Silent Hill Homecoming - Exclusive interview with SHH Boss

[Scarlett.]

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7783/sh5sj7.jpg


The protagonist of Silent Hill V will be Alex Shepherd, a war veteran who returns home from an overseas tour of duty to find his father and later his younger brother, Joshua, have disappeared and his mother has gone into catatonia. Shepherd begins to search for his brother, leading him through Silent Hill as well as the new town of Shepherd's Glen

[Scarlett.]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pFGl-t2iiMo

[Tom4784]

It looks intriguing. does anyone know what consoles this will be on?

[Scarlett.]

XBOX 360 and PS3

[Scarlett.]

Screenshots of very early gameplay
http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/6514/silenthill5gameplayscremw9.jpg
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5862/silenthill5gameplayscrefa7.jpg
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/4817/silenthill5gameplayscrewu5.jpg

[Scarlett.]

Silent Hill V SPOILERS

Alex Shepherd is the main character of SHV, The game begins with him on a strecher in a otherworld hospital, crashing through doors....

also a old school mate called Elle accompanys him at times, the game is about Alexs search for Josh, his brother in Shepherds Glen and Silent Hill

Light Draws Nurses towards you!

Alex is a war veteran...

Pictures coming soon!

[Scarlett.]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5728/silenthillvoct1ih8.jpg

[Scarlett.]

Characters
Name: Alex Shepherd

Age: 22
Occupation: Ex-Solider
About: Alex Shepherd is a solider returning home from a war. He comes home to find his mother in a catatonic state, and his beloved brother and his father missing. He sets out to find them which leads him to Shepherd's Glen and onward to Silent Hill. His view on war is rather unusual. In the E3 2007 trailer, a monologue of a character we assume is Alex says "War is Hell, but there are worse things. War changes you and no body back home could never understand. They never understood me. They say you can't go home again - but they're wrong. I just don't want to." What does this tell us about his character? It seems as though war may have drive him a little insane and is even enjoying the war?

Name: Elle
Age: Alex's Age (?)
Occupation: Unknown
About: Elle is a long-time friend of Alex. She is said to be "like Maria from Silent Hill 2 she is said to have streetwise sexiness but retains the relatable girl-next-door cuteness of SH3 heroine Heather." It appears she has a history with Alex which might mean that there could be a love story somewhere. So far it is unclear if she will be A.I controlled or actually playable.

Name: Joshua Shepherd

Age: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
About: Alex's brother has gone missing on Alex's return home from war. It seems as though he has go to the town of Silent Hill.

Name: Alex's Father [Name Unknown]
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
About: Alex's Father, who also has gone missing while his son was at war.

Name: Alex's Mother [Name Unknown]
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
About: One of her sons has gone to war, the other is missing along with her husband. This causes symptoms much like that of Post Dramatic Stress Distorder, making her go into a catatonic state


SilentHillV.net

[001steven]

cant wait for this game... the last ones sh*t me up big time lol....but i still play them

[Scarlett.]

I know I'm replaying SH2 at the moment and just reached the apartment building its well creepy

[Scarlett.]

In Game footage + Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D802Vd8H0xc

[Tom4784]

Am i the only one who thinks that Alex looks like Jensen Ackles? (Dean from Supernatural)

[Scarlett.]

Now that you mention it...lol

[Tom4784]

I'm looking foward to this one, it looks like they've changed the game system so you can jump over things and everything seems more interactive.

[Scarlett.]

They also said its going to be more phsycological like Silent Hill 2

[Scarlett.]

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/2600/silenthillvoct2mq9.jpg

[Scarlett.]

The official announcement of Silent Hill V named the protagonist as Alex Shepherd, a war veteran who returns home from an overseas tour of duty to find his father and later his younger brother, Joshua, have disappeared and his mother has gone into catatonia. Shepherd begins to search for his brother, leading him to Silent Hill after searching his home town of Shepherd's Glen. Alex will have to traverse real world areas covered in fog, and also the "Otherworld" version of the same maps.[3] EGM magazine confirmed that there will be a female supporting character Ellie, who is connected to Alex. It is unknown whether she is playable at the moment.

