Eh. We all knew Ascension would suck. So for that reason, it was less disappointing than Downpour. I had high hopes for DP, and it honestly had a lot of great ideas but the monster design and, once again, incredible lack of subtlety let it down again…
@@maxderrat don't worry, I still remember when 4 was the black sheep of the series. It’s the only team silent game I’ve not finished. Heck I’ve beaten 3 of the Western-made games, (just have to beat 4 and Origins and I can call myself a proper Silent Hill fan again lol oh and also short message if I can get past feeling motion sickness in the first person view lol)
@sonicsean34 Heh. Ya. I remember when 4 was hated on for not being as good. Nowadays Id love a silent hill game as good as 4. But I am an old. I played the first 4 games in late HS/early 20s. think if I was not an old, I might have more appreciation for the later 4 than I do. The first 3 though at the times they came out games like that *had never been done* . Console games in the West were *just* breaking out of the "video games are for kids with kid appropriate themes" concept that was so prevelant. And to see something so twisted and dark...it was jawdropping. They were lightning in a bottle, at the time.
So Homecoming’s real sin in my opinion isn’t the clunky combat. It’s that they decided to make ammunition scarce, but also prevented the player from being able to run away. All the previous silent hill games understood the classic survival horror formula was to avoid using your gun and stock up (or not and have a hard end boss fight). They made most combats optional. Homecoming made melee combat clunky and likely to injure you, but running away usually ended in a locked door and a parade of horrors behind you ready to murder your face. The kind of game Homecoming presents needed more bullets.
How about the whole concept that they were gonna beef up the combat cause your character was a badass soldier!! Oh wait no he’s just psychotic and shouldn’t be good at fighting… whoops!!!
Homecoming is the first Silent Hill where I as the player, learn the pattern of the monster's attack set. so for me, yes it's kind of clunky. But I also really enjoyed it much, the battle against the bladed spiders and Scarlet Fitch are absolutely addictive for me
I think a "Spirit of Silent Hill" video is a great video to do for the future of the franchise. I think the one great benefit to that is we know blooper team and many other development studios working on the Silent Hill franchise will take a look at the audience reception and feedback of fans, reviews, and overall support for how they take their specific game's approach (Not including Ascension). With a video fully demonstrating the "Feel and Spirit" of Silent Hill for those developers from you, they can take that and use it to fully understand and utilize the tools and decisions to truly appease fans of the franchise and finally bring back that old spirit of Silent Hill. As for Downpour, I have not played the game yet, only played 1 and 2 so far but know every game. I feel that despite not playing it, I like what it brought to the table, and how the developers tried to implement some sort of feel for the town of Silent Hill. You can clearly see it in some scenarios where they tried their hardest to make it feel like the Town itself is keeping them all there. I hope to try that one soon, but for now, I have still have two more Silent Hill games I own to complete before tackling the western Silent Hill games. Keel up the amazing work Max!
I totally agree. Silent Hill means a lot of different things for a lot of different people, yet all of the games have certain themes that set the franchise apart from others. For example, there's the huge focus on family. SH1, Shattered Memories, and Downpour all involve parents. SH3, Homecoming, and a game I won't spoil involve orphaned kids. SH2 and the Silent Hills PT involved a husband and wife, and Origins involves both a father and son and a mother and daughter. Only the Room lacks any direct family connection. Another aspect is the Curse of Toluca Lake, which we know had been active for generations on the southern shore (Homecoming) shore but only really became active in the town of Silent Hill because of Alyssa's trauma. I think we can confirm that one of the huge problems with the newest game was that it had zero connection to Toluca Lake, which left it feeling like the name was unearned. I think there are ways to connect games set elsewhere with Toluca Lake (they did it with the Amityville franchise), but that connection needs to be there for people to accept the games as being Silent Hill. I know The Room got a lot of flak because it surrounded events only mentioned in a newspaper article, but at least they tried to directly connect it to the curse. I didn't hate the new game, but they really did miss the mark. Had it not been marketed as a SH game, it probably would've gotten much better reviews. But they obviously didn't know what makes a game SH and instead just tried to borrow elements from the franchise. Having a video that really gets into what makes Silent Hill stand out from other franchises could be the very thing needed to help Bloober get the franchise back on track.
I wouldn't hold my breath. After the Short Message & the whole Silent Hill phenomenon BS that treats Silent Hill more like a mental illness and discards the infamous of the same name, me and many other lost hope for this franchise. I think the only game that might turn out somewhat decent is Silent Hill F since there's actual horror professionals involved.
Another element I highly appreciate Downpour for is how it incentivizes you to navigate through the use of maps and landmarks, sure the early ones did it themselves as well to an extent, but having to check street names and buildings in order to move more efficiently was neat.
Downpour is one of my favorite Silent Hill games TBH. I love how it made Silent Hill actually feel like a vacation resort. Probably my favorite part of it was the entire beginning part of the game and how you had to use a sky tram to even get to the town. The library and city hall parts were amazing too IMO.
This might be my favourite video in your series, Max. Really well done mate. Downpour is often in the crosshair of the harshest Silent Hill criticism. I became reluctant to even say a single thing I enjoyed about the game, because it felt like an actual crime to do so. Nowadays, I think it's still underappreciated as many people are afraid to share their true experiences as a need to "fit in" with the more traditional fans. I'm definitely keen on hearing what you think of the spirit of Silent Hill.
I remember playing Downpour when it came out and I loved it. A few years ago I played the entire series with my brother for Halloween where I played the games he already did and he played the ones he never did and man, watching him play Downpour made me realize how rough that game really was lmao! I still enjoyed it and some of the things it tried like the side quests. Dead Man's Hand had me freaking out the first time I did it. But then there was the kinda goofy things like getting jumped by the sirens patrolling Silent Hill in the patrol car lol. Also I didn't like that the choices you made changed the endings. Like yeah multiple endings are a staple of the SH games but the past was always set in stone. In Downpour the endings implied different events transpired in the past, therefore changing the endings which doesn't make sense.
Is not like it's super Bad, but it has a lot of Bad things ... The worst is the monster design, the only One that feels like a SH monster is the final Boss, the rest are just generic and uninspired
13:30 Tbh the 'eastern' horror aspect of Silent Hill was always overblown, imo. The main inspiration for the series seem to be Jacob's Ladder and the Twin Peaks series. As for the last question, I think a dedicated video would be cool to see.
