quests, which lead to more exploration of the town and learning more about the town.

I also loved the story of Downpour. It definitely had its twists, and it completely blew me away. Instead of always focusing on protagonists and their guilt, it focused more on
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how the protagonist(s) judged others and wanted to seek revenge, which resulted in them being just as guilty as those who wronged them
. I found it to be a powerful message, kind of like 'Don't stoop to their level.'

The weather changes were a nice touch. Downpour had great environmental graphics, and you can tell that the development team worked really hard on it. It was nice to see an increase in monsters and threat during the downpour, and that you had the option to wait out the storm in shelter, rather than fighting or just running away.

The combat system was not shabby, either. I had little to no problems with the combat. I found it be fluid and very realistic. Unlike in Origins, the breakable weapons weren't as easily broken, and if they were broken, they could easily be used as a new weapon. The weapons were not scarce in the least, either. It was easy to find weapons throughout the town and buildings, keeping Murphy armed at all times.
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Re: Downpour Pros ((ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧)

Post by JuriDawn »

What the heck happened to my thread title?
EDIT: Mom! Ryan's editing my thread titles! :lol:

I loved the story and exploration as well. I've probably mentioned it about a dozen times now, but I loved that Downpour didn't rely on any big twist, just focused on telling a good story by filling in the blanks while still allowing the player to speculate.

One thing I particularly appreciated was the weather effects; the rain was perfectly implemented in my opinion, even if the lightning effects were slightly iffy. I love the way Murphy's clothes look realistically soaked. It kinda makes me want to wrap him in a big fluffy towel and waggle my eyebrows at him suggestively. . . Okay what I really loved about the rain was that it signaled increased monster activity and filled me with dread. As much as I enjoyed exploration, I was afraid to explore! It reminds me of the feeling I got playing the original game when I was exploring outdoors in pitch black darkness; it was just scarier.

I also really enjoyed many of the side quests, especially the Gramophone story. Even though that one has no tangible reward, it's still just amazingly well done; very creepy.
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Re: Downpour Pros (This was pretty cool)

Post by Soulless-Shadow »

I agree pretty much with everything Aerith and Juri have already mentioned. I especially loved the side quests though. I didn't think I'd like them at all. When I first read about side quests, it just seemed ridiculous and out of place in such a game, but I think they were handled really well, and fit in with the feeling and themes of the game. Two of my favouirtes where (major side quest spoilers);
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the thief side quest - It was interesting to see, I guess fragments, of the lives of the people in the apartments. Rather than just being random empty apartments that I had to pass through, I actually took notice of each room to get an idea of which item belonged where (though it was kinda obvious anyway). I think Vatra did an excellent job showing the individual lives of each apartments occupants. However, I also felt sorry for the thief. Poor guy...

the gramophone side quest - When I found that apartment I was a little apprehensive about going further in due to all the blood. I expected something to jump out and attack. It was also quite freaky, watching the murder backwards, though I would have liked a little more background on why the guy murdered his wife and kids.

The ribbons side quest - It took me a while to find this one, but I found it to be a very powerful little side story. I felt so sorry for the girl, and even more so when I learned it was her own mother who was responsible for her "disappearance". And even though I didn't agree with what the mother did (surely there would have been groups who would have been willing to help her?), I still felt sorry for her. I'm still curious as to why the mother left her underwear on her bed laid out like that though...
I mentioned the monsters in the other thread, but there is one monster I liked; the dolls. Not only did they look interesting, their movements were freaky and the method to kill them was imaginative.

I've said it in other threads, but I liked the combat in Downpour. It was like a combination of both the original games and Homecoming; Murphy wasn't too weak, but he wasn't too strong. I also liked the weapons. I normally hate breakable weapons because they usually break too easily or at the worst possible moments, but Downpour had a good balance. The weapons that should last were actually durable, whereas weapons made of lesser materials were naturally easily breakable. Glass bottles and lamps obviously didn't last long, while fire axes could be used over and over again. I do have a slight criticism over the number of weapons that could be carried at a time though, but I'll save that for the other thread.