Combat in the game will take into account Alex's experience as a soldier, and the psychological aspects of other installments of the game will have a part in Silent Hill V. Confirmed enemies in the game include the nurses and a new androgynous creature called "Siam", as well as "Schism" and "Smog". The gameplay will feature real time wounds that show up on both Alex and his enemies. New fighting techniques will be offered as way for Alex to deal with enemies, including grappling and evasive maneuvers. Enemies will have upgraded A.I., adding a new level of ways to encounter, or avoid enemies.

It is rumored that the developers are planning to create multiple endings based on the way players do things in the game. Acts of aggression, kindness and interactions with other people met in the game will impact how it ends.


Wikipedia

[Scarlett.]

» Gameplay

· Elle will accompany you.
· Using Alex's skills learned from being employed in the military, he can unleash many different kinds of attacks on the monsters, depending on the weapon he is using.
· Third person with camera control.
· The transition between the worlds will be done in real time.
· An experience from the magazine tells that inability to escape from the clutches of a monster's hold resulted in 'Alex in two bloody pieces on the floor'.

[Retroman]

Not another "im looking for a child" game from Silent Hill lol >_<
Still, it'll be nice to play a Silent Hill game with todays best consoles/graphics no doubt.

[Scarlett.]

Lol, they said it was gonna be more like Silent Hill 2 than any, I only hope this Elle woman isnt like Eileen in SH4

[Tom4784]

I really can't wait for this one, the more i hear about it the more excited i get.

Plus the news is that it is gonna be like SH2 is great, It was by far the best installment so far!

[Scarlett.]

And the scariest, I hope the Collective can make it as well as Team Silent did

[Scarlett.]

on http://silenthill5.net they have scans from the 'Play' magazine, and part of it mentions 'The fear of daylight'

Heres the linky
http://silenthill5.net/2007/11/23/play-magazine-get-silent-hill-v-exclusive.html

[Scarlett.]

Apparently the game begins in a 'real world' war hospital, where Alex hears his brother has been hurt back at home, so he goes back to find his town (Shepherds Glen) abandond, and apparently, Shepherds Glen and Silent Hill have some kind of connection

[Scarlett.]

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/magazine-cuttings/silenthillv_gamepro_dec1.jpg
SCARY NEW MONSTER :bawling:

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/magazine-cuttings/silenthillv_gamepro_dec2.jpg
Car in sewers

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/magazine-cuttings/silenthillv_gamepro_dec3.jpg
Living wall

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/magazine-cuttings/silenthillv_gamepro_dec4.jpg
Monster in sewer

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/magazine-cuttings/silenthillv_gamepro_dec5.jpg
Nurse figt

[Scarlett.]

Because the strange nurses are drawn to light like moths, so the lamp is important when you want to avoid them.

Light play

Despite the new technical achievemens and the fighting system, it won't change the basic direction of the series. If anyone hopes for a cheap "the zombie jump out at me from the closet in a nudie-shock-scene" they will be disappointed. The horror of Silent Hill is not on the screen, but rather mostly takes place in the player's head. True to the motto "the less one recognizes, the the scarier it is" the designers stregthen the shadows, that flit around before you. One of the most effective scare-factors of the series is of course also here, the typical Silent Hill dim lights, the many dark passages, in which one can hardly see more than the circle of light coming from your flashlightg, one worries not only about the uncomfortable feel of the isolation, but also the player worries about their concentration and is subject to shoch scenes.

In SH5 the horror uses not only your fear, but also the player's ears. If you can remember the unholy shambling in the tunnel in SH2 of the goose-skin-causing sirens, that announce the shift to the otherworld. Thank Dolby Digital aned the sick sounds of Akira Yamaoka which allow all kinds of dimensional effects and nerve shattering noises.

Looks the same, only better!

The designers oriented the visual form on the previous games, to stay true to Silennt Hill and also to opticallt transport the washed out colors, which remind one of a grey winter day. In the Otherworld, strong reds dominate and there is rust everytwhere. To have a cinematic flair, important scenes are shown with long camera shots. Through the freely moving camera and the turning on its axis to get the classic Silent Hill look, there is also of course the noise filter. What is new is that different situations use different filters. In this way, the optical elements and colors (such as blood red) are brought out strongly.

captions: Even in the Gully, you can't be sure if it's safe, because the monsters also hide in the water.

some of the doors really take some getting used to.

