I completely agree with you about seemingly random set pieces in games that are scary but out of place. To borrow a quote and modify it, when things like this are placed in a game like SH or RE, you’re no longer going through a world, you’re being taken on a tour. You’re not a tortured survivor, you’re a guest in a haunted house.
Agreed. At least in RE Revelations 2, there's an in-story reason, with it being Alex's Spooky Haunted Island Fear Virus Experience. Doesn't make it good, but does contextualize it (and the devs could make some KILLER environments, the last area of the final episode in that game has atmosphere so good you could cut the tension with a knife).
Nonsense, youre always being taken on a tour in these games as the settings are often half the point of the games. Theres nothing wrong with set pieces, they just have to *fit* the setting and not be too over the top, with the sh2 burning hotel being an excellent set piece that fits perfectly. I think you guys are kinda doing some mental gymnastics with rose tinted glasses here.
It's a good review, and I mostly agree, but you made a mistake to choose to skip the side-quest after the first few. I get it, and the first few are a bit mediocre, but they absolutely do get better and end up being by far the best part of the game. Specifically, I was a big fan of the Gramophone, Movie Theater, House of Mirrors, Dead Man's Hand, Apartment Puzzle and Ribbons side-quests. The problem is nearly every single one of these are in the second half of the game (after the Radio Tower location), so if you gave up on side-quests after the first few you did miss in my opinion the highlight of the game. I don't think that invalidates your opinion and I understand your stance to not care and skip them, just a bit of a shame.
This once again hearkens back to his perception that the team was a tad incompetent. Just like with every other media, you, as a creator of such things, should know that you need to hook the audience through a good first impression. If you have to play a couple hours before it gets good, then it's bad game design, period.
Downpour is super frustrating because i see a good game in here somewhere. i like the idea of a more open ended town and i even kinda like the idea of side-quests. it's just almost everything else that brings it down. the monster design is HORRENDOUS and the controls are god awful (the old games had clunky controls but they are a 'you get used to it' kinda clunky). The new controls are just badly designed. BTW lookin forward to that Silent Hill announcement tomorrow man :D
For anyone curious about the music composer for SHD (since Jared forgot to credit him), it's Daniel Licht. He's composed for the full series of Dexter and before that a few horror movies in the 90s. Apparently he died a few years ago RIP
Speaking of the 3D implementation... The game never felt blurry while playing it with it enabled. Which leads me to believe that the game suffered from a severe visual hit because it's compensating for the increased hardware requirements of rendering the same image twice for the effect. Resistance 3 ran at 950x544 for this exact same reason. Another observation: If this is the case, then with or without the 3D toggle, the game is still running as if you had enabled it. Killzone 3 had a 3D option and if you disable it, the game runs at 720p, and enabling it gives you something around 680x720 or something like that, with a small hit to LOD, foliage and post-processing effects. My suspicion is that Konami pushed this on Vatra and they really didn't know how to implement it.
I also heard (I can't recall the video) that the team overestimated the PS3's capabilities with the polygon count in some areas. This game was destined to fail from the beginning.
From what I recall, Downpour actually has 2 things that determine your ending: the moral choices, as well as whether you finished off all the monsters or merely downed them, so it's not ENTIRELY determined by the moral choices.
Still the moral choices are a real pain in the ass. I would have preferred it better if they only applied that down element that you talked about but giving straightaway moral choices alongside with that is a pain in the ass. Also, the way sh2 did this thing was much more genius than simply if you kill or don't kill an enemy or make moral choices.
I believe completing side quests contributes to your moral score as well. It's been quite a long time since I played this game though so I don't exactly remember if this was the case or not.
@@samtepal3892 A year late to the party, but the moral choices tie into the themes of guilt and judgement in Downpour. You take the place of the judge in these segments, and even though your choices don't affect the outcome of situations like JP Sater, they reflect Murphy's ideas about justice and forgiveness. While I do agree that the concept of moral choices in games is for the most part superficial, it does tie in to the game thematically.
Avalanche Reviews Sure thing. I think it’s a sign of elevated tastes. Designs that portray a world with genuine vitality and purpose evokes so much more meaning. Elements placed in an environment for a superficial emotional response are hollow and take away from a deeper sense of narrative. I know many may say, “it’s just a video game” but why not make that video game world as deep and purposeful as possible. It’s much more rewarding and emotionally impacting than shallow momentary set dressing.
Avalanche Reviews Want to know what the main problem for the devs was that caused a ton of the gameplay and presentation issues? The devs had to use a game engine they didn’t know how to use. I’m not joking. When SH: Downpour first launched, the game was so broken that it was unplayable all because the devs didn’t know how to use the game engine. Just be happy you played the game after the devs patched it.
@@AvalancheReviews Just like Homecoming. *Halfway through the game" "Hey, a nurse! Well at least they aren't those scissor limb monsters. I no damaged them when I first started. This will be eas... why do I hear boss music?" Btw, love the content!
I suggest taking a look at Matt McMuscles' "What happened?" video for this game. Essentially, Konami chose a no-name Czech studio to try and make an SH game as cheaply as possible. To Vatra's credit, they had some neat ideas, but didn't have the time, budget, or expertise to pull them off.
@@CabezasDePescado I have a feeling the new silent hill games are gonna be just as terrible! Only game that had a true successful rate was P.T that game looked phenomenal
@@tylertheguy3160 Shattered Memories is the only Silent Hill game from this era that I loved and it's one of my favorite Silent Hill games. It might even be one of my favorite video games of all time.
Yeah, definitely not the best. I guess they would look fine in the context of some other horror game, but when you're playing SH, you have certain expectations.
I kinda like Boogey tho I agree with the others He’s the monster that represents those whom wrong us and torment us in life and we see he takes that form for many different people His design doesn’t have personal flourishes because he is the archetypal antagonist, different to the other monsters within the series
Literally the worst monster designs. The mannequin one was really cool however. The screaming lady one is alright but the humanoid prisoner enemies are total dogshit and uninspired.
You're super on point with "Things need a *reason* to be there." I direct horror movies (mostly) for a living and this sort of stuff always comes up for me, even in my sillier flicks, and I always notice it in other horror be it games or movies. Whatever thing is wherever it is, WHY is it there. I don't even care how silly or over the top the answer is, but there *has* to be AN answer in universe. If it is at all just "It's spooky" then it has entirely failed.
That’s common sense though, I don’t see how directing horror movies somehow gives you a higher perspective on that sort of thing. If anything, that genre is where logic gets thrown out of the window in favor of a scary or shocking moment.
@@JohnVmc2 Supernatural stories can be great allegories to process real life phenomena for both creators and audience - especially if it involves painful and difficult realities lile grief, death, loneliness, social rejection/isolation, addiction, destructive unconscious drives, etc.
@@misaeltoral508 The dude didn't claim to have a higher perspective, just said it's something he comes to see often. I think we all agree that things have to have a reason to be. Yes, in horror logic can be thrown out of the window as you said, but there's still an "in universe" logic to all of it.
As my first SH game, the story was great. And everything you said about exploring the world only served to immerse me more. I felt all the things you felt. But that's just how it'd be in that situation irl
This game was okay my biggest problem with it was that it didn’t have very creative or varying enemy designs but if you would have done all the side quests you would have gained access to the Subway Tunnels and after that traversing the city is much easier however I never had trouble exploring and finding my way back anyways but with the Subway Tunnels it’s easier and faster
Very true. The enemy designs aren't just bad for SH standards, they are some of the worst designs in any triple A title. It had a lot going for it. Some of the side missions were very atmospheric, unique, and were better than the main content. If they fixed the poor framerate, horrible enemy designs, and the inconsistent graphics. I think downpour could've been the best game since the Team Silent era.
Great review! The shit graphics, performance and glitches reminds me a lot of alone in the dark from the same generation. I guess that's kind of survival horror. You should review that at some point haha
This was the first SH game I ever played. I never got into the original ones but when I saw TheRadBrad playing it I wanted to go through it and I loved it. I’ve since played the whole series, and even though I know the first 3 are definitely better games, I can’t help but leave this one as my favorite.
It's a shame Downpour never got a PC port but given the trends of the time it could've easily been an Arkham Knight tier mess. 360 and PS3 could barely handle it. As far as games go I got about as far as the dilapidated section of town with the patrol cars stalking you before I got frustrated and gave up. Some decent concepts screwed by poor execution.
Always know it's gonna be a good day when a new Avalanche Retrospective comes out!!!! Downpour was a fairly decent game in its own right (I guess), but in terms of being a SILENT HILL installation it's a downright garbage fire!!!Thanks for doing what you do Jared!!!! Great Job!
