Silent Hill: Downpour (PS3)
Developer: Vatra Games
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Action \ Survival Horror
Platform: PS3
Price: Rs 3000 (Game4u.com, Flipkart.com)


Silent Hill: Downpour rolls out another American survival horror tale in a town that's shrouded in mystery. Vatra Games takes forward the legacy of the popular series with a new character, a new story, and lots of action. But does this new iteration manage to keep you on the edge of your seat, or is this yet another disappointment like Silent Hill: Homecoming?
 

Silent Hill: Downpour carries subtle features of the series while working in a new space.

Jailhouse Blues
The narrative moves along the life of a prisoner named Murphy Pendleton. The game starts at a point where the protagonist is being transferred from the Ryall State Prison to another facility. There is no background to Pendleton or insights into the crimes he has committed. Small snippets of the convict's past life flash out of his memory throughout the game, but never quite join the dots to give you a clear picture.

As the bus transporting prisoners enter the mysterious town of Silent Hill, it crashes into a valley, leaving most of its passengers dead except for Pendleton and a few others. Following the crash, you get to unravel the spooky town in Pendleton's boots, even as several truths from his past slowly begin to surface.

There are a vareity of characters in the game. Some are neither your rivals, nor do they take the story forward in any way. Rather, they merely offer a sense of the kind of the world that Silent Hill is. This leaves a lot unanswered, never making a concrete ground for the exclusion or inclusion of some characters or their actions. The game also allows you to shape Pendleton's character - letting you make, or refrain from making a few moral choices scattered throughout the game. Nonetheless, they make no major impact on the game's outcome as you'd expect.
 

The American version of Vikram aur Baital.

Hack, Slash, Kill
Compared to previous Silent Hill titles, this one stresses much more on combat. You can fight with anything that lies along the way – stones, wrench, hammers, sticks, guns and more. However, most weapons in your arsenal are prone to quick wear and tear. This can be annoying, especially when your weapon disintegrates in the middle of a desperate fight.

Using guns is not as much fun due to the scarcity of bullets, which are sparsely spread across the game. Moreover the weapon variety and usage, in addition to the style of play can be a little disengaging as well. For instance, melee combat is loosely crafted, and so is the accuracy of your punches and thumps.
 

Many places to explore, many things to do.

Though the focus of this iteration is on combat, you can explore several corners of the town. The title lets you take up side quests that bring out the human side of the town. One task needs to you track down a thief, recover the loot and return it to its original owner, while the other calls for interaction with the townsfolk to understand it better.


Poor AI, Disappointing Graphics
For a game that thrives on its survival horror roots, it's disappointing to find a none but few moments bearing the kind of intensity that would send a chill down your back. With the exception of a few sections, none are scary enough or even mildly intimidating for that matter. Drab backdrops, uninspiring graphics, and lethargic enemies lie at the core of this issue.
 

Graphics look dull and boring in most parts.

First of all, there aren't as many opponents that will scare you away or give you a challenge. You will find ghosts, witches, and weird things around as you shuttle from a building to another while trying to figure out the strange town. However, what works in the favour of the game is the way enemies gear up under differing weather conditions. If you are fighting it out in the rains, your rivals will be stronger and better equipped, bringing some fun to the fight.

However, the dark and dreary surroundings cannot put you on the edge. The dull palette of colours churns out below par graphics. While the animation is still fine, there are quite a lot of technical issues and frame rate glitches. Thanks to these problems, the screen freezes numerous times through the course of the game.
 

Unlike other dark rooms, this one won't leave you cold and scared.

A Lacklustre Effort
The story works well at certain points but midway through the game, several gaps crop up in the narrative. This is where it all starts crippling under the burden of disjointed sequences and unexplained actions. Silent Hill: Downpour's lacklustre action and enemies, dull graphics, and technical issues take away the attention from its fine details. However, the absence of fear is the major drawback that puts down the game much below its own standards.


Gameplay/Design: 3/5
Graphics: 2.5/5
Sound: 3/5
Mojo: 2.5/5

Overall Rating: 2.5

TAGS: Gaming, PlayStation, Sanali