PS3 Review – Silent Hill: Homecoming

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Silent Hill: Homecoming is a fairly good looking game. The creatures and characters both look great, and the animations are well executed. The game does suffer from some low-quality textures, but the shadows help mask this setback. The shadows do a great job of creating an incredibly eerie environment, and it’s hard not to flinch when you see your own shadow stretch across a wall. Silent Hill: Homecoming might not be the true next-generation visual leap that many expected from the series, but overall it does a great job.

As many fans can attest, the audio work is what really defines the Silent Hill series. The sound effects in this title are outstanding, and environmental audio really lays the foundation for the creepy experience. The soundtrack is also terrific, and each song bodes well with the theme and vibe. A few of the songs really drive the experience, and are designed to evoke specific emotions from the player. What’s disappointing is that the voice acting is standard fare, and while several characters sounded believable, a few were done poorly, resulting in awkward sounding interactions.

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Silent Hill: Homecoming is a scary game, and that by itself makes it a good buy for fans of the series. However, there is very little reason to go back and play through a second time. While there are five endings and about half a dozen unlockables, there simply isn’t enough to give this game any true replay value. The game also lacks any form of multiplayer or co-operative experience, and trophies are also missing. To summarize, Silent Hill Homecoming is a game you will likely only want to play through once.

Silent Hill: Homecoming packs a very interesting story, but is very limited in gameplay. You will likely beat the game and never return to it again. Silent Hill Homecoming is not a fleshed-out experience, and while the story, visuals and audio are all well-executed, the gameplay and value is missing. With that said, the story is compelling and that alone makes this a game worth renting.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score



A compelling story that remains unpredictable from start to finish.

Gameplay is lacking, and the controls feel outdated.

Great puzzles, but the lack of extras leaves little replay value.

6 out of 10

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