"Silent Hill: Homecoming" is, without a doubt, the most underrated game of 2008.
Storyline:
Here is basically how the story goes (simple): You (Alex) search for clues about the strange occurences that have been going on in Silent Hill (just like the other games) as well as search for your brother, Joshua, who keeps mysteriously running away. That's all I'm going to say so there is no spoilers. The storyline is where a lot of the complaints for the game come into place. Many critics claim that it is not intense at all, or it is just too strange overall. This is completely inaccurate. I admit that the story lacks a bit of intensity or complexity, but it is still very suspenseful and motivates your desire for completing the entirety of the game. The game is strange, but isn't supposed to be? The level of "weird" throughout the story is not overboard and actually makes it that much more suspenseful and creepy. It needs to be given a chance, and it hasn't been. The game's speed has a steady tempo, for the most part. However, it does become a bit of annoyance at times when you are constantly running across town searching for things you know nothing about. The game is also WAY too short. I finished it in under 5 hours, and games usually take me a decent amount of time to beat. It's a little disappointing in that matter, but it leaves you in good suspense for another sequel, just like every other game in the series does. It has good intentions overall, and I really like the new RPG elements that Konami added. Certain decisions you make in the story affect the outcome of the game. There is a total of (I believe) 7 possible outcomes, and they are all surprising as well as complete. A couple of them, however, are kind of stupid for lack of a better word. More thought should have been put into the endings, but still the RPG is a cool new ideal addition to the rising series. Major props to the new American team working on this game. I can't wait for the next to see where the ending leaves us in it. Another thing it has on other current survival games is replay value. The only other game I have ever beaten more than once was "San Andreas" and I am now on my third time with this game. It still remains just as suspenseful every time.
Graphics:
The graphics in "Silent Hill" remain great, as always. Unfortunately, there is a "however". The game is WAY too dark. Unless you have some kind of magical T.V., you are going to want to choose the highest possible brightness settings. This is a big problem and so fixable, which is very disappointing. At any point in production, did someone turn to the guy next to him and go "can you see a damn thing?". I don't think so, and that kind of just shows a bit of laziness. It's really a no-brainer when you take a single look at the game. But besides that, the game is great looking. The character models are great, as well as consistent, and the scenery and texture is just flawless. Everything looks so real, and there is so much detail. Also, the game's atmosphere is amazing. Fog and haze "fuzz" up the screen and it is just freakin awesome. If you're a sucker for that kind of stuff, you will be blown away by this game. Honestly. The monsters on the game are also very good looking. All the creatures look creepy as hell, and still very real. The only complaint I have is with the nurses. The nurses look more like a porn-star than anything else, to be honest. The nurse outfits looks like one of those erotic, sexy Halloween costumes that you could find. It is a nice look for them (hehe), but it doesn't go well with a game that involves them trying to slash your entire body.
Entertainment:
Like I said, this game is very fun and has a lot of replay value. Numerous elements keep it alive. It is a bit controversial though, and I can see how some people may not find it all that great. But if you like slashing monsters and surviving an invasion of crazy creatures, you will most likely have a blast with this game. The game is pretty difficult though, so if you're new to these kinds of survival games, chances are that you will get stuck in an area and give up. It almost happened to me. Just keep trying, kids!
Recommendations:
I recommend this game to the following people:
-Survival/horror fans
-Fans of the series
-Anyone looking for something different
-RPG fans
-Those who don't mind a 3PS
Overall: A-