----
page 2

.. with which one will send the baddies to hell, in not yet known. Wehope for a return to the zombie-steps of the past. If one likes the visually appealing fights, one should be happy about the possibility of grabbing and kicking around the monsters. The new fighting system is important, because the bizarre creatures and mosters in SH5 aren't very cuddly. One meets them in the foggy streets and and there are some familiar monstrosities, like the sick nurses) and numerous other horrors, whose design the word "sick" serves well. Expect creatures with skulls made out of blades, deformed hybrid hermaphrodite entities, which strange combinations of male and female features. Or an almost human creature covered with disgustingly pulsing blisters that spits out gas. These beasts aren't ust ugly, they're also clever, thanks to the new consle systems and the designers who used their artful intelligence. If you expect the monsters to flit by like in the older games, you'd better check your calculations. The creatures follow you mercilessly, through doors and then desist. This way the fighting varies and the designers promise more endings than in any other SH game.

Interactive Nightmare

A further deficiency in the previous games should be corrected in part 5, the interactivity with objects. In the other games, it's not possible to throw around tables and chairs. With the "havoc object physics" are these things now in the past. The chairs, closets and bottles aren't just scenery, they can be used purposefully in the game. Example: you need to go through a large witing room full of monsters. Instead of fighting your way through, you can make a distracting maneuver to get rid of the bizarre brutes and slip away unnoticed on your way. Similar actions can be done with lighs.

captions:
Did the creator want to express his love of bananas with this monster?

Fresh colors bring life to the room. Alex ferrets out the artist.

page 3

When Konami announced that SH5 would be made by the American studio The Collective, William Oertel and his team were faced with worldwide distrust. The fans feared that an American team would stray from the series' feel or that they would bungle it entirely. We feel that these fears are unfounded, and the Oertel and his team will make sure that SH5 will meet the highest expectations.

New hero, new possibilities

The protagonists of the other games were always average, harmless types who were brought into nightmarish Silent Hill not entriely through their own doing. Instead of fighting with large mouthed monsters the players steer the weak and fearful characters through a world that has become insane. The battles go on crazily in the earlier episodes: , awkward, slow fighting with iron bars and bits of wood as well as pistols and shotguns, which is exactly what you ould expect from heroes like James of Harry. Things are a bit different with Alex. As a soldier, he is experienced with weapons and also with hand to hand combat like no SH-hero before. The combat system in this installment will be very different from that of the previous games, which is quite necessary for the series., since it hasn't changed much since the series' debut on the PSOne.

until the soup sprays!

To make the game more dynamic, the designers worked on a combat system that reminds one of a horror title from Sega (which was not released in Germany). Instead of awkwardly running around the area and beating on the monsters, you can grab the enemy or power up your hit power to hit them mightily, depending on your current weapon and the enemy you're homing in on, it also opens up new combo-possibilities.

page 4

The only person who still means anything to him is his younger brother Jacob.

Catch 22

While the 22 year old soldier was taken into a military hospital due to a serious injury, he was tormented more and more by mysterious visions. He realized that his brother maybe in danger and he left the hospital for New England, more specifically, his hometown of Shepard's Glen. When he gets there, he is greeted with a picture of horror: his mother shivers on the floor and stammers, there is no trace of his father or brother. It's as if the fog covering Shephard's Glen has swallowed them whole.

Veterans of the series will notice already that Shepherd's Glen has, the tradition of the toilets and weird malls, is simply the opening point of a journey that leads once again to a "Special place." To a place, where one finds oneself, where our fear and demons claw with sharp claws through the insanity like stringy black oil dropping in our souls.

Be careful what you wish for!

In the 2005 Leipzig Games Convention a somewhat frustrated William Oertel gave an interview about SH Origins (PSP) and said he'd rather work on a Silent Hill for a newer console system, instead of simply a pocket-sized version of the series. Two years later his wish was fulfilled.

Thanks to Nur_ein_tier of the www.silenthill5.net forums

[Scarlett.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M4Gng2I3Ms

[Scarlett.]