And last but not least; the story and characters. Sure, the story didn't rely on a great big twist or big reveal at the end, but I think the game benefited from that. Usually I go along trying to work out the twist they're holding off, but Downpour didn't bother with that. We knew pretty early on what was going on, and for me it was more about the journey than the destination (the journey being the game, and the destination being the "twist"). The characters were pretty interesting as well, and I thought the voices actors did a great job.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by warfare315 »

Oh yeah. The exploration was really good, and the atmosphere also. It wasn't the scariest, is a bit creepy, but not too much more. I must say however, this game [to me] felt more like a new Silent Hill game than Silent Hill 4 did. SH4's main saving grace for me was it's cool story and Villain. But yeah, the exploration and atmosphere were spot on, and the story was actually pretty good too. It didn't go crazy with twists at all like I have come to expect.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by fudgestix »

For me it has to be the atmosphere too. The game, for me, was one of the scariest I've played in a long time. There were some areas where I really had to dare myself to go on D:

I also thought the voice acting for Murphy was amazing. I can't believe it's the first thing David Boyd Konrad has done (at least, its the only thing listed). The rest of the cast were pretty good too (except
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the kid in the Orphanage :/ he made me giggle
). It really helped me immerse myself in the whole experience.

I also adored the other world, I really liked how it was used. I also really loved
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the mini other worlds which took you buy surprise, like the cut screen in the Centennial Building. I was blown away by that little bit - also, I loved the use of mirrors
.

Y'know I think I could go on forever about what I loved about this game xD
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by EmilietheStrange »

I too loved the atmosphere, and how sounds, music and the rain were utilized. Some areas felt quite safe, while others had me walking around ready to smash my axe into anything that moved. The game truly felt scary at some points, and I loved it. One of the biggest scares that got me was in the normal world, in the parking garage.
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I picked up the keycard in the flooded room, and had an "Oh shit! Run!" moment when the music started up and the water began to rise again. I thought Murphy would drown if I didn't get out fast enough
I liked all of the characters (save for Napier and Sewell, but we aren't supposed to like them), and I liked how human Murphy felt compared to past protagonists, especially when he reacted to in game events happening around him.

The other world segments were great, and they really brought a new style into the series by taking the traditional other worlds of past games and adding some platformer style elements (hitting switches, dodging blades, walking across giant floating clock hands, etc). My favorite other worlds were the ones in the centennial building and the orphanage.

As others have said, the exploration is also on my list. Blocked roads, barely obstructed hallways and ten thousand locked doors are a thing of the past in this game. You aren't running around aimlessly, there's always something to do and somewhere to go.

I liked the final boss, I thought it was one of the most unique fights in the series so far. At first I thought, 'okay, how many bullets will it take to kill this thing?', but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that you don't need to fire a single bullet. The dolls have also grown on me, as they're my favorite non boss creature in the game.

Some of the puzzles were great too, especially the stage prop puzzle. That entire sequence was one of the best moments in the game for me.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by thy_butcher »

I saw Downpour as an odd entry to the series. It has a lot of hits and a lot of misses. It has a lot of elements that fans are split on. And it has great concepts; some of which are executed greatly, and some aren't. I personally see it paired with SH4 due to it's great oddity at times.
Ok, pros:
1. I loved it's art direction. The color palette, the architecture, the visual effects.
2. Overall, I enjoyed the sidequests a lot. I
3. I actually did like most of the monsters.
4. The combat mechanics. I liked that it was simplified, yet responsive. I liked the weapon system overall. And I liked how difficult some of the fights could be.
5. I like a lot of the new mechanics they brought to Downpour. The rain, The Void.
6. I liked most of the characters, especially Murphy, Frank, and Howard.
7. Overall, I liked the main plot and how they handled it.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by Mephisto »

I can't say more than those who already wrote before me but this title is indeed refreshing, to say the least.

The effort Vatra placed in it is enough. Apart from the damn slowdows there wasn't anything that I disliked about the game. Well, some chase or two comes to mind. And the Screamers...

Daniel Licht's soundtrack was nice but somewhat missing during the explorations but when the scenes with "impact" came the scores drove everything right. In the church, for example. My favorite track of the game was in that chase.

The locations were interesting too. They finally proved that getting away without an hospital wouldn't kill anything. Hospitals are boring, so glad they took it out.
We even have the chance to visit a bank, seriously the locations were nice.

Voice acting was superb, just like in Homecoming. But nowadays this is expected from pretty much everything. Great presentations like this means (most of the time) a good product.

