A lot of diehard fans have expressed misgivings (and that’s putting it lightly) about Silent Hill: Homecoming and it’s not too hard to see why.  It’s the first Silent Hill designed for the PS3 and 360, the first main-series title developed by an American studio instead of original creators Team Silent, it features extensive overhauls to the camera, controls, inventory system, and combat mechanics, and its aesthetic takes several cues from the universally reviled Silent Hill movie.  But after spending a lot of time with the game, I’m here to tell you that, while certainly not flawless, Homecoming is a truly frightening game that’s a worthy addition to the franchise.

Players step into the role of Alex Shepard, a member of the armed services just returning to his hometown of Shepard’s Glen from his tour of duty overseas. Immediately, Alex notices that something is wrong— there are monstrous creatures about, the town is covered in a thick fog, and it’s practically empty. Alex learns that his brother and father have gone missing, so he sets out to investigate their disappearances. His search leads him to the title town, where he becomes embroiled in the workings of the cult that operates within it. This is Silent Hill, so there are certain assumptions you can make about the story (protagonist Alex’s disturbing past is pretty much a given), and the plot does tread the same ground (hospitalization, traumatized children, etc.) as many of the past series installments. While it’s not the greatest Silent Hill story (that honor still goes to Silent Hill 2 as far as I’m concerned), it’s a decent tale that’s got some genuinely creepy moments and a few good twists to keep you guessing.  

While the story might not take many chances, there’s plenty new when it comes to gameplay. Homecoming takes several cues from Resident Evil 4—like the over-the-shoulder camera system and faster, more action-oriented combat—which succeed in making the game less cumbersome to play, especially during exploration. The biggest alterations in combat come in the form of strong and fast attacks, which can be strung together into combos, along with a new dodge technique. The different attacks and combos help the combat refrain from growing too stale while at the same time offering a little depth to each confrontation, not to mention it provides the visual department with some much-needed variety (as opposed to your character performing the same attack animation from beginning to end, as in past SHs). The dodging mechanic is a little trickier to get the hang of, especially since succeeding requires precise timing and is all but mandatory if you wish to survive most enemy encounters; still, it’s a handy feature to have. Both of these additions make combat feel more visceral, which is definitely something the series has recently strived for. Given all its combat improvements, it’s almost unforgivable that the game doesn’t include a quick-turn feature, though. Escaping enemy encounters is far harder than it should be, and considering every game since the original SH on PS1 had this option, its exclusion here is perplexing. Despite this, the new combat mechanics make fighting much more enjoyable than it has been in past installments.

Visual presentation is a huge part of the Silent Hill catalogue, and Homecoming mostly succeeds in this area.  While the graphics might not be technically flawless (characters are noticeably less detailed than the enemies, and the lip-sync is pretty bad), it’s hard to fault the game’s art direction.  The enemy designs are among the best in the series (Schism, the creature with a split blade-like face, is a new personal favorite), and don’t even get me started on the bosses, which are, design-wise, hands down the best the series has ever seen. Without giving too much away, suffice to say that every boss is an incredibly disturbing encounter that will stick with you long after you’ve beaten them and moved on. Of course, just as important as how they look is how they move, and the game doesn’t disappoint, as the enemy animations are incredibly well done—the nurses, present in every SH since the first, twitch and jerk in a way that’s deeply unsettling. While we’re on the subject, several elements in Homecoming (most notably the look of the nurses, Pyramid Head, and the transition from “normal” Silent Hill to “nightmarish” Silent Hill) have been obviously influenced by the film, which some fans have taken issue with. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie, I thought these visuals worked really well, both in the movie and in Homecoming.

Any Silent Hill fan will tell you that the games’ audio contributes as much to the mood as the visuals do, and it's here that Homecoming excels admirably. Longtime composer Akira Yamaoka delivers a top-notch score, with just the right blend between the low-key symphonic and grinding industrial to match each scene. The sound effects are unsettling, to say the least, and the game continues the series' past tricks of emitting spine-tingling tone with no apparent audio source. Given the high quality of the audio in general, it’s disappointing that the voice-over isn’t better, though. While the acting isn’t that bad, you do get the impression occasionally that the actors have little idea as to what much of the dialogue actually means.

I have to admit, I was just as worried as any Silent Hill fan when I heard about the various changes that were being made to one of my beloved franchises. Thankfully, the development team at Double Helix has done an excellent job of providing a seamless transition into the current generation, while at the same time keeping most of the series’ precious trademarks intact. While it doesn’t quite surpass the high standards set by the first three installments, Homecoming is one of the scariest and most memorable titles of the last few years, and a respectable addition to the Silent Hill family.