An old saying says, "all paths lead to Rome." For friends of video games,the paths lead elsewhere, namely, to Silent Hill. Here you see scenes from Silent Hill 5 for the Xbox 360 and PS3. This time it's being designed by an American studio called the Collective instead of from Konami. The inspiration for SH5 was mainly the acclaimed second installment of the series. The protagonist is a war veteran named Alex Shepherd who is in a hospital due to a war injury. The traumatised Alex has problems to cope with because of his experiences. He has a dark vision in the hospital that his young brother is in danger. So he goes back to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to check things out. Unfortunately, he's too late. When he finds his mother, his brother and father has disappeared off the face of the earth. Though this part takes place in Shepherd's Glen, of course most of the game takes place in Silent Hill, where you see many familiar faces and the nurses without faces. To make things more dynamic they have completely reworked things. It's possible to use new combo moves instead of awkwardly beating on things. You can throw enemies out the window. In contrast with the last installment, SH4 The Room, Sh5 will be more like the classic installments of the series. That means you follow a linear storyline and discover the secrets of the town piece by piece. Of course the parellel dimension is again a very important part of the game. The graphic effect where the otherworld changes is taken directly from the film and gives a look at the blood red and rusty world that is underneath the reality. With the Havoc-Physics-Engine, thing get more and more realistic. For example, when you run into a chair, it will fall over. Ha. You can use this in the buildings to distract enemies.Unfortunately our trip to Silent Hill ends here because that's all the footage we have. Until the release in 2009 we'll be reporting about SH5.


Thanks again to nur_ein_tier of the www.silenthill5.net forums

[Scarlett.]

My my my, what a busy Silent Hill weekend..

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec1.jpg
Alex strapped to stretcher

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec2.jpg
Alex and Nurse

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec3.jpg
Nurses and TV

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec4.jpg
Alex and the door

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec5.jpg
Alex and X-Ray board

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec6.jpg
Alex and incubators?

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec7.jpg
Joshua?

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silenthillv_dec8.jpg
Blood trail

[Scarlett.]

I'm so happy, my SHV video is being linked to games websites, going in magazines and everything:colour:

[Scarlett.]

SHV Travis
http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/concept-art/travis_fullbody01.jpg
SH:0 Travis
http://silenthillorigins.com/sho_preview2.jpg
Is the who caused Silent Hill to go wrong returning?

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http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/scans/games-tm/silent-hill-v-games-tm01.jpg

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/scans/games-tm/silent-hill-v-games-tm03.jpg

[Scarlett.]

Whats been your role in 5's creation?
- My writing partner, Chris Valenziano and I were hired as the game's writers. Now, that term "writer" has a different meaning in electronic gaming than it does in television or film. On a game, the entire design team has a large hand in doing much of the writing. Even before we knew that there was a Silent Hill 5 happening, The Collective had broken story and compiled a summary of the game's events - all of which were written by the lead designer, the lead artist and the lead level designer. So, when Chris and I came on to the game, our first task was to look at that summary — which is several pages long and very detailed — and start to poke holes where needed. Now, this process began almost two years ago. Since then, the story has changed in several places, which is due to the collaborative efforts of the whole team. As you start to produce the game, you realize that certain story elements don't really gel with game play or you might discover that we can't really make more than a dozen separate heads for characters, so you start to whittle down the NPCs in the game. It's a very delicate balancing act between your narrative and all of the elements that go into production.
Unlike writing a movie script, a process in which the writers generally work on their own to produce a 100-page screenplay, writing Silent Hill 5 was written over a series of months, working with the whole team to make sure that the house of cards wasn't going to fall down! Now, on top of all that work, we had to be very conscious of the entire Silent Hill mythology, so everything we worked on as a team, would then go to Konami to make sure that any references to previous characters or any rules regarding the Otherworld shifts fit in the overall lore of Silent Hill. And believe me when I tell you that rules do exist and you can't break them.
On top of working on the story, we had to write all the cinematics, environmental signage, hundreds of dialogue slugs, journal entries and the game manual. All in all, it was the most writing we’ve ever done for a project (and we've written a 300-page novel).

Have you played the games and if so whats your favourite?
I think one of the reasons Konami hired us was because I was such a huge fan of the series, was very knowledgeable of the game's lore and wanted the game to have continued success. I played the original Silent Hill the WEEK it came out and it was the scariest game I had ever experienced. When I started playing that game, I knew I was seeing the future of horror gaming and I couldn't get enough. It's actually an amazing experience to now be a part of the series after having been a fan for so long.
Now, regarding my favorite, I know the fans love Silent Hill 2, and Silent Hill 2 certainly elevated the game to the direction that the series has gone. However, I'm a big fan of Silent Hill 3. I love all the characters - Heather, Cartland, Vincent - they are all so colorful and have great motivations. I also like that installment for its expanding history of The Order. Overall, Silent Hill 3 really feels like a complete experience for me - from great game play to fantastic story.