One thing I personally went missing with series was the historcial supernatural themes. Many new players and even devs think Silent hill is all about punishment and traumas. I know SH2 is many players favourite in the series and many games thereafter and even seen in Short Message try to copy trauma and punishment. But for one who started with the first game in the early 1999 I loved the cult storyline but not only that but the historical theme of the supernatural. The hints of indigenous tribes lived in the area already knowing of the lands power but it was used differently until settlers arrived and somewhat corrupted it. Something old,something ancient,older than the town itself. I hope future SH titles have more of the supernatural aspect of the town or if it's now spreading as hints already in Sh3 and homecoming and now Short message it cause and function. I personally loved SH1 and SH3 the most but liked SH4 and Shattred memories for what they are. SH2 is a given perfect game but yeah hold SH1/3 close to heart. I have high hope for Silent hill f. The feeling as of now is a Silent hill with themes from Forbidden Siren and Fatal frame too like a rural japanes town in the 70's if plotline is correct? It's like all my favourite japanese horrors in one. Seeing as SH f might go back in time. I do hope we one day see a SH I personally waited for taking time in settlers era of america. How it all started. Like a Silent Hill + Roanoke take.
3 ended the cult storyline though. Heather kills their leader and their god. Team Silent didn't want to keep that plot going, as evident in 4. Homecoming brought the cult back, but Homecoming is like Amazon's LOTR. Sure, they legally can call it LOTR, but it's not canon.
I'd say the "trauma and punishment" that plagues a lot of Silent Hill media and "psychological horror" indie games in general is a misunderstanding and simplification of Silent Hill 2. Not only Westerners try to do it, but it seems very tied to a Western world view that they try to turn all horror to be about "bad people being punished". They want horror movies to tell them who the good people are and who the bad people are, and to have bad people be punished and suffer in hell, or something like that. A very religious-seeming wish. SH2 was about personal demons, sure, but it wasn't about "bad people being punished", it was much more about the ambiguity and what we do to ourselves, just as the original "Hellraiser" by Clive Barker was about the ambiguity of "Hell" and how the demons are not there as the evil guys or even to punish the "bad people". Westerners in general often seem incapable of accepting this ambiguity so the Hellraiser sequels more and more became this cliche of Christianity of bad people are bad so they suffer for it. Even the Silent Hill games that didn't focus on the cult (SH2) were not "about trauma" or "about bad people being punished". That it is so common and overused is just a sign how some people are unable to think outside of their cultural frame of reference. It's about punishment sure, but it's much more about a person wanting to be punished, like Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". The Silent Hill games tend to be subversive to the Christian ideas, but Westerners love to turn it into conformism with the Christian tradition. An exploration of the psyche and the ambiguous question of who does the punishing and what do the people deserve to be punished for gets simplified into simplistic "this is a bad guy obviously, because he does bad things so he needs to be punished" or "this person had a trauma, traumas like that are bad, so don't inflict traumas on people" types of morality stories. It's difficult to get get good subversive and layered horror out of such simplistic understandings of human existence and psychology.
I recall it being a developer vs publisher issue due to a few bosses and monsters and areas being cut for budget. the mine cart part being a hole level that ended being a ride for example
The only thing that's been killing the progress of silent Hill is the introduction of more combat. When you look at the originals, lack of good fluid combat that made you feel strong was what enhanced the feeling of helplessness and dread. When you can brute force your way through things trying to kill you, the fear level drops substantially. People wanting to hack and slash through monsters have a lot of options for that. People wanting the silent Hill experience want the fear and dread.
thjis is a dumb notion because in the early silent hill games you can just animation lock most enemies with melee attacks, combat in the early games is insanely easy.
@Catalyst512 choosing to abuse exploits on easy mode doesn't give your statement credibility. And frankly I don't even know how any of what you just blabbered relates to my comment to begin with
Max! EVIL WITHIN 2! Now that you are finishing up with Silent Hill I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Evil Within 2. Its the best horror gameplay I've ever played. Its OPEN WORLD survival horror which means you're constantly wondering "Should I even be here? Am I lost?" something linear horror games can't give you.
I think if Konami gave Varta another chance, they may have nailed the Silent Hill game feel we are looking for, they almost did with Downpour as you said it monster design is the weakest element. As for the quest system I loved it, it made me feel connected to the town of silent hill and made me interact with the town itself which is imo one of the strongest elements of the game. Silent Hill Downpour gets a lot of hate but I loved that game and got it on PS3 back when it released, to me its the only one alongside shattered memories who actually respected the original 4 games and tried to put their own spin on the formula no matter what the people say about Downpour it will always be my 5th favorite game of the series. The developers are ex 2k Czech devs which made the first 2 Mafia games, so they were experienced they tried to do their best with the time and budget Konami gave them, that's why I always think if Konami gave them another chance they may have delivered a better Silent Hill game.
Downpour's among my favorites in the series. The only thing I found disappointing were all the negative reviews that kept me from playing it for so long. Years after release, a good friend with good taste in horror and a fellow enjoyer of the original Silent Hill games told me she enjoyed it, so I gave it a shot and… I ended up *loving* it. It's tied with 2, 3, and 4 for my favorites in the series and I don't think it needs to be unfavorably lumped together with "those western Silent Hill games". I appreciate that you praised the story and Licht's contributions, because I think people unfairly complain about Yamaoka's absence in this one, when Licht did a great job in filling the void. I disagree about it trying to be too many things at once and satisfying nobody. I think the designers of this game knew exactly what they wanted it to be and the end result displays clear vision in that regard. The humanoid monster designs reflect this game's story and motifs, such as the violence and murder of fellow human beings trapped in the same place, and their raw, unbridled aggression-the lack of abstraction feels very intentional and unsettling, and it fully feels like they are a reflection of the protagonist's identity and past. The Otherworld sequences and chases reflect the themes of helplessness, imprisonment, raw panic, and paranoia quite cleverly. You may not like these things, but they serve the overall vision well. And in that, I think it's more Silent Hill than even some of the Japanese Silent Hill games; it's got an indelible soul that helps it stand apart from the others without trying to cheaply mimic them. It has teeth, and it has an *identity* of its own, which is crucial for Silent Hill and psychological horror both. I think it's undercooked-the bugs, rough edges, and some of the side quests are frustrating, all of which could have been polished if the game had spend more time in development. That's my only problem with the game. It could have been among the best in every regard.
I feel exactly the same. Negative reviews and everything I'd seen about the game kept me from playing it for 10 years. I finally played it in 2022 not expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised how much I was liking it. It definitely could be better but the team that made this game were on to something. Sadly Homecoming killed too much of my faith in the series to give this one the benefit of the doubt.
Lo Mismo por aqui. Downpour era el unico juego de Silent Hill que nunca jugue y me guiaba por las Criticas diciendo que era el peor Silent Hill de la franquicia. Hace poco me anime a jugarlo y la verdad es que lo Ame, para mi es el Mejor Silent Hill hecho por desarrolladoras Occidentales. Los interiores dan una vibra a Silent Hill 2 enorme, los enemigos son genericos pero calzan perfecto con la trama de la Historia. No se como pudo tener opiniones tan negativas este juego.
First of your videos I've seen (I think), and I'm going to go back and check out the rest of the retrospective. Disappointing is probably the best term to describe downpour. While I liked it overall, it had the potential it never reaches.still has one of my favourite puzzles in the theatre. Not super tricky but it really felt nice to resolve.
