Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Murphy's been a bad boy ...

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an a corpse cant laugh =)
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by an a corpse cant laugh =) »

Okay, I haven't posted in a while but I really need to get this off my
chest...
So after playing the Downpour demo at the Eurogamer Expo I wasn't
really expecting anything great from Downpour and after reading a few reviews such as
IGN's review of the game let's just say I wasn't going to buy it..like..ever lol.

After going through the Silent Hill forums of various sites though,the
fans seemed to have a different opinion of the game and most people said that it was
better than the train crash Homecoming. In fact some people have said "the scariest silent hill since silent hill 1!" and "the best silent hill since 2!" so after a while I gave in and decided to give it a chance.
Boy was that a mistake...

First off before all of you Downpour fans chase me with pitch forks I did actually enjoy the game, I had fun with it. Problem is though I couldn't help but feel that it was like some kind of parody game to the Japanese games that was made to just troll me all the way through.
Let me explain.
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
So we start off with the not so subtle scene with Murphy shanking some fat dude to death
in all of its dated unreal engine, texture popping glory (I can't stand that engine) and that first scene was like some cheesy B-movie flick and already we are far, far away from the opening sequences of the past games, not necessarily a bad thing I know, but in this case
it really really is.
Anyway, so after that we get all of the stern prison guard stares from 80's action films and we are onto the bus and on our way to Silent Hill.
So the first choice is the part where Anne Cunnigham is about to fall off the cliff and you get to choose to save her or leave her to fall. I chose to save her and she fell anyway -_- that annoyed me a bit.
So I moved on and got to the gas station where I could hear a well known track playing from Silent Hill 2 and I thought to myself that's kinda cool but man does it feel out of place in this game. The best track I've heard so far though to be honest...

I will say this though, I thought the atmosphere was great. I really liked the moody, wet and dank feeling like the way the air goes just before it starts to rain. That was a big tick in my book, also the tension when it starts to rain was kinda cool because you knew the
monsters were coming to get you.So I moved on and saw the wheelchair on the roof with the wheel still spinning, nice touch but haven't we already seen this in a hospital basement somewhere? Anyway, I must say I was never a fan of the screamers.
I always thought they looked a bit silly, but my first encounter with one was unnerving as I ran away and turned my head to see, it looked really messed up as it chased me through the fog.Then it did that lame scream soundwave attack and totally took me out of the game. It was like a guy stood next to me on the sofa and kept repeating "this is a video game! this is a video game! kill the immersion! kill the immersion!" (no I'm not crazy).

So that was my first real disappointment, apart from the god awful framerate issues which just to add, have STILL not been patched after 3 months.After killing the screamer with a handy wrench I set out to find the ticket for the sky-tram and bumped into Howard Blackwood only the second black character to be in a Silent hill game since Wheeler in
Homecoming.which was a stereo typical joke to be honest.

Howard is my favourite character in the whole game,he's subtle,mysterious and kind of charming in a very creepy way and he`s never properly explained which adds to the mystery.I enjoyed the whole scene with him and to add we had a creepy wheelchair man staring at Murphy through the window of a nearby house.I love that kind of stuff.

I went off into the diner where I heard another old Silent Hill track playing (one track was enough for me) and entered the otherworld for the first time.
Wow what a disappointment this was,it looks like Alice in wonderland a far cry from the rust and blood of old.We now have a colourful fun waterslide world wheeeeeeee! down we go!
make sure you don't get sucked up by the giant enemy crab! I mean vortex! black hole thingy! wheeeeee! okay now were done.

That was my first experience of the otherworld,how anyone can call that scary I don't know.
Off to Devils pit we go then.The worst area in the game in my opinion.
don't forget we are in DEVILS PIT! whoaaa scary stuff.
This is where everything fell apart for me,this is where we are introduced to the weeping bat creature which looks like it was taken straight out of ghostbusters or something else suitable for children.Its just not scary at all it reminds me of a marshmallow.