They kinda retcon the town as well, making it more like the silent hill town from the movies than the original videogame town. It had potential but was very average. Had its moments but overall it was subpar
I can imagine there being stuff regarding puzzles or sections of the game that could work with the whole prison/water dynamic. Like having certain parts that require a lockpick, to undo the locks on caged up areas to other areas of the otherworld, a part that involves wading or even swimming through water, heck, you could even design a boss that could try to ambush you in a rusty, grimy shower room, that's been flooded with water up to your knees, which could also be a nod to several cases involving inmates either in showers, or just getting the jump on one another.
The DJ was supposed to be another prisoner. The point of downpour IMO is that the town itself IS the prison. While music may not calm the 'town' during times of unrest music can be used to soothe people.
That doesn't defend the concept. Its obvious. And weak. And not flesh out or even implied to be deeper. Prison is the only symbolism this game understands, thats exactly the problem
My favorite thing about Downpour's story is that it has the guilt formula plot, but Murphy's story sort of concludes at the halfway point, and then the rest is you playing through the police officer's story essentially, it's cool that you almost have a reversal of the Eddie story from SH2, where you can succumb to your vengeance and the story can conclude without you.
I think the thing with Revelations 2 looking scary for the sake of being scary is that the virus through the whole game is centered around making people feel fear. Not that it's perfect but it does have a reason to exist plot-wise
Never played the game, but I love the rainstorm theme of Silent Hill, and given the idea of every post-Team Silent SH just remaking SH2, it makes sense for a new person with a troubled past to have a weather phenomenon reflect their trauma in some way rather than constant fog, like how Shattered Memories had a snowy theme and this one being all about rain. Makes me wonder, assuming Silent Hills was going to be a SH2 remake, what Kojima would’ve done per his artistic vision after PT. Downpour is definitely the best of the western SHs though, for what that’s worth.
Personally, I enjoyed Downpour as a Silent Hill game. Maybe it's because Silent Hill 2 is my favorite horror game of all time, but Downpour was the first game since Silent Hill 4 that actually felt like it used the series premise correctly. While Origins and Homecoming copied the most popular elements and Shattered Memories was fun but disconnected psychological drama, Downpour adapted the core ideas to serve its narrative. Familiar elements like wayward characters and a Pyramid Head stalker don't feel hamfisted and make the town feel as foreboding and overbearing as it did in the past. I do agree that some parts are sloppy in execution, and Team Silent would have come up with better ideas, but I can appreciate the effort Vatra put in. It's easy to see why Downpour is considered the best of the post Team Silent era, but it doesn't capture the same brilliance of the first 4 games. If Konami really wants to do Silent Hill justice, then they need to find developers as passionate as Team Silent and Vatra to an extent who understands what made those games great and collaborate on a single vision.
Downpour wasn't that bad. If you haven't played it, be sure to read a guide on getting the Indian Tomahawk. It is one of those items that you can miss if you don't do certain quests at certain times. Once you do get it, it is the best weapon in the game and highly amusing. I think they were unable to do the animation for a Tomahawk flying end over end, so it sorta just floats over to the enemy and hits them upside the head. It made me chuckle every time.
Hi Jared! In your video, you've asked "who QA-ed this game?". Actually, I knew some guys who tested this game back in the days when we worked togheter in Testronic. And as far as I know these guys and the way they playtest games, I can assure you it was reported. You can ask "so, why it's still in the game?". From my expirience as a QA-tester in outside company, I say this: developers can pass trough some major shit and they don't ask if you like it or not. Many players thinks that if the game has bugs, it wasn't playtested enough. From my point of view, it's exactly opposite, game was tested, but the devs for some unknown reason decided to put it on the gold. Sorry if this sounds like some mad rambling, I'm just easliy triggered by shitting on QA, knowing how hard and ungreatful work it is. TL:DR Don't blame the QA, blame the developer/publisher as they decide what fix!
Interesting! To be totally honest with you, I thought games were QA tested in house. I didn't know there were outside companies offering that service. That's interesting as hell! Well, I'm happy to be corrected on that front. Thanks for the correction.
I tried this game a few times and never liked it. Until this year that is. Finally gave it another try, and was blown away with the town, and exploring, and the side missions. Definitely a must play, or a must try and play a few times over many years until it clicks and you fall in love
A quick bit of advice for anyone who is interested in playing this game. Play this game on xbox one, the game has a hugely improved performance compared to 360/PS3. (There are still issues but playing the game backwards compatibility is significantly better performance wise than playing it on original hardware)
Lando Brown one of three issues. 1) America doesn’t allow you to buy the game digitally. 2) You have a Pal region or ntsc-j disk. 3) you have a Pal region or ntsc-j console.
I have the disc for Ps3, which use to work great, now the absolute mint disc won't read for some reason (super slim ps3)? Anyway, is it possible I could change the country on my xbox and get it that way? Just a big shot in the dark, but maybe?
I loved the SH series up to part 3. I played The Room and a bit of Homecoming... but it wasn't my thing. I'm glad you're doing these retrospectives, they take away a feeling of missing out (cause I did not play all of the series releases) without having to endure some terrible hours myself. That, plus the most incredible voice on the webs makes you a saint. A wicked one, but hey: wicked saints are the bestest xD
Awesome review, friend! I played through this game a couple of years ago and mildly enjoyed it for what it was. I got past the wonky combat by ignoring the blocking mechanics and just went ape shit on everything.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, I was originally very interested in the open world concept of it, it was a shame to realize that the entire city looked the same, plus the side quests did really suck. Now the child characters, that was just the cherry on top.
I believe that concept you struggled to nail down is verisimilitude: the believability of the work. It's a very interesting concept that you should read up on. Overdone cliches, out-of-character actions, and obvious symbolism can all break verisimilitude.
Yay, new SH Retrospective! I can't believe this game runs so poorly and wait... did he really say a Korn song plays during the intro? *looks it up* Omg it does that is hilarious
The Korn announcement was probably the only time SH fans universally came to a consensus and shat their collective pants without any infighting. It was hilarious.
Korn is a perfectly fine band, if you were ever cool youd already know that. Now thats not to say they didnt lose thier minds and get heavily involved with and trying to leach off the hype of a lot of very bad video games including Haze. I guess when youre broke and famous 20$ to show up in a haze documentary and eat shit infront of a camera is 20$
This review is so buttery smooth and to the point... it knows exactly how I felt about the game and even knew a few things about the game that I couldn't word appropriately myself.
I'd settle for another Arcade shooter with a weak story and horrendous VA's but fun combat over anything whoever standing in the crater named Konami would come up with. I also find it funny how the fourth game (which wasn't meant to be a SH game) was more of a SH game than anything that came out since. This includes the comics and movies.
This was my very first silent hill game. I git it as a kid and it scarred me into the fearless adult I am now. I am so grateful for this game and can't wait to finally play the rest of the series. I personally appreciate the way I started the silent hill games because the other games are more thought out and work well with the fact that I'm older now.
If you ever want to give the game a second chance, play the 360 version, or the Xbox One X or Series X BC versions for the a far better experience. The game was optimized for the 360 and lazily ported to PC and PS3. The backwards compatibility of the Xs further increase the experience with higher resolutions and more consistent frame rate. I quite enjoyed the game, but I played it on the X.
Ah yes. Fun to watch the conversation on this title in SH groups go back and forth as time goes on. "It's not that bad!" seems to be popular consensus. I really didn't care for it, but the more I learn about how hard the devs tried, I'm not as harsh on it in conversations. (this is just an algorithm boosting comment before my lunch break and I can finally watch)
Thank you for reviewing the SH series I love anything SH and I enjoyed your presentation of all the games in the series even the arcade ones keep making great videos ❤️
I have great memories of playing the first couple chapters of this game years ago at a friends, and have always wondered if revisiting it would be worth it. Thanks for being brutally honest and saving me the time!
As time passes I find myself looking back at Unreal engine titles with more and more derision. Everything looks the same, feels the same and just has the same issues.
I miss the time back when 95% of dev teams made their own engines for their IPs rather than to use pre-existing ones. I'm guessing it has to do with: time, budget & laziness.
@@Leonard_Wolf_2056 my feelings exactly DMC even fell victim to the sea of Unreal Engine games with DmC But eventually redeemed themselves with the almighty RE Engine
The other world in Downpour is basically a spooky house, it even has the red light of SH2's spooky house, and all that segment was a parody of the cheap horror stuff XD it seems that they didn't get the joke of that part
If someone doesn't judge this game as an installment in the series but its own product then it's actually really good in a fun sense. The side missions had many different elements and made up half of the time spent going about the town. The fact that you barely discussed the storytelling involving the side missions goes to show that you only care about rubbing up on nostalgias ass cheeks instead of artistically judging someone's creation. I'm not sucking the games hole or being a shill but HONESTLY it felt like a breath of fresh air given it was a self contained narrative that also gave us something new to experience. It's honestly my favorite one in the SERIES for how different and FUN it was. I enjoyed the side missions and that alone made the game worth it for me but you wouldn't know about that.