The true failing of the latter Silent Hills is that they all go for the twist ending like SH2 and always have a clunky Pyramid Head knockoff. 2 was the only original that even HAD a twist ending, and hacky writers all use it as an instruction manual for what makes a Silent Hill game. I kind of liked Downpour, but it relied too heavily on old tropes. Also, Officer Sewell is a real bastard.
Downpour is one of my favorite Silent Hill games TBH. I love how it made Silent Hill actually feel like a vacation resort. Probably my favorite part of it was the entire beginning part of the game and how you had to use a sky tram to even get to the town. The library and city hall parts were amazing too IMO.
Best non SH but SH-like games for me would be Siren & The Evil Within series. Particularly The Evil Within series being also the best non RE but RE-like games.
4:58 awesome sponsor. 20:02 acknowledging other people's responses is ok once but more than that is too much. 20:48 that would be a cool video. I didn't play Downpour, I like the prison premise, prisons show up a lot in Silent Hill.
Personally, I think Silent Hill Downpour is the ultimate "untried" Silent Hill game that should be discovered by every person on their own. I've been genuinely amazed by the fact that when I finally played it, I unironically liked the game a lot. It's a game that gives and takes equal amounts which - to me - renders it the definition of the phrase "to each their own". I'd love to see people not absorb the negative opinions from the internet beforehand but to check if the games that are said to be flawed may happen to be ones of their favorites. Having subtle guilty pleasures like a game that is commonly regarded as meh or bad is not a bad thing in itself. To sum up my point, shall I say this: Through the appreciation found in the rough, we learn who we are. Our own psyche and internal cravings.
I thought Downpour was decent in regards to atmosphere and the actual places you are in (especially the streets of the town). Its major flaw was that it incorporated elements from the movies. I have the same views on Homecoming as well, although with Homecoming, I thought the characters were very uncanny yet really well done. I come from small town life and the scene where you run into your old friend Elle after so many years is very relatable.
This was the second Silent Hill game I ever played (first being Homecoming). I honestly enjoyed it. The sidequests could have been better handled, but you can see a better implementation of the sidequest idea in Evil Within 2. Genuinely scary moments from exploring and getting rewarded for it. That's what Downpour aimed for but missed the mark on I do hope the concept gets revisited in a later game. Maybe include a unique monster based on the psychological profile of the person you are helping. Could be inteteresting to see
One thing you forgot to mention, which is crucial and has influenced the other world design for Downpour was the 3D TV hype at the time. These sections including the balancing mini game were there to showcase the 3D effects. I know cause I played it on a 3D TV.
Iunno bro, i finished silent hill 2 with like 50 health packs. In alan wake 2, my storage thing was nearly full of unused things for both alan and saga.
I think it's a matter of definition. I think the general sentiment you're getting at is that Homecoming is worse than Downpour? On that, I agree with you. In my mind, though, disappointing does not equate to "worst".
Can you do a video talking about the "Silent Hill phenomenon" that is reference in a memo of Silent Hill The Short Message, and the possible implications of the franchise in the future, because that seems to be the explanation to why the nigthmare is expanding outside the town and even the U.S .
I like the making a cake metaphor for Downpour, my own impressions at the time was that it was a lot like a cake except instead of delicious and in a cake mixing bowl it was a toilet bowl filled with spicy lava diarrhea, a soft serve topping of intestinal mud, and probably some blood.
12:53 the horror in a scene like this can easily be amplified by having the character go through it with weapons drawn and in front. This way you basicly have confirmation the character is just gonna walk through an animation without anything happening.
I just couldn’t get passed the feeling I was playing what feels like a triple A asset flip, it’s almost like they build the story around horror assets then the other way around, the game had just a vague hint or a distant smell of Silent Hill.
this is it exactly. Theres not a single thing in this video captures of the gameplay that would make you think its a silent hill game even for a second. They literally just slapped the silent hill name on a game that was never meant to be
I always felt like downpore needs a reimagining and a remake. The game is SO CLOSE to being what youd want from a silent hill game. I feel like what we have is an extremely good grounds to redo it
it´s been a while since the last time i played downpour. i remember i was split but mostly going for disappointed. still, it did make me nervous a couple of times which i was glad for it (although i was playing at night with headphones soo...). the monster had some effect for me that they where lame as hell but got something creepy and uncanny enough that even if i saw them chilling in the street, waving at me while drinking a beer they still would make feel anxious and the part with the mannequins was cool (also the side quest with the dark maze filled with enemies) but that´s mostly the only good couple of things i remember
Before we completley write off western horror as basic and without layers, let me remind you that the silent hill series and it's brand of horror was inspired by a western horror creator: David Lynch.
you could try to design the next perfect game of the series. Like what type of combat would fit perfectly to a new Silent Hill game, or camera, inventory, puzzle etc.
I genuenly believe the game (and every single other silent hill game post SH4) would have been better recieved if they just had removed every lousy "Silent hill" tie and mentions from it and just presented it as a survival horror game *inspired* by silent hill. The devs stated numerous times during interviews that they wanted this game to be judged by its own merits,but you cant expect people to do that when all publicity and plot points revolved around silent hill,but konami wanted to milk the name more and they knew this game wouldnt have gotten nearly as much attention and sales if they removed the "Silent Hill" part out of it and they were right,if this game was published as "Downpour" ,took place in some random town that does weird things without explanation,noone would have cared as much. Saddest thing is,even judged by its own merits,Downpour is still a very average survival horror game with little sparks of what it could have been with the right talent behind the wheels.
The only time I played Downpour was on PS3 but I never got that far because it was so broken and unplayable for me that I thought that it crashed my system once during the gameplay. That being said, I know that PS3 versions of many games weren't as polished or well made as they were on 360 so whenever I can get Downpour for my 360 I'll pick it up and give it another go. The dedicated video sounds like an awesome idea, keep up the good work Max!
I personally enjoyed Downpour, at least when compared to homecoming Despite the departure when it comes to the monster designs, it did actually feel like a Silent Hill game (while Homecoming felt more like a Resident Evil game wearing a very convincing Silent Hill cosplay) My patriotism probably also plays a role
Better creature design would have honestly rescued this game. I was already pretty off-put by every single one of the enemies, but the ghostly cop cars roaming the neighborhood was the point where I ragequit. There was no way to take this game seriously anymore XD It's a shame, Murphy and his backstory set the perfect stage for a compelling game.
What I liked about downpour was the town was more open to explore, the side quest were an interesting edition, the combat system to were you have to sort of rely on what’s around you to use as a weapon is a realistic choice and on a plus I love rain! With that said the disappointing aspects is theres only like 4 normal enemies and the designs weren't too impressive, besides maybe the howlers and the doll ladies. The otherworld is kinda mixed, it has interesting moments but not really scary. theres frame rates issues to were it looks like the game froze at times, and the cop lady is annoying :p
You should definitely look into a game called Cry of Fear if you haven't already. imo its the game that captures the essence of silent hill the best post silent hill 4. Might give you some data points for your video you mentioned you're gonna make at the end of this one. Highly recommend
As I continue my journey learning about this franchise I love Max's breakdowns making me go both "oh wow" and "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!" all at once lol
While I like a lot in 2, 3, and even 4... I still say Downpour is my favorite Silent Hill game, and, to be fair, I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but it's the game I have played the most out of any of the other Silent Hill games.
