E3 2007 Preview
Please excuse my opening. I would
love to come to you and say that Silent Hill V looks like the creepiest
game ever made. But right now a sound bite and brief game description are all we
have to go by. However, if there is any game that’s worthy of excitement without
much more than an announcement, it’s this one.
The game’s unveiling began with a
few words from Alex Shepard, the next man to be traumatized by demons and
hallucinations. "They say you can never go home again," Alex said in the
opening, which consisted of nothing more than an eerie, circular symbol — from
one of the town’s cults, most likely — and game logo. Alex disagrees with that
saying but notes, "I just don’t want to."
When he arrives home (after his tour
of duty), he finds that his mom is a mess, his dad is long gone, and his
brother, the only stable thing in his life, is missing. Using the skills learned
while in the military, Alex will do whatever it takes to find his lost sibling.
You know what that means — a visit to the creepiest town on Earth, Silent Hill.
His military background should make for an interesting change in gameplay
mechanics. Whereas before the game’s playable characters were clumsy,
inexperienced, and were forced to use crude and inaccurate weapons, Alex will be
able to dish out a whole new world of pain.
As a PS3 and Xbox 360 release,
Silent Hill V will look absolutely gorgeous. At least that’s what we’re told,
and if the previous games are a sign of things to come, we should be blown away
when the game is released next year.
Until then, all we can do is sit
back and wonder about the creepy worlds we’ll get to explore, the disgusting
monsters we’ll encounter, the horrendously gruesome visions we’ll be forced to
watch, and the soundtrack, which will be composed by the series’ veteran. These
teasing words are nowhere near enough to satisfy Silent Hill fans’ desires, mine
included — I nearly fell over when the voice-over ended and was not followed by
a gameplay or cinematic trailer. Still, just knowing that it’s coming has got me
completely stoked.
