|
|
|
Banned
(08-27-2007,
06:17 PM)
 |
Silent Hill 5 EGM Cover Story Info
#1
SILENT HILL 5....
It would seem The Collective is very honored to be working on Silent Hill 5 and rightfully so. After Konami announced they were passing on the developer work to an outside company, it was discovered that quite a few developers wanted to work on the IP. In the end, these other developers were "scared" out of doing such an ambitious title. The Collective, evidently, is not so easily frightened. Character Debacle Although Alex may look similar to other protagonist’s in the series, he is an altogether different character. Alex Shepard is 22 years old and with that comes the attitude and thinking’s of a standard young adult. While SHV will feature an entirely new plot (ala SH2), the developers have said that the player should not be suprised to see themes, settings and other surpises familar to series fans. Along with Alex and his family (more on that later), a new host of characters will be featured in this entry. That doesn't mean however, that settings, situations and settings wont be familiar. "It's important that the characters fit into the overall style of Silent Hill," says Brian Hourton (SHV Lead Artist). About that story bit... (what follows is a recap of the story we know so far) Alex is in a Military Veteran's hospital, recovering from a near fatal wound he received. (It is not specified how he received the wound). While there, Alex has a premonition that his young brother, Joshua, is in danger. "Alex will be confronted with horrors that reflect his psychological state" Horton adds. He leaves the VA for his New England home town of Shepards Glen. Upon returning however, he finds his mother in a catatonic state, his brother and father missing and the entire town shrouded in a bizarre fog. Along his travels, he will team up with a spunky upbeat girl named Ellen. It isn't known at this time if she will be playable or not but she seems to be a cross between SH2's Maria and SH3's Heather. The developers feel the game and its characters seem to lean much more to Silent Hill 2 and its psycological thematics. It is confirmed that the player will actually GO to Silent Hill, not any hole buisness ala SH4. Gameplay Alex's military background plays both into the game dynamics and the theme of the story. Knowing this however, the developers aren't attempting to create any sort of political standpoint. The developers want the battle system in SHV to be tougher, more interactive and ultimately engaging. Seeing as Alex is a former solider (tentative), he is more agile and better suited for doing actual "battle" with his adversaries. It seems Alex can unleash a flurry of heavy or light physical attacks and has several melee weapons at his disposal. Each melee weapon, saw, pipe etc, will have its OWN set of moves and combos (giving a much more actiony feel to battle). The player can also use grapple techniques, counter moves and can expect the same from enemies. Strangest of all? Alex has a dodge roll. The developers have yet to confirm any info on the gunplay mechanics yet though they promise they aren’t turning this game into a "shooter." Graphics To sooth everyone's soul, the grain filter will indeed return for Silent Hill V, however in addition, other filters will be added as well. Filters that give hairline cracks in the screen or are filtered with debris allow the developers to change the mood and atmosphere of the game WHILE it's being played. Interestingly enough, the game is using the Havok engine in a unique way. The middleware is being used in the same capacity as it was in Saints Row and in the upcoming game Halo 3. Now when you bump into chairs or tables or open doors, the game will register that action in the in-game environment. Bump into a chair? It will in turn bump into a table causing not only a response physically but also audibly. This new "noise", the running on creaking floors etc, can and will alert enemies to your position. The fog in Silent Hill V will also be receiving a graphical overhaul as well. EGM wasn't able to see much of it, it's still in development, but what they saw was amazing. The fog ebbs and flows in the air and occasionally chunks of ash or debris filter down. It is meant to be specifically interactive, it swirls around you and as Alex cuts through it, the fog conforms to his shape. Wounds will also be shown in real time. "We want it to feel physical and alive, like you're carving the fog with the beam of your flashlight," adds Hourton The camera is now controlled using the left analog stick and allows the player to view the horrors much better then earlier iterations. Inspired by Christopher Gan's movie adaptation, the worlds in SHV, or rather the transition