Silent Hill Games Would Have a Lot to Gain with Homecoming’s Weapons

Silent Hill Games Would Have a Lot to Gain with Homecoming’s Weapons

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the combat systems in some of these horror titles have left me both baffled and bewildered. I remember the days when Silent Hill 2’s remake felt like a punch to the gut, every swing resonating with a brutal, visceral impact. But then there was Silent Hill: Homecoming, which seemed more like a slap in the face – albeit an oddly intriguing one.

A lingering criticism of Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 remake concerns its adaptation of the original game’s weapons and how players have even fewer options than the 2001 title. Pyramid Head’s Great Knife is dangled in front of players like a carrot only for it to be a gimmick and lacking a swing animation, regardless of how futile or strained the action would have been. The remake then features a total of four weapons, which is pared down from the original Silent Hill 2’s total of six weapons.

Additionally, in the remake, the wooden plank is replaced with a metal pipe permanently and unintentionally – it’s puzzling why this change was made since there was no inherent advantage to using the plank over the pipe in the original game. However, allowing players to choose the chainsaw for New Game Plus suggests player agency, so it feels strange that they can’t make a similar choice with the plank and pipe.

While it’s premature to definitively claim that the remake of Silent Hill 2 will significantly impact future Silent Hill games, its commercial success and favorable reviews may prompt the series to consider its influence. However, the way it handles weapons might not be the best model to follow. In contrast, Silent Hill: Homecoming offers a weapon inventory system that is creatively inspired, seamlessly integrating combat with environmental interaction and development. This system could potentially serve as a more effective blueprint for future games in the franchise.

Silent Hill: Homecoming’s Combat is by No Means Perfect

The fighting in Silent Hill: Homecoming tends to be controversial, and it’s not hard to see why. On one side, players can frequently abuse Alex Shepherd’s strong knife combos that chain together rapidly, making most enemies and bosses relatively easy due to the stunlock effect. This results in many encounters feeling less challenging than they should be.

However, while Silent Hill: Homecoming offers an intriguing narrative, its combat mechanics can be frustrating. The game forces players into tight camera angles and there’s a risk of getting stuck in repetitive attack patterns, regardless of timing. Interestingly, aiming guns doesn’t use the same lock-on camera as preparing for melee attacks, and the firing delay on guns is noticeable. In comparison, the combat in the remake of Silent Hill 2 (and to some extent, the original Silent Hill 2) feels more refined.

As a gamer, I can’t help but notice the parallels in combat style between The Last of Us Part 2 and the Silent Hill 2 remake, yet there’s something electrifying about the way each blow lands in the remake – it feels so satisfyingly meaty! On the other hand, Homecoming’s attacks seem to lack that same weight, relying more on fancy combos. However, where Homecoming might have an upper hand over Silent Hill 2 is its creative use of weapons beyond just combat situations.

Silent Hill: Homecoming’s Weapons Double as Clever Environmental Tools

In Silent Hill: Homecoming, each melee weapon serves a crucial function, as they are essential for advancing to new locations. These weapons not only provide unique animations and attack sequences but also interact with the environment in distinct ways. For example, while a metal pipe or crowbar may not be as powerful as knives in combat, they are still valuable for opening passageways, prying open chain-link gates, and chopping through boarded doors. In essence, each weapon type remains useful and is never completely outdated in the player’s inventory; you’ll always need a knife to cut through barriers, a crowbar to pry open gates, and an axe to break down boarded doors, among other uses.

In the initial stage, the knife inflicts minimal harm on Scarlet in Silent Hill: Homecoming, making the boss battle tiresome. Conversely, the axe effortlessly tears into her delicate body, giving the game’s equipment selection a more tactical feel, even though players continue to dodge excessively regardless.

Fortunately, Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 veers off significantly from this method, yet it continues to prioritize action heavily. Hence, although future Silent Hill games may not resemble Homecoming’s combat style, there’s an argument for them to explore the potential of versatile weapons in-game, especially for action-focused titles. On the other hand, first-person walking simulators like Silent Hill: The Short Message wouldn’t be suitable for such gameplay.

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2024-11-29 16:54