# Silent Hill: Homecoming Discussion



## Faun (Nov 16, 2008)

Atleast I can have privilege of creating a thread first 
Watch out for some really disturbing monsters, and a decent story like Silent Hill 2. Pyramid Head is back too. Well...since it's developed by Double Helix (American company) instead of Team Silent (original Japanese company), some will not like it. It features a new combat system and real time transition to otherworld.

Akira Yamaoka has again created awesome music for Silent Hill series. So try to get the soundtrack too, its worth listening.

*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/SilentHillHomecomingpc.jpg​ 
*w2.hidemyass.com/index.php?q=aHR0cDovL2Nkbi5zdGVhbXBvd2VyZWQuY29tL3YvZ2Z4L2FwcHMvMTkwMDAvaGVhZGVyLmpwZz90PTEyMjU5OTUzNDc%3D​ 

*Title:* Silent Hill Homecoming
*Genre:* Adventure
*Developer:*                                                           Double Helix Games                                  
*Publisher:* Konami Digital Entertainment Inc.
*Release Date:* Nov 6, 2008
*Languages:* English                        
                                                                                                          *w2.hidemyass.com/index.php?q=aHR0cDovL3N0b3JlLnN0ZWFtcG93ZXJlZC5jb20vcHVibGljL2ltYWdlcy9yYXRpbmdzL2VzcmJfbS5naWY%3D

                            Blood and Gore
Intense Violence
Language
Sexual Themes




About the Game 
In Silent Hill Homecoming, Alex Shepherd has returned to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother. From Shepherd's Glen to the foggy streets of Silent Hill, Alex will face the darkest of horrors while struggling with his own grip on reality. Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother's disappearance, and confront the evil that has taken hold of his soul.


Enter the next chapter of Silent Hill as you delve deeper in the tormented history of the town and learn of the evil that surrounds Toluca Lake
From the murky fog to the ominous shadows, all-new next-gen graphics bring Silent Hill to life like never before
Solve treacherous and deadly puzzles to discover the mysterious secrets behind the evil that has cursed the town of Silent Hill
Silent Hill Homecoming features an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka
 
*System Requirements*




*OS:* Windows XP / Vista
*Processor:* Dual core CPU such as Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
*Memory:* 1 GB (XP) or 2 GB (Vista)
*Graphics:* DirectX 9.0c compliant video card such as ATI Radeon HD-series graphics card (minimum 256 MB) or NVIDIA GeForce 7800-series graphics card (minimum 256 MB)
*Sound:*DirectX®: 9.0c compatible sound card
*Hard Drive:* 10 GB Free space
*Controller Support:*Mouse, Keyboard, Xbox 360 controller
 
*i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/ChrisMiecznikowski92/silent-hill-homecoming-200810071151.jpg

            This is Scarlet, and thats the crowbar to take her down !


*i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/ChrisMiecznikowski92/silent-hill-homecoming-200810071-2.jpg
Siam doesn't like you seeing his her side 

About The Enemies

*Nurse* (when you see jiggling jugs then its them ) [3 Light Knife attack + 1 Heavy Knife Attack]- Use the knife combo, it works flawless without any damage taken. Oh and just remember to switch off your flash light and if possible that noisy radio too if you spot nurses, they don't like lights and noise much. But if you miss the magic combo then prepare yourself to get laid by their insane combo unless you dodge or retreat. I died when one of them pushed the knife through my heart  A heat breaking death   
*
Feral *(Dogs without a fur or skin) [3 Light Knife Attacks] - Do not go for a Heavy knife attack unless you wants to get bitten. Just use Light Attacks and you should be able to deal with them withing half a minute  
Btw you get "Eddie's Legacy" achievement award in console version for killing it. It was all started by Eddie when he killed a dog in SIlent hill 2 :/ *i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/Feral-1.jpg


*Lurker* (the water loving) [Use Pipe or Knife]: this one is easy but looks intimidating. Perhaps I do need to master a fool proof strategy against it. But remember a Pipe is good against it, just follow a Light + Heavy combo. And remember to dodge. Sometimes you will be given a hint for lethal move too.
*i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp112/QuestionSleepZz/Silent%20Hill/Lurker.jpg

*Needler* (one with blades as appendages) [Use Pipe or Knife]- Pipe works well here too, though he may grapple you for a head knife kill. Better left or right dodge him and then use the same combo as for leaper. Though it will take more time but you will be guaranteed with a satisfying lethal kill.