Since its a survival horror game would you say Silent Hill 5 is the scariest narrative in the series so far?
I think when we talk about Silent Hill and a "scary" story we are talking about two different things. Overall, the game's scares will be the biggest we've had, and that's not just jump scares - the eerie feeling of dread will be heightened because the designers can really immerse you emotionally through amazing environments and wild-looking demons. However, story wise, Silent Hill hasn't typically been “scary,” as it's more about the depths of madness and terror it takes the player. Clearly I can't talk about the story of the game, but I can say that we have worked very hard on making it the most disturbing drama of the entire series. My hope is that players will be affected by the game's end.

Without giving away any spoilers will we learn anything more about the history of Silent Hill?
Hmm...tough question because I would love to spill the beans on some of the story, but that would ruin the fun! Here's what I can say about Silent Hill and this installment - you will discover some new secrets about Silent Hill by way of how its history has influenced a much larger society than you may have previously thought. And that's almost saying too much!

How would you describe the protagonist of Silent Hill?
Alex Shepherd feels very new to the series. He's less a victim of circumstance and more a man of action. Now, I know people are worried that having a soldier as the star of the game means he is somehow Rambo, let me assure you that he is not. However, he does take a much more proactive approach to the world around him. We tried to make him more aware of the strange events that unfold in the story, so if you believe in the theory that the player is the character, then I think he's going to feel more relatable to someone who would make rational decisions based on what he sees in front of him.

Thanks for the questions! I'm sure I haven't really explained much more than what is out there, but I was happy to throw in my thoughts. Good luck with your blog! I believe in horror gaming and hope that continued success of games like Silent Hill can keep horror fans entertained and terrorized at the same time.

Patrick J. Doody

[Tom4784]

I can't wait for this game, each nugget of info is making this game more appealing.

[Scarlett.]

Aye! Im glad they have been consulting people on the games past

[Scarlett.]

http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/march-08/shv-new-3.jpg
http://finalfantasyversusxiii.net/silent-hill-v/silent-hill-v-feb-04.jpg
http://finalfantasyversusxiii.net/silent-hill-v/silent-hill-v-feb-06.jpg
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http://silenthill5.net/silenthill5/screenshots/silent-hill-v-feb03.jpg

[GiRTh]

Does anyone know when its coming out?

[Jack]

The graphics look bad. The more recent Silent Hill games aren't that good in my opinion.

[Scarlett.]

Apparently late 2008/Early 2009

I think they are working on the graphics at the moment, All the screenshots we have seen have been of the same areas, we havent even seen the town of Silent Hill yet, these are of Shepherds Glen

The room with the paper work and the corridors are the newest areas

[Scarlett.]

I have been informed that the release date for SHH is September!

[Scarlett.]

http://i26.tinypic.com/35au22p.jpg
the new Alex

Also its been confirmed that Travis is making a cameo

[Scarlett.]

I think the whole story will be more about Travis going back to Silent Hill or going "Home"or his homecoming

[Scarlett.]

http://i30.tinypic.com/2ltjb5u.jpg

[Hugo]

I hate Silent Hill games they drive me crazy. I also find them really depressinf for some reason :shrug:

[Scarlett.]

Lol cause they are supposed to be kind of depressing, but they have such good complex stories

[Tom4784]

I liked the other Alex better then the new one, The new one looks too much like Harry I think. A bit generic I think.

[Scarlett.]

Im not too sure, he looks more interesting this time round

[Scarlett.]

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/antparker/shh_ps3_5.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/antparker/silenthillhomecoming-vg-01.jpg

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http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/antparker/x3607.jpg

[Scarlett.]

Videos
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34052.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34057.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34050.html

[Scarlett.]

Last night Konami offered a rather large group of gaming journalists the opportunity to finally get some hands-on with Silent Hill: Homecoming. We were second in line and found everything to be in working order; the eerie sounds, intentionally grainy visuals and unsettling environments are coming along nicely and even the new dodgy-slashy combat system works better than we thought. If you were around last month you'll remember our three-day blowout of Homecoming - it looked like this:

Day 1: Updated impressions | Day 2: Exclusive movies | Day 3: Interview with Akira Yamaoka

Check each for all you could possibly want to know about Alex's life-altering search for his missing brother.