between the two, will all be done in real time. Like in the movie, the setting will peal and melt away or suddenly burst into flesh painted walls. (Teh Flashlight Confirmed.) All the Rest Boss battles will be revived in this entry as well. The Collective is obsessed with delivering cinematic massive, epic boss battles. Interestingly, they are looking for Zelda like encounters...hmmm. Endings....yes there will be many, though a number has yet to be given. The developers are looking to make the decision on which ending you are given to be much more player induced then before. Missing an item or killing someone wont automatically move you to a predetermined path. The actions you do, the way you speak to the different people you meet. These interactions will have a much more fluid transition into the story upon up intriguing possibilities. Monsters are now fully motion-captured (ala the Silent Hill movie) and all new beasts are set to make their debut. One such creature, Siam, is a fusion of a male and female body. What’s left is a pulsating, overtly sexual enemy. Monsters will now have visible effects on them. So if an enemy has busting pustules or bleeding mouths, it will be animated, in real time and will be effected by Alex's attacks. Some of the enemies are humanoid in nature, favorites such as the nurses, will indeed return, however the variety of creatures is said to be quite large. (Side Note: In the Silent Hill games, the "enemies" are usually physical manifestations of the protagonists mind. It can even be argued that the "monsters" they see aren’t even real or that perhaps what a character see's as a monstrosity might in fact be human after all.) Closing Words There seems to be some worrying that Silent Hill has gone the way of Resident Evil 4. I can assure you that this is not the case. The battles seem to be more focused on action than wild flailing and we've yet to see how this will play out. This is still, first and foremost, a psychological HORROR game and the developer is doing a good job so far proving that. For those worried about the "real time" transitions....DON'T. It goes far beyond simple instantaneous morphing of the environment. Audio will also play a role in transitions as well, imagine walking in an apartment hall way and suddenly a dozen hands come reaching our of the walls near you. Transitions are being held very carefully and I give them credit for what they've done so far. Of note however is the plot implications this might have, of which we are not yet aware of. In all past Silent Hill games, the transitions happen for a reason, not simply as a game play device (this is why in SH4, "climbing" into each world seemed so off base). ~Akira Yamaoka is indeed returning for the music and all sound design~ Last edited by XHitoshuraX : 08-28-2007 at 08:05 AM. |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:23 PM)
 |
#8
Oh my god thank you thank you thank you
|
|
(08-27-2007,
06:26 PM)
 |
#14
This game is sounding better and better.
|
|
(08-27-2007,
06:28 PM)
|
#17
Originally Posted by u_neek:
 |
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:28 PM)
 |
#18
Originally Posted by chaostrophy:
That's the question everyone wants to know. Especially since everytime Yamaoka did an interview it made it seem like they were working on SH5. |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:31 PM)
 |
#20
4 was worse than 3, and 3 was worse than 2, so maybe some fresh blood is just what this franchise needs. That being said, I personally feel that the Japanese have a stronger grasp of the type of horror needed for a game like Silent Hill, so I'm wary of any American developer handling the game, never mind one with a solid but not spectacular track record.
|
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:34 PM)
 |
#21
Personally the military thing sounds kind of meh. I always think of the Silent Hill series as being about average people living average lives facing great horror. Putting a soldier in the game...well, soldiers see horrifying things, get psychologically scarred, that could cause Silent Hill to appear in this guy's life. If this game's story revolves around "OMG what war atrocity was he involved in???" I will be pissed. Here's hoping they do something original and unexpected with it.
|
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:36 PM)
|
#23
Originally Posted by SolidSnakex:
The final parts of this long interview makes it sound like they're gearing up for an original IP: http://www.monitor-media.com/comment...id=563_0_1_0_C Maybe after MGS4 is close to being finished.  |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:36 PM)
|
#24
A dodge roll, eh? If only crippling mental psychosis could be circle strafed in real life, too.