*Siam* (the one with large Cylindrical arms and a woman at the back side) [3 shots from Shotgun ]- These are the most aggressive ones. Make a clear distance so that you can fire 3 shotgun rounds easily. Make sure you don't get plummeted by him+her, its the worst thing that you can expect. Have ammo for shotgun always.
*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/Siam2-1.jpg

*Schim* (the one with sharp hammer heads) [1 shot of Shotgun + 1 Heavy attack using Axe]- Do not make a distance when you are fighting it as it can lunge towards you and grapple you for a mid torso dismemberment (the worst kind of death I have seen in Silent Hill till now). Else if you are capable of running then you can avoid it in Police Station part. It may be necessary to fight it later levels, I will update the first post after having a solid encounter with it  Though have some shotgun ammo as they go down with one shot generally, then if you are not sure then just flip out Axe and do a Heavy Attack.
*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/Schism-1.jpg

*Sepulcher* (First Boss with meat sacs balancing it) - It's fairly easy boss fight just keep on running circularly and take cover at the 3 shelf. Shoot the sacs three times with pistol to blast them off, rinse and repeat. The Boss will come down and will do swipe attacks with both arms, one at a time, dodge or roll. The pounding attack on floor is the second type of attack which will be your advantage as his hands will get stuck in floor. Time to whip out Axe and do a Heavy attack on the hand. His head will fall down to floor, then do another Heavy attack to his head. Now run away as it will gain control soon, do the same strategy of Heavy attack again, it will die 

Glitches

*Alex with one hand* - one of the  funniest glitch ever, epic win 
Link: *in.youtube.com/watch?v=UzV6rJFkGGQ

*Schim using telekinesis* - epic kill !
Link: *in.youtube.com/watch?v=uq9274YauCo

*Invisible Alex* - But monster know where you are
Link: *in.youtube.com/watch?v=AY4hfb7snFQ​


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## Psychosocial (Nov 16, 2008)

^^LOL @ cover .

Anyways, I will be getting it soon .


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 16, 2008)

The game for the PC has been plagued by a few console port issues. It still has that stupid 30 frames cap which seem to be a forte for ports these days. Not to mention AA effect or any other higher graphic setting missing. A 16:9 widescreen mess. But this must be the best looking Silent Hill game on PC right now. I had played SH3 & SH4 for the PC which looked total garbage. People said that it looked & played far better on the PS2. But didn't get the time to try them out.

I am at the level where Alex (the protagonist) reaches his home in Shepard's Glen. I saved at a point in the Cemetery just after being attacked by a strange mutated dog. The game is good. Engaging enough to be played. The soundtrack is very very creepy. The intro tune still isn't going off from my head. The gameplay elements are pretty similar to the previous SH series. But this time round you'll not only have a navigational map but also the objectives put forth as well. Which I suppose was not present in earlier games. Weapons so far are knife & steel pipe. Enemies are deformed Nurses (with big jugs ), few flying bugs, a lurker & a mutated dog. Combat mechanics are pretty straight forward. Shift to get into attack position & left mouse button for basic attacks & right mouse button for strong attacks. You can also dodge/evade by pressing space I suppose.

The story, so far, is pretty good. You play the role of a war veteran Alex Shepard who has just been released from a hospital after being wounded in a battle. From what I understand it's about finding his missing brother Joshua. The first level just showed a brief memory of Alex's memories for finding his brother in the hospital he is brought in. He wakes up in a truck where he realises it was a dream & he is travelling to his hometown. After being dropped off in his hometown he finds his house & his mother informs him that his younger brother is missing. Alex promises he will find him & off we go. During the game we have some audio logs & also flashbacks which allow us to know Alex's interactions with his father & his bother. 

This is only the initial thoughts. Very small but I got more ground to cover. Will update you as & when it completes. Sorry but forgot to take screenies. Will post them later. But this is a must play for all SH fans (& non-SH fans as well).


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## Faun (Nov 16, 2008)

Well I have played Sh 3 and Sh 4 on PC too and they looked awesome, the details to chars were astounding. The series is famous for the graphical art, music score and storylines that are too deep and figurative to understand. 
I can post some screenies from SH 3 if you wish. There is a similar discussion going abt the char details in Silenthill5.net forum.

As for storyline, its quite similar to SH 2 but not as good as SH 2 execution.

Music has always been the strong point for SH series. Thanks to Akira Yamaoka.

The gameplay elements are taken from Silent Hill movie, like realtime transition to otherworld and nurses model. Attraction towards light etc.

Best thing is that there are many endings depending upon how you play. And this time its also abt action, you cannot escape monsters by running like you did in other Silent Hill series.

One good thing about the game is that there is no copy protection, you can even found video files in bik format, audio files in installation folder and then the archive are simple .pak files which are not encrypted. So there is possibility for some good mods too.