More important than that, however, was the trailer Konami aired prior to the hands-on. In it we clearly saw Pyramid Head rounding a corner, trudging along with his massively oversized sword. What could this mean for the story, we wonder? The SH2 antagonist was originally supposed to be some form of punishment for James's repressed emotions and guilt, but why would he appear to Alex as well? Is he now Silent Hill's go-to guy for meat-cleaving shenanigans? In our confusion, we approached lead designer Jason Allen, saying how we swear we just saw Pyramid Head wandering through that trailer. To this he simply smirked and replied "Was it?"

We're going with a yes - or at the very least some other monster that looks a hell of a lot like our flesh-ripping friend. More soon!


http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/silent-hill-homecoming/news/pyramid-head-in-silent-hill-homecoming/a-20080515102815577079/g-2007042011563484013

[Scarlett.]

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/antparker/942059_20080515_screen003.jpg
New Screenshot
__________________________________

I had a look at the video of Alex fighting a dog
and I have to say it looks a lot better and in fact easier than before

[Scarlett.]

The combat system appears much more action oriented this time around, can we expect the same creepy atmosphere?

[Jason Allen] The Silent Hill series is all about narrative, exploration and atmosphere; even though this has been developed outside of Japan with an entirely new team (with the notable exception of Akira Yamaoka), we are still creating a Silent Hill game. Foremost in our design philosophy for this title has been a strong desire to maintain the trademark atmosphere of the game. If we were to change that part of the experience - in my mind - it would cease to be Silent Hill. For a lot of western horrors, the key components are gore, shock and brutality. Atmosphere in Silent Hill is much more about dread, loss of identity and a sense of the futility of struggle; it hits you in an entirely different manner and in some respects is much more frightening to behold. So in a roundabout way, yes, you can expect the same creepy atmosphere.

Why did you feel that the combat system needed to be changed?

[Jason Allen] The way I perceive things, there's a fine line between presenting a protagonist as an 'everyman' who's not particularly skilled in combat on the one hand; and making the player feel frustrated by an inability to deal with situations we've created for them to enjoy on the other. I believe - and this is the approach the combat scripting team utilized - that you can still create situations where the player feels barely able to fight the manifestations they encounter - maintaining the everyman fiction - without making them also feel frustrated through a poor combat system. Fluidity of controls and logical progression of attacks, dodges and counters with well balanced scenarios are the way to achieve these results. Part of our mandate when being asked to create the next installment in the series was to make it more appealing to a broader audience; this was one of the areas we felt could be improved without sacrificing the essence of why it was designed this way in the first place.

Puzzles have played a big part in the previous Silent Hill's, can you talk about anything unique or different about the way the puzzles work?

[Jason Allen] The main focus for the puzzles within Silent Hill Homecoming has been to ensure the transition between navigation to puzzle mode occurs in the most seamless way possible. Every time we transition the player from one mode to another - in any game - there is every possibility that we'll be reminding them their experience is nothing more than an artifice. If we want the player to suspend their disbelief, to feel at-one with their avatar, we must make every effort to ensure all game systems are contextually part of the whole experience, and that each transition is as invisible as possible. We've tried to remain true to this philosophy for the puzzles within Silent Hill: Homecoming.

While a lot of people are anticipating the release of Silent Hill: Homecoming, a lot of fans are still sceptical about the changes. Can you talk about your efforts to accommodate for some of the series' new, much needed changes, but keep the "Silent Hill feeling" alive?

[Jason Allen] To be given the opportunity to take over an existing franchise that is as well received as Silent Hill is something of a privilege. We all have been, from the very beginning of the project, acutely aware of just how precious this game is to the hearts of its many fans. As I mentioned previously, with any new iteration of a franchise you have to walk a fine line. The publishers give a certain amount of freedom to develop the game, but it's never total. The reason the game is popular is because it contains certain consistent thematic elements; those elements need to remain if the game is to be true to its origins. So, during the major design phase of the game, the team was always trying to balance the need for new content within the confines of the game's existing thematic architecture. For example, when dealing with pickups, notes, interest points and maps, we tried to remain true to existing style. The font is almost the same; the coloring of letters is the same, and the sounds are consistent from previous games. We wanted to ensure that all those who'd played the game previously instantly felt at home when picking up Silent Hill: Homecoming.

Will difficulty settings return for both the game and puzzles?

[Jason Allen] We do have difficulty settings, affecting just gameplay. Puzzles have a single difficulty level only.

