I'm turned around on Downpour

Murphy's been a bad boy ...

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the konami code
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I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by the konami code »

I used to bash it, but I finally played through to the end and realized that despite it's frame-rate issues/glitches, it's overall not as bad as I thought. The gameplay and story were pretty good.

I know there is no chance, but it would be cool is Konami would consider having a team of people tweak it a bit, just to fix the errors and then re-release it.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by DawnBraz »

I used to think the same thing. I just recently started playing it again, and I`m definitely enjoying it more this time around.

I think because the first time I played it, I did not consider it to be a true SH game. It was so different from previous installments, and it didn't have the same feel to it as the others. Not to mention the annoying frame-rate issues and glitches, getting lost all the time, and it not being as scary.

But, I decided to give it another try. By trying not to focus on how ìt`s not like the other games and by looking at it from a different perspective, I definitely appreciate the game more. It took some of risks (side-quests, changing the Otherworld, etc.) But, it was nice not knowing what to expect, and kept the game interesting from start to finish. I really liked the story, and the side-quests were fun and genuinely creepy at times.

I have come to really enjoy Downpour, and I now think it does have a place in the SH universe.
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clips
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by clips »

Downpour could've really been something special with some better monster design/behavior mannerisms and some more polish. Downpour had incredible atmosphere when the monsters wasn't around and the game had some great set-pieces in the movie theatre level and the Hansel and Gretel stage play...i thought those two set-pieces were done brilliantly.
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the konami code
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by the konami code »

I loved the Hansel & Gretal Stage the most! I agree that the monster were a let down. I know they have it available for download on 360 and ps3; I think I would pay for it again if they were to fix all the frame-rate and glitchy issues (on the downloadable version). I actually enjoyed it THAT much!
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Rev
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Rev »

I thought Downpour was going to be a flying piece of a turd when I saw the trailer back in 2010. Then I started watching a playthrough of it right after it came out and loved it enough that I actually went out and bought my own copy the next week. One of the few times I'd ever bought a game so soon after its release.

Although I'll practically defend most of the criticisms against the game to the death, I tend to hand the naysayers points in that the monsters were not that well-done. At all. With the exception of the dolls, which I loved. And even the Bogeyman didn't bother me so much - I was just relieved that there wasn't any more Pyramid Head or Pyramid Head ripoffs and sexy nurses. I even have my own beef with the endings that they went with, but that's another rant for another time.

The Hansel and Gretel stage and a good handful of the side quests were really cool. I loved Tell-Tale Heart, Gramophone, and the movie theater ones. And I thought the stolen goods quest was kind of cute, in a sick and morbid way, mostly because of what it says about Murphy's personality.
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the konami code
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by the konami code »

Rev wrote:I thought Downpour was going to be a flying piece of a turd when I saw the trailer back in 2010. Then I started watching a playthrough of it right after it came out and loved it enough that I actually went out and bought my own copy the next week. One of the few times I'd ever bought a game so soon after its release.

Although I'll practically defend most of the criticisms against the game to the death, I tend to hand the naysayers points in that the monsters were not that well-done. At all. With the exception of the dolls, which I loved. And even the Bogeyman didn't bother me so much - I was just relieved that there wasn't any more Pyramid Head or Pyramid Head ripoffs and sexy nurses. I even have my own beef with the endings that they went with, but that's another rant for another time.

The Hansel and Gretel stage and a good handful of the side quests were really cool. I loved Tell-Tale Heart, Gramophone, and the movie theater ones. And I thought the stolen goods quest was kind of cute, in a sick and morbid way, mostly because of what it says about Murphy's personality.
it had it's moments, but I'll say that every time I replay the game, hearing that pitiful stock scream (right after you finish The Gramophone side-quest) really just made me miss akira yamaoka so much more :'(
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Rev
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Rev »

Iunno, I think Akira used some pretty silly stock screams in previous Silent Hill games as well, so it didn't bother me that much. I liked Daniel Licht enough that I won't be missing Akira Yamaoka all that much. Unpopular opinion, but after awhile Akira's work just started sounding the same to me.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Postcode »

I think the music works fine in the game, but for the most part it doesn't do much for me listening to it out of the game. I could say the same for Shattered Memories though.
For anyone that might be interested in such things, some links to my music, of the alternative rock kind -
http://postcode.bandcamp.com/
http://soundcloud.com/zebracore
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Postcode/99794277098

And my Post-Rock band Nanaki -
https://nanaki.bandcamp.com
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Rev
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Rev »

The music was intended to be more ambient than something you can actually jam to like some of the other soundtracks. Which was fine by me, really. Kind of like how, say, Silent Hill 1 didn't really have a whole lot of songs that weren't jarring (and I actually say this in a good way. It's a horror game, the music should be jarring).

