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Fans of Silent Hill are a tough audience to please. Given the series reputation for producing a very unique but specific atmosphere, I don't necessarily blame them. Since the series was passed to western developers such as Climax Studios, Double Helix, and more recently, Vatra Games, fans have been very vocal about the disapproval of the way Konami has handled the IP. I myself have been quite pleased with the series offering while at the same time remained very aware of where the series got its start.
While I recently played and reviewed Silent Hill Downpour, the title that has been the center of attention this month has actually been the Silent Hill HD Collection (Silent Hill 2 & 3). Not everybody has been pleased with the collection (developed by Hijinx Studios) thanks to some questionable edits to key scenes in the game and some weird, artistic decisions that subtract from the experience. After playing several hours of Silent Hill 2, I find myself in limbo; stuck between my outrage at the lazy port job and glee over the modernized version of two classic games in one of my most beloved series. While reviews have been largely negative, a few outlets have been fairly positive about the collection, a juxtaposition that mirrors my own inner turmoil. My time with the collection has been limited but there are a number of things that I can tell you about the controversial compilation.
One Step Forward and Two Steps Back
The Silent Hill HD Collection is riddled with technical issues and awkward design elements that simply will not receive the stamp of approval from a lot of fans. Gone or substantially subdued are the iconic film grain and fog effects that the early entries in the series are known for. The fog has been scaled back enough to allow players to see a bit more of the world, a decision that I actually support. Unfortunately, this additional clarity doesn't work in the games favor when additional flaws that the developers chose not to fix become crystal clear in some pretty jarring ways.
On the other hand, the importance of the film grain effect is debatable. Film grain has never personally appealed to me but I can understand why so many people appreciate it and why its absence here would be upsetting. In the end, Silent Hill 2 & 3 look significantly "better" in that the newly applied 16x9 aspect ratio and new textures look better and are easier to see this time around.
Inner Turmoil
Unfortunately, muted colors, dips in frame rate, and the occassional audio hiccups work to dilute the experience. Does this ruin an otherwise brilliant horror-gaming experience? I would argue that it doesn't. These things cheapen the experience and in some instances, insult the loyal fan-base that have stuck by the wandering franchise in the past. However, underneath all of the bullshit, there is still that original brilliance that I fell in love with all of those years ago. The game is still packed full of foreboding atmosphere, brilliant music, and haunting storytelling. Is the game worth the full price of admission ($39.99)? Probably not. Is it worth playing or owning as a fan of Silent Hill? I would say definitely as long as you hang onto your original PS2 copies of the game.
Where the Hell is Silent Hill 4?
Even with all of the technical issues in the Silent Hill HD Collection, perhaps the most glaring problem of all is the absence of Silent Hill 4: The Room. Many of you may not agree but I would consider Silent Hill 4 to be the pinnacle of the series outside of Silent Hill 2. The game was by far one of the most unexpected but welcomed departures from the traditional formula in the series history. It was also the third and final entry in the series on the PS2, making it a welcomed addition to the collection. Instead, Konami has chosen to deny its existence and bumped it from the collection entirely, making the $40 price tag seem a bit unjustified.
In the end, it is a shame that so much debate and controversy had to surround such an established and well respected product. Hijinx Studios should be ashamed of themselves for cutting so many corners and coming dangerously close to tainting the experience. Even more importantly, Konami has done the series/fans a disservice by releasing this collection in such a sad, and frankly, unfinished state.
As a fan of the series I can't help but be excited for this collection. Being able to see these games through the filter of modern game technology is great but my frustration with Konami has reached an all time high. If you plan to pick this collection up, do yourself a favor and hold on tight to your original PS2 copies and send Konami a message by picking the game up used.
[poll id="21"]
P.S. - Konami - If you FUCK UP the Zone of the Enders HD Collection, I will destroy you!
Comments
12 years, 7 months ago
Great read Nick! Well thought out, constructed and posed some great points of view. I still fail to understand where you keep getting this $50 price tag from. It retails at $39.99 new at Gamestop, Amazon, Walmart - everywhere. Since launch day lol.
12 years, 7 months ago
Wow...I'll take this as a review, Nick.
A lot of heart and soul went into the writing of this.
12 years, 7 months ago
I just feel like this might leave a horrible impression on newcomers to the series. While I can see why you might like less fog, but when you can literally see the edge of the game world, there's a problem. The original Art Director, I believe, was shocked when he saw the screenshots and couldn't believe that was the final release. Also, the lake scene from SH2 looks really poopy as well.