How are you running Silent Hill 3 and 4 in higher framerate and looking that good? I know of Enhanced Edition for SH2 but I have no idea of similar projects for rest of the series.
I didn't have a console to play this on when it was first released, but the game was killed for me during the promotion cycles before release because of just one thing: Theme song by Nu-Metal Band Korn. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some Korn from time to time, but they don't really scream "Silent Hill" vibes.
As a casual Silent Hill player, I liked Downpour. It's by no means perfect and I hated the lady monsters and didn't like that they depicted the city as a therapist again. I also didn't bother with the side quests. That said, I mostly enjoyed the visuals. That the city was larger than before and the whole law enforcement theme, because I'm a sucker for uniforms and American police cars.
Editing this comment after the end, have you thought writing a silent hill game, like with the base you can create a new story? convince me to play Downpour, always got the question what ever happen in that game
This is the only Silent Hill game I currently have access to that I haven't completed. It was those damned goofy-ass monsters that just kept annihilating the immersion and ruining the experience for me. Thanks for this video, maybe I'll get back to it to finish the story.
Ok, let's put something into question here. When the consensus is "game is bad" and one agrees with the consensus, but also recognizes that some people love that game, why would one celebrate that love? Not celebrating doesn't mean attacking a person's autonomy and right to have a personal taste. I hate a game, I won't celebrate people liking that game. I won't attack them or try to convince them to stop playing the game. But I won't sing praises to their personal taste. I will simply ignore personal taste, because personal taste is not what we analyze when we analyze a work of art or entertainment.
Hey Max! You familiar with Franz Mesmer? I know you like to shy away from overrepresented media but I think there's a very interesting and untouched, as far as I know, discussion to be had about Messmer (Elden Ring, DLC trailer). To pique your interest, and if I recall correctly, I think Mesmer's work was openly influenced or derived from the likes of Paracelsus; whilst most of it is pseudoscience his hypnotism would influence the likes of Freud, after which came Jung etc. etc. It was Bloodborne that introduced me to Mesmer and I've been seeing hints of his influence here and there in subsequent FROM~titles, to amalgamate Vlad The Impaler (who found himself at the cut-point of Orthodoxy and Catholicism) and Franz Mesmer (who found himself at the interstice between protoscienece and science) has to be the most obvious to date; and, in my opinion, has very interesting implications. One of those implications has been staring us in the face all this time but we were just so mesmerised by Griffith's invocation, we slept on Mesmer's hand pass.
By the way, might I add how cute it is that Berserk acknowledged Elden Ring's DLC announcement and firmly put the release date of its next chapter probably before their release date; two peas in a pod, abduction by Ottomans.
the monster designs make sense with the story - they are kind of a surface level humans are the real monsters sorta thing but it works well enough for me. The only silent hill monster designs i genuinely hate are movie pyramid head (for being conventionally attractive) and the twin victim (just really tasteless to reference the medical abuse of conjoined twins for the sake of oooooo scary monster when that never actually comes up in the story)
Hey Max Derrat, do a video about David Bowie, his earlier work like Quicksand and his last pieces Blackstar and Lauzarus. Or make a video about Hermetic Order of Golden Dawn
Great Video Max. I personally would love to see a video about the spirit of Silent Hill. About the Sponsor... Sir, if you say RPG (Role Playing Game) Game ever again, I will walk from Europe to Canada to have a serious talk with you xD. All kidding aside, great job as always, keep up the good work and have a good rest of your day.
“Silent hill downpour is the most disappointing silent hill game”
*silent hill ascension* : hold my micro transactions
Eh. We all knew Ascension would suck. So for that reason, it was less disappointing than Downpour. I had high hopes for DP, and it honestly had a lot of great ideas but the monster design and, once again, incredible lack of subtlety let it down again…
Something tells me you're a downpour lover..... Its still the worst ever.
@@terrencepoinsett4169 are you talking about me?
@@terrencepoinsett4169 are you talking about me??
@@terrencepoinsett4169To each their own. But Downpour has way more positive elements.
The “first 3 -4 of the series” gag always get me
Okay good. Phew.
@@maxderratnope, that was funny
@@maxderrat don't worry, I still remember when 4 was the black sheep of the series. It’s the only team silent game I’ve not finished. Heck I’ve beaten 3 of the Western-made games, (just have to beat 4 and Origins and I can call myself a proper Silent Hill fan again lol oh and also short message if I can get past feeling motion sickness in the first person view lol)
@sonicsean34
Heh. Ya. I remember when 4 was hated on for not being as good. Nowadays Id love a silent hill game as good as 4. But I am an old. I played the first 4 games in late HS/early 20s. think if I was not an old, I might have more appreciation for the later 4 than I do. The first 3 though at the times they came out games like that *had never been done* .
Console games in the West were *just* breaking out of the "video games are for kids with kid appropriate themes" concept that was so prevelant.
And to see something so twisted and dark...it was jawdropping.
They were lightning in a bottle, at the time.
That sh*t was hilarious
So Homecoming’s real sin in my opinion isn’t the clunky combat. It’s that they decided to make ammunition scarce, but also prevented the player from being able to run away. All the previous silent hill games understood the classic survival horror formula was to avoid using your gun and stock up (or not and have a hard end boss fight). They made most combats optional. Homecoming made melee combat clunky and likely to injure you, but running away usually ended in a locked door and a parade of horrors behind you ready to murder your face. The kind of game Homecoming presents needed more bullets.
How about the whole concept that they were gonna beef up the combat cause your character was a badass soldier!! Oh wait no he’s just psychotic and shouldn’t be good at fighting… whoops!!!
Homecoming is the first Silent Hill where I as the player, learn the pattern of the monster's attack set. so for me, yes it's kind of clunky. But I also really enjoyed it much, the battle against the bladed spiders and Scarlet Fitch are absolutely addictive for me
Eh, As someone who's played HC, you can run away from like 75% of encounters
The ammo limit was also a dumb idea
clunky in silent hill is "intended" it adds more tension to game by limiting moves to scare, you're sthupid.
I think a "Spirit of Silent Hill" video is a great video to do for the future of the franchise. I think the one great benefit to that is we know blooper team and many other development studios working on the Silent Hill franchise will take a look at the audience reception and feedback of fans, reviews, and overall support for how they take their specific game's approach (Not including Ascension). With a video fully demonstrating the "Feel and Spirit" of Silent Hill for those developers from you, they can take that and use it to fully understand and utilize the tools and decisions to truly appease fans of the franchise and finally bring back that old spirit of Silent Hill. As for Downpour, I have not played the game yet, only played 1 and 2 so far but know every game. I feel that despite not playing it, I like what it brought to the table, and how the developers tried to implement some sort of feel for the town of Silent Hill. You can clearly see it in some scenarios where they tried their hardest to make it feel like the Town itself is keeping them all there. I hope to try that one soon, but for now, I have still have two more Silent Hill games I own to complete before tackling the western Silent Hill games. Keel up the amazing work Max!
