Four Endings and Sidequests
Every Silent Hill game offers more than one ending and Downpour isn’t any different in this regard. Those who are planning to play Downpour a couple of times will be pleased to know that there are four possible endings. The ending you get will be based on the decisions Murphy makes as well as several other factors.
Another aspect to look forward to in Downpour is the addition of sidequests. Vatra Games added some objectives which will give players a break from the story. You can expect a majority of these sidequests to revolve around locating and obtaining a certain item. Doing these sidequests will unlock achievements or trophies and may affect which ending you unlock. In my playthrough of Downpour, it took me almost eight hours to finish the game and that’s not including any sidequests. The game is pretty lengthy at first, but after you get the hang of solving puzzles and learn the general layout, you will find that the game can be completed in about 4 hours.
NOT
Weak Story
Of the eight Silent Hill games that I’ve played, Downpour is among the weakest on my list (Homecoming still takes the cake) when it comes to the story. Taking on the role of Murphy Pendleton, fans of the Silent Hill series will go through a twisted psychological thriller where Murphy will have flashbacks of his actions earlier in life. For those who have played other Silent Hill games, you know what type of characters to expect in this franchise. The protagonist has some issues with either their mental state or simply past family problems. Downpour strays little from this standard path, which makes the plot somewhat predictable. The story starts off fairly slow with Murphy having no past, but as you progress, more of his past is revealed. Don’t be too surprised if you find yourself saying, “Ah, I know what’s going to happen next”.
Flawed Combat
When Homecoming was released, fans were disappointed with the heavy use of weapons in order to survive. In Downpour, Vatra Games listened and made the gameplay balanced in terms of the game’s combat. The use of weapons has been lessened which can be seen through the lack of available ammo. In order to survive, you must use items scattered around you to fend off enemies. As always, you will have an option to simply run away, but that’s never been the case for fans of the series. Taking the combat from Origins and Homecoming, the items you can use to attack enemies vary from a fireaxe, wood stick, bricks or even a wooden chair. Almost everywhere you go you will find something to use, but what is the most disappointing is that there isn’t an indication of which weapon is stronger or when it will break. At least in Origins, it had a + or – sign to indicate if a weapon you found was stronger.
It’s hard not to be disappointed in the lackluster combat system. Aiming at the enemy is almost impossible within the game. Sometimes while in combat, it can be extremely difficult to control how the direction/impact of a weapon, which can lead to a miss. This applies to guns as well. Instead of having a straight shot, you’ll notice that Murphy shakes, thus making it harder to aim. The bland combo pattern is abysmal and the shoddy camera angle definitely crafts a poor experience.
Average Visuals with Lots of Technical Issues
While Vatra Games successfully delivers a spooky atmosphere, the company failed in creating visuals that were on par with other games of this generation. Between Homecoming and Downpour, I can see no major difference between them. The character models in Downpour look sloppy, especially when they talk. As for the enemies, the company fails in delivering a variety of enemies. As you progress, it begins to feel like you’re fighting the same type of creatures over and over. In terms of the environments, they’re a pleasure to look at, but when it comes to textures, there’s much to be desired. Expect several instances of pop in and screen tearing as you go through different parts in the game.
VERDICT
Despite all of the flaws that I found in Downpour, the game still manages to provide the classic Silent Hill experience that fans want. The eerie atmosphere and somewhat mediocre story blend well together. Those who were disappointed with Homecoming will find some improvements, but Downpour isn’t much better than Homecoming in certain aspects. Those who are hungry for a Silent Hill experience should still check out Downpour, but be warned that the game can cause feelings of frustration, which will most likely stem from the poor combat or the fact that another Silent Hill title has provided a sub-par experience
[Editor’s Note: Silent Hill: Downpour was reviewed on the Xbox 360 hardware. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]