Silent Hill: Downpour

It'll infuriate as many as it pleases, but Vatra Games has succeeded in crafting a true horror experience. [Issue#217, p.68]

Despite clunky combat and various frame rate issues, Silent Hill: Downpour is still a solid survival horror romp that any fan of the genre should take a punt on.

Underneath all sorts of technical oddities, lies a strong Silent Hill game. Great use of many creative ideas, the excellent pacing and an atmosphere that always keeps you on your toes makes Silent Hill: Downpour the first Silent Hill game that shows that this franchise has the potential to return to greatness.

It is not the Silent Hill you have been expecting for a decade, but it is not as bad as the most pessimist predicted. If you liked Homecoming you should give Downpour a chance, and although part of the story is predictable and the horror aspect has plenty of room to improve, the game is an interesting one and ultimately delivers, although far from the best times of the series.

The surprisingly high share of puzzles and the appeal of exploring the open city and unlocking its' secrets gives you 20+ hours of entertaining horror. And even though the combat system is superficial and the engine shows some frustrating framerate issues this playable nightmare shows a lot of facets between creepy moments and pure terror.

It's a decent stab at resurrecting the atmosphere and sense of foreboding that the series was once known for, and if it wasn't for those frequent technical hitches, it could well have been one of the best in the series. As it stands, it's a very, very good survival horror title.

From side quests to sound design, Silent Hill: Downpour isn't afraid of change. The restult is a captivating game more expansive than the series has ever seen.

Another disappointment for fans of the first four Silent Hill games. The controls during battle are unfair and dumb and the fact that you can only carry one weapon at a time is simply annoying. One of the few positive things is the rain-dynamic. The more it rains the more creatures prey upon you. The graphics are muddy and fall apart under technical issues like sudden freezing. The game looks less scary overall and reminds of Alan Wake. All things considered it is not Silent Hill anymore. There is no oppressive and dark atmosphere left.

A game that is great for most parts, complete with the series signature atmosphere and old school puzzles. Sadly, there's some really lousy game mechanics, and a clear misuse of the Unreal engine. Thumbs up for the introduction of side missions though.

Sometimes superb to look at but always unremarkable to play, Downpour lacks the nerve to be either great or terrible. It need reinventing - fast. [May 2012, p.104]

Fans of Silent Hill will enjoy it more, because they'll find many allusions to the games of old that'll influence the experience in a positive way. Anyone new to the franchise, but interested in this brand of horror should, give it a look, too. (…) This game definitely restored my belief in the series, and that's perhaps the biggest compliment I can give this game.

Chief amongst the offenders is a combat system so outdated I wouldn't be surprised if Vetra games had it shipped it in especially from 1999. Fighting monsters, which is done by mashing your attacks and occasionally blocking, feels clunky and detached, with weapons that all feel like they've got the wrong weight.

While the journey in Downpour is one of the most interesting in the series, some of its most significant beats fall flat.

I don't regret my time with Silent Hill: Downpour, but mediocrity hung over most of my playthrough like a fog. [Apr 2012, p.82]

Shines where it ought to, but much too soggy around the edges. [March 2012, p76]

The more you explore Silent Hill, the more it becomes clear that Vatra, despite its good intentions, simply lacks the necessary talent. The fighting system, for example, sucks monkey balls. In previous games you could opt to run, but Downpour forces you to a confrontation. [April 2012, p.99]

Downpour is a pretty solid horror game, if not an exceptionally original or nuanced one. If it weren't for the crappy combat and frustrating exploration it would be a bit easier to recommend, but Vatra has captured the Silent Hill aesthetic well.

A decent game with missed opportunities due to technical and mechanical drawbacks. On the plus side, I really think the hardcore followers should be able to deal with the fighting eccentricities, because they're so…well, familiar.

If you can look past the often abominable framerate, the essentially broken combat system and the long list of graphical errors, you will find that this is the first Silent Hill since Silent Hill 3 that is actually worth mentioning, even though it is not a very good game overall.

Downpour isn't quite an evolutionary leap, but it demonstrates that Konami's thinking isn't entirely constrained by the past.

Downpour is an almost obligatory purchase for fans of the saga, but they must be aware of the technical and conceptual limitations of the product.

Silent Hill falls under its hype. More a thriller than an horror experience it has a good plot with too many problems and glitches in the gameplay experience.

Offers an adequately suspenseful adventure and expands the series' lore, just barely making it worthy of the Silent Hill name.

While having no shortness of flaws, Downpour still manages to get enough right to warrant further investigation by series and genre fans.

I enjoyed Silent Hill: Downpour, but with one nagging thought always tugging at my brain - it just didn't feel like a Silent Hill game.

A remarkably ugly game. [June 2012, p.60]

Silent Hill Downpourit's a good game, despite all of its flaws, but desperately needs new mechanics.

It may be a visually sound package that throws a few unique spins on the Silent Hill template, though the sometimes awkward puzzles and irredeemably abysmal combat are enough to drag Downpour down the gutter and towards mediocrity.

Silent Hill: Downpour is a game full of extremes. A good story, great hallucinations and interesting puzzles make you want to play. Weak graphics, no tension gradation and a terrible fighting mechanic make you want to stop.

Vatra Games made decent efforts to deliver a unique experience that would be faithful to the Silent Hill games of old. The Chechs failed, but that doesn't mean their game is not capable of delivering some enjoyable survival horror gaming hours.

Thought not a terrible tribute to the series, Downpour seems to tone down everything we loved about the earlier games, leaving only an average shell. [May 2012, p.78]

Downpour could have been good, but any shot at greatness gets bogged down by a laundry list of problems. A shame, because there are times when the games gets tense and unnerving, a big plus for this genre.

It may not shock you, but it can at least build a thick, oppressive atmosphere as the relatively clever plot keeps twisting and the grot and grime pile up and threaten to choke you. It can't handle fear - but it does a neat line in mild intrigue. Silent Hill: Downpour won't freeze you to your seat, but it will probably keep you playing to the end.

Silent Hill fans will appreciate the atmosphere, but it's bogged down in old-fashioned gameplay that just doesn't cut it. Sadly, we grew up. Equally sadly, Silent Hill never did.

Silent Hill: Downpour takes a jump to bring the series back the its roots. Despite good intentions, the game has a lot of flaws. Let's hope the next Silent Hill takes a better jump and actually scares us to death.

Silent Hill: Downpour is yet another half-decent survival horror game in a series that, just like many other horror series, is waiting for something to happen. This eight episode of Silent Hill is acceptable and interesting enough to take you all the way through, but on the whole as a game - not much more.

With every low rent sequel it becomes that much harder to remember why Silent Hill was so successful in the first place, as the series continues its descent into franchise hell.

An engaging story and creepy locales simply aren't enough to overcome terribly clunky combat and technical flaws in the latest entry in Konami's venerable survival horror series. Silent Hill: Downpour's developers may have taken the series in a new direction, but that doesn't mean they should have.

The most frustrating thing about Silent Hill Downpour isn't the lousy combat, dull exploration, or even the technical gaffes. It's the fact that every now and then while playing through the game's story, you'll see signs of brilliance; sunlight hinted from behind the overcast sky.