This game was really good. I was disappointed with the monsters but that aside, the story and gameplay was great. All the side character stories and side quests were intriguing to me. The better SH game after silent hill 3. If you love silent hill, you should really give this one a shot.
Same. Got good memories playing it back in the day (which is the best you can do when playing a game, play it when it comes out, in its context). I agree its not the best SH game but after homecoming, this was a ver good one. 0 fan service, interesting story, very creepy atmosphere that makes you feel alone in a unknown place, great sidequests, interesting story... And as far as I remember, I never had such a bad performance while playing it
R.I.P. DJ Ricks. I really enjoyed him communicating with us over the radio, and the music he played. Any idea why he was in Silent Hill?, or why he was there?
It ran slightly less shit on the 360, but just barely. My least favorite gameplay "feature", was the roaming squad cars that spawned enemies. I actually found myself wishing for the gameplay from Homecoming.
Yeah, I ended up solving the puzzle at the police precinct early on, so I didn't have to deal with them much. Just the idea of it, is insanely dumb though.
Im giving you props for the thumbnail that looks almost like the painting "Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X" by the Irish artist Francis Bacon, who was such an interesting artist.
Im sure you have your own schedule and list of games to dive into. But just as a friendly recommendation I would love to hear your retrospective on the Evil Within series as well as Alien Isolation :) Love your work, thanks for the awesome content that's gotten me through a few days of work so far lol
As a fan of the old RE games (my intro to RE was RE2 on the 64), I was terrified to play the game. I have actually never run so much from enemies during the first part of the game!
Man, do I love your reviews! If you asked me to name a reviewer who is as comprehensive, thoughtful and relatable as you, I'd have to think hard for quite a bit. I think you should do a review of, well, every game ever.
Weird thought this was the best looking sh game , side quests were the best thing about the game , my least favorite thing is the monsters and the inventory system
Yea, the review felt a bit nit picky at times, I certainly agree with somethings but Im all about the creative thought processes put in to it, much like I would a fun B movie and in that regard I thought it was a lot of fun.
2020 is the Otherworld we are going through! Full of twists, turns and torture! I like the openness of the map, the atmosphere and the sidequest! This was one of the non Team Silent I enjoyed!
Awesome! I was going to ask if you were going to do this game since I had been watching your Silent Hill Retrospective. Looking forward to checking this out
Ghrae I think I got it. I’m not sure about it, but since I played it and it came out at a time I did not rant inch games anymore.... but I’m not home and my Xbox games are all boxed in so hard to check
I think this review was unnecessarily harsh at times tbh. The side quests were actually great and sometimes heartbreaking (I'm thinking of the ribbons one) and definitely added atmosphere. Side quests don't always have to give great items, I think they can be used to build the world and atmosphere. I didn't find myself getting lost either, you just need to pay attention. It definitely had faults (lagging at times, poor monster variety/design) but this review gave me the impression you'd decided to hate the game early on and nothing was going to change your mind on it.
What you described about the issues with the art design is similar to The Evil Within. A lot of just "horror" for its own sake vs any cohesive atmosphere or reasoning for it. It breaks immersion bc it feels like a video game rather than a place that exists within its own rules
For ew it makes more sense since you are literally inside some psycho's twisted mind. But there were some parts that were not very believable even for that environment
Amazing review Jared! About the performance, have tried playing this game on the Xbox one? I've heard that almost all performance related issues are fixed thanks to the backwards compatibility
I only managed to play through this game recently and well I absolutely enjoyed it ,yeah there are performance issues but I had none nowhere near as bad as made out in this retrospective. The combat I found significantly better then homecoming as it was a hell of a lot lore intentional and I found it nailed the overall atmosphere especially while traversing through town 👌
Did you played it on the XOne or in the 360/PS3? Also, his complains must be mainly cause this game is ridiculous on the PS3. The game itself isn't really beautiful, but when you play it on the PS3, man.....
Hey Jared, big fan of this and your RE Retrospective (also Snatcher, I know you have an eye for that too, even though I don't think I could find a review for it on your channel) My question is this, and sorry if you've already answered it but what is your opinion on Deadly Premonition? Is it an example of a game with an engaging story can supercede bad gameplay or do you think it's complete garbage that could have been something significant? I teeter somewhere in the middle but lean more towards the former. Anyway keep doing a good job man, agree with your comments on Downpour for the most part but still enjoyed it back in the day as the console peasant I was and still am. Have a good day! 👌
Hi there! I've actually never played Deadly Premonition (if you can believe that). I do plan on taking a look at it sometime soon, but I'll have to get back to you once I;ve actually tried it out.
Right now it’s June 15,2021 and the time is 12:14AM. I’m rocking My 7 month old daughter to sleep. (She’s being fussy) We are in the living room with all the lights off (and my iPhone’s brightness lowered) and I’m watching this video. Also, I’m using my earbuds to listen.Jared I can put my iPhone face down, and picture everything you’re saying in my head. Thank you for keeping me entertained while I rock my daughter to sleep in the dark while it’s a little past midnight!
The section about graphics and presentation is completely unfounded. Worst graphics of 360 generation is such a ridiculous statement. This game looks really good for its time. Compare it to titles of the same era and it looks better in alot of instances. I think you need to be more aware of what games actually looked like from that time period
He reviewed it on the ps3, not the 360, when I played it on the ps3 and just looked at my in game map to only return to gameplay, Murphy’s outfit literally had to load every time. Yes other games looked worse but the constant pop ins this game did made it the worst looking game in the ps3’s generation at that time.
25:26 That wasn't a glitch,Jared, those monsters are just the few that knew better ;D Jokes aside though, even looking at 2010s games like Rocket Knight and Castlevania, it just really feels like Konami was more interested in chasing popular western gaming trends of the time over respecting their legacy or fans, or making, ya know, good games. I wouldn't be surprised if things like the big moral choice button prompts and balance beam sections weren't ideas from the original devs, but from the big wigs running Konami trying to cram as many trends as possible in for the mainstream audience
The concept of a large explorable environment reminds me of The Evil Within 2. That game proves that open-world gameplay can work in a survival horror game.
@@12ealDealOfficial you absolutely should! The Evil Within 2 is such an underrated horror gem and definitely my second favorite horror game of the generation only behind RE2
I also think Homecoming is a little better. I really didn't like Licht's score (too reminiscent of an American television score), and the presentation is poor both technically and artistically. Glad you pointed out the constant jitter and stuttering. It was BAD on release day. Had some weird collision bugs too; sometimes Murphy would fall through the ground or enemies would glitch through walls. Homecoming had better monsters, music, and was less distractingly "fun-housey," which I know people say a lot about Downpour, but it's true. And is Bobby Ricks receiving phone calls from Silent Hill? What's the voice on the other side? How does the town know how to use a phone? Then the postman lore... wow. But I'll also say, in Downpour's defense, that it feels 90s/ early 00s in tone. The Rubber Johnny monster is probably the best post Team- Silent designed thing in the franchise, even if it's straight cribbed from Chris Cunningham. I also liked its homages to The Fugitive. In a weird way, it was like Vatra was trying to make a game that felt like the Japanese were cribbing from the west in the same way Team Silent did originally, only the directors of Downpour were actually western. It was a weird but admirable move. But the rest of the game is trash. I didn't like the puzzles, and the endings contradict the story, which you mentioned. Please, do Book of Memories!
The big difference between DP and HC is that HC at least tried. Whoever made this didn't try for a similar look/feel and didn't care.... Yet they still loosely copied SH2 in some major ways in the plot
I always enjoy your reviews/retrospectives because of how real you are when you write these. Its definitely a contrast from Nitrorads opinion of Downpour but I give you kudos for diving really deep into it despite your impression of It. Looking forward to your next one which I'm a little curious what SH game it is.
Back in 2012 I bought this game and remembered hating the monster selection more so then anything else. They felt so blah. Like they didnt try. 2012 was an interesting year though, we got alot of Resident evil: 6, operation racoon, damnation, revelations and retribution. Silent hill: HD collection, down pour, book of shadows and finally that terrible film. Was a very interesting year in media. That's all.