So I end up getting on a train ride near the end of the area where
something was included in the game which I thought was taken out for very good reason.
You guessed it! monocle man! where to start with this guy...."ENJOY THE RIDE MURPHY!"
mwahahahahaha! seriously? you guys seriously thought it was a good
idea to put this in the game? "were going back to silent hill 2" yeah I remember the giant head wearing a top hat in silent hill 2 that was one of the most scariest scenes ever...-_-

So I get off the train and i am completely bewildered by what I have just witnessed.
It started off so well.Kinda.
I get into Silent hill finally and little did I know the enemy design was about to get a whole lot worse.I bumped into what is known as a prisoner enemy,the most uninspired enemy design in the whole game.The only thing scary about these guys are their massive manly pecks running towards you which I suppose is kind of scary in a comical way.
It started to rain all of a sudden and I was surrounded by these body builders with no shirts and the only thing left to do was run,so I ran,looked back and i burst out laughing.
I had a row of these prisoner enemys all chasing me down the street and it was all just a bit too comical,I never expected I would be laughing about enemys in a silent hill game.
Yet here I was with the YMCA chasing me down the street.

I carried on through the game trying to find the DJ Ricks guy that you can hear through numerous radios placed around most of Downpour.
I ended up bumping into my favourite enemy of the game the Doll.They laugh,cackle and look disturbing exactly what I want in a silent hill game,something that was lacking up until this point some actual creepiness.
For me the best part of Downpour is how open world it is,I enjoyed exploring various buildings that in any of the previous silent hill games would of been cordoned off.
Its just a shame most of the side missions are rather boring and do nothing to enhance the story.

After killing some more Doll enemys I find DJ Ricks listening to some familiar out of place tunes again and oh for pity's sake...why does he have an afro? we are back to another stereo type again after doing such a good job with Howard.I don't know which is worse Ricks or Wheeler. Enemys smash threw the windows in a cheap B movie scare again during the cut-scene and im back in the other-world but this one doesn't have a water slide in =( this one does have a giant Alice in wonderland clock though! yippee! scary stuff.

The next area is the monastery,the best place in the game which contains one of my favourite parts where you mess around with a stage set where eventually you can walk straight into it like an alternate world *cough cough ORIGINS cough cough* but still enjoyed it.
Then the hammer-man shows up....
with his super hammer attack that smashes the floor raaaawrrrrr!
Is this supposed to be a pyramid head equivalent? a dude in a gas mask
and a trench coat with super hammer attacks? didn't i see this guy in resident evil 5?
I just cant get over just how lame it all is.
Im having fun with the game but at the same time its doing a big turd
all over the Silent hill legacy.There is nothing scary about this game.
I finished the game and I just thought to myself what on earth has
happened here.

People are actually claiming this to be as good as Silent Hill 2 the greatest horror game ever made (or maybe that's Fatal Frame).
I got the reversal ending i think its called and I had control over hammer-man for a while swinging it around like im playing super smash bros and then the game ended.
It was so abrupt and before I knew it I was sat watching the credits listening to Korn thinking
just what the hell happened to Silent Hill.
Then I watched the trailer for book of memories......I saw terrible things....
I saw a giant rock monster throwing boulders.....I saw enemy trees...I saw characters with goofy glasses it all just looked like a joke.
I know people are like yeah its a spin-off get over it but its so far from the source it shouldn't be silent hill.
I went back to playing SH3 on the PC just make sure that those were the games that started this franchise and not some programme like goosebumps.

Well there it is I just had to get it off my chest thanks for reading
and please don't rip me apart in the comments =)

Mod Edit: DO NOT POST UNMARKED SPOILERS
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Hydra666
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Hydra666 »

I understand your disappointment. It's a game that is (and wants) to be very different from the other ones. The monster design is bad and it kinda killed the game, I can't argue with that.

But I think playing Downpour with a nostalgic mind is like shooting yourself in the foot. I first played downpour expecting to feel nostalgic and to feel like I was playing a team silent SH game. It was a mistake.

But now I play and enjoy it as a different game with a different take on the series, and only the fact that it tried to preserve the survival horror genre (and succeeded gameplay wise) is enough for me to like the game.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by 19pack »

Hi there, I have a question about a Downpour video review but I didn't know where to post it - so I am sorry if this is the incorrect thread or if I missed an obvious one, but I didn't want to start a new thread for my question.

I'm trying to track down a video review a player did for Downpour quite soon after its US release - he was quite critical of the game and was very animated, mocking the sounds Murphy makes when chased and hit by the red vortex thing at the end of the review. I have tried googling to find it but I cannot for the life of me!

Does anybody recall this video? It was posted on N4G but I have trawled through the backdated reviews for Downpour and failed to find it again. Can anybody help me with the name of the reviewer, or if I've given enough description a link?

