💎 PREMIUM: Id/Gawwth - High Quality

All the Silent hill staples in gameplay are here. The puzzles, just as cryptic as the old games, the tension, just as palpable as the old games. The combat is different, I won’t deny that for a second. Your weapons can break; however, that’s a design choice to allow there to be repair kits, essentially giving your weapons ammo. Stamina is an extension of that. Stamina; your magazine, durability; your reserve ammo. Dodging is implemented in the place of a quick turn, giving you some type of mobility, especially since you can’t do the common classic survival horror of shoot from a distance, quick turn, run, quick turn, then repeat.

Speaking of combat, let’s talk about “builds.” I know that’s a weird term to hear in a silent hill game and I agree, but the Omamoris are a game changer. Omamoris are add-ons that give you perks. More stamina, more sanity, weapons degrading faster, etc. However, they’re much more than just perks, they’re a way to shape your experience on a scale of Survival Horror to Action Horror. Want to avoid stamina management? Equip the Butterfly. Want to avoid weapon degradation for the most part? Equip the Otter. Need a 13th reason? Equip the Daisy. It allows you to fine-tune the game to the experience you want. I’ve seen builds that make the game feel like bloodborne, focusing around frantic but well-timed dodges. On the contrary, I’ve seen builds that bring combat to a halt, making you choose your shots, lest you be laid in a gory heap on the ground. The game gives you the freedom to change how it plays, and people are…mad about that.

Another thing people are mad about is the setting. Of course, Ebisugaoka atmosphere wise embodies “Silent Hill.” However, the argument that since it doesn’t take place there so it’s not a Silent Hill game, is completely ignorant. Silent Hill may have started strictly as a place, however over time, and a long time ago in fact, Silent Hill morphed into something much more. A state of mind, almost a purgatory to deal with something.

TLDR: Great silent hill game.