With the exception of songs like Intro Perk Walk, which was a phenomenal track and I don't care what anyone says.
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Liking it the second start

Post by Interrupted. »

Have yet to complete my initial run on Downpour. Bought Downpour when it was somewhat green and had to return it soon after along with trading in my Silent Hill collection and other collectibles for much needed cash.

I first left Downpour soon after entering the town of Silent Hill. After an exciting first impression, I was let down by the monster design and slow follow after the high paced beginning. That, along with my depression, really hampered the experience and I shrugged off the entry as dull.

Recently, I repurchased Downpour along with a new PS3 and Book of Memories for my Vita. I noticed soon after entering the town of Silent Hill, I had to readjust from the action oriented introduction to a more classic feel. The charm caught on and it chilled. I found myself soon playing into hours and tensely gripping my controller. The puzzles became intriguing as they offered bizarre results and side quests made for an extra incentive to explore the monster ridden town.

My main bother with Downpour, and many will disagree with me, is the combat. I'm of the few who liked the Homecoming combat/dodging enough to desire a refinement and polished application. I like the active dodging more than the holding a block button to defend.

Other than that, there is a lot of entertainment in Downpour and I can't wait to finish up the story to play it again.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by indianrunner »

I've bought every Silent Hill game on it's release date up until Downpour. I was so upset with Homecoming and Shattered Memories, I'll be damned if I was gonna pay another 60 dollars to get a mess like Homecoming. I bought Downpour "used" for 30 dollars. After playing it, I would have paid 40. I have basically the same complaints as everyone else about the game.
I thought the creatures were lame. The frame glitches were a bare-bones minimal on my copy, so they didn't bother me like I've heard from other players. I haven't heard this expressed, but I thought the music score (what little there was) was under expectations. Did anyone else catch this? Some of the different ending don't work, or make sense because elements of the game's story never change to accommodate them . Overall, I liked the game. It was NO Silent Hill, or Silent Hill 2, but it was a good game none the less. I'd give it a 7/10.
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Rev
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Rev »

indianrunner wrote:Did anyone else catch this? Some of the different ending don't work, or make sense because elements of the game's story never change to accommodate them .
No, I caught that as well. Personally, as much as I loved Downpour, I'm sick of these endings in the recent Silent Hill games that have to change the character's backstory/give us the impression that the events of the game didn't really happen.
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
Like Execution, for example... Nothing in the in-game story that we see points to Murphy having hurt Charlie, or having been incarcerated for killing his son. It makes no sense.

In that ending's tentative defense, my girlfriend has mentioned that it's possible Murphy didn't kill Charlie in that ending, and maybe he'd been framed for it. Hence making his "and I sure as hell never hurt any kids" comment more valid. But it would still contradict Murphy's reason for incarceration because of the cutscene with Frank indicating that he was arrested for stealing a cop car, and various other memos that clearly point towards ending B most likely being the canon ending.
I really wish that in future games, they stay away from endings that change the characters' backstory. Even with all the endings in Silent Hill 2, nothing about James or Mary were much different except for the choices James makes at the end and the kind of person he is.

Which reminds me, I saw a post elsewhere regarding fixed endings for Downpour that would have made more sense. Makes me wish Vatra went with something more like these instead.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Soulless-Shadow »

^I agree about the endings changing the back story. It's unnecessary and runs the risk of screwing up the entire story. The Suffering did a good job of it, but then again that game isn't as heavy on the story as the SH series, so that's probably why it was able to work.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by clips »

I agree about the endings as well. If you are going to craft an ending in showing the character having a completely different side, then you can't have events and concepts throughout the entire game that contradicts that ending.

I understand how much hard work it is to write and to code this stuff in as you're creating the game, but if you need more time to finese that part of the gaming mechanic so that it flows more smoothly into the storyline then that extra time is what should have been used to tighten up certain gameplay mechanics.