I would hope people play through SH3 with the original voice actors first, since there's no option for old voices for SH3 in the HD Collection. Heather's original voice actor was amazing if you ask me, and while the new one isn't necessarily bad, I feel like it doesn't really suit her.
Like you said, it's silly that they left SH4 out. Kind of hard to call it a collection when it's just two games. Why not include SH1 at least? What about Origins?
I would highly recommend people to pick up the originals on Xbox/PS2/PC for a cheaper price and have a much better experience.
12 years, 7 months ago
89 votes and only 4 comments? Something doesn't add up here. :(
I think atmosphere is a big part of Silent Hill and taking some of that away detracts from the experience in my opinion.
12 years, 7 months ago
To me, the Silent Hill HD Collection fails as a port. While some textures may be improved, their decision to change the artistic appeal of the game was unnecessary and atmospherically harmful. But really, is the reduction of fog enough to change my opinion of the game and dismiss the collection? Certainly not. No, what gets me is the price.
Paying 40.00$ for two older games with a crummy new paint job is just insane. Especially considering that I could buy both of those original games on their respective consoles for much less. Yes, it is convenient that they are packaged for play on a current gen console, that's the point. But when the new versions are more expensive and technically inferior to the originals, why should I buy it?
12 years, 7 months ago
The main problem is that when you re-release a game, regardless of how good it is, whether or not it's in HD with other whistles and bells, or merely a direct port, it should never be worse than the original version, otherwise there really is absolutely no reason for it to even exist, beyond being a cheap cash-in aimed at ripping off fans who expected better, and exploiting newcomers, many of which may be more accepting of it's flaws, but only because they don't have the originals to compare it to.
What's sad is that the PS3 used to be perfectly capable of playing PS2 games, a feature that has since been removed, seemingly to push along this whole trend HD definitive remasters. On the surface they might all seem appealing, but very few of them actually live up to that promise.
12 years, 7 months ago
What a shameful re-release. I paid a good $40 to re-live that dark and harrowing world that Team Silent worked on so lovingly, but instead I see how it was bullshitted by Konami for the prospects to get a quick buck from the die hard fans that they know are willing to give in easily to the prospects of re-playing these wonderful games. Half-assed, cheaply ported "HD" collection. I'd go more into detail, but I don't want to make a wall of text. I could've bought a PS2 and an original copy of both SH2 and SH3 with those $40. Or saved up to get The Witcher 2.
Fuck you, Konami.
12 years, 7 months ago
And what's the deal with airline food? Huh?
12 years, 7 months ago
I was really hoping Silent Hill 4 would be added, I also enjoyed that game. Ah well, I'll buy it when it's cheaper by the sounds of it.
12 years, 7 months ago
The thing I found odd was that the fog rollback was only egregious during the cutscenes, I would have thought they would have had more control over the visuals during the cutscenes but the fog distance is fine during gameplay.
12 years, 7 months ago
Personally, I think the collection is fine. I never really noticed the "muted colors" and even the new voices (and subsequent lip-synching failure) wasn't all that jarring, but there were things that did seem odd, the comparison picture above being one of them.
Personally, even if there were problems with it, I felt that some of the changes do help the experience somewhat by messing with your expectations (for example, the missing fog horn noise in the long staircase in the Historical society, I was bracing myself for it, but it never came, therein building tension in a way the series is known for).
I'm really hoping that they release another HD Collection that includes SH4 (and make sure not to repeat their mistakes), and possibly some other Silent Hill games, most notably Shattered Memories with optional Move support (and possibly some Kinect controls for Xbox somehow). Wishful thinking, probably, but a guy can dream.
12 years, 7 months ago
lol! I was looking at the comparison screenshots thinking the "PS3 one looks better whats all the fuss" until I realised I got them the wrong way round. opps.
12 years, 7 months ago
I've never played any Silent Hill game until this collection and I had a great time with both games. In fact, I played SH2 again right after I finished SH3. I didn't notice any of these details whatsoever, it still feels very "atmospheric" and "scaaaary". I'm glad Konami released the games in HD cause I have a hard time going back to 4:3 and blurriness. Plus, the added control scheme helped me a ton. I'm sure these are crappy rereleases but to me I haven't enjoyed a horror game this good since Eternal Darkness (another game that needs an update).