Silent Hill Origins

[Stu]

So far, i'm not convinced by the game

My biggest concern, is how the controls seem to have been changed since the demo? The transition between screens isn't quite as smooth, so as you walking one in one frame, by the next your direction will change drastically. I don't remember ever having this problem with the demo. It's had me pretty frustrated a few times now getting stuck between angles.

Secondly, i know it's a permanent fixture in the franchise, but the blocked off roads are pretty excessive i think. Trying to get to the (avoiding a spoiler) "building" after the hospital was a right pain, every direction closed off, took me a while to find the way out of that one.

Thirdly, the enemies. The "straight jacketed" freak that you fight at the end of the demo...well, they're everywhere, and they're bastards for punishment. I don't see why they couldn't have left a few entry level baddies to start you off with rather than you having to stop every few minutes in the street, most of these occasions being down to your luck at quick time event sequences.

Like i said, i know they're all staples of the series, but i'm not quite sure they work well on a handheld.

As for the game, aside from these annoyances it's still fun. Only just getting to enjoy any new stuff since so far it's been the fire (seen enough times in trailers) and the hospital (which i hammered the demo of) so i've saved at the first opportunity in the "second building".

I still think the graphics are pretty amazing as well, this building i'm in now looks gorgeous, looking further to a little more exploration now.

On my first hour or so's play...i'll probably give it a solid seven i think. Will update my score as i post further impressions i guess!

[nemesis_lover]

ur review as made me wanna buy this game even more now

[randomwab]

Like i said, i know they're all staples of the series, but i'm not quite sure they work well on a handheld.

Well that's the thing. They began the game as a portable Silent Hill, but fans and game journalists said "This is trash" so they changed it back. They may not work on the PSP, but if they do something different, they receive the backlash. But yeah, if those straight jacket monsters are everywhere with the same amount of health as in the demo, then that could be a problem as those things took a lot of damage.

[James]

I'm loving it. Just entered the...errr...building after the second building, encountered a new (but nostalgic / reminiscent enemy) and made a huge discovery during the second building.

The second boss fight was chilling.

[Dot50Cal]

I'm in the Sanitarium now. Ill probably do the cutscenes for THIA when I'm done (if I finish before UC). So far I'm liking it, but there are some technical faults (some camera transitions are poorly handled). That said, the game looks fantastic for a psp game.

Not really a spoiler since its so early on, but:

[James]

but....what? =P

[Dot50Cal]

Bandwidth got used up, fixed it ;P

Just beat the game. Took me around 4:30 (so says the game) but actual recording says its closer to 7 hours. Got a number of achivements/unlockables. Will work on getting the story scenes ripped asap so I can clear the HDD for UC recording.

[James]

I'm disappointed that the Butcher wasn't elaborated on at all =(

[Dot50Cal]

Yeah, That was a wasted opportunity.

On a better note, I just stayed up the whole night editing a video together. Its the complete story based cutscenes from origins back to back. Its around 30 minutes long ;)

I'll have it up on the member only board in about 8 hours or so when I finish sleeping and when it finishes encoding and I can verify there aren't any bugs

[James]

Yeah, That was a wasted opportunity.

On a better note, I just stayed up the whole night editing a video together. Its the complete story based cutscenes from origins back to back. Its around 30 minutes long ;)

I'll have it up on the member only board in about 8 hours or so when I finish sleeping and when it finishes encoding and I can verify there aren't any bugs

Awesome work Dot! I've got a few PSP-less friends who could do with learning the story, as they love Silent Hill but don't own a PSP.

Of course I won't leak it outside of the member's board.

[Mr_Zombie]

Great news. I don't own PSP (and don't plan to buy one), so this could be my chance to see the full story .

[James]

Personally I feel there is a bit more of the story found in the actual files found in-game, though nothing integral to the overall story but more character development wise for Travis.

[randomwab]

Played up to the Sanitarium. Really enjoying it, but I keep putting off playing it some more. I had a lot of free time yesterday and I just played CoD4 and Zelda Phantom Hourglass. I don't know what it is, but something just doesn't make me want to play further.

Meh, i'll attempt to get further tonight, by the sounds of it, I could finish it in my next sitting if I tried.

[Dot50Cal]

The Sanitarium is probably my least favorite place. Tons of places to go, lots of mirror world use etc. Once you get past that its a lot more fun. The motel is really refreshing (most of it is outside).

[James]

I wish there were more of the main characters in the game. I feel they should have fleshed out Lisa's addiction to White Claudia as well as MORE of the cult's activities.