Many thanks and once again, apologies if this is posted in the wrong place.

EDIT: Never mind, I finally found it! http://phelous.com/node/1174 It's a bit similar to Twin Perfect (ie. a guy on a couch making fun) but more of an actual review and not analysis/'opinio-fact'
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by the konami code »

I was just trying to give it an 8th chance just a few minutes ago (since I paid almost $40 for it) and it's so terrible, that I just had to stop. I'm stuck at the devil's pit section which is pretty much the beginning of the game. I've been running around the same areas for about 2 hours in total and I've faced only one enemy (not counting the
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
prisoner the game makes you murder at the start
). It's just very very disappointing, slow, uninspired and not to mention the frame rate problem. It's more like a bland Alan Wake, if anything :(
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by wonder's boy »

The first part of Devil's Pit isn't all that amazing, I have to admit. Though, I found that it gets way better really quick.

Did you need help getting past something in that area? If so, you might search around the "Daddy...Help Me!" forum and post your questions there if you can't find answers to them.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by fudgestix »

The game picks up pace much more once you get through Devil's Pit, and its only really a very short area. The lack of monsters is mostly to ease you into the controls I think, they get a lot more frequent once you get into the mines onwards.

Maybe it still won't turn out to be your cup of tea, but I'd take Wonder's advice and get help so you can give the game a fair chance :)
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the konami code
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by the konami code »

Yea, my character just got out of the diner/house, after defeating the first official monster. I want to like it, because I literally LOVE this series (enjoy SHO and SHH), but bad frame rate and whacked out controllers settings (LT and X to fight) are a turn off. Also when I play I can't help but think about how much I'd rather be playing a different Silent Hill game.

...but if you say it picks up after Devils Pit. I'll give it another try. Thanks
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by pink_isnt_well000 »

I was not happy with Devils Pit really. It does get a lot better after that point though. A few of the side quests are better than that part of the game alone. Stick with it! I really don't understand how anyone could outright hate the game.
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the konami code
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by the konami code »

pink_isnt_well000 wrote:I was not happy with Devils Pit really. It does get a lot better after that point though. A few of the side quests are better than that part of the game alone. Stick with it! I really don't understand how anyone could outright hate the game.
I'll give it a few more tries and pray it picks up

I think I initially hated it because of all of the esthetics, I've come to love from Silent Hill games, are really not present in this game. I'm sure I'm just being biased, but I did buy this under the assumption that it would be reminiscent of the game before it. I'm sure once things pick up, I'll be sucked into it like all the otehr games...
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Glenn »

The actual town has a bit of a different vibe than the Devil's Pit area.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by thy_butcher »

I actually really enjoy the Devil's Pitstop area.
It reminds me greatly of the area where I live.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Hala »

Hydra666 wrote:But now I play and enjoy it as a different game with a different take on the series, and only the fact that it tried to preserve the survival horror genre (and succeeded gameplay wise) is enough for me to like the game.
This is how I tried to play the game too. I remember feeling disappointed that I did not feel the emotional depth like the type I experienced in Silent Hill 2. Also, when first arriving in SH there was the silly side quest involving the police cars, which confused and amused me. Having said that, later on in the game there were a good few times I actually felt quite "I don't think I want to walk down there, I'm scared to" nervous, which to me signals a great survival horror game for me personally. I also loved the discovery of the *cough cough spoiler* in the town too that was a nod to SH4.

Did any of you have problems picking up the last few first aid kits before the ending? I had absolutely none in my inventory but a few I did find appeared to be non-interactive. Now THAT made me nervous! :|
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by MuffinCraft »

I got the game simply from hearing 'if you liked Silent Hill 2, you'll like this one'. Well I LOVED Silent Hill 2.... and I really don't love Downpour. The story gets kind of muddled in my opinion after a while and all of those side quests feel extremely unfulfilling. There was only one side quest I liked, and if there was a reward to it... I never found it.

I was so happy to find the homage to Silent Hill 4, and immediately depressed when all it does is give you a med kit and a gun... there is literally nothing else to do. The save system is horrible, what's wrong with finding a save point? When the game started auto saving it drops the frame rates making the game chug along for a moment. I thought something was wrong with my PS3 until I watched a playthrough on YT to find that's actually normal for the game.