Does anyone notice something that every horror-themed games in the 8th Gen. is starting to fall-apart? Silent Hills got cancelled, Last of Us 2 is being bombed by comments after a "certain" leak (keep it safe, guys), Agony was released to negative reviews, and so is Nightcry as well... I know there's a few that made it out well, but...I don't know.
lol Never really came to mind, but now that you say that the monsters do look generic; in the sense that they don't stand out or are as memorable as previous entries.
You’re the first person I’ve ever heard that the community had been calling this game the SH game to save the new generation of SH games. Or whatever you said you had heard. I’ve always heard way more negative than positive on this game. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I know it’s not a good game.
Likewise, when he mentioned in the Homecoming review that he’d be looking at one of the more relatively positive viewed games of the western releases I was like ??? But we already did SM?? I’d love to know who enjoys this one, it was unfortunately such a mess ):
Just play Silent Hill 1-4, some of the Silent Hill games after Team Silent disbanded are just not the same. And unless we get a Silent Hill game that is as good as the original 4 games, then Silent Hill (the franchise) is dead...
Man I suppose I'm in the minority but I'll take homecoming over this game all day long I think the amount of exploration you could do in this game was actually pretty neat, but the overall design aesthetic wasn't very interesting,the enemy variety and design was awful, the otherworld segments in the stupid chase segments were awful. The controls were wonky, combat was wonky. The game was buggy. And it wasn't very scary. the story was okay but it really did feel like it was trying to take a lot from silent Hill 2. I beat the game but I would never play it again
As boring and predictable as Homecoming was, I have to disagree. At least Downpour had originality where Homecoming was a recycled mess of the same game in the series.
@@OnePrintMan I'll give you a like for your civil discourse. But I have to stand my ground lol I find downpour to be not just a buggy mess of jank. But just as unoriginal in many aspects. As mentioned enemy design is limited and lackluster. Probably the worst in the series (basic zombie looking dudes and just a couple of uninspired looking monsters), and a story that's just half silent Hill 2 including it's own pyramid head ripoff. Although homecoming straight up fanservices pyramid head right in there too so... I think the exploration and side quests were still it's best trump cards over homecoming, which was linear as far as exploring the town went. Either way I'd rather just replay 2 and 3 over basically any others in the series anyway lol
Needing to nitpick the DJ being able to use a phone, but not feeling the same way about Heather receiving the happy birthday phone call is hypocritical. Also telling people not to play this game even if it seems interesting to them is such a lame gate-keeping mentality, and quite antithetical to fandom.
A, Heather received a call from an actual person, on a working telephone. The DJ got a call from the town itself on a phone that didn't work, where it warned him that it's coming. No equivalence there. B, I recommended people not play a game that I didn't like very much. That wasn't a fucking order. People are free to enjoy what they want. C, Recommending people not play a game that I thoroughly did not enjoy isn't gatekeeping. It's called reviewing the fucking video game. At the end of a review, would you rather me shrug my arms and say "just do what you want"? Maybe leave reviewing games to me, and I'll leave the job of making unintelligent comments, to you.
Avalanche Reviews lmfao show me on the doll where my comment hurt your fee fees so much meathead :). I find it hilarious that you consider yourself a “SH fan” but can’t grasp the concept of the ambiguity of the town itself, needing to apply real world logic to SH defeats the purpose of SH and just leads me to believe how little you actually understand it. But hey man I appreciate how mad you got at a stranger’s comment on the Internet, that has given me quite the chuckle. I’ll leave the reviews to the “professional reviewer” who cut his teeth on the TH-cam floor lmfao.
@@AvalancheReviews I'm sorry I just really need to add another comment as to how funny your response was, like geez man you can't have the slightest bit of criticism sent your way without exploding into expletives at someone who didn't even insult you? Are you 12? BY THE WAY, I just looked up the SH3 scene to make sure I'm not crazy, it's a freaking PAY PHONE INSIDE OF A SCHOOL LOCKER. What on earth makes you think that phone is logically hooked up to a phone line and working? LMFAO you basically just revealed your blatant blindness to fanboyism if you honestly believe that is a plausible "working phone" Holy shit I mean I knew you were a blind SH fanboy, but now I actually have proof! Lmfao
@@AvalancheReviews Hey guys remember when we used to use those payphones that were arbitrarily placed inside of school lockers and how well they worked? Good times! Hey man if you need a hug let me know, you seem like you could use one ;)
Hey Jared, you know what's funnier than me owning you with SH facts and then you refusing to respond to me? You acting like it didn't happen in a separate video :) I thought dudes with muscles weren't supposed to be gaping pussies.
Shattered Memories isn't only one of the best SH games I've played, for it's genre it's one the best overall! I'll never forget the ending (or the one I got)... no spoilers but it's sublime! I played on Wii, so the controller made the static noise to replicate holding the radio, and it became a key part of the experience. I recall it starting a little slow, but I'm so glad I stuck with it! Downpour... I haven't played. Same with Homecoming. They're usually on sale for $0.50-3.00 though.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 87 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องชัย vs โชคปรีชา"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YN6e7HVnekw/mqdefault.jpg)
I completely agree with you about seemingly random set pieces in games that are scary but out of place. To borrow a quote and modify it, when things like this are placed in a game like SH or RE, you’re no longer going through a world, you’re being taken on a tour. You’re not a tortured survivor, you’re a guest in a haunted house.
Agreed. At least in RE Revelations 2, there's an in-story reason, with it being Alex's Spooky Haunted Island Fear Virus Experience. Doesn't make it good, but does contextualize it (and the devs could make some KILLER environments, the last area of the final episode in that game has atmosphere so good you could cut the tension with a knife).
Nonsense, youre always being taken on a tour in these games as the settings are often half the point of the games. Theres nothing wrong with set pieces, they just have to *fit* the setting and not be too over the top, with the sh2 burning hotel being an excellent set piece that fits perfectly. I think you guys are kinda doing some mental gymnastics with rose tinted glasses here.
it works fine for RE. the whole universe is a funhouse. Silent Hill depends on more cerebral themes
holy cringe
It's a good review, and I mostly agree, but you made a mistake to choose to skip the side-quest after the first few. I get it, and the first few are a bit mediocre, but they absolutely do get better and end up being by far the best part of the game. Specifically, I was a big fan of the Gramophone, Movie Theater, House of Mirrors, Dead Man's Hand, Apartment Puzzle and Ribbons side-quests. The problem is nearly every single one of these are in the second half of the game (after the Radio Tower location), so if you gave up on side-quests after the first few you did miss in my opinion the highlight of the game. I don't think that invalidates your opinion and I understand your stance to not care and skip them, just a bit of a shame.
Ay, its the leakerman. Are you hyped for the ps5 event?
This once again hearkens back to his perception that the team was a tad incompetent. Just like with every other media, you, as a creator of such things, should know that you need to hook the audience through a good first impression. If you have to play a couple hours before it gets good, then it's bad game design, period.
Downpour is super frustrating because i see a good game in here somewhere. i like the idea of a more open ended town and i even kinda like the idea of side-quests. it's just almost everything else that brings it down. the monster design is HORRENDOUS and the controls are god awful (the old games had clunky controls but they are a 'you get used to it' kinda clunky). The new controls are just badly designed.
BTW
lookin forward to that Silent Hill announcement tomorrow man :D
can u stream again ry
Agree, the side-quests are the best of this game
For anyone curious about the music composer for SHD (since Jared forgot to credit him), it's Daniel Licht. He's composed for the full series of Dexter and before that a few horror movies in the 90s.
Apparently he died a few years ago RIP
Just looked him up and his IMDB page says he died in 2017
@@Radek9315 edited to reflect that lol
He did the music for the Dishonored series too.
Speaking of the 3D implementation... The game never felt blurry while playing it with it enabled. Which leads me to believe that the game suffered from a severe visual hit because it's compensating for the increased hardware requirements of rendering the same image twice for the effect. Resistance 3 ran at 950x544 for this exact same reason.
Another observation: If this is the case, then with or without the 3D toggle, the game is still running as if you had enabled it.
Killzone 3 had a 3D option and if you disable it, the game runs at 720p, and enabling it gives you something around 680x720 or something like that, with a small hit to LOD, foliage and post-processing effects. My suspicion is that Konami pushed this on Vatra and they really didn't know how to implement it.
I also heard (I can't recall the video) that the team overestimated the PS3's capabilities with the polygon count in some areas. This game was destined to fail from the beginning.
From what I recall, Downpour actually has 2 things that determine your ending: the moral choices, as well as whether you finished off all the monsters or merely downed them, so it's not ENTIRELY determined by the moral choices.
Still the moral choices are a real pain in the ass. I would have preferred it better if they only applied that down element that you talked about but giving straightaway moral choices alongside with that is a pain in the ass. Also, the way sh2 did this thing was much more genius than simply if you kill or don't kill an enemy or make moral choices.
