Written by: PlayDevil.com Staff

 

 

 

"Silent Hill Shattered Memories" is set to retell the tale of Harry Mason from the first installment of the Konami horror series. Set for release on Wii and PSP the game adds a new spin to the game by removing combat, focusing players to rely evasion.

 

I played the Wii game in a darkened Konami booth and was initially surprised by how good it looked. The developers have applied a number of visual noise filters to the game not only hides some graphical limitation, but also creates a tense atmosphere.

 

The entire town of Silent Hill has also undergone some renovation. Gone are the slime covered black walls that were a hallmark of the series, replaced instead by ice. While the change makes the world less foreboding, the ice-covered walls mange to conjure a sense of isolation and venerability that plays well with the themes of the game.

 

The demo focused heavily on running. Starting gave me no clear idea of where I had to go, so I had to wander aimlessly around the town in search of my goal. Unfortunately monsters inhabit every corner of the environment, so while I did have the choice of stealth, running proved to be the easiest and fastest way through the levels. Unfortunately this reliance on speed ended up reducing the tension of the game, as proceeding devolved into a demonic game of ‘tag’.

 

If (sorry, when) monsters managed to catch me they entered a grapple. This forced me to follow on screen prompts to flail my arms dramatically from side to side in a dramatic mime of trying to throw them off me. It works fine as a system but it does feel like the design team couldn’t completely realize their original promise of no combat.

 

The controls are solid, complementing the running game well. Barging through doors and jumping gaps are all done with relative ease thanks to a very forgiving window in which to activate Harry's actions. This manages to keep up the pace of the game, giving it a dynamic feel. This fluidity of movement is very empowering, as while you may not be able to fight you aggressors, you can easily distance your self from them.

 

Assuming the demo is only a small section of the play styles on offer in the game it is hard to judge in isolation. If it relies on this running game over stealth and puzzles the atmosphere usually associated with the series will undoubtedly suffer.

 

For now it is a great looking atmospheric horror title that I am hopeful will deliver on its promises, but based on this demo I am now more cautious with my enthusiasm.