The bad is that its a console port, capped at 30fps. Controls can be bad at times, people are having problem fighting the first boss to evolve into second form with PC.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 16, 2008)

I have compared the images for the earlier SH games for PC & PS2. The PS2 models look more vibrant & the textures looks pretty acceptable. I guess I didn't stay up much longer for completing the earlier games on both platforms. So I'll have nothing but empty fizzle for those games. 

Anyway yes the Nurses are attracted by flash light which is why most of the time I keep switching it on & OFF. I didn't realise that until the loading menu screen informed me with that tip. Sweet! 

What I like about this SH is that it's not very slow paced compared to earlier SH series. Don't get me wrong but in the earlier version the movement were very crooked & this one seems to be very fluid & directional movements are a breeze. The characters have better detail. The textures are decent enough but the look is given keeping in mind the style of the game.

The audio seems to be another problem in the PC version. The cut-scenes experience vocal drops which doesn't relay proper speech sounds. Thank god for the subs. The ingame sounds are proper though. Puzzles are very tricky. Again one has to be very patient with this game. It's not all about running through the area collecting ammo & weapons & shooting things up. All the clues are hidden, so are the audio tapes & the notes which need to be collected to get a good insight on the story.

I need to encounter one boss fight atleast. I have never survived long enough for a boss fight in any SH game.


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## Faun (Nov 16, 2008)

lol...boss fights were never tough in SH games, atleast if you drop out SH 1 (had some tricky boss fights). But this time its gonna be tough.

Earlier version were more concentrated over storyline, combat was not necessary (u can easily outrun many enemies, they wont follow you). Puzzles were engaging, and with hard difficulties puzzle level too cranks up. 

Homecoming has got those tricky puzzles too. And yeah just for fun, try to get pwned by those hammer head (schism) enemies. You will be surprised by the death.
*i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp112/QuestionSleepZz/Silent%20Hill/Schism.jpg

As for lipsync, its like as if Double Helix left it unfinished in this department.

Here are two screenies from SH3
*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/th_sh32.jpg
*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/th_sh31.jpg

I didn't like SH 4 much, for saving you have to go back to room everytime and those ghosts were immortal suckers. SH 2 is the best ever, SH 3 rates second. I never finished SH 1 (it crashes at one point).


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## xtremegforce (Nov 16, 2008)

look like its gonna be more scarier n trickery than the previous versions. i have always loved the character detailing in sh. one can always feel the chill while playing this game i hope they just maintain their same old legacy.


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## Faun (Nov 16, 2008)

Psychosocial said:


> ^^LOL @ cover .
> 
> Anyways, I will be getting it soon .


its 17+


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## Psychosocial (Nov 16, 2008)

T159 said:


> its 17+



So was GTA, RE4 and many games I loved. Heck if I go by the ESRB rating, I wouldnt be playing 70% of the games coming out .


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## Faun (Nov 16, 2008)

xtremegforce said:


> look like its gonna be more scarier n trickery than the previous versions. i have always loved the character detailing in sh. one can always feel the chill while playing this game i hope they just maintain their same old legacy.


Yup thats the reason I like it. Hope it delivers well.


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## SunnyChahal (Nov 16, 2008)

Is it out?


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 18, 2008)

^Yep it's out on steam only.

Screenshots as promised:
*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26422_qz2re/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2010-58-20-68.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26423_gst7t/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2010-59-27-17.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26424_4foxq/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2010-59-32-59.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26425_cybk3/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-01-49-35.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26426_rvkli/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-12-08-90.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26427_g4znx/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-16-13-60.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26428_ipipy/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-16-19-48.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26429_unayt/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-29-19-48.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26430_ovox4/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-30-14-10.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26431_jsgnw/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-38-57-54.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26432_z4v3o/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-39-25-93.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26433_3et9a/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-42-23-67.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26434_mf7vt/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-42-29-87.jpg

*www.imgx.org/thumbs/small/26435_omrdt/SilentHill%202008-11-17%2011-42-36-40.jpg

Just fought the first boss in the game & was pretty easy once you know how to kill him. What's more if you die & respawn watch the loading screen & it will show you hints how to kill the boss.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 19, 2008)

Got the game. Going to play. 

BTW, XFire still does not support it .


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 19, 2008)

Woah! Just beat the Scarlet boss & it was amazing. The music is something to die for. T, dude better get the game ASAP. You don't want to miss this one. I'm almost half way through.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 19, 2008)

I have my exams tomorrow. Still was not able to stop. 2hrs at a stretch in the morning. Blown away by the game. Never knew Silent Hill was so good. The 30FPS cap is a bad thing but you can ignore that as the game runs smoothly even at 25FPS .