I believe completing side quests contributes to your moral score as well. It's been quite a long time since I played this game though so I don't exactly remember if this was the case or not.
@@samtepal3892 A year late to the party, but the moral choices tie into the themes of guilt and judgement in Downpour. You take the place of the judge in these segments, and even though your choices don't affect the outcome of situations like JP Sater, they reflect Murphy's ideas about justice and forgiveness.
While I do agree that the concept of moral choices in games is for the most part superficial, it does tie in to the game thematically.
RIP Daniel Licht, the composer of Downpour.
And Dexter
wait wtf? Holy shit i had no idea he passed...
@@leonthesleepy It has been 3 years and 4 months now, if I'm not mistaken. RIP
And dishonored right?
Another SH Retro in plain morning? Best way to start the day. Thanks Jared!
Your design criticisms make perfect sense.
Thank you. I get a lot of push back with opinions like that. It's good to get a little support as well.
Avalanche Reviews Sure thing. I think it’s a sign of elevated tastes. Designs that portray a world with genuine vitality and purpose evokes so much more meaning. Elements placed in an environment for a superficial emotional response are hollow and take away from a deeper sense of narrative. I know many may say, “it’s just a video game” but why not make that video game world as deep and purposeful as possible. It’s much more rewarding and emotionally impacting than shallow momentary set dressing.
Avalanche Reviews Want to know what the main problem for the devs was that caused a ton of the gameplay and presentation issues? The devs had to use a game engine they didn’t know how to use. I’m not joking. When SH: Downpour first launched, the game was so broken that it was unplayable all because the devs didn’t know how to use the game engine. Just be happy you played the game after the devs patched it.
23:50 I see you took the Twin Perfect method of combat:
"Two attacks, block. Two attacks, block. Two attacks, block. And you're done!"
I tried to, but even then I would get my ass kicked sometimes.
@@AvalancheReviews Just like Homecoming.
*Halfway through the game"
"Hey, a nurse! Well at least they aren't those scissor limb monsters. I no damaged them when I first started. This will be eas... why do I hear boss music?"
Btw, love the content!
I suggest taking a look at Matt McMuscles' "What happened?" video for this game. Essentially, Konami chose a no-name Czech studio to try and make an SH game as cheaply as possible. To Vatra's credit, they had some neat ideas, but didn't have the time, budget, or expertise to pull them off.
I suggest Twin Perfect's review, one of the best reviews out there
This game is horrible, after 4 they all suck sadly
@@CabezasDePescado I think Shattered Memories is really cool. It's the last game Akira Yamaoka did music for so that's probably part of it.
@@CabezasDePescado I have a feeling the new silent hill games are gonna be just as terrible! Only game that had a true successful rate was P.T that game looked phenomenal
@@tylertheguy3160 Shattered Memories is the only Silent Hill game from this era that I loved and it's one of my favorite Silent Hill games. It might even be one of my favorite video games of all time.
You should review Deadly Premonition :)
Excellent idea zack 😊 I still have that on my PS3 and gotta finish it someday
I honestly didn’t realize how much of a rip off DP’s otherworld is from Silent Hill until I watched this series! Still such a great game
Finished it very weird
@@lookoutforthetrain2651 its a rip off of twin peaks
Yeah it's a well known rip off. It's the room or birdemoc of videogames.
I still say this game was a step towards an actual Silent Hill game and I liked it more than Homecoming. Just too bad we may never get another game.
SH 2 remake is coming in a couple weeks :)
OH GOD those monster designs are so abysmal and uninspired.. Especially the gas mask guy. Big yikes.
Yeah, definitely not the best. I guess they would look fine in the context of some other horror game, but when you're playing SH, you have certain expectations.
And they had no real connection to murphy...prisoner, yelling homeless lady, top heavy tapeworm....why?
I kinda like Boogey tho I agree with the others
He’s the monster that represents those whom wrong us and torment us in life and we see he takes that form for many different people
His design doesn’t have personal flourishes because he is the archetypal antagonist, different to the other monsters within the series
I like the skinny tall monster with the large mouth though. That is quite frightening.
Literally the worst monster designs. The mannequin one was really cool however. The screaming lady one is alright but the humanoid prisoner enemies are total dogshit and uninspired.
Alone in the dark is a franchise you need to do a retrospective of one day. The grandad of Survival Horror
I 2nd this. Game needs the avalanche treatment.
You're super on point with "Things need a *reason* to be there." I direct horror movies (mostly) for a living and this sort of stuff always comes up for me, even in my sillier flicks, and I always notice it in other horror be it games or movies. Whatever thing is wherever it is, WHY is it there. I don't even care how silly or over the top the answer is, but there *has* to be AN answer in universe.
If it is at all just "It's spooky" then it has entirely failed.
@ThatViolentMelody if you look up his name, there's a list of movies that he's made like "red Christmas"
That’s common sense though, I don’t see how directing horror movies somehow gives you a higher perspective on that sort of thing. If anything, that genre is where logic gets thrown out of the window in favor of a scary or shocking moment.
Just quit supernatural stories and live reality.
@@JohnVmc2
Supernatural stories can be great allegories to process real life phenomena for both creators and audience - especially if it involves painful and difficult realities lile grief, death, loneliness, social rejection/isolation, addiction, destructive unconscious drives, etc.
@@misaeltoral508 The dude didn't claim to have a higher perspective, just said it's something he comes to see often. I think we all agree that things have to have a reason to be. Yes, in horror logic can be thrown out of the window as you said, but there's still an "in universe" logic to all of it.
As my first SH game, the story was great.
And everything you said about exploring the world only served to immerse me more.
I felt all the things you felt. But that's just how it'd be in that situation irl
This game was okay my biggest problem with it was that it didn’t have very creative or varying enemy designs but if you would have done all the side quests you would have gained access to the Subway Tunnels and after that traversing the city is much easier however I never had trouble exploring and finding my way back anyways but with the Subway Tunnels it’s easier and faster
Very true. The enemy designs aren't just bad for SH standards, they are some of the worst designs in any triple A title. It had a lot going for it. Some of the side missions were very atmospheric, unique, and were better than the main content. If they fixed the poor framerate, horrible enemy designs, and the inconsistent graphics. I think downpour could've been the best game since the Team Silent era.
100% agree
Great review! The shit graphics, performance and glitches reminds me a lot of alone in the dark from the same generation. I guess that's kind of survival horror. You should review that at some point haha
This was the first SH game I ever played. I never got into the original ones but when I saw TheRadBrad playing it I wanted to go through it and I loved it. I’ve since played the whole series, and even though I know the first 3 are definitely better games, I can’t help but leave this one as my favorite.
That's absolutely wild to me
It's a shame Downpour never got a PC port but given the trends of the time it could've easily been an Arkham Knight tier mess. 360 and PS3 could barely handle it.
As far as games go I got about as far as the dilapidated section of town with the patrol cars stalking you before I got frustrated and gave up. Some decent concepts screwed by poor execution.
Yeah, I can agree with that 100%
I got to the same spot as you, after the cave system right ?
Oh my god those patrol cars were so annoying...
@L Franco but like what if we're the monsters, *MAAAAAAAN*
even if it was on pc, i wouldnt buy it.
Here's my question when I saw the nun: "Why does she moonlight as an undertaker?"
HA! I never even thought about it, but you're totally right.
Nuns did in orphanages they ran many years ago. Same with hospitals.
I'd prefer to see a nun in a brothel 😉😄
Always know it's gonna be a good day when a new Avalanche Retrospective comes out!!!! Downpour was a fairly decent game in its own right (I guess), but in terms of being a SILENT HILL installation it's a downright garbage fire!!!Thanks for doing what you do Jared!!!! Great Job!
Tom Hurlett literally said he ‘went into the game and made it more confusing’. So those ‘plot holes by accident’ were on purpose.
Tom.... hurt a lot of Silent Hill things...
I thought we didn't invoke his name?
@@nillynush4899 he was only making the most of the disaster. he doesn't hurt alot.
Downpour is my 2nd favorite SH game. I felt it was the best non-team silent game ever made.
My biggest issue with this was that it just didn't feel like a Silent Hill game. Only one I have never replayed.
I agree. You just don't get that feeling with Downpour.
They kinda retcon the town as well, making it more like the silent hill town from the movies than the original videogame town. It had potential but was very average. Had its moments but overall it was subpar
@@ArtofLunatik Homecoming did that as well.
@@MaxiMachine yea true
@@ArtofLunatik - Would you recommend I play it?
I can imagine there being stuff regarding puzzles or sections of the game that could work with the whole prison/water dynamic.
