Tuesday 31 July 2012

Silent Hill HD Collection




Not much of a collection as it simply comprises of the second and third game, this disk purports to be a high-definition re-release of the included titles. Honestly, I can't remember the games well enough to tell you if the graphics have actually improved. A lot of the online debate would seem to suggest that they are actually worse.


Silent Hill 2


Unlike its predecessor, SH2 seems to focus less on what is wrong with the physical town of Silent Hill because of the events that occurred there, and more on projecting things from James' - the protagonist's - own mind.

James believes that his wife Mary died three years ago from an illness, and yet he receives a letter from her, claiming to be in Silent Hill, a town where they were once on holiday.


I played the "Born From a Wish" sub-scenario first, as I thought I remembered enough of the main game to get away with it, although the credits reminded me otherwise. I'd probably been muddling some of the content with this in my mind:




I certainly found the revelation about Ernest Baldwin to be creepy, although not too surprising considering he managed to unlock the stairway door without leaving the room.



What irked me the most about the main game was the mist. Individual clouds of it were solid rectangles, and this was never more apparent than during the fight with Eddie, when it was coming through the vents in stiff blocks. That was undeniably poor.







Silent Hill 2 is a powerful game, but not because of the frights and suspense. Because of the emotional entanglement. The raw pain of a man desperately searching for his dead soulmate, and the heartbreak when he finds out the truth, or agonising anticipation of that heartbreak if you remember all along.
Perhaps it affected me a lot because, like Mary, I am ill and relying on my partner's care. I can very much empathise with the story. Take heed, it is powerful.






Silent Hill 3


Remember the baby that Harry Mason escapes with at the (good) end of Silent Hill? That's Heather. Now she's all grown up and things are starting to get strange again.

This game ties in much more with the first, looking at just why Silent Hill isn't quite right, and who is behind that. There are some emotional parts, but not quite of the calibre of SH2.


I must admit to originally never having finished Silent Hill 3. I would get onto the roller-coaster tracks at the beginning, and be confronted with the "game over" screen. A recent conversation with my sister informed me that the copy I had must have been faulty, as the game does indeed progress beyond that! And then came the HD Collection.


SH3 adds a bit more of the character's personality into the gameplay. For example, Heather may refuse to carry out actions that she personally views as "too disgusting".

You spend much less time outside in the mist, and so I didn't see too much of it, but what I did see didn't seem as appalling as that in Silent Hill 2. The locations are a bit samey as you revisit a lot of those seen in SH2, which disappointed me initially. The general consensus seemed to be that SH3's nurses were more frightening than those in SH2, although I actually found the opposite to be the case.







Some of the voice acting leaves a lot to be desired, and towards the end of the game, none of the lip movement matches up to the sound. A lot of the retorts don't make any amount of sense, but this certainly isn't a problem unique to Silent Hill. I was never truly convinced by Claudia's character, but I did become fond of Heather.


SH3 certainly does leave you anticipating the next scare, and some of the imagery is just plain disturbing. A lot of it you can't even put words to, and that stays with you, in a good way.


And of course, Akira Yamaoka continues to be a musical genius.






So, overall, I would recommend at least renting the Silent Hill HD Collection, even if you're not convinced enough to buy it.




Wednesday 4 July 2012

Lollipop Chainsaw




When portraying a sort of zombie apocalypse, most games try to convey what the creators believe would be realistically likely to happen and often offer some sort of scientific explanation. This game does not.





An alternative title could be "How Not to Handle a Chainsaw if You Want to Live". It doesn't adhere to reality or take itself too seriously, and neither should you. The whole premise is very tongue-in-cheek. The first couple of stages had me rolling my eyes with every line of dialogue, but after that it really grew on me.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Biohazard 3: Last Escape/ Resident Evil 3: Nemesis


Occurring at around the same time as the events of Biohazard 2, this instalment involves deeper exploration of Racoon and only a fleeting visit to the RPD station. Another returning feature is favourite Jill Valentine, playable character from the first game. She has resigned from her post at the Special Tactics and Rescue Service in a bid to flee the city before things really get worse.




Read on:

Thursday 3 May 2012

Biohazard 2

Tied to the original by Raccoon City, odd dialogue, fancy décor, good music, soothing save rooms, that zombie footstep sound and Umbrella Corporation's antics, Resident Evil 2 is the next story in the timeline.

The original characters do not return here. Instead we have Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop unfortunate enough to have his first day coincide with a city-wide virus outbreak, and Claire Redfield, who happens to be Chris Redfield's sister. She's in town to find her brother after news of the mansion incident spread.

An interesting Biohazard 6 trailer





Tuesday 13 March 2012

The importance of videogames



A couple of weeks ago I was subjected to a snide comment about the fact that I play videogames. I held my tongue; these things aren't painful any more as I've long been prey to them, but they are ignorant.

So today, I'm going to discuss why games are a valuable part of our lives. Firstly, they are entertainment. No different to watching a film, listening to a song or reading a book. Everybody needs time off to entertain themselves, they simply cannot function otherwise. The importance of free time is often dismissed, but highly essential all the same.

People who play games also watch films, listen to songs and read books in their spare time. Gamers have other interests too. I for one like vegetable farming, sewing, swearing at inanimate objects in Brezhoneg, making candles, and assistance dogs.


But aside from the need for run-of-the-mill, respectable entertainment, there is another reason I am so fond of games. I am a disabled person. I deal with chronic pain, ill-health and the life-threatening consequences of illnesses every day. They are agonising and frightening. The only effective relief, is gaming. I cannot take painkillers because my stomach will bleed. Distraction, so-called immersion pain relief as noted by the American Pain Society, works wonders. For the duration, I stop feeling the worry and I stop being aware of my aches.


Games even have the capability to entertain the blind, and for the rest of us, they at least build brain cells through problem-solving. Many titles have extremely involving, dramatic plots like a novel or epic film, and the powerful impact of these tales stay with the players for many years.


There are many other important utilisations. XBOX technology has been used to scan patients' insides in detail without needing to cut them open.
Games help terminally-ill children in hospitals, get paraplegic patients moving again, some teach medical students, teach surgeons, train soldiers, help ill veterans, train pilots, train bus drivers and some schools now use them to teach subjects. Technology allowing people to control the movement of an on-screen object with their thoughts has been developed by linking people up to game interfaces.



Just because games are not your personal choice of entertainment, does not mean that you should look down upon them and those who utilise them. They've been doing great things for us since 1947.


Monday 13 February 2012

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD


I was very much in love with my XBOX copy and delighted to hear of a high-definition release, not least because I no longer have a functioning XBOX.
Set in the same universe as other Oddworld titles and with an Old West appeal, the game focuses on tough-as-nails Stranger, a tall and mysterious creature of unknown species who has a Lion-like face and can tank through fences and crates at speed on four limbs.

Saturday 21 January 2012

Biohazard 6 trailer


Looks very interesting! I don't remember if I finished 5, to be honest.

Apologies for the lack of reviews lately. I've been dealing with illnesses and I don't spend much of the day being awake or productive. I hope to be back to a regular pattern of gaming soon.

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