Flashback to spirit of final fantasy from resonant arc
I totally agree. Silent Hill means a lot of different things for a lot of different people, yet all of the games have certain themes that set the franchise apart from others. For example, there's the huge focus on family. SH1, Shattered Memories, and Downpour all involve parents. SH3, Homecoming, and a game I won't spoil involve orphaned kids. SH2 and the Silent Hills PT involved a husband and wife, and Origins involves both a father and son and a mother and daughter. Only the Room lacks any direct family connection.
Another aspect is the Curse of Toluca Lake, which we know had been active for generations on the southern shore (Homecoming) shore but only really became active in the town of Silent Hill because of Alyssa's trauma. I think we can confirm that one of the huge problems with the newest game was that it had zero connection to Toluca Lake, which left it feeling like the name was unearned. I think there are ways to connect games set elsewhere with Toluca Lake (they did it with the Amityville franchise), but that connection needs to be there for people to accept the games as being Silent Hill. I know The Room got a lot of flak because it surrounded events only mentioned in a newspaper article, but at least they tried to directly connect it to the curse.
I didn't hate the new game, but they really did miss the mark. Had it not been marketed as a SH game, it probably would've gotten much better reviews. But they obviously didn't know what makes a game SH and instead just tried to borrow elements from the franchise. Having a video that really gets into what makes Silent Hill stand out from other franchises could be the very thing needed to help Bloober get the franchise back on track.
I wouldn't hold my breath. After the Short Message & the whole Silent Hill phenomenon BS that treats Silent Hill more like a mental illness and discards the infamous of the same name, me and many other lost hope for this franchise.
I think the only game that might turn out somewhat decent is Silent Hill F since there's actual horror professionals involved.
Another element I highly appreciate Downpour for is how it incentivizes you to navigate through the use of maps and landmarks, sure the early ones did it themselves as well to an extent, but having to check street names and buildings in order to move more efficiently was neat.
Downpour is one of my favorite Silent Hill games TBH. I love how it made Silent Hill actually feel like a vacation resort. Probably my favorite part of it was the entire beginning part of the game and how you had to use a sky tram to even get to the town. The library and city hall parts were amazing too IMO.
Silent hill 4 gang RISE UP 🚪 🔒
This might be my favourite video in your series, Max. Really well done mate.
Downpour is often in the crosshair of the harshest Silent Hill criticism. I became reluctant to even say a single thing I enjoyed about the game, because it felt like an actual crime to do so. Nowadays, I think it's still underappreciated as many people are afraid to share their true experiences as a need to "fit in" with the more traditional fans.
I'm definitely keen on hearing what you think of the spirit of Silent Hill.
ATLUS sponsored Max? Feels like a Fieber dream. 😂
I remember playing Downpour when it came out and I loved it. A few years ago I played the entire series with my brother for Halloween where I played the games he already did and he played the ones he never did and man, watching him play Downpour made me realize how rough that game really was lmao! I still enjoyed it and some of the things it tried like the side quests. Dead Man's Hand had me freaking out the first time I did it. But then there was the kinda goofy things like getting jumped by the sirens patrolling Silent Hill in the patrol car lol. Also I didn't like that the choices you made changed the endings. Like yeah multiple endings are a staple of the SH games but the past was always set in stone. In Downpour the endings implied different events transpired in the past, therefore changing the endings which doesn't make sense.
Is not like it's super Bad, but it has a lot of Bad things ... The worst is the monster design, the only One that feels like a SH monster is the final Boss, the rest are just generic and uninspired
13:30
Tbh the 'eastern' horror aspect of Silent Hill was always overblown, imo. The main inspiration for the series seem to be Jacob's Ladder and the Twin Peaks series.
As for the last question, I think a dedicated video would be cool to see.
100% this, there's nothing (exclusively) eastern about silent hills horror other than the fact the game was made by Japanese people of course
@@The_Sharktocrab What about the monster design? I think a good chunk of it is Japanese inspired.
@@Justmonika6969 what makes you say that?
You say that and yet all the western silent hill games are shit.
@@The_Sharktocrab"nothing Japanese about it other than the fact that Japanese people made it." 😂
One thing I personally went missing with series was the historcial supernatural themes.
Many new players and even devs think Silent hill is all about punishment and traumas.
I know SH2 is many players favourite in the series and many games thereafter and even seen in Short Message try to copy trauma and punishment.
But for one who started with the first game in the early 1999 I loved the cult storyline but not only that but the historical theme of the supernatural.
The hints of indigenous tribes lived in the area already knowing of the lands power but it was used differently until settlers arrived and somewhat corrupted it.
Something old,something ancient,older than the town itself.
I hope future SH titles have more of the supernatural aspect of the town or if it's now spreading as hints already in Sh3 and homecoming and now Short message it cause and function.
I personally loved SH1 and SH3 the most but liked SH4 and Shattred memories for what they are. SH2 is a given perfect game but yeah hold SH1/3 close to heart.
I have high hope for Silent hill f.
The feeling as of now is a Silent hill with themes from Forbidden Siren and Fatal frame too like a rural japanes town in the 70's if plotline is correct?
It's like all my favourite japanese horrors in one.
Seeing as SH f might go back in time.
I do hope we one day see a SH I personally waited for taking time in settlers era of america. How it all started.
Like a Silent Hill + Roanoke take.
Finally, someone who understands what Silent Hill is about.
3 ended the cult storyline though. Heather kills their leader and their god. Team Silent didn't want to keep that plot going, as evident in 4. Homecoming brought the cult back, but Homecoming is like Amazon's LOTR. Sure, they legally can call it LOTR, but it's not canon.
@@VaporeonEnjoyer1 True, I just want more than just a copy paste of trauma and punishmemnt Silent Hill,it's more to the town than that.
@@VaporeonEnjoyer1
Well, Harry already killed their leader and their god in SH1 and they still came back.
I'd say the "trauma and punishment" that plagues a lot of Silent Hill media and "psychological horror" indie games in general is a misunderstanding and simplification of Silent Hill 2.
Not only Westerners try to do it, but it seems very tied to a Western world view that they try to turn all horror to be about "bad people being punished". They want horror movies to tell them who the good people are and who the bad people are, and to have bad people be punished and suffer in hell, or something like that. A very religious-seeming wish.
SH2 was about personal demons, sure, but it wasn't about "bad people being punished", it was much more about the ambiguity and what we do to ourselves, just as the original "Hellraiser" by Clive Barker was about the ambiguity of "Hell" and how the demons are not there as the evil guys or even to punish the "bad people".