The monster designs are rather sad and none of the puzzles really make you think like the earlier Silent Hill games did (I only have 1, 2, and 4 to reference at the moment) and the end game has some uncalled for mechanics. I also loathe the ladder harpoon hook thing, I spent a good 30 minutes running around the town because I didn't know there was one of those stupid ladders to pull down.

All in all I wasn't really impressed with it. Not horrible... but not memorable either. I liked Murphy as a character, at least he had more personality than Henry (who I really really wanted to love like I do James). I also really enjoyed DJ Ricks and the Postman characters. Catching the snippets on the radios was a nice touch.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Silent Fantasy »

To me, the game had a decently unique atmosphere that gave off a dreary and dreamlike quality to it, mainly due to the murky look to the town and the games color pallette.

Murphy himself was very human, but not really memorable to me. "The Postman" was a good character that kept an air of mystery around him I havn't really seen in Silent Hill of late (excluding Shattard Memories). The other characters didn't do do anything for me, but I didn't hate them or dislike their presence. They were just kind of there.

The gameplay was hit and miss for me. The combat was repetive and uninteresting, znd was more of a hinderance than any kind of threat or being any kind of fun. The saving grace is that you rarely ever have to fight since it's incredibly easy to run away. The weapons breaking was never a huge concern since I naturally adopted the strategy of replacing my weapons constantly and hardly ever fighting. I think I only broke around 4 or 5 weapons in the game.
The side quest were too hard to find for me and there never seemed to be enough clues for them. It also made it difficult to know what you were supposed to be doing for the main story at times. I am one to explore too, and still only completed 1 or 2 side quests. The exploration itself was too open ended and dull to me. Spending much more time being lost in town than getting anything done was not enjoyable. The game lacked direction.

The controls felt weird at first, but they grew on me as any game does. And the story was intriguing enough to push foward. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and felt it had a bit more closure than past games.

Overall I found Downpour enjoyable and interesting, but the lack of direction and annoying monsters do turn me off. The game did good with having plenty of tense moments and atmosphere though, and I give it alot of credit for that.
But as unique as the game comes off with it's own atmosphere and design in general, I havn't been able to get myself to play it again since I beat it 2 days after release. It is a great installment in the series though, and regardless of my bi poler view on it, I do love it and see it as one of the better Silent Hill games.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by xGins »

I was really suprised, when i started playing this SH. It was sooooo different than all the other parts. I really loved it tho, i loved the changing scenery. There were some good mind***** aswell, which i totally loved. I thought Murphy was a very interesting character, with a different outtake on things.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Redklok »

I have been very disappointed so far this year by the abysmal products bearing the name Silent Hill (the movie, Vita game and the HD collection). Luckily Vatra games managed to make a decent product, so far as I have seen.

Been playing this game for a couple of days now and it's certainly a whole lot better then Homecoming, except for the music that is (although it's certainly not bad, it's quite boring compared to Akira Yamaoka's score). The story so far is quite intriguing, I really like the characters (best since SH 2) and I'm glad to see how they pictured the town.

There are some annoyances though, controls are quite sluggish, the monsters are plain so far and the game suffers from a lot of frame rate issues. All in all though, a major improvement since Homecoming, certainly on the point of creativity.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Redklok »

pink_isnt_well000 wrote:I was not happy with Devils Pit really. It does get a lot better after that point though. A few of the side quests are better than that part of the game alone. Stick with it! I really don't understand how anyone could outright hate the game.
Yeah the Devils Pitt part is quite disappointing.
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Re: Got Downpour? Want to share impressions? Post them here!

Post by Silent Fantasy »

^ You can use the 'Edit' button to add things to your previous post, but double posting isn't allowed.
As for Devil's Pit, I actually enjoyed that level. It was pretty tense for me, and that's a rarity these days. Very well done besides the very end of the cart ride (hated the face..).
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Post by KiramidHead »

Redklok wrote: it's certainly a whole lot better then Homecoming, except for the music that is (although it's certainly not bad, it's quite boring compared to Akira Yamaoka's score).
I've listened to the soundtrack, and there's a lot of good stuff there. It's just that a fair bit of it isn't in the game.
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Post by DistantJ »

I noticed some people saying they didn't understand the bogeyman's design... It's crime scene cleanup. The suit and the gas mask and stuff, it's all biohazard protection stuff, just all black and Silent Hillish.
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