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Silent Hill: Homecoming ps3 Game Reviews
Silent Hill: Homecoming
Critic Score
Metascore: 72 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.2 out of 10
based on 27 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 20 votes
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Rate this game

The game thrusts players into a shadowy world of chaos and terror with atmospheric graphics and an original storyline that sheds new light on the desolate, fog-shrouded town of Silent Hill. Silent Hill: Homecoming follows Alex Shepherd, a war veteran returning home from an overseas tour of duty to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother, Joshua. His travels lead him through the small, insular community of Shepherd's Glen and eventually through the hauntingly empty streets of Silent Hill. Building upon the series' trademark foundations of atmosphere, adventure and storytelling, Silent Hill: Homecoming introduces players to a frightening new experience. When confronted by the perverse incarnations of evil that roam Silent Hill and Shepherd's Glen, players are able to utilize an enhanced combat system and execute a number of offensive and defensive maneuvers as they experience every terrifying encounter with the game’s numerous nightmarish creatures. Players also have to solve a variety of puzzles as they progress through the highly atmospheric game world, using cues from the environment to unlock Silent Hill's darkest secrets. Continuing the series’ tradition of standout music and sound design, Silent Hill: Homecoming features an original soundtrack by famed composer Akira Yamaoka. [Konami]

PUBLISHER: Konami
DEVELOPER: Double Helix Games
GENRE(S): Third-Person Adventure, Survival Horror
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
Destructoid
We expected the worst, but in the end, we were pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the game's world and the depth of its story. We're glad to say that the little lakeside resort town of Silent Hill continues to be just as messed up as it always was.
Read Full Review
90
Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
Plan frequent breaks. Your emotional well being will thank you for it. [Dec 2008, p.64]
84
Cheat Code Central
The folks at Double Helix gave me the Silent Hill I wanted: a nerve-racking, scary as hell experience to hold me over this Halloween season. Any fan of Silent Hill should be checking this out, and anyone just needing a good scare can join in the Homecoming.
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80
G4 TV
Thankfully, the game manages to be worth more than the sum of its parts. The controls are the best they've ever been, and combat is actually tolerable this time. That said, you're still better off avoiding fights whenever possible, especially during the few annoying sections that continually respawn creatures.
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80
Video Game Talk
Homecoming isn't pure Silent Hill, but it offers a Highly Recommended restructuring of the series that keeps up with the speed of a more inventive gaming universe while staying very true to the brand's core visual and thematic essence.
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80
Gamervision
Silent Hill: Homecoming may not be a great game, but it’s certainly enjoyable. For fans of the series, or just survival horror in general, this game certainly warrants a playthrough… after the crowded holiday season is over.
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80
My Gamer
Double Helix has given it a sorely needed overhaul while retaining what's made it great, and even though newcomers to the series may not love it as much as the regulars (for them, I would recommend try before you buy), there's still a frightful time to be had for all.
Read Full Review
80
GameDaily
Unless you've got nerves of steel, this game will at least send chills up your spine and at most scare the crap out of you. Sure, it feels similar to its predecessors, but the familiar mechanics and scares still give us hours of monster bashing fun.
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80
Playstation Universe
It has its flaws, but Silent Hill: Homecoming is a solid entry in the franchise that any self-respecting horror fanatic should snap up.
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77
PSX Extreme
Despite its flaws, it has the desired impact, and that’s the best that can be said about this particular game.
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75
Game Revolution
American developer Double Helix has managed to stick its landing—right in the uneasy, dark parts of the mind that define the Silent Hill experience.
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75
GamerNode
Homecoming doesn't recapture the essence of the Konami-developed games. The action-oriented approach leaves players with an awkward camera and less impressive plot, but the game is still enjoyable in its own way.
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75
GameShark
Imagine the L.A. skyline during rush hour, condensed into the perimeter of a city block, and you have a good idea of how thick the trademark fog has become.
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73
Game Chronicles
An extremely shallow game.
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72
PSM3 Magazine UK
Suitably atmospheric psycho-horror with a couple of flaws. [Dec 2008, p.72]
