Release Date: September 30, 2008
Developers: Konami
Rating: M for Mature
Synopsis: Homecoming’s story follows the nightmare turned real life of Alex Shepherd, a war veteran returning to his hometown of Shepherd’s Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his kid brother, Josh. From Shepherd’s Glen to the foggy streets of dreaded Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, it’s here that Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother’s disappearance, and confront the evil that takes hold of his own flesh and blood in the process.
The Muggle Review
Gameplay: 7/10
The great thing about the gameplay is that it reverts to an old school Silent Hill style. You are back to basics with just a knife, radio and flashlight for starters. This fits well with the storyline of the main character being ex-military and brings a little uniqueness to the series.
Fans of the series will also be happy that the game is dark, really dark, in theme and color. There aren’t many monster moments, but the darkness and storyline of the game will give you chills. This is great filler game for fans of survival horror. And playing it late at night, in the dark is a great way to play it. The first time playing it and a wheelchair looking old, rusted and just plain creepy flying at you from the top of rusty old stairs will freak you out whether you’d like to admit it or not.
The only major dowfall to the gameplay is that the entire game is short, really short. The only thing that extends the gameplay is that due to the coloring and the blending is done so well that as you play you miss a key switch or clue that is your objective. You literally smack yourself because you wander around looking for something that was right there the whole time.
Also, the fight sequences are again short and sweet if you know what to do. I litterally got stuck for hours attemping to get past the Schims at the police station because I didn’t realize a knife would work better than the shotgun due to certain hit areas. Yeah, I had to look it up. Once I figured this out the battle was really easy and I was on to the next.
Graphics: 8/10
When I day the game is dark, I don’t just mean storywise, but graphicwise as well. The design team did a wonderful job of bringing the game to life with its dark enviroments,and subtle changes of lighting when going from one reality to the other. All this and still keeping faithful to the original game.
This game is a little old, 2008, but it plays beautifully on an HD T.V. There are a few scenes where the characters body appears blocky, but it’s so minor if you aren’t paying close attention, you won’t notice. Overall, the graphics are beautifully done and really put you in the game, which these day a lot of games lack.
Audio: 9/10
The background music and sound effects really make the game stand out. At first, the music if the game sounds like the theme for Resident Evil 4, but quickly changes. The sound effects are dead on adding brilliantly to the effects of being in Silent Hill. The monster sounds get a little repetative, but still bring a pucker factor when you hear them but don’t see them yet.
Controls: 7/10
The game controls don’t take long to get used to, and once you do are rather easy to manipulate. A huge plus when trying to hack and slash freaky nurses trying to kill you. Above all, the over the shoulder poiNt of view helps with the manipulation and character control. Not many are fans of this style, but a first person pov just would’t work in this game.
Multiplayer: Not Optional
Overall: 8/10
Hands down this game is good. The only major downfall is that it is short and can get a little predictable at times. If you are a fan of the series or the genre you’ll want to add this one to the collection for the nostalgic midnight scare. Newer fans will enjoy being able to jump right into the story of Silent Hill without a ton of backstory. It’s a great game to get into if you are looking for a few thrills and chills and a quick game to play while waiting for say….Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City.