Maybe deadlines and pressure to get the game done was a factor as well, but that particular ending was lazily implemented at the end of the game just by picking one of the choices.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by stonecoldsteveurkel »

Rev wrote:The music was intended to be more ambient than something you can actually jam to like some of the other soundtracks. Which was fine by me, really. Kind of like how, say, Silent Hill 1 didn't really have a whole lot of songs that weren't jarring (and I actually say this in a good way. It's a horror game, the music should be jarring).

With the exception of songs like Intro Perk Walk, which was a phenomenal track and I don't care what anyone says.
Agreed. It was welcome to have a soundtrack more focused on ambience and enhancing the game's mood rather than being catchy enough to listen to on your smartphone or whatever. Downpour's soundtrack doesn't really rake your head like SH1's, but it does a fine job of building the mood of the game.

As much as I liked Yamaoka's stuff, it was certainly getting derivative.

As for the Execution ending contradicting things, I'll never understand why people make such a big fuss about it. I just viewed it as the town rewriting what he did based on the negative karma required to get that ending to start with. Not unlike Full Circle except Murphy's actions were horrific enough to warrant him dying.

It's not as if it's first Silent Hill game to have an ending that changes up the events of the game. SH1's Bad ending says hello. Anyway, the point is that Silent Hill's power is so subjective and unmeasured, that I don't the Execution ending being something too far out of the realm of possibility.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by Rev »

stonecoldsteveurkel wrote:Agreed. It was welcome to have a soundtrack more focused on ambience and enhancing the game's mood rather than being catchy enough to listen to on your smartphone or whatever. Downpour's soundtrack doesn't really rake your head like SH1's, but it does a fine job of building the mood of the game.

As much as I liked Yamaoka's stuff, it was certainly getting derivative.
True, Downpour had a more moody, dark and somber tone than SH1 did. Personally I like it and find that it's good music to write to, especially all of the chase tracks and the cage ride.
stonecoldsteveurkel wrote:As for the Execution ending contradicting things, I'll never understand why people make such a big fuss about it. I just viewed it as the town rewriting what he did based on the negative karma required to get that ending to start with. Not unlike Full Circle except Murphy's actions were horrific enough to warrant him dying.

It's not as if it's first Silent Hill game to have an ending that changes up the events of the game. SH1's Bad ending says hello. Anyway, the point is that Silent Hill's power is so subjective and unmeasured, that I don't the Execution ending being something too far out of the realm of possibility.
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
Hmmm, that's a good point. After all, in the Full Circle ending I highly doubt that Murphy killed both Frank and his daughter at the same time. I think maybe it's just his perception and maybe what the town is showing him/making him think what happened based on the kind of person he is. Much like how I doubt that Reversal is literally supposed to mean that Anne was in Murphy's role the entire game.
I'm still not a big fan of it simply because I think it's just a silly concept and there are so many other possible endings that they could've gone with. But you're right - SH1 was technically the first game to start the "BUT WAS IT ALL A DYING DREAM?!!??!" from the get-go, and I think people are unnecessarily hard on Downpour for having one like it.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by jadehill2001 »

I always loved it. I thought the story line was brilliant and found Murphy to be a very likeable character unlike Travis Grady who should be forgotten FOREVER!

The monsters could have been better especially when the monsters of Homecoming were so fab. The environments were amazing to, especially Devil's Pit.

I've played it though so many times now since it came out.
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Re: I'm turned around on Downpour

Post by mikefile »

About the different endings mentioned a few times above (I come a little late).. I didn't have time for a second playthrough so I can't comment the complete role of all endings, but regarding the variations of Murphy's
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
crime towards Frank or not,
I think of it in a different way. Instead of a lack in the story's consistency, I see it (for now) as of secondary significance:
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
If you ask me, Murphy's main focus was the death of his son and his revenge. The same way, Anne's primal focus was her father's death and her own revenge by killing Murphy. I think that Murphy really doesn't care if Napier (I hope I got the right name) killed his son, nor does Anne rationalize whether Murphy actually beated Frank or not. What matters is that Frank's in a wheelchair now and Charlie's dead for good and he's never coming back. They both need to hold someone responsible for the gruesome events that occurred. Whether Murphy actually beat the shit out of Frank or not, Anne's always going to resent Murphy and hold him responsible for her father's current state. It's similar to the scene in Shattered Memories where we witness Lisa's death. Whether we give her the blue, red, yellow or whichever pill she's still going to die and the event is supposed to induce the sense of guilt in the player, whether his motives were clean or not. Same goes for the endings in Downpour. Regardless the actual facts, the main motives of the story will always be anger and revenge.
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