[Wii, PS2, PSP] Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

[sfried]

I am playing the PSP ver. & Goodness Gracious it looks amazing for a PSP game !
Though the Wii ver. is even more amazing with its added visual oomph ! [real snow particles that collide ! ]. The atmosphere is brilliant.

I think there's a little more than just graphical detail lost in the PSP port. For one, the game really makes good use of the Wiimote interface, almost second to No More Heroes. Like for example, if you take notice of certain details by highlight them with the flashlight, Harry will comment on them, and similarly the game takes cues from those responses (commented and none commented), so there's a level of immersion you don't normally get from pressing buttons to "Check".

Yeah, they did the particle effects really well for this game. Of course, no one will ever match Team Silent in the art department, but Climax has come very close to emulating it. And it's sad to hear that this might be the last game Akira Yamamoka composes for...

 

[SG79]

I think there's a little more than just graphical detail lost in the PSP port. For one, the game really makes good use of the Wiimote interface, almost second to No More Heroes. Like for example, if you take notice of certain details by highlight them with the flashlight, Harry will comment on them, and similarly the game takes cues from those responses (commented and none commented), so there's a level of immersion you don't normally get from pressing buttons to "Check".

Yeah, they did the particle effects really well for this game. Of course, no one will ever match Team Silent in the art department, but Climax has come very close to emulating it. And it's sad to hear that this might be the last game Akira Yamamoka composes for...

Not that big of a deal if you don't have a choice, and I'll settle for the PS2 port. Though certainly the Wii one is the way to go.

From what I heard months ago, th PS2 game is actually a port of the PSP translation not the Wii one. I'll pick it up on Sat.

Something about picking up a new PS2 game in 2010 is a bit exciting..

 

[SG79]

I managed to order the PS2 game, which seems to be hard to find in general. It's a port of the PSP translation alright, complete with some loss in transparencies but it's not a bad looking game (nowhere near the previous proper PS2 games but better than Origins). While the Wii game had lighting and self shadowing that surpassed SH3's (finally), there is none of that here being based on a PSP game.

It does run pretty well, though like the Wii game, there is some stuttering while opening doors during chases. However there are jolts that make the game run at seemingly 60Hz or around there in the smaller areas.

Anyway, the game itself was a very pleasant surprise. I was extremely skeptical being a SH purist, but I decided to let go and treat this as a standalone game and it really works. The nightmare chases, while not terrifying, are cleverly done and so much better than Homecoming's broken combat. I'm also a sucker for snow and the atmosphere is great. Good show so far.

Given the game's commercial performance in the US (and I doubt PAL regions will embrace it), I think this may very well be the last title in the series. Most of Team Silent have been at SCEI for a while so there is no chance of re-uniting them to do another game.

 

[Sigfried1977]

I am playing the PSP ver. & Goodness Gracious it looks amazing for a PSP game !
Though the Wii ver. is even more amazing with its added visual oomph ! [real snow particles that collide ! ]. The atmosphere is brilliant.

Is the game already out for PSP?

Edit: awesome. It's up on PSN. I just bought it.

 

[Sigfried1977]

I think there's a little more than just graphical detail lost in the PSP port. For one, the game really makes good use of the Wiimote interface, almost second to No More Heroes. Like for example, if you take notice of certain details by highlight them with the flashlight, Harry will comment on them, and similarly the game takes cues from those responses (commented and none commented), so there's a level of immersion you don't normally get from pressing buttons to "Check".

Yeah, they did the particle effects really well for this game. Of course, no one will ever match Team Silent in the art department, but Climax has come very close to emulating it. And it's sad to hear that this might be the last game Akira Yamamoka composes for...

You can still point your flashlight at things and Harry will comment on them (and just as in the Wii version the game changes slightly as the result). Press and hold the R button and enter free look mode. Simple as that.

I merely played for an hour or so, but so far I'm really impressed with the PSP port. It runs well, looks as good as a PSP game can possibly look (even the dynamic shadows are in), and thanks to the locked over-the-shoulder-camera and a complete absense of combat you don't even run out of buttons like you usually do when games get ported to the PSP.

 

[nightshade]

I get regular framerate drops when opening doors more so when the door leads to the outside of the building ie. on to the outdoors.

Also one thing which I am curious about is why do so many PSP game has this odd sort of blur artifact on moving objects which makes it look somewhat like Object motion Blur but with a lot of ghosting of images [sometimes its just ghosting]. I noticed it in GT PSP, and I have heard that the game uses some sort of frameblending to reach 60FPS but whats teh case with other games ?

 

[SG79]

I think what you're referring to is LCD ghosting common with lower cost screens. It was quite atrocious with the first PSP models, especially while playing fighters.

Anyway, I had to turn off the console and call it a day after spending 6 hours (on and off) on it already. Very nice adventure game indeed.

Weird thing about the PS2 game's 16:9 implementation is that it can only be turned on via the system's own settings and not in-game. No progressive scan support unlike Origins though. The frame rate jolts are jarring in some places though.

 

[nightshade]

Am I the only one who thinks the game is too easy..??
I mean getting out of nightmares isnt exactly that hard.

 

[SG79]

Yeah, this isn't a game for people who enjoy challenges. It's basically an adventure game that rewards exploration that happens to have some threats that require you to run away. The implementation in that regard is surprisingly well done.

 

[nightshade]

I'll agree, its done well.

 

[Sigfried1977]

Yeah, this isn't a game for people who enjoy challenges. It's basically an adventure game that rewards exploration that happens to have some threats that require you to run away. The implementation in that regard is surprisingly well done.

I think it's a wee bit annoying actually. Early in the game running away is no big deal, but later you have to find your way through some pretty labyrinthean level designs and it all becomes nohing but trial and error (the map is absolutely useless). I really enjoy the puzzles, though. They aren't particularly hard, but always clever and never feel out of place (no inserting various coins into specific slots just for the heck of it). Voice acting is great as well (the one aspect that has improved the most since SH development got outsourced to western development studios) and the story moves at a nice pace.

 

[SG79]

VA was never done in Japan anyway, so it's been dependent on the agency that handles them. It's been solid since SH2 in fact.

I suspect you'll find the map useful later on, but the very first chase is the hardest and most annoying indeed.

 

[nightshade]

The most annoying chase imo was the one where you had to take 3 pictures in the end.