What did you set out to do in Silent Hill: Homecoming when you took on the project? What are you hoping fans will take away from the experience?

[Jason Allen] In essence I set out to make a game that would appeal to those people who'd never played the series before; that would stand on its own merit and yet would feel like coming home for the existing fans of the series. I hope the fans will see that even though it's had a western developer, we understand the essence of the game; that the magic is still there.

Can you talk about the general atmosphere of the game? Apart from fear, what are you trying to make the player feel?

[Jason Allen] In any narrative driven game, you are always trying to make the player identify with their avatar. To blur the lines between where the player ends and where their gameworld construct begins. If we manage to do that and in a seamless way, it feels as though the character's journey becomes your journey. Fear, I believe, is only part of what makes Silent Hill's narratives interesting. Most narrative-driven games still tend to use very black and white characters. The hero is clearly good and the enemy is clearly bad. Though these help define boundaries in the game, they bear little resemblance to everyday life. The characters in Silent Hill, however, have always been believable, flawed personas with something to hide. When we share their journey, to some extent, we share their plight. How we unfold this narrative throughout the course of the player's journey and the settings we use to support the storytelling to a very large extent, creates the atmosphere of the game. The environment, the sound, and the information we uncover to the characters we meet; all these elements are designed to create the mood necessary for our protagonist at that particular juncture in their character arc. We want the player to feel the same discovery that Alex feels as he makes his journey. All journeys in life are fraught with 'ups and down', wrong turns and misjudgments, we've tried to inject the same believable elements into Silent Hill: Homecoming.

When making Homecoming, are you aiming to create a game more accessible to new comers who might not know what Silent Hill is about, or is this for the fans?

[Jason Allen] As I mentioned previously, this game - in many respects - has a foot in both camps. We've attempted to create an experience that is on the one hand familiar to previously experienced visitors and on the other, palatable to newcomers as a place they'd enjoy visiting again. I don't believe that a new player would have to play the older games to understand the Silent Hill paradigm; obviously there is a rich history and newcomers would enjoy playing the older games, but I believe they can gain the 'Silent Hill' experience from playing Homecoming.

Now there is a new battle system, will events such as boss battles have anything new added to them, or will we be standing in the corner just shooting like previous games?

[Jason Allen] Any good boss design uses the lessons learnt from fighting the regular "Soldier' class characters and applying those to a more structured boss scenario. It should reinforce those techniques you've already become familiar with using and also perhaps attempt to - periodically - wrong-foot the player for extra fun. It is also important that the player can 'read' the cues given during the combat sequence to uncover patterns of behavior, and ultimately.weaknesses. I feel the boss encounters the player will experience in Homecoming should be some of the most exciting of the entire series.

Apart from the obvious, how will the "Objectives" system help the player? Can we assume that Homecoming will be a less linear experience than the others?

[Jason Allen] Silent Hill games are a journey of discovery. Objectives, I believe, should simply serve as a reminder of where the player is currently going and what tasks they need to be performing. The general progression of the game should be enough for the player to understand their journey. However, in the Silent Hill universe, nothing is obvious. Objectives therefore serve to help the 'stuck' player without ruining the act of discovery. The player understands they have to go somewhere, perhaps meet someone or perform some activity, but not necessarily why. Understanding is therefore a player-centric task and I'm very keen not to remove that element of discovery from their journey.

Silent Hill: Homecoming is not a free form game, nor is it a completely linear experience. The best description would be one of 'Managed' exploration. There are areas within the game that act like Hubs, allowing the player to go and explore certain areas in any order; there are also some areas in the game that must be completed in order to progress.

A big frustration with Silent Hill 4 was the limited inventory. Can you comment on the Inventory system in Homecoming?

[Jason Allen] The inventory in Silent Hill: Homecoming has been specifically created with three purposes in mind 1) Ease of access; 2) At-a-glance understanding of exactly what you hold; 3) Providing enough space for all the items you need on a level-by-level basis. We've standardized key and item usage throughout the game so the player is not confused about the purposes of each item. Our goal was for the player to quickly gain an intuitive grasp of how objects can be manipulated and used in the gameworld. I believe a good design becomes a 'second-nature' activity within a short space of time, no longer requiring the player to think about how to use or examine an object, but to simply act; in essence, removing one more barrier to immersion.

[Scarlett.]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jXLf53Cu-4M