|
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:38 PM)
 |
#26
Originally Posted by chaostrophy:
Ugh, you just spoiled it for me. I know exactly what will happen now. The game is gonna be a silent hill 2 build up to him finding his brother mutilated by whatever war crime he committed, except it will have all been a dream/vision/nightmare and the truth is that his brother died while he was at war. GOOD JOB CHAOSTROPHY, YOU collective WRITER YOU |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:38 PM)
|
#27
Sounds awesome, the fog sounds great and hopefully the combat works. I don't mind there being more of an emphasis on combat depending on the execution.
|
|
Ὁ μεμβερος -ου
(08-27-2007,
06:38 PM)
 |
#28
Originally Posted by XHitoshuraX:
:cry: |
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:39 PM)
 |
#29
Originally Posted by Draft:
Although I guess the main team was getting tired of working on the series, so new blood is needed. I just don't get why they choose this one. |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:39 PM)
|
#30
Maybe it will be like that badass Metallica music video, and the whole game is just a dream while the main character is just a limbless trunk in some VA hospital.
|
|
(08-27-2007,
06:39 PM)
|
#31
A war vet can be just as normal as anyone else. It certainly didn't matter in Jacob's Ladder.
|
|
raise the double standard
(08-27-2007,
06:40 PM)
 |
#33
Originally Posted by sphinx:
Curious about this as well. |
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:41 PM)
 |
#34
Quote:
Wow. I can just imagine seeing a shape moving in the distance only recognizable by the fog pattern it creates, going to be freaky as hell. |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:42 PM)
|
#36
Originally Posted by Opus Angelorum:
Now that would be awesome and it sounds like something they're trying to accomplish. |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:45 PM)
|
#37
Originally Posted by Prime crotch:
|
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:47 PM)
|
#40
Originally Posted by Draft:
Johnny Got His Gun I think it's the name.
Originally Posted by Ceb:
|
|
(08-27-2007,
06:48 PM)
|
#41
Quote:
Holy shit stains on my balls. |
|
60 fps 60 fps 60 fps 60 fps 30 fps 60 fps 60 fps
(08-27-2007,
06:48 PM)
 |
#42
It sounds good enough, but whether or not they can pull off the element of fear remains to be seen. Unfortunately, the screenshots suggest fully visible hallway corridors ala SH4. It was the darkness of the world around you that really allowed the games to be as scary as they were.
Of course, in this day and age of LCD panels and the like, ultra dark games actually end up looking pretty nasty due to overly bright backlights. The death of the CRT has had a significant (and negative) impact on the horror genre. Even a previous pedigree for horror means nothing in the end. Bioshock is nowhere near as scary as System Shock 2 was, for instance. The Collective certainly haven't done anything horror related in the past, so I'm not totally sold yet.
Quote:
|
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:49 PM)
|
#44
i dont want combos or evades in my silent hills this sounds stupid.
i always assumed it was a design decision to have the characters suck at fighting so a) you would be scared and run away more and b) the characters were not bad ass "young adults" with military training. |
|
Member
(08-27-2007,
06:52 PM)
|
#46
Originally Posted by Mr. Mister:
|
|
(08-27-2007,
06:53 PM)
|
#47
Originally Posted by dark10x:
Yeah, I see where you're coming from but I really think they can make it work in this way too. Like it just happens out of nowhere, you walk into a room that is normally creepy, and then you see it start to peel away. I think stuff like that could be very effective.
Originally Posted by XHitoshuraX:
called it |
|
(08-27-2007,
06:54 PM)
|
#49
Even though combos and evades sound dumb at first, be honest: how many fights do you avoid in Silent Hill? Speaking personally, the answer is not many. I have a pipe, or a 2x4, or a goddamn katana, a knowledge of rudimentary monster AI, and enough rhythm to keep some fleshless dog or sexy no-face nurse permanently stunned with the rhythm of my blows.
|
