Overview:
Silent Hill: Downpour is about Murphy Pendleton, a convict who happens to come across the quiet town of Silent Hill after escaping from his prison transport vehicle. There are not very many details about this video game floating around but as more information becomes available you can be sure that I will update this post. The trailer for Silent Hill: Downpour that was shown at KONAMI’s E3 2010 Press Conference can be viewed on the official website for this video game. Daniel Licht will be composing the music for Silent Hill: Downpour this time around instead of Akira Yamaoka but instead of letting this news get you down it is recommended that you take a look at the interview with Daniel Licht that has been posted below in the Articles and Links section. The February issue of Game Informer sheds some light on this new Silent Hill project so be sure to pick up a copy of this magazine if you need your Silent Hill fix.
According to various sources, water plays an important role in Silent Hill: Downpour. One can only speculate as to whether or not water will play an even more effective role in Silent Hill: Downpour than snow and ice did in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Breakable weapons make a return to Silent Hill: Downpour as do fixed camera angles. Silent Hill veterans should recognize the breakable weapons aspect from Silent Hill 4: The Room and Silent Hill: Origins and the fixed camera angles from the older Silent Hill video games. Even if players do not generally like and/or appreciate fixed camera angles it will be interesting to finally see how effective they can be in a 7th generation video game. With that being said, "over-the-shoulder" camera angles also return so there is no need for Silent Hill newcomers to panic.
Much like Silent Hill: Homecoming, Silent Hill: Downpour will give players the opportunity to make choices with respect to character interactions and storyline outcome. One of the most welcoming pieces of information out there is the notion that players will be encouraged to avoid enemies if at all possible in Silent Hill: Downpour. It was quite difficult to do this in Silent Hill: Homecoming but thankfully the developers seem to be trying extra hard to bring back as many Silent Hill video game elements as possible this time around. With the ability to now choose the puzzle difficulty setting (like before) and with the ability to embark on side missions/quests Silent Hill: Downpour seems to be bringing in new elements while keeping the essence of the Silent Hill series alive in some manner. If you are a survival horror video gamer then Silent Hill: Downpour is one video game that should definitely be on your radar if not on your "video games to purchase in 2012" list.
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Articles and Links:
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Konami Announces Silent Hill 8 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
Survival horror series returns to next-gen platforms with new level of mind-bending terror.
June 21, 2010
Press Release
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today unveiled Silent Hill 8 (working title), the eighth installment of the Silent Hill franchise. Scheduled to launch in 2011 on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Staying true to the franchise's original roots, the game returns with another third person horror experience, and an all new thought provoking storyline. Players will once again find themselves face to face with their deepest sins and fears in the strange world of Silent Hill.
"In honoring the rich history and strong following of Silent Hill, we're working hard to build a next generation horror game that the fans truly deserve," said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "This Silent Hill introduces an all-new storyline and unique evolutions in gameplay, building on innovations and successes from over a decade of true survival horror and terror."
The survival horror experience begins after a prison transport vehicle careens off the road, leaving lone inmate Murphy Pendleton stranded in Silent Hill. Gamers will encounter mind-bending puzzles, as well as horrific creatures and other world terrors using everyday objects from wooden chairs to glass bottles to fend off their enemies. The natural response, fight or flight is left to the player as they unravel a dark, thought-provoking storyline which will appeal to fans of the early, classic Silent Hill series, as well as anyone who enjoys a deep, psychological horror experience. In addition to the main storyline, players will also be presented with variable side quests along the way that can change depending on their play style, revealing unknown evils within the town.
Silent Hill 8 (working title) is scheduled to launch in 2011 on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Source: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/110/1100662p1.html
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Dan Licht Interview On Silent Hill 8
Posted by Cj (Melendez) on July 1, 2010
We have contacted Silent Hill 8?s composer Dan Licht for the skinny on his involvement in the new Silent Hill title. We ask about how he gets into the right mindset for this type of music, and if Akira’s shoes are big ones to fill. This will be the first time Akira Yamaoka has not composed the music for a Silent Hill title. Many diehard fans have been heartbroken because of this, but Dan Licht won’t let this stop him from delivering an awesome soundtrack to the latest Silent Hill. Hit the jump to read our interview.
HD: How did you land this title? Where you approached by Konami or did you seek it out?
DL: Konami came to me, the Producers were familiar with my work and contacted my agent to setup a meeting to see if I was interested, and of course I jumped at the opportunity. I have been very interested working on video games since I’ve noticed that the music has become more and more interesting lately. It feels to me like we’re entering an exciting experimental period for video games not unlike what the 60?s and 70?s were for film.
HD: Before ever becoming aware you would be involved in this, were you in any way, shape, or form a fan of Akira’s music?
DL: I wasn’t aware of him particularly but I had noticed that Silent Hill had an interesting sound to it that I liked.
HD: Do you have any prior experience with the Silent Hill series? If so, what interested you about it?
