As a treat for fans who could not make it to E3 The Official Silent Hill Facebook page uploaded a roughly 8 minute 30 second walkthrough of select scenes from their Downpour with commentary from game producer, Devin Shatsky, and Senior Associate Producer, Tomm Hulett.

This video is really the first real taste of gameplay footage we’ve seen since the first trailer debuted at E3 2010. For me it was really nice see some of the scenes only mentioned in various game blogs/magazines in the flesh and it really highlights Downpour’s new and interesting gameplay and the imense details Vatra has put into making the various the settings unique.

I’m really liking the somewhat realistic approach this game is taking with the whole surving the horror. Murphy can only use what he’s carrying and boy does he make use of what he’s got. Rusty locked gate? Hey no problem he can just smash it open with a crowbar (or a rock apparently according to some other demo reports). This may seem like something small but it always bugged me somewhat that the Silent Hill protagonists wouldn’t always let you use handy weapons to progress through so called block paths due to level/gameplay limitations…I’m looking at you James “I can’t step over caution tape or use a long rusty pipe to knock a key out of reach closer” Sunderland.

Seriously, I think it’s just so cool that we can use weapons/items we find in ways we would use them in real life. Another cool little bit shows how Murphy can interact with things not necessarily needed to advance the plot and are “optional” events in the game. In the walkthrough we see Murphy steals change from a cash register in a diner and uses it to play a song on the jukebox…which is the opening theme from the original Silent Hill. Stuff like this will really extend the gameplay in my opinion. I know I will end up trying to interact with everything I see hoping for other cool Silent Hill Easter eggs.

The walkthrough also showcased one of the game’s Otherworld transitions. Murphy attempts to turn off a pipe leaking gas but unfortunately causes a spark and sets the place on fire. With quick thinking Murphy sets off the fire alarm to activate the sprinkler system but as the water snuffs out the fire it also acts a trigger for a trip into the Otherworld. As the water pures from the ceiling the walls and floors around Murphy disintegrates and the sounds from the real world are muffled if encased by water. It’s a nice change from the peeling transition used in the first movie and in Homecoming.

Tomm also memtions how the Otherworld trigger aren’t easy to spot and you will never truely know when you are “safe.” This was a major gripe with fans with the nightmare sequences in Shattered Memories and it’s nice to know that they are listening to what sort of scare fator we like in \Silent Hill.

Speaking of Shattered Memories we also see that like Harry there’s times when he can only run and has chase sequences are very similar (knocking things over and looking behind). So it looks like fans of no combat and high combat will both get a bit of what they liked in Downpour.

At the end of the video we see Murphy in a fight with a Screamer. Unlike previous games Murphy does not have an unlimited inventory so you won’t have gobs of weapons to choose from for fight to fight. Instead, Murphy can pick up items around him to hurt and hinder creatures. I really like the bit of him throwing large rocks at the Screamer’s head! I also can’t wait to go WWE and break chairs on some monsters 😀

So I saw a lot of good here in the walkthrough but there are still some things I’m iffy about. One is the on screen prompts, Devin mentioned how important imersion was in the game and I’m wondering if these prompts with fade away as you progress. I know they are useful to new players but really if players can’t remember how to open a door after an hour of gameplay they are doing something wrong. Also I’m not a fan of the screen going red when attacked but really I’m nitpicking at this point.

So what did you guys think?

Source (Silent Hill Facebook)