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## SunnyChahal (Nov 19, 2008)

Got the game.Will install right away!


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## arijit_2404 (Nov 19, 2008)

This game is looking awesome. 
hmmm!
Need to get it!


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## Faun (Nov 20, 2008)

Psychosocial said:


> I have my exams tomorrow. Still was not able to stop. 2hrs at a stretch in the morning. Blown away by the game. Never knew Silent Hill was so good. The 30FPS cap is a bad thing but you can ignore that as the game runs smoothly even at 25FPS .


its a cult classic. But to know what it is actually, you will have to play SIlent Hill2.

And for the origin of the town you have to play Silent Hill 3 and if you can play Silent Hill 1 too as its the point where it all started. 

Silent Hill 4 is just for namesake and is not actually set in SIlent Hill but in South Ashfield town.



Ethan_Hunt said:


> Woah! Just beat the Scarlet boss & it was amazing. The music is something to die for. T, dude better get the game ASAP. You don't want to miss this one. I'm almost half way through.


oh yeah, looks like your first SH game that you are enjoying 
It will take some time for me to play this as my HDD has gone kaput, I did too much asteroid  shooting and HDD couldn't bear it :/ Will take another week to get it RMAed.

Thanks for the screenies.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 20, 2008)

> oh yeah, looks like your first SH game that you are enjoying
> It will take some time for me to play this as my HDD has gone kaput, I did too much asteroid shooting and HDD couldn't bear it :/ Will take another week to get it RMAed.
> 
> Thanks for the screenies.


Man what a bummer. I thought we could complete the game on the same lines & make this thread more lively. This is the only Silent Hill whose gameplay & story has interested me enough to keep going this far. I couldn't play the first SH on PSone. SH 3 & SH 4 were meh for the PC. But this is something really different. You gotta try it out.

Anyway I was stuck for an hour on a sliding puzzle yesterday night. I hate puzzle solving especially the ones that involve moving slides to form a proper image.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 20, 2008)

^I too hate puzzles .


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## Faun (Nov 20, 2008)

^^Well SH is known for it's cryptic puzzles, if you don't feel like bashing heads then consider reading a walkthrough.

There was this Shakespearian poetic puzzle in SH 3 which was kind of Latin and Greek for those who do not have any interest in literature. I ended up reading a walkthrough to get through that part.

But that didn't stop me from feeling the awesome twists/storyline and graphic otheworld.

I heard there are some tricky puzzles in it too that depends upon the clues given in from the starting of the game


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## Psychosocial (Nov 20, 2008)

^


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 20, 2008)

I so feel like using the walkthrough but don't want to give up before trying my best. It seems very confusing & the blocks are really frustrating. Reminds me of RE4's puzzle solving.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 20, 2008)

I made my dad solve the RE4 puzzles. He is good at puzzle solving .


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## quan chi (Nov 20, 2008)

last two tomb raider series have quide good puzzle solving.in this new version i have read they do not have any boss fights.but extreme puzzle solving.

i loved those two previous tomb raider specially the music.

btw i have never played any sh series.is it good.


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## SunnyChahal (Nov 20, 2008)

Was playing for the last two hours.One word....awesome!!!Badly addicted to it.Will finish the game in the upcoming weekend


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 20, 2008)

quan chi said:


> btw i have never played any sh series.is it good.


Then better try this one. It has a fresh new approach in terms of gameplay. Dodging to be specific. The atmosphere is made up brilliantly. The spook factor of this game is nothing like Doom III & it's clones but more of "What's going to happen next?" kind of thing. The entire town is nearly empty, so you'll have a very tough time dealing with lonely environments & those creepy monsters. It's really exciting. Even if you haven't played any previous SH games, pick this one up.


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## quan chi (Nov 20, 2008)

well is it out on dvds yet.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 21, 2008)

Nope. The retail isn't out yet. You can get it over Steam though.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 21, 2008)

Damn. XFire dosent recognize. I tried the manual way too but it needs steam.exe ... . But who cares, the game is fun!


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## quan chi (Nov 21, 2008)

well its dvds are available only in europe.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 21, 2008)

Nope. Currently, for the PC, it's only available via Steam. The retail copy is set to be released in Europe on Feb 2009.


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## Faun (Nov 22, 2008)

it's thru steam only and AFAIK it is *NOT* copy protected, neither are the video and audio files encrypted.