Westerners in general often seem incapable of accepting this ambiguity so the Hellraiser sequels more and more became this cliche of Christianity of bad people are bad so they suffer for it. Even the Silent Hill games that didn't focus on the cult (SH2) were not "about trauma" or "about bad people being punished".
That it is so common and overused is just a sign how some people are unable to think outside of their cultural frame of reference.
It's about punishment sure, but it's much more about a person wanting to be punished, like Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment".
The Silent Hill games tend to be subversive to the Christian ideas, but Westerners love to turn it into conformism with the Christian tradition.
An exploration of the psyche and the ambiguous question of who does the punishing and what do the people deserve to be punished for gets simplified into simplistic "this is a bad guy obviously, because he does bad things so he needs to be punished" or "this person had a trauma, traumas like that are bad, so don't inflict traumas on people" types of morality stories.
It's difficult to get get good subversive and layered horror out of such simplistic understandings of human existence and psychology.
A RagnaRox video AND a Max Derrat video on the same day? And it's not even my birthday!
Ragnarrox dropped a new video and I didn't see it? What the? I'll be right back. Going to go watch one of the GOATs.
every day could be a birth day, only if you'd _believe_ ...
@@necrosadotor I like how you think.
haha thanks@@Mantosasto
I would love a video focusing on what the spirit of Silent Hill is!
I recall it being a developer vs publisher issue due to a few bosses and monsters and areas being cut for budget. the mine cart part being a hole level that ended being a ride for example
Konami didn't even like giving Kojima the time to finish MGS5. There's no way some c list studio was going to get the time for what they wanted.
The only thing that's been killing the progress of silent Hill is the introduction of more combat. When you look at the originals, lack of good fluid combat that made you feel strong was what enhanced the feeling of helplessness and dread. When you can brute force your way through things trying to kill you, the fear level drops substantially. People wanting to hack and slash through monsters have a lot of options for that. People wanting the silent Hill experience want the fear and dread.
thjis is a dumb notion because in the early silent hill games you can just animation lock most enemies with melee attacks, combat in the early games is insanely easy.
@Catalyst512 choosing to abuse exploits on easy mode doesn't give your statement credibility. And frankly I don't even know how any of what you just blabbered relates to my comment to begin with
@@godofm3tal1 oh no you can’t read💔 poor thing can’t read.
@@Catalyst512 poor thing can't think.
Max! EVIL WITHIN 2! Now that you are finishing up with Silent Hill I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Evil Within 2. Its the best horror gameplay I've ever played. Its OPEN WORLD survival horror which means you're constantly wondering "Should I even be here? Am I lost?" something linear horror games can't give you.
First evil within was a classic, almost thought It was more scary then 2
I think if Konami gave Varta another chance, they may have nailed the Silent Hill game feel we are looking for, they almost did with Downpour as you said it monster design is the weakest element. As for the quest system I loved it, it made me feel connected to the town of silent hill and made me interact with the town itself which is imo one of the strongest elements of the game.
Silent Hill Downpour gets a lot of hate but I loved that game and got it on PS3 back when it released, to me its the only one alongside shattered memories who actually respected the original 4 games and tried to put their own spin on the formula no matter what the people say about Downpour it will always be my 5th favorite game of the series. The developers are ex 2k Czech devs which made the first 2 Mafia games, so they were experienced they tried to do their best with the time and budget Konami gave them, that's why I always think if Konami gave them another chance they may have delivered a better Silent Hill game.
Downpour's among my favorites in the series. The only thing I found disappointing were all the negative reviews that kept me from playing it for so long. Years after release, a good friend with good taste in horror and a fellow enjoyer of the original Silent Hill games told me she enjoyed it, so I gave it a shot and… I ended up *loving* it. It's tied with 2, 3, and 4 for my favorites in the series and I don't think it needs to be unfavorably lumped together with "those western Silent Hill games". I appreciate that you praised the story and Licht's contributions, because I think people unfairly complain about Yamaoka's absence in this one, when Licht did a great job in filling the void.
I disagree about it trying to be too many things at once and satisfying nobody. I think the designers of this game knew exactly what they wanted it to be and the end result displays clear vision in that regard. The humanoid monster designs reflect this game's story and motifs, such as the violence and murder of fellow human beings trapped in the same place, and their raw, unbridled aggression-the lack of abstraction feels very intentional and unsettling, and it fully feels like they are a reflection of the protagonist's identity and past. The Otherworld sequences and chases reflect the themes of helplessness, imprisonment, raw panic, and paranoia quite cleverly. You may not like these things, but they serve the overall vision well. And in that, I think it's more Silent Hill than even some of the Japanese Silent Hill games; it's got an indelible soul that helps it stand apart from the others without trying to cheaply mimic them. It has teeth, and it has an *identity* of its own, which is crucial for Silent Hill and psychological horror both.
I think it's undercooked-the bugs, rough edges, and some of the side quests are frustrating, all of which could have been polished if the game had spend more time in development. That's my only problem with the game. It could have been among the best in every regard.
I feel exactly the same. Negative reviews and everything I'd seen about the game kept me from playing it for 10 years. I finally played it in 2022 not expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised how much I was liking it. It definitely could be better but the team that made this game were on to something. Sadly Homecoming killed too much of my faith in the series to give this one the benefit of the doubt.
Lo Mismo por aqui. Downpour era el unico juego de Silent Hill que nunca jugue y me guiaba por las Criticas diciendo que era el peor Silent Hill de la franquicia. Hace poco me anime a jugarlo y la verdad es que lo Ame, para mi es el Mejor Silent Hill hecho por desarrolladoras Occidentales. Los interiores dan una vibra a Silent Hill 2 enorme, los enemigos son genericos pero calzan perfecto con la trama de la Historia.
No se como pudo tener opiniones tan negativas este juego.
First of your videos I've seen (I think), and I'm going to go back and check out the rest of the retrospective.
Disappointing is probably the best term to describe downpour. While I liked it overall, it had the potential it never reaches.still has one of my favourite puzzles in the theatre. Not super tricky but it really felt nice to resolve.
We're getting a new channel...."Max bakes a cake"
The true failing of the latter Silent Hills is that they all go for the twist ending like SH2 and always have a clunky Pyramid Head knockoff. 2 was the only original that even HAD a twist ending, and hacky writers all use it as an instruction manual for what makes a Silent Hill game. I kind of liked Downpour, but it relied too heavily on old tropes. Also, Officer Sewell is a real bastard.
Downpour is one of my favorite Silent Hill games TBH. I love how it made Silent Hill actually feel like a vacation resort. Probably my favorite part of it was the entire beginning part of the game and how you had to use a sky tram to even get to the town. The library and city hall parts were amazing too IMO.
Best non SH but SH-like games for me would be Siren & The Evil Within series. Particularly The Evil Within series being also the best non RE but RE-like games.