Art style was great. Murphy's reactions too (physical, at least. Didn't really liked the fact that he didn't had any interesting comments regarding a... table, for example).

I can't say much for the story since I haven't finished the game yet but things look promising.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by leftshoe18 »

Other than the frame-rate glitches, there wasn't anything I disliked about Downpour. It currently sits atop my list of all-time favorite games.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by Yuki »

It was the first Silent Hill game to actively scare me. Usually I just get a feeling of creeping dread--which is quite nice for a horror game--but to actively open a door and say out loud with people in the room "NOPE I DON'T WANNA GO THAT WAY" is a great change.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by CandyLander »

The sidequests were awesome. It was the best game since silent hill 4 (I didn't play SM, so IDK...)

that little noise that showed up at random, while you were exploring the town never failed to scare me. the sidequests that require you to go all around town (like the bird and the shadows quests) were the best, because you had to spend a lot of time on the street (that was the scariest place of the game).
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by five5sixers »

I cannot begin to describe the sense of relief and fulfillment I felt when I discovered that
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this game contained neither a large dealing with the cult, nor was it alluding to the townspeople having turned into the monsters (which, after meeting a certain DJ for the first time, I was almost sure that was the angle they were going for!).
That alone is just the best thing to me. I was playing with this hesitation, this foreboding feeling that "oh no, it's going to happen, isn't it?" and then bam, nothing, and what they did do was fantastic and unexpected.

Oh, and uh
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also for them not going with the plot twist of whether or not Murphy was guilty or innocent
because that would have been so contrived and easy to guess. Thank you Vatraaaaaaaaa.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by phantomess »

I really enjoyed the story and how it was all brought together. A few smaller things that stand out as being awesome were the Hansel and Gretel bit, the Tell Tale Heart sidequest, and the gramophone sidequest. And finding room 302 from SH4 unexpectedly was awesome.

I enjoyed the devil's pit sequence & mines- I think it was my favorite area to play through.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by wonder's boy »

The Hansel and Gretel puzzle is probably the best Silent Hill puzzle I've ever played. It's the first puzzle, also, to really get me emotionally submerged since one in Silent Hill 3. The whole sequence was intriguing and took the world "changing" into something completely new to a whole other level.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by JuriDawn »

The Tell Tale Heart/Dead Man's Hand side quest was by far the freakiest and most terrifying. At least for me. I found it so damn scary that I skipped it on my second playthrough. Just didn't have the nerve.
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The frantic noises scared the crap out of me when I picked up the heart, and I'd thought the heartbeat was unsettling! I also have a terrible time remembering which turns I'd taken, made even more difficult when I'm being chased, so even though I wasn't even overwhelmed by enemies. . .
I was in full panic mode. Loved it! :mrgreen:
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by leftshoe18 »

JuriDawn wrote:The Tell Tale Heart/Dead Man's Hand side quest was by far the freakiest and most terrifying. At least for me. I found it so damn scary that I skipped it on my second playthrough. Just didn't have the nerve.
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The frantic noises scared the crap out of me when I picked up the heart, and I'd thought the heartbeat was unsettling! I also have a terrible time remembering which turns I'd taken, made even more difficult when I'm being chased, so even though I wasn't even overwhelmed by enemies. . .
I was in full panic mode. Loved it! :mrgreen:
In my opinion, the ribbons side quest was the freakiest in that "this could actually happen" sort of way.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by CandyLander »

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I also liked that murphy didn't have amnesia that someone died like in all the last games! murphy remembered that he had killed Napier, but he had to overcome the guilt. Anyways, i hope that the next game has nothing to do with murder. Maybe something related to the cult...
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by mikefile »

Well, CandyLander- your comment was very enlightening. Especially for those who hadn't played the game, as for instance: me.

The very first post clearly stated to MARK SPOILERS! I hope a mod notices this soon enough to prevent someone else from getting screwed like this.
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Re: Downpour Pros (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post by Glenn »

mikefile wrote:Well, CandyLander- your comment was very enlightening. Especially for those who hadn't played the game, as for instance: me.

The very first post clearly stated to MARK SPOILERS! I hope a mod notices this soon enough to prevent someone else from getting screwed like this.
Damn I'm sorry to hear that mikefile. People really need to be careful with what they say about a game where the story is so important.

For some solace though, there are other events in the game which he didn't spoil which should be interesting/puzzling.
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