Even data files are in extractable .pak extension 

Looks like a slap on EA  Did someone hear that upgrade packs for Dead Space are even more scary 

EDIT: Slipped NOT


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 22, 2008)

T159 said:


> it's thru steam only and AFAIK it is copy protected, neither are the video and audio files encrypted.


Did you mean it's not copy protected? 

Anyway I just completed the sliding puzzle. Yippee! Although must say that it was a total fluke attempt. I wasn't even trying that hard to solve it. Just kept moving those slides & by the end I realised that I was almost there. The story is getting more interesting now. I now have a map to Silent Hill which Alex's dad had apparently left behind. It seems like some order had been kidnapping all the people from his hometown. Now his mother gets abducted as well while I'm knocked out.


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## hahahari (Nov 22, 2008)

well it is not that scary now.
*rgdsxrg.notlong.com


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 23, 2008)

Completed the game. The game actually has 5 alternate endings. DAM!

I got the Hospital ending. I'll see if I can reload earlier saves to get the other endings or will just watch it over YouTube. The game was really good. Waiting for it's soundtrack to release.


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## Faun (Nov 23, 2008)

soundtrack is already in the game directory 

And yeah all silent hill games have more than 5 endings, thats what makes it more engrossing and personal. Those ending depends upon how you play.
There are some goodies and easter eggs too if you have played earlier versions. You get some new weapons and costumes on second playthrough. It's fun actually.



Ethan_Hunt said:


> Did you mean it's not copy protected?


yeah no shitty DRM sh!te and other annoyances


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## Psychosocial (Nov 23, 2008)

Me watching all the endings on YouTube now .

Silent Hill Homecoming/Engine/audio/OGG/Streams/


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## Faun (Nov 23, 2008)

hahahari said:


> well it is not that scary now.
> *rgdsxrg.notlong.com


its more like psychological horror than scare you round the corner kinda thing. What actually looks monsters are not monsters in reality, they have something related to Alex.

Watch Jacob's Ladder or play Silent Hill 2 (dont play any other from the series, but this one is a must play in life)



Psychosocial said:


> Me watching all the endings on YouTube now .
> 
> Silent Hill Homecoming/Engine/audio/OGG/Streams/


i havent spoiled the endings till now, would like to experience it myself.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 23, 2008)

I'm not sure if the quality of those tracks would be that good. The in-game sound rendering was very poor & barely audible. Where's the location of those files again?

Yep. I unlocked ER Alex. I wanted to check all the endings. Too bad I didn't get the happy ending. The story was really intriguing & that's what kept me hooked. Brilliant game. Hope to see more of it in the future.

EDIT: Thanks for the location Paranj. Just listening to my fav background track now. The quality of the ogg file is excellent. Wonder why it was so suppressed in the game.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 23, 2008)

^Silent Hill Homecoming/Engine/audio/OGG/Streams/


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## Faun (Nov 23, 2008)

Mine fav instumental is *Cold Blood*  Gives the most chilling after-war feeling.

Mary Elizabeth Glynn has sung some awesome vocals too  *One More Soul to the call*.

I had listened to Akira Yamaoka compositions like crazy 
*www.last.fm/user/visio159

I no more use lastFm now . I think I should start updating it now


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 23, 2008)

The intro instrumental track for SH5 is bloody brilliant. It has a very soft symphony & the piano work is composed flawlessly. 

T, do you know anything about the Pyramid Head's appearance in earlier SH series?


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## Faun (Nov 23, 2008)

yup it was first time in Silent Hill 2, and there Pyramid Head played the most crucial part. It is immortal, you can't kill it. I was so freaked out everytime when I saw it, but it was not that bad afterall.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 23, 2008)

I thought he would be the end boss in this installment but sadly it was Amnion. What exactly is his role in this game?


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## Faun (Nov 23, 2008)

I don't think he plays anything important in Homecoming. I haven't played it yet though.

In SH 2 he was the second last boss (but there is some twist too), the main one is a surprise you better unravel yourself. I encountered it more than 4 instances and he was with different weapons. I got late his great knife too  

*images3.wikia.nocookie.net/silent/images/a/a8/Pyramid_head.jpg
This painting in historical society level (SH 2) reveals a lot about him.


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## Faun (Nov 25, 2008)

ZOMG the sound quality of ogg files in the music folders is awesome !!! Crystal clear


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 25, 2008)

So I take it you got the game?


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## Faun (Nov 25, 2008)

yep, but will be able to play it after I get HDD RMAed. I don't want to install XP on the same HDD with Linux.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 25, 2008)

Oh gotcha. Keep updating it while you're at it.


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## Faun (Nov 25, 2008)

Couldn't resist, installed it on the HDD reserved for Fedora 10.