Yes
Great video as always, and would love to see a video from you on the spirit of SH!
Huge congrats on the sponsor my friend, you thoroughly earned it 💪
4:58 awesome sponsor.
20:02 acknowledging other people's responses is ok once but more than that is too much.
20:48 that would be a cool video. I didn't play Downpour, I like the prison premise, prisons show up a lot in Silent Hill.
I view Downpour as "The best of the west"
lol
My only issue with silent hill downpour is the lack of monsters…
Downpour deserve a chance for any SH fan.
Personally, I think Silent Hill Downpour is the ultimate "untried" Silent Hill game that should be discovered by every person on their own. I've been genuinely amazed by the fact that when I finally played it, I unironically liked the game a lot. It's a game that gives and takes equal amounts which - to me - renders it the definition of the phrase "to each their own". I'd love to see people not absorb the negative opinions from the internet beforehand but to check if the games that are said to be flawed may happen to be ones of their favorites. Having subtle guilty pleasures like a game that is commonly regarded as meh or bad is not a bad thing in itself. To sum up my point, shall I say this:
Through the appreciation found in the rough, we learn who we are. Our own psyche and internal cravings.
I thought Downpour was decent in regards to atmosphere and the actual places you are in (especially the streets of the town). Its major flaw was that it incorporated elements from the movies. I have the same views on Homecoming as well, although with Homecoming, I thought the characters were very uncanny yet really well done. I come from small town life and the scene where you run into your old friend Elle after so many years is very relatable.
This was the second Silent Hill game I ever played (first being Homecoming). I honestly enjoyed it. The sidequests could have been better handled, but you can see a better implementation of the sidequest idea in Evil Within 2. Genuinely scary moments from exploring and getting rewarded for it. That's what Downpour aimed for but missed the mark on
I do hope the concept gets revisited in a later game. Maybe include a unique monster based on the psychological profile of the person you are helping. Could be inteteresting to see
One thing you forgot to mention, which is crucial and has influenced the other world design for Downpour was the 3D TV hype at the time. These sections including the balancing mini game were there to showcase the 3D effects. I know cause I played it on a 3D TV.
Iunno bro, i finished silent hill 2 with like 50 health packs. In alan wake 2, my storage thing was nearly full of unused things for both alan and saga.
Homecoming takes the cake on disappointment. But to each their own.
I think it's a matter of definition. I think the general sentiment you're getting at is that Homecoming is worse than Downpour? On that, I agree with you. In my mind, though, disappointing does not equate to "worst".
Can you do a video talking about the "Silent Hill phenomenon" that is reference in a memo of Silent Hill The Short Message, and the possible implications of the franchise in the future, because that seems to be the explanation to why the nigthmare is expanding outside the town and even the U.S .
It's not an explanation but a slap in the face for the sake of milking the franchise. If only they'd make a good game to go along with that. lol
I have thought about that... maybe I could do a Silent Hill Mythology episode on it.
I like the making a cake metaphor for Downpour, my own impressions at the time was that it was a lot like a cake except instead of delicious and in a cake mixing bowl it was a toilet bowl filled with spicy lava diarrhea, a soft serve topping of intestinal mud, and probably some blood.
12:53 the horror in a scene like this can easily be amplified by having the character go through it with weapons drawn and in front. This way you basicly have confirmation the character is just gonna walk through an animation without anything happening.
I just couldn’t get passed the feeling I was playing what feels like a triple A asset flip, it’s almost like they build the story around horror assets then the other way around, the game had just a vague hint or a distant smell of Silent Hill.
this is it exactly. Theres not a single thing in this video captures of the gameplay that would make you think its a silent hill game even for a second. They literally just slapped the silent hill name on a game that was never meant to be
I wish vanillaware ported muramasa to newer consoles and PC, with a better translation.
I always felt like downpore needs a reimagining and a remake. The game is SO CLOSE to being what youd want from a silent hill game. I feel like what we have is an extremely good grounds to redo it
10:57 I think Travis' ultimate enemy is the medical bill for his busted back.
it´s been a while since the last time i played downpour. i remember i was split but mostly going for disappointed. still, it did make me nervous a couple of times which i was glad for it (although i was playing at night with headphones soo...).
the monster had some effect for me that they where lame as hell but got something creepy and uncanny enough that even if i saw them chilling in the street, waving at me while drinking a beer they still would make feel anxious and the part with the mannequins was cool (also the side quest with the dark maze filled with enemies) but that´s mostly the only good couple of things i remember
That cake analogy fits perfectly with how I felt about Super Mario Galaxy.
Remember guys, if you are ever lost in the woods, you will naturally find yourself in the town of Silent Hill 💀
Before we completley write off western horror as basic and without layers, let me remind you that the silent hill series and it's brand of horror was inspired by a western horror creator: David Lynch.
Please people the most disappointing Silent Hill is Book of Memories.
Id argue shattered memories is the worst lol I had more fun on Book of memories
20:05 Max you are too kind about that with all due respect... there IS in fact everything wrong with it!
you could try to design the next perfect game of the series. Like what type of combat would fit perfectly to a new Silent Hill game, or camera, inventory, puzzle etc.
20:00 "There is nothing wrong with that" Except the funking death of the funking series.While the first 3 or 4 games created a legend.
8:44 wait, what happened to the guy ?
Yea me too had to pause there
I genuenly believe the game (and every single other silent hill game post SH4) would have been better recieved if they just had removed every lousy "Silent hill" tie and mentions from it and just presented it as a survival horror game *inspired* by silent hill.
The devs stated numerous times during interviews that they wanted this game to be judged by its own merits,but you cant expect people to do that when all publicity and plot points revolved around silent hill,but konami wanted to milk the name more and they knew this game wouldnt have gotten nearly as much attention and sales if they removed the "Silent Hill" part out of it and they were right,if this game was published as "Downpour" ,took place in some random town that does weird things without explanation,noone would have cared as much.
Saddest thing is,even judged by its own merits,Downpour is still a very average survival horror game with little sparks of what it could have been with the right talent behind the wheels.
The only time I played Downpour was on PS3 but I never got that far because it was so broken and unplayable for me that I thought that it crashed my system once during the gameplay. That being said, I know that PS3 versions of many games weren't as polished or well made as they were on 360 so whenever I can get Downpour for my 360 I'll pick it up and give it another go. The dedicated video sounds like an awesome idea, keep up the good work Max!
Did you ever do the spirit of silent hill video?
Who wants to see the legend max himself cover FLCL the anime series
I would
Me
What is the ost beginning at 2:13?
I personally enjoyed Downpour, at least when compared to homecoming
Despite the departure when it comes to the monster designs, it did actually feel like a Silent Hill game (while Homecoming felt more like a Resident Evil game wearing a very convincing Silent Hill cosplay)
My patriotism probably also plays a role
Better creature design would have honestly rescued this game. I was already pretty off-put by every single one of the enemies, but the ghostly cop cars roaming the neighborhood was the point where I ragequit. There was no way to take this game seriously anymore XD It's a shame, Murphy and his backstory set the perfect stage for a compelling game.
