Silent Hill 8
Encyclopedia
Silent Hill: Downpour is an upcoming survival horror video game and the eighth installment in the Silent Hill
series, initially bearing the tentative title Silent Hill 8. Developed by Vatra Games
and to be published by Konami Digital Entertainment, the game is due to release for the PlayStation 3
and the Xbox 360
in early 2012. Downpours PS3 release will be the first in the series to be 3D.
The player character
will have access to a few firearm
s and different breakable melee weapon
s, but will only be able to carry a single melee weapon. Downpour will feature puzzle difficulty selections, while side-quests that will be able to change depending on the player's play style will also be present. Buildings featured in previous installments of the series, such as a hospital and a school, will be excluded and the element of water will be holding a prominent role, with torrential rain being featured.
, and its events will take place in the southeastern region of Silent Hill, which has never been explored in previous games.
, United States, and confirmed the game was being developed by Czech
developer Vatra Games
; it was given the working title Silent Hill 8 at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
, an annual trade fair
that focuses on the video game industry. A profile of Vatra by its video game talent agency Digital Development Management had led to speculation that Downpour would be a first-person shooter
, which would have marked a dramatic shift from the usual gameplay format of the series.
was replaced with Daniel Licht
. Regular series vocalist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
announced in July 2010 that she would not be involved with the production of Downpour, but producer Tomm Hulett later confirmed in June 2011 that McGlynn will be providing music for the game. Downpours main theme will be performed by American nu metal
band Korn
. In response to the criticism of this announcement, a group of fans created an online petition
for the removal of the main theme from Downpour. Hulett felt that Korn "made the most sense" when finding a new performer for its theme, and also said that the main theme is not "an integral part of Downpours gameplay".
Silent Hill
is a survival horror video game series consisting of seven installments published by Konami and its subsidiary Konami Digital Entertainment. The first four games in the series, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, have been developed by an internal factor, Team Silent...
series, initially bearing the tentative title Silent Hill 8. Developed by Vatra Games
Vatra Games
Vatra Games is a video game development company, its parent company is Kuju Entertainment. Vatra is based in the city of Brno in the Czech Republic and specializes on the FPS and action genres....
and to be published by Konami Digital Entertainment, the game is due to release for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in early 2012. Downpours PS3 release will be the first in the series to be 3D.
Gameplay
Silent Hill: Downpours gameplay will include combat and puzzle-solving. The game will mostly use a third-person view, as well as fixed camera views.The player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
will have access to a few firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s and different breakable melee weapon
Mêlée weapon
A melee weapon is any weapon that does not involve a projectile — that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use...
s, but will only be able to carry a single melee weapon. Downpour will feature puzzle difficulty selections, while side-quests that will be able to change depending on the player's play style will also be present. Buildings featured in previous installments of the series, such as a hospital and a school, will be excluded and the element of water will be holding a prominent role, with torrential rain being featured.
Plot
Silent Hill: Downpour will follow Murphy Pendleton, a prisoner who is stranded in the town of Silent Hill after the prison transport vehicle he is being transported with careens off a road; Downpours plot will be unrelated to previous installments in the series, focusing on Murphy rather than the series' mythosMythos
Mythos may refer to:* Mythology, the study of myths, or to a body of myths* Mythos , the term used by Aristotle in his Poetics for the plot of an Athenian tragedy- Games and comics :...
, and its events will take place in the southeastern region of Silent Hill, which has never been explored in previous games.
Development
In April 2010, Konami screened its first trailer of Silent Hill: Downpour at a press conference in San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States, and confirmed the game was being developed by Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
developer Vatra Games
Vatra Games
Vatra Games is a video game development company, its parent company is Kuju Entertainment. Vatra is based in the city of Brno in the Czech Republic and specializes on the FPS and action genres....
; it was given the working title Silent Hill 8 at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010, commonly known as E3 2010, was the 16th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 14–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software...
, an annual trade fair
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
that focuses on the video game industry. A profile of Vatra by its video game talent agency Digital Development Management had led to speculation that Downpour would be a first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
, which would have marked a dramatic shift from the usual gameplay format of the series.
Audio
For Silent Hill: Downpour, regular series composer Akira YamaokaAkira Yamaoka
is a video game composer, sound designer, sound director, and video game producer who worked for Konami since 1993 until his resignation in 2009. He is best known for creating the music in the Silent Hill series; he also worked as a sound director and producer on the series as well as serving as a...
was replaced with Daniel Licht
Daniel Licht
Daniel Licht is an American film composer and musician, best known for composing the score for Showtime TV drama series, Dexter.-Biography:...
. Regular series vocalist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer, and singer best known for her extensive English-language dubbing of various anime, and her singing in multiple games from the Silent Hill series, as well as the movie adaptation and Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME. She has...
announced in July 2010 that she would not be involved with the production of Downpour, but producer Tomm Hulett later confirmed in June 2011 that McGlynn will be providing music for the game. Downpours main theme will be performed by American nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
. In response to the criticism of this announcement, a group of fans created an online petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
for the removal of the main theme from Downpour. Hulett felt that Korn "made the most sense" when finding a new performer for its theme, and also said that the main theme is not "an integral part of Downpours gameplay".