So far I have reached till second save. Graphics are awesome, Alex is much more capable in fighting nurses  Shadow and lights effects are top notch. But still I haven't found a Silent Hill touch apart from menu navigation. May be subsequent playthrough will prove me wrong.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 25, 2008)

^lol so you atlast installed it. The game is great but remember only start playing it when you have a loot of time as the saves are few and far apart.


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## Faun (Nov 25, 2008)

^^yup 

I tweaked the config file and found that physics is disabled by default, also set the frame limit to 40 from 30. There is one value which when edited makes AI lifeless, they won't attack you...pretty funny to look around nurses then. I reached at Alex's house, now there is something in the basement  I will checkout next time.

Here are some more thing I noticed, for bad. Cutscenes sometimes stutters and the sound gets mono, some problem with port. The display settings in menu are too basic...lolz. 

As for graphics, they aren't better than previous SH games (essentially SH 4). I can see low res textures on objects obscured by blur and other shading techniques. But the lights and shadow effects are just amazing and adds to the atmosphere.

Alex's model is detailed but everyone else's is not given much attention (see judge Hollaway).

EDIT: Oh btw I forgot to add that I died while getting that bunny doll from the hole, hand was amputated. It felt so numb. Btw that hole is a trademark of SH series, it was in SH 2, 3 and 4


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 26, 2008)

^The 30 frames cap won't budge even if you tweak the file for getting 1000 frame rates. It's just locked. I tried with both MaxFps & just FPS but nothing worked. 

The sound like I mentioned before is very low. The vocals are almost non-existent. If it weren't for the subs I wouldn't get a head or tail of the storyline. The music during boss fights are fantastic. Especially the Scarlet boss. 

You should check out Elle & Detective Wheeler's character models later on in the game. They have been given a good detail albeit being NPC's. The whole town has a foggy look, that's a traditional SH look I believe. I didn't have any complaints about the graphics as long as that fear was invoked with a good environment setup. The Rosemary Cemetery is something which really look creepy not to mention the grand hotel's lifts. The level design is just amazing.


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## Faun (Nov 26, 2008)

^^yeah that 30 fps cap can not be overridden by editing that file. I just got to see some lurkers (funny thing is that they look like leapers from Dead Space).


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## SunnyChahal (Nov 26, 2008)

Have been away from gaming for a week now. Feeling so deprived of it
Allowed to play only on weekends now..Damn! Will start the game from Friday. Will I be able to finish this game by Sunday?
I am stuck somewhere when we have to find someone who can fix the gun. Any hints?


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 26, 2008)

Depends on how fast & for how long you'll play it. It took me roughly 3-4 days to complete it with 2 hours session per day. The puzzles would only be the trickiest part. The boss fights and the rest are very easy.



> I am stuck somewhere when we have to find someone who can fix the gun. Any hints?


Have you reached the Rosemary Cemetery? If not then you'll first have to make your way through it then back to streets of Shepard Glen. After you get your walkie talkie a cut-scene will trigger then from there you'll need to make your way to Curtis's shop which is somewhere in the Junkyard. Use the map, it might have some direction in there. AFAIK that objective never gets completed. I have noticed it to remain all throughout the game.


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## Faun (Nov 28, 2008)

K I reached upto Curtis and got the gun  But I have to restart from cemetery checkpoint. Cemetery was not scary as I thought but sure was feeling very lonely.
Ferals are so easy to kill !

To my surprise the older drivers stopped the stuttering of cutscenes and the game is now much smooth.

Here are 2 glitches :/ lol
*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/physicsglitch.jpg
This one is OMGWTFBBQ type, Alex was almost like voo doo doll 

*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/eternalcutscenegameplayglitch.jpg
This is infamous eternal cutscene gameplay glitch, Even after cutscene with Curtis ends I am still in curscene and can even fire weapons move outside but couldn't get out as the camera was constrained. Guess I will have to complete it from Rosemary Cemetery check point again.

I'm impressed with the Elle cutscene, it was so fluid and nicely animated. I remembered old silent hill games (Silent Hill 3). But why the hell Elle was mad so ordinary looking, no seduction no hotness factor...lol. It was a tradition in SH series.

Got 2 serums too, I like to explore areas


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 28, 2008)

I hate to admit it but all that button mashing combos on my mouse just made it's right & left taps a bit weaker after this game. God I hate those tapping combos.


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## Psychosocial (Nov 28, 2008)

^Ya... thats why controllers are better for button tapping games.


