And as you advance, the psychologist interrupts your adventure repeatedly with more questions and mental tests. Every answer you give and every move you make in the game world is considered and the experience altered based on those replies and actions. From this point forward, Silent Hill profiles you. In one moment, Harry is trudging through heavy snow and in the next you discover yourself inexplicably seated in an armchair and interfacing with a psychologist, who asks all sorts of sordid questions about your morality and sexuality. Shattered Memories effectively maintains an air of unease and the element of surprise. Thankfully, the occurrence is infrequent and ultimately a small price to pay for the seamlessly connected construction of the desolate town. The minor drawback to this, however, is that you must deal with a quick, but noticeable lag as Harry bursts through doorways during monster-intensive situations. The expansive world is completely streamed and you therefore won't encounter any exorbitant load times, which is a great feat. The monsters in the game evolve, but their designs never match those in previous titles. Harry will even make aural notes and offer clues as you interact with environments. Instead, you'll simply be able to read clues in the world because the texture resolution is more than adequate. In an attempt to keep suspension of disbelief, the game is almost entirely void of text overlays. You will believe that Silent Hill is a real town as Harry makes his way through fully modeled bars and diners, bathrooms and bedrooms, hotels and malls, amusement parks and fishing docks, woods and underground passageways - each location meticulously rendered with the little details like framed pictures, posters and papers with perfectly legible text. Meanwhile, a lush and wholly immersive world complements the moody flashlight mechanic. Not only does it look beautiful, but the gadget responds so well that it's fun to wield even when doing so is not integral. The beam illuminates the icy intersections and darkened corridors Harry explores with stunning pixel-perfect accuracy, even casting and projecting lifelike shadows on walls. A robust particle system allows for heavy snowfall and your light will shine on individual flakes as they blow in the wind. Pointing the light here and there is extremely responsive and just as satisfying because it looks amazing. The beam mechanic is simply the best implemented in any game I have ever played. Mason controls very tightly from the third-person and his indispensable flashlight is tethered to the Wii remote. It all comes together convincingly in what can only be described as a standout experience on Wii. The nightmarish and disorienting storyline is surrounded by high production values, from detailed character models whose bodies and faces animate fluidly to strong voice acting and a moody and dynamic soundtrack by series composer Akira Yamaoka. Shattered Memories is an adventure game riddled with a host of disturbing themes, not least of which is the fact that the town is caught in the grip of a snow storm, most of its inhabitants are missing, and dreadful monsters periodically scream from icy formations. Backlash is therefore inevitable, but whether you choose to define the experience as Silent Hill-esque or not, it is undeniably well-executed, eerily atmospheric and at times downright chilling - literally, as I'll explain. While devoted franchise fans will find some familiar gameplay elements, characters and story arcs, the Climax Studios sequel is simultaneously distinguished by some altogether new mechanics and concepts that represent bold and refreshing departures from the conventions that some purists hold dear. This is the setup for Shattered Memories, which is not a remake but a full-blown re-imagining of Konami's classic horror adventure game. So with flashlight in hand, he braves the cold, the snow and inevitably the terror as he searches blindly for her. He's confused - his memory is iffy, but he's painfully aware that his little girl is no longer in the vehicle. He's crashed his car in the middle of a blizzard on the outskirts of a small town called Silent Hill.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |