Does SH have a future for you?

[synce]

I grew up with the series but honestly I didn't care for SH4, SHO, or SHH. It's like Konami doesn't know where to take the series, and I kinda want to see it dead before any more harm is done to it. Are there any other longtime fans here, and how do you feel about the series today? (I'm new here by the way.)

[Darkmoon]

I enjoy SH4, and haven't managed to play Origins or Homecomming yet, so I may chance my mind when I do. But, honestly, I think it's doing alright. I liked 4, as I said, because it had an interesting plot, some fun puzzles and some good scares, and that's what I look for in Silent Hill. I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish it had taken place in, you know, Silent Hill though.

[randomwab]

I do think the series has a future. However, I think that it needs either a huge rethink and reinvention, or a reboot. The formula is getting stale, the combat is horrible, and not even the story can save these games from playing very poorly. Perhaps the problem is that the games are still using a set of ideas which were designed around two generation old hardware.

Honestly though, I think a big problem is a mix between hardcore fans bitching (I'll be honest, myself included) and the developers fearing the wrath of these fans. When people like myself are bitching because they put a popular character into the game, it has to be annoying for the developers, especially seeing as Silent Hill fans can be a bloodthirsty pack of evil people.

I have to say though, even I can see ways to improve the series while staying true to its roots. Hell, I even have ideas for a new, fresh Silent Hill title, but sadly, I don't have an eager team of developers to do my every bidding. A pity, really.

[Neptune]

I enjoy SH4, and haven't managed to play Origins or Homecomming yet, so I may chance my mind when I do. But, honestly, I think it's doing alright. I liked 4, as I said, because it had an interesting plot, some fun puzzles and some good scares, and that's what I look for in Silent Hill. I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish it had taken place in, you know, Silent Hill though.

exactly the same here mate, i was gunna pick up Origins on the PS2, but money constraints have dictated otherwise, naturally i cant aford a PS3, but i shud be getting on in April, as it gets given away on a mobile phone contract for free!

i really liked the first 3 games, i havent got in2 SH4 as much, but im still optimistic

[Biohazard EX]

I liked SH4, and Origins I actually enjoyed very much. The storyline wasn't beyond extraordinary but I found it scary, and in the true spirit of Silent Hill. And although I didn't find Homecoming scary, I did like its storyline very much, so if nothing else, it still did justice to the series as far as the narrative is concerned.

[Mr_Zombie]

I enjoy SH4 and Homecoming (I haven't played Origins yet - only the Hospital section) and I think that the series has a future. But, just like randomwab said, the developer need to rethink what they want SH to be. Because SH4 was a completely different game to its predecessors, while both Origins (from what I saw) and Homecoming are like fan games -- they are reusing lots of ideas from SH1-3 instead of creating something new.

Also, I think Team Silent need to come back. While I like Origins and Homecoming, especially their gameplay (the combat in Team Silent's SH games sucked :/), 0rigins has rather so-so story (they should concentrate more on Travis' past, which was interesting, instead of throwing the whole Alessa story in there, which on the other hand was poorly made), and Homecoming's story was very disturbing and IMO not very in SH style (end part especially).

[Biohazard EX]

Yeah, it seems like Silent Hill is at a crossroads at the moment where Konami doesn't really want to know what it wants to do with it.
Akira Yamaoka said he wants to produce a different horror game, so who knows... Maybe Homecoming is the last SH game we'll see.

[Gradon]

Wow, if only Team Silent were still working at the game.

[randomwab]

Word is that some of the core members of Team Silent are working on something at the minute.

[Gradon]

With Konami? A horror collaboration? Or can't you clarify any more?

[randomwab]

I'm not sure. I would imagine it is with Konami though. As for what it is, no word, though I would think it will be a new IP.

[Biohazard EX]

Well, it's consistent with what Yamaoka wanted.

[James]

Word is that some of the core members of Team Silent are working on something at the minute.

Aren't the core members of Team Silent now known as project SIREN? >_>

[randomwab]

Aren't the core members of Team Silent now known as project SIREN? >_>

Not really. Some guys left for project SIREN, but people like Yamaoka, Ito, Owaku, Tsuboyama and Imamura are still at Konami as far as I am aware. Just a pity that Sato and Toyama will probably never be able to work on another Silent Hill title.

[James]

Wasn't Yamaoka working on something else, that was alledgedly a similar horror franchise?

In that same interview, didn't Yamaoka say that he couldn't let anyone else do a Silent Hill game?

This doesn't say much for the future of Silent Hill.