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## Faun (Nov 28, 2008)

^^lol...but those interactive cutscenes are treat. I mean I don't tap MB continuously but just in an interval of half a second and thats pretty decent. Once I clicked furiously only to know that it doesn't work well, died by arm amputation in that bunny doll scene cuz of this  Now I just click like normal.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Nov 28, 2008)

Hell no. That's one of the reason's I kept my 360 controller aside for this game. DMC 4 almost made my 'A' button a bit soft. I don't want to kill the darn thing so fast with all those combos. I have another back up mouse but not a controller.


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## Dim (Dec 6, 2008)

T159 said:


> To my surprise the older drivers stopped the stuttering of cutscenes and the game is now much smooth.


 
Which drivers have you changed? I have the same problem and i wanna fix it. I would appreciate if you could help me out.


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## Faun (Dec 6, 2008)

^^well it's graphics driver.


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## Dim (Dec 7, 2008)

I'm using a Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT graphic card. I changed the driver several times. The latest driver was not working fine, it was much to slow. I don't know if there was problems with the cutscenes, because i uninstalled it immediately. I guess it's related with the rendering... anyway. Now i have installed the driver that was published before (on september '08 ). It seems It works fine by now.

You were right T159  It looks like I've solved the problem with your help & tip. Thank you very much.



(sorry for my bad english by the way)


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## Faun (Dec 10, 2008)

^^anytime

Btw I reached into the sewers 

Though the game has lost the Silent Hill feel (except for music). Alex is much capable but so does enemies. The Police Station level was indeed a ride through the hordes of Schisms and then if it was not enough, a Siam too. 

Escorting Elle was a surprise and that too in that tense encounter  Like and ordinary girl but still she has charm and some really amusing habit (cower up  when some enemy comes etc.). Infact she didn't block my path anytime ! 

About the enemies:
Nurse (when you see jiggling jugs then its them ) [3 Light Knife attack + 1 Heavy Knife Attack]- Use the knife combo, it works flawless without any damage taken. Oh and just remember to switch off your flash light and if possible that noisy radio too if you spot nurses, they don't like lights and noise much. But if you miss the magic combo then prepare yourself to get laid by their insane combo unless you dodge or retreat. I died when one of them pushed the knife through my heart  A heat breaking death  

Ferals (Dogs without a fur or skin) [3 Light Knife Attacks] - Do not go for a Heavy knife attack unless you wants to get bitten. Just use Light Attacks and you should be able to deal with them withing half a minute  

Leaper (the water loving) [Use Pipe or Knife]: this one is easy but looks intimidating. Perhaps I do need to master a fool proof strategy against it. But remember a Pipe is good against it, just follow a Light + Heavy combo. And remember to dodge. Sometimes you will be given a hint for lethal move too.

Needler (one with blades as appendages) [Use Pipe or Knife]- Pipe works well here too, though he may grapple you for a head knife kill. Better left or right dodge him and then use the same combo as for leaper. Though it will take more time but you will be guaranteed with a satisfying lethal kill.

Siam (the one with large Cylindrical arms and a woman at the back side) [3 shots from Shotgun ]- These are the most aggressive ones. Make a clear distance so that you can fire 3 shotgun rounds easily. Make sure you don't get plummeted by him+her, its the worst thing that you can expect. Have ammo for shotgun always.

Schims (the one with sharp hammer heads) [1 shot of Shotgun + 1 Heavy attack using Axe]- Do not make a distance when you are fighting it as it can lunge towards you and grapple you for a mid torso dismemberment (the worst kind of death I have seen in Silent Hill till now). Else if you are capable of running then you can avoid it in Police Station part. It may be necessary to fight it later levels, I will update the first post after having a solid encounter with it  Though have some shotgun ammo as they go down with one shot generally, then if you are not sure then just flip out Axe and do a Heavy Attack.

Sepulcher (First Boss with meat sacs balancing it) - It's fairly easy boss fight just keep on running circularly and take cover at the 3 shelf. Shoot the sacs three times with pistol to blast them off, rinse and repeat. The Boss will come down and will do swipe attacks with both arms, one at a time, dodge or roll. The pounding attack on floor is the second type of attack which will be your advantage as his hands will get stuck in floor. Time to whip out Axe and do a Heavy attack on the hand. His head will fall down to floor, then do another Heavy attack to his head. Now run away as it will gain control soon, do the same strategy of Heavy attack again, it will die 

Game is not scary for me anymore, a bit of action hack n slash now. But still a decent game with some nostalgia (references from previous Silent Hill games ).