DL: I played Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill Homecoming. What I liked about it is dark moodiness of the game, and I’m just a fan of horror in general, especially psychological horror.
HD: Are you a gamer yourself? And if so, are you familiar with the horror-gaming scene?
DL: I played some games when I was younger. My first was Dark Castle, then Doom and Myst. If I could only have all those hours back. More recently I have gotten in to playing again to familiarize myself with what’s going on in games. Games I like: Silent Hill, Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock 2.
HD: With Silent Hill, are you creating your own feel and vibe for the aural experience of the series? Have you taken any inspiration from former composer Akira Yamaoka’s work and might we hear some past themes again?
DL: I want to bring something new to Silent Hill, while respecting the established feel of the game. I find that Akira’s artistic sensibility and mine have some similarities. I haven’t gotten into scoring the game enough to say whether there will be a continuation of themes, but texturally there will certainly be an influence. I plan on using industrial sounds with keyboards and guitars, tortured ambiences and driving percussion. I may use some mandolin as a nod to the early Silent Hill Music. My goal is to serve the game, whatever is best for putting the player into the right mood.
HD: Do you feel like you are filling big shoes now that Akira is gone? Silent Hill fans can be very protective about the series.
DL: It’s always hard to replace something or someone that’s become iconic, but saying that, if we never changed anything we would still be cutting down trees with rock axes. I certainly respect the fans of Silent Hill and I plan on working very hard to earn their respect back.
HD: Are you considering or have you considered bringing in past talents like Mary Elizabeth for possible vocal tracks, or will you bring Silent Hill back to the non vocal roots, making it all purely ambient?
DL: I’m open to any idea that makes this new generation of Silent Hill great. Vocals are an important part of my composing palate, but I don’t know yet if I will incorporate them or not.
HD: Will you be doing any of the sound effects of the monsters, and/or background noises provided for the game?
DL: No, the way the process works is the sound design and atmospheric effects are all handled by the sound engineers. However, I will also include ambient sound-scapes as part of my musical tracks, depending on the environment type, and the engineers put together a seamless blend with the in-game assets. (Note From Devin Shatsky (Producer of Silent Hill 8): This is no different than the way it was handled with past Silent Hill titles, it’s a misconception that Akira did all the sound effects for the monsters and gameplay as well. So hopefully some of the Akira fans can rest a little easier now.)
HD: What kind of emotional and physical preparation do you do when composing music, particularly for the Silent Hill brand? Do you need to be in a particular mindset?
DL: I need a couple cups of coffee to get rolling in the morning, and then the phone to stop ringing long enough to get some writing done. Actually, I write at night most times. It’s quieter and I can get into the mood without interruption.
Thanks to Dan Licht, Devin Shatsky, Konami, and Vatra for making this interview possible.
Source: http://helldescent.com/2010/07/01/dan-licht-interv
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Silent Hill: Downpour" To Feature Side-Quests, New Camera System
Posted 1/10/11 5:17 pm ET by Adam Rosenberg
"Silent Hill: Homecoming" represented a big change for the series, with a new developer bringing in current-gen ideas like a fully controllable camera and choice-driven dialog exchanges. Change is coming once again for the next entry in the series, which the upcoming February issue of Game Informer reveals is called "Silent Hill: Downpour."
As was the case with "Homecoming" before it, "Downpour" hands the series' reins over to a new developer: Czech company Vatra Games. Design director Brian Gomez acknowledges that the team's biggest concern is making sure their game is a good fit for the series. "Silent Hill the town is the star of the show," he said. "So we see Silent Hill as the only consistent character across the whole series. It's really about who you plug into it."
What he means, for those who aren't familiar with the series, is that the nightmares which manifest within the town are specific to the person whose story you're watching play out. So while Gomez promises that "Downpour" will feature "some nice little tie-ins for the fans," this is Murphy Pendleton's (the main character's name) story and it has no direct tie to whatever events have transpired before.
Gomez also confirmed that the fully adjustable camera on offer in "Homecoming" is gone. Fixed camera angles have been a series standard since the very first game, and they are used to help focus the tension in certain moments. "Downpour" will offer up a mix of the two, like the early games in the series.
There's more as well, such as the amping up of how player choice affects the story and the addition of sidequests. You'll have to wait for the February issue of GI to learn all about those features though. For now, be content with the fact that another "Silent Hill" is coming, from a developer which seems to understand the underlying puzzle pieces that help make the series great.
Source: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2011/01/10/silent-h
If you come across some relevant information about Silent Hill: Downpour that you do not see in this post then feel free to send me a private message concerning it or post it in this thread and I will try to include it in this post in some manner. I hope that the information in this thread will help generate some intriguing discussions about Silent Hill: Downpour in the near future. If you are looking forward to this video game or if you just want to make your thoughts about this new Silent Hill installment known to others then feel free to post in this thread.