Like having certain parts that require a lockpick, to undo the locks on caged up areas to other areas of the otherworld, a part that involves wading or even swimming through water, heck, you could even design a boss that could try to ambush you in a rusty, grimy shower room, that's been flooded with water up to your knees, which could also be a nod to several cases involving inmates either in showers, or just getting the jump on one another.
The DJ was supposed to be another prisoner. The point of downpour IMO is that the town itself IS the prison. While music may not calm the 'town' during times of unrest music can be used to soothe people.
That doesn't defend the concept. Its obvious. And weak. And not flesh out or even implied to be deeper. Prison is the only symbolism this game understands, thats exactly the problem
Murphy is easily my favorite protag of the series. He's just so done with the town, I love it.
That’s really sad.
@@FourEyesFive It's sad that I like a character? O-k, bucko.
I do have to mention that the 3D implementation here is actually pretty good.
My favorite thing about Downpour's story is that it has the guilt formula plot, but Murphy's story sort of concludes at the halfway point, and then the rest is you playing through the police officer's story essentially, it's cool that you almost have a reversal of the Eddie story from SH2, where you can succumb to your vengeance and the story can conclude without you.
I think the thing with Revelations 2 looking scary for the sake of being scary is that the virus through the whole game is centered around making people feel fear. Not that it's perfect but it does have a reason to exist plot-wise
Never played the game, but I love the rainstorm theme of Silent Hill, and given the idea of every post-Team Silent SH just remaking SH2, it makes sense for a new person with a troubled past to have a weather phenomenon reflect their trauma in some way rather than constant fog, like how Shattered Memories had a snowy theme and this one being all about rain. Makes me wonder, assuming Silent Hills was going to be a SH2 remake, what Kojima would’ve done per his artistic vision after PT.
Downpour is definitely the best of the western SHs though, for what that’s worth.
Personally, I enjoyed Downpour as a Silent Hill game. Maybe it's because Silent Hill 2 is my favorite horror game of all time, but Downpour was the first game since Silent Hill 4 that actually felt like it used the series premise correctly.
While Origins and Homecoming copied the most popular elements and Shattered Memories was fun but disconnected psychological drama, Downpour adapted the core ideas to serve its narrative. Familiar elements like wayward characters and a Pyramid Head stalker don't feel hamfisted and make the town feel as foreboding and overbearing as it did in the past. I do agree that some parts are sloppy in execution, and Team Silent would have come up with better ideas, but I can appreciate the effort Vatra put in.
It's easy to see why Downpour is considered the best of the post Team Silent era, but it doesn't capture the same brilliance of the first 4 games. If Konami really wants to do Silent Hill justice, then they need to find developers as passionate as Team Silent and Vatra to an extent who understands what made those games great and collaborate on a single vision.
Thank you for your early uploads, gives me something to watch to pass the time.
Downpour wasn't that bad. If you haven't played it, be sure to read a guide on getting the Indian Tomahawk. It is one of those items that you can miss if you don't do certain quests at certain times. Once you do get it, it is the best weapon in the game and highly amusing. I think they were unable to do the animation for a Tomahawk flying end over end, so it sorta just floats over to the enemy and hits them upside the head. It made me chuckle every time.
Back three years later just to watch this one again..! ✌️👽
Hi Jared! In your video, you've asked "who QA-ed this game?". Actually, I knew some guys who tested this game back in the days when we worked togheter in Testronic. And as far as I know these guys and the way they playtest games, I can assure you it was reported. You can ask "so, why it's still in the game?". From my expirience as a QA-tester in outside company, I say this: developers can pass trough some major shit and they don't ask if you like it or not. Many players thinks that if the game has bugs, it wasn't playtested enough. From my point of view, it's exactly opposite, game was tested, but the devs for some unknown reason decided to put it on the gold. Sorry if this sounds like some mad rambling, I'm just easliy triggered by shitting on QA, knowing how hard and ungreatful work it is. TL:DR Don't blame the QA, blame the developer/publisher as they decide what fix!
Interesting! To be totally honest with you, I thought games were QA tested in house. I didn't know there were outside companies offering that service. That's interesting as hell! Well, I'm happy to be corrected on that front. Thanks for the correction.
I tried this game a few times and never liked it. Until this year that is. Finally gave it another try, and was blown away with the town, and exploring, and the side missions. Definitely a must play, or a must try and play a few times over many years until it clicks and you fall in love
A quick bit of advice for anyone who is interested in playing this game. Play this game on xbox one, the game has a hugely improved performance compared to 360/PS3. (There are still issues but playing the game backwards compatibility is significantly better performance wise than playing it on original hardware)
Yes definitely the best way to play it. It will be interesting to see how the series x will make this game perform.
Could you explain to me how? It says "not available in your region" I live in the U.S if that helps? Thanks.
@@landobrown186 Sadly you can't buy it digitally due to license issues I assume. You need to buy the disc.
Lando Brown one of three issues. 1) America doesn’t allow you to buy the game digitally.
2) You have a Pal region or ntsc-j disk.
3) you have a Pal region or ntsc-j console.
I have the disc for Ps3, which use to work great, now the absolute mint disc won't read for some reason (super slim ps3)? Anyway, is it possible I could change the country on my xbox and get it that way? Just a big shot in the dark, but maybe?
I don't know why, but i keep coming back to your reviews. Especially the sh ones
I actually enjoyed Downpour, it just got blasted hard due to performance issues at release
I loved the SH series up to part 3. I played The Room and a bit of Homecoming... but it wasn't my thing. I'm glad you're doing these retrospectives, they take away a feeling of missing out (cause I did not play all of the series releases) without having to endure some terrible hours myself. That, plus the most incredible voice on the webs makes you a saint. A wicked one, but hey: wicked saints are the bestest xD
Awesome review, friend! I played through this game a couple of years ago and mildly enjoyed it for what it was. I got past the wonky combat by ignoring the blocking mechanics and just went ape shit on everything.
Over the years I must've watch so many reviews and retrospective of this game and yet here I am.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, I was originally very interested in the open world concept of it, it was a shame to realize that the entire city looked the same, plus the side quests did really suck. Now the child characters, that was just the cherry on top.
The cherry on top of a very bad tasting cake. HA!
I believe that concept you struggled to nail down is verisimilitude: the believability of the work. It's a very interesting concept that you should read up on. Overdone cliches, out-of-character actions, and obvious symbolism can all break verisimilitude.
I think that's exactly what I was struggling with. Thanks!
Yay, new SH Retrospective! I can't believe this game runs so poorly and wait... did he really say a Korn song plays during the intro? *looks it up* Omg it does that is hilarious
The Korn announcement was probably the only time SH fans universally came to a consensus and shat their collective pants without any infighting. It was hilarious.
If you play it on the X there's no performance issues. If you can, that's by far the best way to play
Jonathon Davis the singer from Korn has a song on this game called Silent Hill it’s a banger
What are you talking about?The song is great
Korn is a perfectly fine band, if you were ever cool youd already know that.
Now thats not to say they didnt lose thier minds and get heavily involved with and trying to leach off the hype of a lot of very bad video games including Haze. I guess when youre broke and famous 20$ to show up in a haze documentary and eat shit infront of a camera is 20$
This review is so buttery smooth and to the point... it knows exactly how I felt about the game and even knew a few things about the game that I couldn't word appropriately myself.
Hopefully we get a new silent hill announcement at the ps5 event
Edit: nevermind
Silent Hill Slots ps5 exclusive :^ )
Scorn is finally looking like it's coming out so hopefully we can have are cake and eat it too.
“Konami Pachinko HD Collection”
@@bootygroinweevil2181 they seriously would though
I'd settle for another Arcade shooter with a weak story and horrendous VA's but fun combat over anything whoever standing in the crater named Konami would come up with. I also find it funny how the fourth game (which wasn't meant to be a SH game) was more of a SH game than anything that came out since. This includes the comics and movies.
This was my very first silent hill game. I git it as a kid and it scarred me into the fearless adult I am now. I am so grateful for this game and can't wait to finally play the rest of the series. I personally appreciate the way I started the silent hill games because the other games are more thought out and work well with the fact that I'm older now.
I liked this game. Good memories. Scary memories...
If you ever want to give the game a second chance, play the 360 version, or the Xbox One X or Series X BC versions for the a far better experience.
The game was optimized for the 360 and lazily ported to PC and PS3.
The backwards compatibility of the Xs further increase the experience with higher resolutions and more consistent frame rate.
I quite enjoyed the game, but I played it on the X.
I liked this game nice story excellent voice acting, finished it at least four times ..