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## Plasma_Snake (Dec 10, 2008)

I had got this game a long time ago but installed yesterday only to find to my horror (pun unintended) the main menu, first cut scene everything plays like a you tube video on a really low bandwidth. I tried looking for patches or fixes but there were none. Am i the only one facing this problem?
Off topic:
Try to play "The Suffering" given in the Digit's DVD but after installation and initial config screen, all I get is a couple of black blank screen and the normal desktop comes back up, no sign of game anywhere. What to do? I've already tried running it in compatibility mode for XP SP2.


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## Faun (Dec 10, 2008)

lol...yeah graphics are not that awesome and the sound encoding is done too brutally. I blame the devs for it 

Btw I reched Hell Descent stage, and omg it has the traditional SH feel. And the experience was quite similar to Jame's in Silent Hill 2 when he descend into the hole at Historical Society Museum. Too bad, dunno where is Elle 

I played The Suffering when it was released so cant say abt the one provided with digit DVD. It is an awesome Urban Horror with a good deal of hollywood voices. Perhaps my fav is Dr. Killjoy   His dialogs are the coolest ever from a Video Game villain. 

Btw slayers from The Suffering and Needler from Silent Hill Homecoming and Slashers from Dead space share something in common


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## JojoTheDragon (Dec 10, 2008)

Is it available for PC ? BTW is it shooting?


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## Ethan_Hunt (Dec 10, 2008)

Plasma_Snake said:


> I had got this game a long time ago but installed yesterday only to find to my horror (pun unintended) the main menu, first cut scene everything plays like a you tube video on a really low bandwidth. I tried looking for patches or fixes but there were none. Am i the only one facing this problem?


There are none. It's a steam release so I don't think they will have any updates for it. Perhaps the retail release in Feb might have some rectification. The videos are encoded on very low resolution & the game gives a similar _deja vu_. 



> Too bad, dunno where is Elle


 Should I burst the bubble? 



> Is it available for PC ? BTW is it shooting?


Errrr....On which system do you think we're playing it? It's not completely shooting. It's survival horror. So melee combat with knives, pipe, fire axe & stuff like that come in handy. The weapons would include Shotgun & a standard pistol, the ammo of both are very sparse. You won't be needing a lot of guns usage unless a Siam attacks you. You'd definitely need 3 rounds of shotgun to take him/it down.


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## JojoTheDragon (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks Ethan_Hunt . Will get this game after I complete COD-WAW  Post some screenes would ya?


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## Plasma_Snake (Dec 10, 2008)

So why it is so glitchy on my setup? Any solutions?


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## Ethan_Hunt (Dec 10, 2008)

jojothedragon said:


> Thanks Ethan_Hunt . Will get this game after I complete COD-WAW  Post some screenes would ya?


Check the first page. It has most of the screenshots I captured.

@Rudra: Which game? Suffering or SH?


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## Plasma_Snake (Dec 10, 2008)

Suffering doesn't runs yaar, Silent Hill ka hi bata do.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Dec 10, 2008)

Plasma_Snake said:


> Suffering doesn't runs yaar, Silent Hill ka hi bata do.


What exactly is the issue? Care to be a bit specific.


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## Faun (Dec 10, 2008)

Siam's her side 
*i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj44/visio159/silenthillhomecoming/siam.jpg


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## Faun (Dec 12, 2008)

that Scarlet fight was insane, button tapping to convert her into second form was not working for me. I was like trying it for 40 minutes. At last it did. I hate those buggy button tapping things.

Then if it was not enough, I finished that badge sliding puzzle and then when the cutscene with Alex asking his mother about the whole Silent Hill matter it just crashed...lol. Now I have to do that puzzle all over again :/


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## Ethan_Hunt (Dec 12, 2008)

The Scarlet battle was very easy. I found a lot of people getting stuck on that level. That's the only boss I have found to be a bit intimidating. It very easy to take her down with a fire axe. That does a lot of damage to her. Took me just one try to get rid of her.


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## Faun (Dec 12, 2008)

^^yeah its easy (i didn't even use any medkits) but that mouse tapping sequence to change her to second form was not working well, i tried tapping mouse at varying speeds but it didn't work and then magically once it worked. I was like using trial n error for that tapping sequence for more than 40 minutes :/ Fireaxe works wonder for her.

Mouse tapping sequence are so bad, it's not like dead space that if you press fast then it will work better.

Very badly coded game   

Previously when I used to jump across the stairway in top floor (Hotel level), Alex just seems to fall down  And I had to redo that whole area like 4 times before he could jump over that without falling down.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Dec 12, 2008)

I didn't run into much issues with the mouse tapping. I just had the 'shift' key re-mapped to the right mouse button for my attack mode. So the button mashing sequences got a bit confusing sometimes. My right click has sort of lost it's sensitivity because of all this mouse mashing.


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