Silent Hill: Downpour Review for Xbox 360

System: Xbox 360*, PS3
Dev: Vatra Games
Pub: Konami Digital Entertainment
Release: March 13, 2012
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

Fans will be happy to know the Otherworld returns, and fairly often too. The transition from the normal world to the more dangerous Otherworld is always fun to watch, even if it means you're about to be forced to do something that's decidedly not fun. Unfortunately, the way you'll be spending your time in the Otherworld is by running from a red light that chases you and drains your health. More often than not, these segments turn into frustrated chase sequences where you have to rely heavily on trial and error.

Silent Hill: Downpour Screenshot

Vatra made a smart move by pulling Downpour away from the more recent games in the series, like Homecoming and Shattered Memories. It never looks quite as good as, say, an Alan Wake or Dead Space, but there are some genuinely terrifying moments that are helped mostly by the well-designed world. It's obvious that quite a bit of love and effort went into crafting this game, because the amount of detail here is incredible. When you're outside, the town of Silent Hill is familiar, but different enough to still be intimidating to explore, especially due to the creatures that call it home. When you're indoors, it's easier to feel safer, but it's always a mistake to drop your guard. The claustrophobic corridors of a deserted subway system are just as dangerous as the wide-open streets of Silent Hill.

If you're a fan of Silent Hill, and particularly the first three games in the series, then there's a lot here you're going to like. For those unfamiliar with the series, this is a little more difficult to recommend, and that's mainly because of the frustrating, unrefined controls.

When I first heard that Vatra was handling development of Silent Hill: Downpour, I wasn't entirely convinced. Now that I've played through it twice, I can say without a doubt that this is the path Silent Hill needs to continue to take, because it has that old school survival horror flavor that fans, including myself, have been clamoring for since 2003.

By
Adam Dodd
Contributing Writer

@BabyColada
Date: March 14, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.2

Graphics
It's not the best looking game out there, but the wet new style works for the series.

3.5

Control
The combat is awkward and clumsy, and often makes the fights more frustrating than they should be.

4.5

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Daniel Licht had big shoes to fill when longtime series composer Akira Yamaoka left, but his score matches some of Yamaoka's best work.

4.1

Play Value
The side quests pad the game's length and offer an incentive to return once you've beaten the game.

4.2

Overall Rating - Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Using the Unreal 3 engine, Downpour stands with the best visually, and the new look is a twist on the series' trademark atmosphere.

Free-roaming and deep exploration that takes players into all-new side quests' unlocking areas within the game, special items, and bonus content.

An always-changing game world, including day and night, Normal world and Otherworld, all manifested and sourced from character actions throughout the game.

First-time ever 3D technology brings Silent Hill a step closer to the player with three-dimensional immersion.

Soundtrack scored and directed by renowned composer for the Dexter TV series, Daniel Licht.