Ah yes. Fun to watch the conversation on this title in SH groups go back and forth as time goes on. "It's not that bad!" seems to be popular consensus. I really didn't care for it, but the more I learn about how hard the devs tried, I'm not as harsh on it in conversations. (this is just an algorithm boosting comment before my lunch break and I can finally watch)
This game has enough strengths that it makes me curious what would've happened if they kept going.
Thank you for reviewing the SH series I love anything SH and I enjoyed your presentation of all the games in the series even the arcade ones keep making great videos ❤️
Retrospective? SHIT! I have had this game in my collection for 2 years now and have played maybe 2 hours of it? I’ll be back when I beat it!
I'll be here waiting for ya
I have great memories of playing the first couple chapters of this game years ago at a friends, and have always wondered if revisiting it would be worth it. Thanks for being brutally honest and saving me the time!
My pleasure!
As time passes I find myself looking back at Unreal engine titles with more and more derision. Everything looks the same, feels the same and just has the same issues.
Keep in mind that Unreal Engine 3 at the time was really problematic especially with lighting issues if I recall...
its like that now with a bunch of UE4 games.
@@TheKillboy1000 nah UE4 games are way better
I miss the time back when 95% of dev teams made their own engines for their IPs rather than to use pre-existing ones.
I'm guessing it has to do with: time, budget & laziness.
@@Leonard_Wolf_2056 my feelings exactly
DMC even fell victim to the sea of Unreal Engine games with DmC
But eventually redeemed themselves with the almighty RE Engine
Lol. I like how in this review he dislikes lack of inventory. But in Resident Evil Zero he likes lack of inventory.
You explained your reasons for disliking the other world perfectly.
The other world in Downpour is basically a spooky house, it even has the red light of SH2's spooky house, and all that segment was a parody of the cheap horror stuff XD it seems that they didn't get the joke of that part
If someone doesn't judge this game as an installment in the series but its own product then it's actually really good in a fun sense.
The side missions had many different elements and made up half of the time spent going about the town.
The fact that you barely discussed the storytelling involving the side missions goes to show that you only care about rubbing up on nostalgias ass cheeks instead of artistically judging someone's creation.
I'm not sucking the games hole or being a shill but HONESTLY it felt like a breath of fresh air given it was a self contained narrative that also gave us something new to experience.
It's honestly my favorite one in the SERIES for how different and FUN it was. I enjoyed the side missions and that alone made the game worth it for me but you wouldn't know about that.
This game was really good. I was disappointed with the monsters but that aside, the story and gameplay was great. All the side character stories and side quests were intriguing to me. The better SH game after silent hill 3. If you love silent hill, you should really give this one a shot.
Same. Got good memories playing it back in the day (which is the best you can do when playing a game, play it when it comes out, in its context). I agree its not the best SH game but after homecoming, this was a ver good one. 0 fan service, interesting story, very creepy atmosphere that makes you feel alone in a unknown place, great sidequests, interesting story... And as far as I remember, I never had such a bad performance while playing it
R.I.P. DJ Ricks. I really enjoyed him communicating with us over the radio, and the music he played. Any idea why he was in Silent Hill?, or why he was there?
That's one of the many reasons, I didn't like a lot of the writing in this game. They never really explained what he was doing there.
It ran slightly less shit on the 360, but just barely. My least favorite gameplay "feature", was the roaming squad cars that spawned enemies. I actually found myself wishing for the gameplay from Homecoming.
Yeah, I ended up solving the puzzle at the police precinct early on, so I didn't have to deal with them much. Just the idea of it, is insanely dumb though.
Im giving you props for the thumbnail that looks almost like the painting "Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X" by the Irish artist Francis Bacon, who was such an interesting artist.
ah, good ol' Downcoming.
Im sure you have your own schedule and list of games to dive into. But just as a friendly recommendation I would love to hear your retrospective on the Evil Within series as well as Alien Isolation :)
Love your work, thanks for the awesome content that's gotten me through a few days of work so far lol
As a fan of the old RE games (my intro to RE was RE2 on the 64), I was terrified to play the game. I have actually never run so much from enemies during the first part of the game!
Hey, Avalanche! Maybe consider Alone in the Dark retrospective, huh?
Man, do I love your reviews! If you asked me to name a reviewer who is as comprehensive, thoughtful and relatable as you, I'd have to think hard for quite a bit. I think you should do a review of, well, every game ever.
Weird thought this was the best looking sh game , side quests were the best thing about the game , my least favorite thing is the monsters and the inventory system
Yea, the review felt a bit nit picky at times, I certainly agree with somethings but Im all about the creative thought processes put in to it, much like I would a fun B movie and in that regard I thought it was a lot of fun.
2020 is the Otherworld we are going through!
Full of twists, turns and torture!
I like the openness of the map, the atmosphere and the sidequest! This was one of the non Team Silent I enjoyed!
The weirdest thing about this game is that they replaced Akira Yamaoka and the music is still awesome
It is way better than the game
Awesome! I was going to ask if you were going to do this game since I had been watching your Silent Hill Retrospective. Looking forward to checking this out
i honestly don't think i've ever seen a copy of Downpour, and i've frequented game stores for the past ten years... even Homecoming was easier to find
Ghrae I think I got it. I’m not sure about it, but since I played it and it came out at a time I did not rant inch games anymore.... but I’m not home and my Xbox games are all boxed in so hard to check
Downpour is the most prevalent SH at GameStops. I've seen plenty. Really dislike the game, though.
I think this review was unnecessarily harsh at times tbh. The side quests were actually great and sometimes heartbreaking (I'm thinking of the ribbons one) and definitely added atmosphere. Side quests don't always have to give great items, I think they can be used to build the world and atmosphere. I didn't find myself getting lost either, you just need to pay attention. It definitely had faults (lagging at times, poor monster variety/design) but this review gave me the impression you'd decided to hate the game early on and nothing was going to change your mind on it.
I swear most people that played this game must have had a ps3 cause I never had a problem with slowdown or glitching on my xbox 360
Played it on PS3 in 2020 and it was a blast. People should consider cleaning their old consoles every now and again.
What you described about the issues with the art design is similar to The Evil Within. A lot of just "horror" for its own sake vs any cohesive atmosphere or reasoning for it. It breaks immersion bc it feels like a video game rather than a place that exists within its own rules
For ew it makes more sense since you are literally inside some psycho's twisted mind. But there were some parts that were not very believable even for that environment
Amazing review Jared! About the performance, have tried playing this game on the Xbox one? I've heard that almost all performance related issues are fixed thanks to the backwards compatibility
I only managed to play through this game recently and well I absolutely enjoyed it ,yeah there are performance issues but I had none nowhere near as bad as made out in this retrospective. The combat I found significantly better then homecoming as it was a hell of a lot lore intentional and I found it nailed the overall atmosphere especially while traversing through town 👌
Did you played it on the XOne or in the 360/PS3? Also, his complains must be mainly cause this game is ridiculous on the PS3. The game itself isn't really beautiful, but when you play it on the PS3, man.....
Hey Jared, big fan of this and your RE Retrospective (also Snatcher, I know you have an eye for that too, even though I don't think I could find a review for it on your channel)
My question is this, and sorry if you've already answered it but what is your opinion on Deadly Premonition? Is it an example of a game with an engaging story can supercede bad gameplay or do you think it's complete garbage that could have been something significant? I teeter somewhere in the middle but lean more towards the former.
Anyway keep doing a good job man, agree with your comments on Downpour for the most part but still enjoyed it back in the day as the console peasant I was and still am.
Have a good day! 👌
Hi there! I've actually never played Deadly Premonition (if you can believe that). I do plan on taking a look at it sometime soon, but I'll have to get back to you once I;ve actually tried it out.
@@AvalancheReviews Awesome! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on it!
Right now it’s June 15,2021 and the time is 12:14AM. I’m rocking My 7 month old daughter to sleep. (She’s being fussy) We are in the living room with all the lights off (and my iPhone’s brightness lowered) and I’m watching this video. Also, I’m using my earbuds to listen.Jared I can put my iPhone face down, and picture everything you’re saying in my head. Thank you for keeping me entertained while I rock my daughter to sleep in the dark while it’s a little past midnight!
The section about graphics and presentation is completely unfounded. Worst graphics of 360 generation is such a ridiculous statement. This game looks really good for its time. Compare it to titles of the same era and it looks better in alot of instances. I think you need to be more aware of what games actually looked like from that time period
He reviewed it on the ps3, not the 360, when I played it on the ps3 and just looked at my in game map to only return to gameplay, Murphy’s outfit literally had to load every time. Yes other games looked worse but the constant pop ins this game did made it the worst looking game in the ps3’s generation at that time.
