Warning: Not a Re-Imagination Franchise Wise.
Realy, is SH:SM looking that different? No it is not. Head shake, facelessness and all. Just ice over it literally, to a claim that purgatury froze over rediculously while in retrospect it would have been one person's otherwold branch. They, in Origins, contradict the official facts that say SH2-like stories can only happen after SH1, the true SH:0, as well as made two imposible claims. One was that Samael was their god's name when what was in SH3 was astablished just after the American Civil war, when all the weird stuff began happening in it's timeline history. The other is that it was a typical satanic looking cult when the power of the town is not ment to be evil itself by fact.
The only thing they got right was the whole manifestation of delusions with Alessa, but it appears that even this was distorted as why else would they do this? If they thought it was due to their effort in Origins, didn't they look at the fact they messed with the story. While many believe a story isn't needed, look at all games from even the retro age with their goal and objectives, or its plot or premise. It's advanced, but is no different. It's not just obstacles, this gameplay. even action games have goals...well duh. Sh's experience is well within it's chilling story and the nature that the story which astablishes the atmosphere.
Now in terms of this, the obstacles, it's true I always ran from enemies as a kid during playing SH1. Translating it into something that feels like Mirror's Edge is not going to change much. Adrenaline is running, but it's not like we don't have games like it in the past. It feels stupid to people to fight the monsters, but it also doesn't help that you only have to shake them off and...meh...not so thrilling...just like killing them. Even if they can come back at you, this only prevents you from enjoying the otherworld nature and imagery, now existing as this plane to run around from mosters like in the film.
And it is so tedious that you forget the real deal of SH in general. It becomes more about the monsters then anything else despite you actually being able to fend them off permanetely in the previous. It was ment to be gritty, the previous, not like what SH:SM tries with the main mindframe of horror VGs. Why I loved SH was the reason the why I believed the whole genre in VGs is just fail. It never did anything and then here comes a game that is just unnerving and doesn't try too hard. The kiddies that scream at any VG would love SM, but to me, it's nothing but mainstreaming.
Again, a sequel could have done this as well. Only this time, unlike out with the old and in with the new, it would actually be umong a veriety of gameplay styles in a group of sequels.
It appears that SH:SM is in apart of Origins too in terms of milking characters and removing their better characteristics (Dr.Michael G-Man Kaufman?). Origins didn't explain to us anything we didn't already know. Why is it not also a sequel? So, you see that they are using the characters here as well and think from a fanboy mindframe. This is definately the case with their LOVE of SH2 as officially stated.
The last note of this more defensive review, is the way it uses interuptions for what we know from the previous games as replay value and alternation upon the game from your actions. You know what is coming now in retrospect due to checking it off. There are only alterations in some ways in appearance or other, but how did it actually help the phychological vibe. It is more apart of replay value and the fun of figuring all the selection results out, rather helping the experiance of horror.
In the end, don't beleive the hype and remember that SH DID only live for 5 years in total.
R.I.P.