What I liked about downpour was the town was more open to explore, the side quest were an interesting edition, the combat system to were you have to sort of rely on what’s around you to use as a weapon is a realistic choice and on a plus I love rain!
With that said the disappointing aspects is theres only like 4 normal enemies and the designs weren't too impressive, besides maybe the howlers and the doll ladies.
The otherworld is kinda mixed, it has interesting moments but not really scary. theres frame rates issues to were it looks like the game froze at times, and the cop lady is annoying :p
You got a hell of a sponsor this time Max ❤ can't wait for Unicorn Overlord
I find Book of Memories to be the worst fake Silent Hill game ever made.
Max, blink twice if you have an avid SH4 fan pointing a gun at you lmao
You should collaborate with The Gaming Muse for that Spirit of Silent hill video.
Just a suggestion, your decision.
You should definitely look into a game called Cry of Fear if you haven't already. imo its the game that captures the essence of silent hill the best post silent hill 4. Might give you some data points for your video you mentioned you're gonna make at the end of this one. Highly recommend
As I continue my journey learning about this franchise I love Max's breakdowns making me go both "oh wow" and "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!" all at once lol
Huh I was expecting the Wesley Snipes Blade quote "Some motherfuckers are always tryna ice skate uphill" which also would have worked!
While I like a lot in 2, 3, and even 4... I still say Downpour is my favorite Silent Hill game, and, to be fair, I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but it's the game I have played the most out of any of the other Silent Hill games.
I love you, Max. Never stop making content.
Yeah a video about the spirit of Silent Hill would be cool
One of the best side rewards is getting to dress like a guy who steals from his neighbors.
(The clothes are from his corpse)
How are you running Silent Hill 3 and 4 in higher framerate and looking that good?
I know of Enhanced Edition for SH2 but I have no idea of similar projects for rest of the series.
Awesome sponsor! Usually, when I hear a sponsor segment I dont bother since its prob shit, but this is actually a real fucking good game!!
Yes. Out of all people I wish YOU make that "Soul of Silent Hill(s)" video!
Also, looking forward to see you on State of the Arc podcast!
I didn't have a console to play this on when it was first released, but the game was killed for me during the promotion cycles before release because of just one thing: Theme song by Nu-Metal Band Korn.
Now don't get me wrong, I love me some Korn from time to time, but they don't really scream "Silent Hill" vibes.
should talk about that microtransaction online SH game "Ascension" I think its called
Good work on the high profile sponsor!
...could this be a hint at a fantasy themed horror game by Vanillaware?
As a casual Silent Hill player, I liked Downpour. It's by no means perfect and I hated the lady monsters and didn't like that they depicted the city as a therapist again. I also didn't bother with the side quests.
That said, I mostly enjoyed the visuals. That the city was larger than before and the whole law enforcement theme, because I'm a sucker for uniforms and American police cars.
I love Shattered Memories as a game, but not as a Silent Hill game. That being said, I’m glad it exists and I really enjoyed it
3:07 the cake is a lie
Obviously I’m going to want any silent hill video you offer just don’t want it to burn you out
Alien/UFO endings!
That's the one thing you need to get right!
Yes, please make a video about what you feel the spirit of Silent Hill is.
Song at the beginning??
Editing this comment after the end, have you thought writing a silent hill game, like with the base you can create a new story?
convince me to play Downpour, always got the question what ever happen in that game
Yellow Ribbons embeded themself into my mind...
Want to make this game better instantly:
Imagine Murphy stature is 4'9".
I would love to see the "spirit of silent hill" video.
I am begging yall can you please tell me the name of the track at 10:35
The Suicidal Clock Chime from Silent Hill 4: The Room. Plays when Henry first encounters Cynthia in her 'dream'.
This is the only Silent Hill game I currently have access to that I haven't completed. It was those damned goofy-ass monsters that just kept annihilating the immersion and ruining the experience for me. Thanks for this video, maybe I'll get back to it to finish the story.
Ok, let's put something into question here. When the consensus is "game is bad" and one agrees with the consensus, but also recognizes that some people love that game, why would one celebrate that love?
Not celebrating doesn't mean attacking a person's autonomy and right to have a personal taste. I hate a game, I won't celebrate people liking that game. I won't attack them or try to convince them to stop playing the game. But I won't sing praises to their personal taste. I will simply ignore personal taste, because personal taste is not what we analyze when we analyze a work of art or entertainment.
The word "consensus" already means "a general agreement", you don't need to say "general consensus".
Leave Max alone!
I’m down to see you pick apart more on Silent Hills. And it’s Horror aspect.
Hey Max! You familiar with Franz Mesmer? I know you like to shy away from overrepresented media but I think there's a very interesting and untouched, as far as I know, discussion to be had about Messmer (Elden Ring, DLC trailer). To pique your interest, and if I recall correctly, I think Mesmer's work was openly influenced or derived from the likes of Paracelsus; whilst most of it is pseudoscience his hypnotism would influence the likes of Freud, after which came Jung etc. etc. It was Bloodborne that introduced me to Mesmer and I've been seeing hints of his influence here and there in subsequent FROM~titles, to amalgamate Vlad The Impaler (who found himself at the cut-point of Orthodoxy and Catholicism) and Franz Mesmer (who found himself at the interstice between protoscienece and science) has to be the most obvious to date; and, in my opinion, has very interesting implications. One of those implications has been staring us in the face all this time but we were just so mesmerised by Griffith's invocation, we slept on Mesmer's hand pass.
By the way, might I add how cute it is that Berserk acknowledged Elden Ring's DLC announcement and firmly put the release date of its next chapter probably before their release date; two peas in a pod, abduction by Ottomans.
the monster designs make sense with the story - they are kind of a surface level humans are the real monsters sorta thing but it works well enough for me. The only silent hill monster designs i genuinely hate are movie pyramid head (for being conventionally attractive) and the twin victim (just really tasteless to reference the medical abuse of conjoined twins for the sake of oooooo scary monster when that never actually comes up in the story)
Nice! Been wondering what you think of this one. I think it’s the only one I haven’t played yet (aside Homecoming).
I very much appreciate the White Men Can't Jump reference. One of my all-time favorite movies.
Hey Max Derrat, do a video about David Bowie, his earlier work like Quicksand and his last pieces Blackstar and Lauzarus. Or make a video about Hermetic Order of Golden Dawn
Great Video Max. I personally would love to see a video about the spirit of Silent Hill.
About the Sponsor... Sir, if you say RPG (Role Playing Game) Game ever again, I will walk from Europe to Canada to have a serious talk with you xD.
All kidding aside, great job as always, keep up the good work and have a good rest of your day.
Notification GANG 📢
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"When something tries to be everything - it fails to be something on its own" - That gaming dev. wisdom.