25:26 That wasn't a glitch,Jared, those monsters are just the few that knew better ;D
Jokes aside though, even looking at 2010s games like Rocket Knight and Castlevania, it just really feels like Konami was more interested in chasing popular western gaming trends of the time over respecting their legacy or fans, or making, ya know, good games.
I wouldn't be surprised if things like the big moral choice button prompts and balance beam sections weren't ideas from the original devs, but from the big wigs running Konami trying to cram as many trends as possible in for the mainstream audience
The concept of a large explorable environment reminds me of The Evil Within 2. That game proves that open-world gameplay can work in a survival horror game.
I gotta play that. Nitro Rad spoke very highly of it too.
@@12ealDealOfficial you absolutely should! The Evil Within 2 is such an underrated horror gem and definitely my second favorite horror game of the generation only behind RE2
I don’t know how I 100% this game when it first came out. Couldn’t deal with it these days.
That's an automatic 👍 for this video! 😁
Man, I would to love have a genuine discussion about your retrospective and our input in all games.
I also think Homecoming is a little better. I really didn't like Licht's score (too reminiscent of an American television score), and the presentation is poor both technically and artistically. Glad you pointed out the constant jitter and stuttering. It was BAD on release day. Had some weird collision bugs too; sometimes Murphy would fall through the ground or enemies would glitch through walls. Homecoming had better monsters, music, and was less distractingly "fun-housey," which I know people say a lot about Downpour, but it's true. And is Bobby Ricks receiving phone calls from Silent Hill? What's the voice on the other side? How does the town know how to use a phone? Then the postman lore... wow.
But I'll also say, in Downpour's defense, that it feels 90s/ early 00s in tone. The Rubber Johnny monster is probably the best post Team- Silent designed thing in the franchise, even if it's straight cribbed from Chris Cunningham. I also liked its homages to The Fugitive. In a weird way, it was like Vatra was trying to make a game that felt like the Japanese were cribbing from the west in the same way Team Silent did originally, only the directors of Downpour were actually western. It was a weird but admirable move. But the rest of the game is trash. I didn't like the puzzles, and the endings contradict the story, which you mentioned.
Please, do Book of Memories!
Yeah the wheelchair guy was definitely cool looking.
The big difference between DP and HC is that HC at least tried. Whoever made this didn't try for a similar look/feel and didn't care.... Yet they still loosely copied SH2 in some major ways in the plot
I always enjoy your reviews/retrospectives because of how real you are when you write these. Its definitely a contrast from Nitrorads opinion of Downpour but I give you kudos for diving really deep into it despite your impression of It.
Looking forward to your next one which I'm a little curious what SH game it is.
Back in 2012 I bought this game and remembered hating the monster selection more so then anything else. They felt so blah. Like they didnt try.
2012 was an interesting year though, we got alot of Resident evil: 6, operation racoon, damnation, revelations and retribution. Silent hill: HD collection, down pour, book of shadows and finally that terrible film. Was a very interesting year in media. That's all.
I agree. The monster desing is kind of blah and 2012 was very "interesting"
There was also Hitman: Absolution, yikes, talk about another game series departed from it's roots.
Does anyone notice something that every horror-themed games in the 8th Gen. is starting to fall-apart?
Silent Hills got cancelled, Last of Us 2 is being bombed by comments after a "certain" leak (keep it safe, guys), Agony was released to negative reviews, and so is Nightcry as well...
I know there's a few that made it out well, but...I don't know.
lol Never really came to mind, but now that you say that the monsters do look generic; in the sense that they don't stand out or are as memorable as previous entries.
God, my ears get so moist when I hear that intro !
You’re the first person I’ve ever heard that the community had been calling this game the SH game to save the new generation of SH games. Or whatever you said you had heard. I’ve always heard way more negative than positive on this game. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I know it’s not a good game.
Likewise, when he mentioned in the Homecoming review that he’d be looking at one of the more relatively positive viewed games of the western releases I was like ??? But we already did SM?? I’d love to know who enjoys this one, it was unfortunately such a mess ):
Playing on Xbox One fixes the performance issues and it's vsync'd too so you also don't get the distracting tearing.
Just play Silent Hill 1-4, some of the Silent Hill games after Team Silent disbanded are just not the same. And unless we get a Silent Hill game that is as good as the original 4 games, then Silent Hill (the franchise) is dead...
Agreed
Rip to the silent hill by Kojima. :C It hope it returns one day. Especially if they have junji ito and guillermo del toro on board.
I expect this one and homecoming to be put into the SHR playlist so I may sleep better at night! Please and thank you!
Man I suppose I'm in the minority but I'll take homecoming over this game all day long
I think the amount of exploration you could do in this game was actually pretty neat, but the overall design aesthetic wasn't very interesting,the enemy variety and design was awful, the otherworld segments in the stupid chase segments were awful. The controls were wonky, combat was wonky. The game was buggy. And it wasn't very scary.
the story was okay but it really did feel like it was trying to take a lot from silent Hill 2.
I beat the game but I would never play it again
I actually agree. Homecoming really pissed me off, but it came so much closer than Downpour did, to feeling like a real SH game.
I think they both suck, but I would still take Homecoming over this.
Homecoming has the best bosses I felt like. Really cool shit. Totally combat heavy, tho
As boring and predictable as Homecoming was, I have to disagree. At least Downpour had originality where Homecoming was a recycled mess of the same game in the series.
@@OnePrintMan I'll give you a like for your civil discourse.
But I have to stand my ground lol
I find downpour to be not just a buggy mess of jank. But just as unoriginal in many aspects. As mentioned enemy design is limited and lackluster. Probably the worst in the series (basic zombie looking dudes and just a couple of uninspired looking monsters), and a story that's just half silent Hill 2 including it's own pyramid head ripoff. Although homecoming straight up fanservices pyramid head right in there too so...
I think the exploration and side quests were still it's best trump cards over homecoming, which was linear as far as exploring the town went.
Either way I'd rather just replay 2 and 3 over basically any others in the series anyway lol
excelent video! i love your retrospectives , keep up the great work
Needing to nitpick the DJ being able to use a phone, but not feeling the same way about Heather receiving the happy birthday phone call is hypocritical. Also telling people not to play this game even if it seems interesting to them is such a lame gate-keeping mentality, and quite antithetical to fandom.
A, Heather received a call from an actual person, on a working telephone. The DJ got a call from the town itself on a phone that didn't work, where it warned him that it's coming. No equivalence there.
B, I recommended people not play a game that I didn't like very much. That wasn't a fucking order. People are free to enjoy what they want.
C, Recommending people not play a game that I thoroughly did not enjoy isn't gatekeeping. It's called reviewing the fucking video game. At the end of a review, would you rather me shrug my arms and say "just do what you want"?
Maybe leave reviewing games to me, and I'll leave the job of making unintelligent comments, to you.
Avalanche Reviews lmfao show me on the doll where my comment hurt your fee fees so much meathead :). I find it hilarious that you consider yourself a “SH fan” but can’t grasp the concept of the ambiguity of the town itself, needing to apply real world logic to SH defeats the purpose of SH and just leads me to believe how little you actually understand it. But hey man I appreciate how mad you got at a stranger’s comment on the Internet, that has given me quite the chuckle. I’ll leave the reviews to the “professional reviewer” who cut his teeth on the TH-cam floor lmfao.
@@AvalancheReviews I'm sorry I just really need to add another comment as to how funny your response was, like geez man you can't have the slightest bit of criticism sent your way without exploding into expletives at someone who didn't even insult you? Are you 12? BY THE WAY, I just looked up the SH3 scene to make sure I'm not crazy, it's a freaking PAY PHONE INSIDE OF A SCHOOL LOCKER. What on earth makes you think that phone is logically hooked up to a phone line and working? LMFAO you basically just revealed your blatant blindness to fanboyism if you honestly believe that is a plausible "working phone" Holy shit I mean I knew you were a blind SH fanboy, but now I actually have proof! Lmfao
@@AvalancheReviews Hey guys remember when we used to use those payphones that were arbitrarily placed inside of school lockers and how well they worked? Good times! Hey man if you need a hug let me know, you seem like you could use one ;)
Hey Jared, you know what's funnier than me owning you with SH facts and then you refusing to respond to me? You acting like it didn't happen in a separate video :) I thought dudes with muscles weren't supposed to be gaping pussies.
Shattered Memories isn't only one of the best SH games I've played, for it's genre it's one the best overall! I'll never forget the ending (or the one I got)... no spoilers but it's sublime! I played on Wii, so the controller made the static noise to replicate holding the radio, and it became a key part of the experience. I recall it starting a little slow, but I'm so glad I stuck with it! Downpour... I haven't played. Same with Homecoming. They're usually on sale for $0.50-3.00 though.