70
Playstation Official Magazine UK
A solid tribute act, then, but the handling of the series is too timid to be truly great. [Dec 2008, p.120]
70
ZTGameDomain
For what it is Silent Hill: Homecoming truly does fit its namesake in bringing the franchise back to its roots.
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70
Game Over Online
It never hits its stride, never find that sweet spot that makes for that great edge-of-your-seat survival horror experience.
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70
GameFocus
If you are a survival horror fan or just a Silent Hill fan you will enjoy this game and it would be worth the buy, but it is not a scary game, at least for me. If you are new to the Silent Hill franchise, just rent this one as it is not a good starter for the series. If you want to be scared, Dead Space is your best bet or Siren on the PS3.
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70
GameSpy
Silent Hill: Homecoming is a very strange game, as its dual nature and oddly unsatisfying gameplay could likely turn both fans and newcomers away.
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67
IGN
A bit of a letdown. The gameplay has been reduced from a tense psychological experience fraught with spine tingling jumps and scares to a generic, predictable action title set in the location with good graphics and a great soundtrack.
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67
Gaming Age
It was the game's storyline and characters that captured me versus the suspense this time around, but that didn't make the game any less enjoyable for me.
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65
Game Informer
Fans will probably dig the game’s cool set pieces and the story, but the save points are placed too far apart, many puzzles require too much random experimentation, and the dialogue system seems like an afterthought.
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65
GameZone
Considering that Homecoming’s gameplay is a clone of its predecessors, this isn’t the sequel that every Silent Hill fan will want to own. But you should definitely play through it once, as the old gameplay style is still entertaining (minus the clunky combat elements), the music and sound effects are great, and the new story will keep everyone guessing.
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60
GamePro
If survival horror is your bread and butter, then Homecoming is right up your alley; otherwise, you might be better served waiting for Resident Evil 5. [Nov 2008, p.92]
60
Edge Magazine
This is a deeply flawed game, but a fascinating one which makes you think as much as wince. [Christmas 2008, p.99]
60
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
It’s decent survival horror, but Silent Hill fans will be disappointed.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Lam L. gave it an8:
I really rate this an 8.15. It is my first Silent Hill game, although I have read and heard a lot about the earliers games and I thought the 2006 movie was a masterpeice. I will get the others in the series and play them. Here is my rating system. Gameplay (includes controls, story, immersion, and what you actually do in the game) is given a score of 0 (worst) -10 (best). Graphics is rated. This means the aesthetic and technical qualities of it. Audio is rated and includes game music, soundtrack and voice dialogue- everything you hear in a game. My last category is rated .0 (point 0) - .5 (point 5), and really is a bonus component of the 30 point rating system. If the game has replayability it is given a higher bonus component. Replayability can mean both story mode and multiplayer available, split creen or online. It can mean multiple story threads or endings. It can also mean open world- a lot of endless explotrng doing nothing but having a good time w/ whatever you want to do. Well here it what I ratd SH:H. Gameplay gets an 8 because I enjoy survival horror and it gave you that. To me, combat was satisfying but the enemies have cheap shots. It felt like the town or universe of SH that I have come to expect, but I wasn't "wowed" with it like I thought I would be on the PS3. Maybe it had to do wit the graphics. Maybe it had to do with how the story was told. You learned the majority of it in the last 5th of the game. So it felt kinda hollow (the story that you play). You ran around the earlier parts of the game trying to piece what happened together but you just end up running around finding out notihng. Next. Graphics I gave a 7.8. These graphics are excellent PS2 grahics, excellent last generation graphics but not up to quality of the best of this generation: games like MGS4, Motorstorm, Condemned 2, DMC4. Audio gets an 8.5. Nothing really to complain about.. I liked it. It set the mood. I can see why earlier games and their reviews gave this composer high marks. Dialogue and effects sound were satisfactory. Replayability I give it a point one five (.15) because of the multiple endings you can replay for. Add all those #s up and divide by 3. Viola.

Jonathan H. gave it a9:
as a pretty big fan of the silent hill series, i'm very satisfied with this game and it's improvements over previous silent hill titles. the storyline is great, the atmosphere is just as frightening as any of the other games, and the combat system is much improved and not as clunky. for a survival horror title, you can't ask for much more in my opinion.

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