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References:
IGN
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/110/1100662p1.html
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/114/1145603p1.html
Kotaku
http://kotaku.com/5565483/silent-hill-8-coming-to-
Konami
http://www.konami.com/games/silenthill/silenthill8
http://www.konami.com/konamie3/products/item/id/68
Joystick
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/silent-hill-down
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/silent-hill-down
Siliconera
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/01/24/first-foggy-s
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/04/17/a-few-quick-s
Hell Descent
http://helldescent.com/2010/07/01/dan-licht-interv
MTV Multiplayer
http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2011/01/10/silent-h
Silent Hill Memories
http://www.silenthillmemories.net/main/main_en.htm
??????? Formerly Scrawl
http://scrawlfx.com/2011/04/silent-hill-downpour-s
Special thanks go to the following PlayStation Forum members: FreshRevenge.
If you come across some relevant information about Silent Hill: Downpour that you do not see in this post then feel free to send me a private message concerning it or post it in this thread and I will try to include it in this post in some manner. I hope that the information in this thread will help generate some intriguing discussions about Silent Hill: Downpour in the near future. If you are looking forward to this video game or if you just want to make your thoughts about this new Silent Hill installment known to others then feel free to post in this thread.
great thread. I just have one question, what was wrong with the other thread that I posted in? I am not sure if I understand these new moderators because they seem to be threadlocked happy?
Any way sorry for posting so late to your reply to me. Since I knowned you way back in the day. I know you are a big Silent Hill fan like me. I think what you are doing is great but I am saying for me I'd heavely indulge myself in every article and video clip when it came to Silent Hill Homecoming, that it sort of spoiled my impressions of the game. It just tasted sour by the time I actually played the game. I think I will just wait this time to get in in my hands of the game and worry less of new. Keep up the good work.
FreshRevenge wrote:
great thread. I just have one question, what was wrong with the other thread that I posted in? I am not sure if I understand these new moderators because they seem to be threadlocked happy?
Any way sorry for posting so late to your reply to me. Since I knowned you way back in the day. I know you are a big Silent Hill fan like me. I think what you are doing is great but I am saying for me I'd heavely indulge myself in every article and video clip when it came to Silent Hill Homecoming, that it sort of spoiled my impressions of the game. It just tasted sour by the time I actually played the game. I think I will just wait this time to get in in my hands of the game and worry less of new. Keep up the good work.
The other ~ Silent Hill: Downpour Information Thread ~ had editing and “post registration” complications. It may or may not still have these complications but I don’t exactly want to play around with it right now (I wasted enough time with it before). With that being said, just use this thread for your Silent Hill: Downpour questions, comments, and concerns. It is now a "featured discussion" so it shouldn’t be very hard to find for a long time.
Cyber-Gladiator wrote:
This game looks interesting for sure. It’s definitely giving me a Heavy Rain feel from this…? But it also has a bit of Alone in the Dark: Inferno along with some Alan Wake vibe though (which isn't necessarily bad). Konami seems to illustrate lots of Alan Wake game elements, which of course was a video game influenced by older Silent Hill games.
Silent Hill and Heavy Rain are on two sides of the spectrum. I don't know how you can also compare it to Alan Wake either? Heavy Rain was a good game but it doesn't carry the same weight that Silent Hill does!
FreshRevenge wrote:
Cyber-Gladiator wrote:
This game looks interesting for sure. It’s definitely giving me a Heavy Rain feel from this…? But it also has a bit of Alone in the Dark: Inferno along with some Alan Wake vibe though (which isn't necessarily bad). Konami seems to illustrate lots of Alan Wake game elements, which of course was a video game influenced by older Silent Hill games.
Silent Hill and Heavy Rain are on two sides of the spectrum. I don't know how you can also compare it to Alan Wake either? Heavy Rain was a good game but it doesn't carry the same weight that Silent Hill does!
I don’t get a Heavy Rain vibe from Silent Hill: Downpour at all but I do get an Alan Wake vibe from this video game and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. I hope Vatra Games and KONAMI stop worrying about the Alan Wake comparisons because – judging from the trailers and gameplay videos for Silent Hill: Downpour – it is too late to remove a large fraction of the elements in Silent Hill: Downpour that elicit such comparisons.
FreshRevenge wrote:
I wanted to add this since I found this and thought it was interesting!
It really stinks that I cannot embed that panel discussion...
There should be gameplay videos available for the E3 2011 Silent Hill: Downpour demo by now but I cannot post and/or embed them here due to their content (explicit language). The same thing can be said about the new Daniel Licht E3 2011 Interview for Silent Hill: Downpour. You will need to look this material up for yourself.
yeah I had problems with embedding it it as well. I just posted it anyway so people can still look at if they were interested. I did see some game play footage but I was reluctant to watch a lot of it. This game I think would be very good. I think that it may be better than Homecoming One of the creatures that I have seen just gives me chills all ready. Which is a good thing. I can't wait for this one!
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