Ben-DutkaWhile Resident Evil 5 is getting most of the hype, true survival/horror fans realize that Silent Hill 5 will be just as big. To these fans, we have plenty of good news: SilentHill5.net has posted up a lot of new information on the game, thanks to an article in an upcoming EGM edition. Developer for Silent Hill 5 , The Collective, has a lot of weight on their shoulders, but it seems they can pull this one off…
First of all, and as expected, this one will boast an entirely new plot. Alex Shepard is searching for his missing father and brother; he has a premonition that his brother is in danger, so Alex takes off to play hero. Of course, it helps a great deal that he has a military background…this strays a bit from previous entries in the series, where you controlled relatively normal characters without any combat experience (like Heather from Silent Hill 3 ). Some avid followers may like this change, others may not.
As for visuals, the now-familiar grain filter will return once again, but there will be others that create debris and cracks on the screen to alter the "mood and atmosphere of the game." SH5 uses the Havoc engine to produce realistic object physics, which means bumping into things will yield simulated-like reactions from that object. It also means the gameplay will be very dynamic: if you bump into something and it makes a loud enough sound, you could attract any enemies in the area. Oh, and if you want to look out for those enemies, you needn't worry about a fixed camera again. The player will be able to control the camera with the right analog stick. Yay!
They're also bringing back boss battles; The Collective specifically mentioned "Zelda-esque" encounters, so that's enough to get us excited. As is the case with previous installments, SH5 should include multiple endings, but here, they won't rely as heavily on single events but more on the player's actions throughout the game. Lastly, the article says the game is "taking some cues from the "Silent Hill" movie (not sure if that's a good thing) by providing a seamless transition between two worlds in real time…"like paint peeling away." Well, it certainly sounds great.
Silent Hill 5 is tentatively scheduled for a January 2008 release date for both the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Related Game(s): Silent Hill 5