HD Collection PS3 Exclusive (Hah! 360 too) /New VAs

[Dracarys]

FInally got round to playing SH3 in the HD collection, after reading forums I was expecting it to be horribly filled with bugs. I did not encounter a single one...until the very very end when you drop down the hole to fight the final boss, screen just stayed black. Luckily I saved right before the preceding cutscenes and it didn't happen the second time, nor any bugs on a second playthrough.

SH2 in the meantime remains a pile of crap, so many times will use a door and the area on the other side has failed to load, James is the only thing that loads into a void and can do nothing but hard reset the console.

[ParasiteAdam]

I picked it up around the time it came out along with a copy of Downpour soon after. For some reason I must be lucky because in both games I havent hit any problems with any glitches or such with both games. And that was even before all this patch stuff. But I will say the new voices add a bit of new atmosphere to the games. Angela, James and Maria sound amazing in redub. That's not saying that I still dont love the original voices since they were great because they werent professional but it does make it easier playing through the games after a few years. Heather's new voice though oddly I really don't hear too much of a difference.

[Dracarys]

This is what happens when a cheap money maker is treated extra cheaply. HD ports still require effort and it isn't like the PS3 version works great either, though that wall of fog I see in videos even post patch doesn't seem to exist in the game I tried to play.

Should have kept it PS3 exclusive.

[Canas Renvall]

From the Konami Facebook page:

Attention Silent Hill fans:

If you purchased Silent Hill HD Collection for the Xbox 360 new and from a recognized retailer, and still have the original receipt, please send your receipt to Konami Customer Service for verification and further details on how to exchange your product. This offer is only valid for Silent Hill HD Collection (XBOX 360 sku) games purchased on or before 08.08.2012. All requests must be made in writing and submitted on or before 10.07.2012 and is subject to availability. Any inquiries received after this date will not fall under this exchange program. This offer valid for purchases made in North and South America.

Note: The patch for Silent Hill: Downpour for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is still currently in development and scheduled for release at a later date.

This is so botched it's hilarious.

[Gradon]

http://thisismyjoystick.com/feature/no-silent-hill-hd-patch-for-360-users/

This is laughable. Pathetic.

[Dracarys]

Just got a game killing glitch in SH2, after the third or so time entiring the room 209 of the motel I found the room really dark, my flashlight had turned off too, upon turning it back on, which only would work via menu and not the button I realised the room wasn't dark, just that none of the walls had spawned and was just blackness, the guy in the chair was there, the TV and the clock in the next room. Nothing else, could walk through where the walls should have been.

Tried using an exit next to the clock, screen went black, then I reappeared and now it was just me, no clock or guy in chair/TV. Quitting to XMB caused a hard restart of console instead of just quitting the game.

Not sure I want to attempt the 10 star run with this kind of bug, or even play it at all.

[Rombie]

Sorry for the double post but...


Seriously. What. The. Fuck. 2 and a half months and they can't properly patch the game killing Silent Hill 3 bug. Really?

I actually can't get past the motel. I leave after talking to Vincent, go out on the street. Bam. Game freezes. It even just froze at random in the hospital when I was trying to get to the usual freezing point

I finished the game once. But I just won't ever be able to again without starting a new game I think.

What a pile of shit.

[Rombie]

It's worth noting the US patch weights in around 350oddMB and is 1.02, but the European version - having not needed the day 1 patch earlier, is only 57MB and is labelled 1.01.

Frame rate is now okay 85-90% of the time, and as MeanBob mentioned is mostly locked in place... except for in a number of indoor locations, where it's now 60 or maybe even above that. First time you'll see it is in the apartments most likely, but it's a night and day difference. How the game went from sub-par chugging to silky smooth interiors and while the outdoors still has hiccups is beyond me. LOL

The fog is fixed to the new game standard in the Maria cutscene on the waterfront. Again not PS2 perfection but it at least doesn't show the edge of the graphics map and items do disapear into the distance. The boat dock, which I loaded up from save, has been altered. The game enviroment has more fog, the cutscene still doesn't but the water texture is and isn't fixed. At first it is okay but then the further James gets away the worse it gets and eventually is back to normal.

I didn't have a save near the Historical Society but someone keep an ear out if the horns blowing when you decend into the prison are back in.

Sound quality is unchanged and being that it's off the disc I don't think it ever will..

Aside from booting up SH3 to see frame rate and fog and the first cutscene with Douglas I haven't been able to play more yet, but I figure the sync is 100% back in place and the places where it doesn't match is more because of the new recorded voices and not anything else.

As long as the crippling bug of freezing is gone, I'll be the most happy. I finished SH3 once on the HD collection then got back to the Motel after the Hospital, then every time I leave once I get on the streets the game was freezing up. 3 times I tried, same thing each time. I'll let you know when I play that again.

[Gradon]

Should deffo check that "worse than PS1" water. :L Get back to us with more when you've completed the game if you will.

[MeanBob]

Just thought I'd round up the impressions in one place. Heck, some, like me, may have noticed some hiccups still and because of that, I strongly encourage those to e-mail Konami Customer Support about it. Maybe we'll get another patch.

Just to put it out there with what I said above, I'm not disappointed with the patch, but there are just a small number of things that can be improved on and from there, we should be all good!

Anyway, to my personal impressions we go!

Spoiler:

show spoiler

Having just downloaded the 1.02 patch, I just thought that I'd send you my personal feedback on how much it holds up now.

I can very happily say that gameplay has vastly improved and framerate seems to be locked at 30fps, just like how it is on the Xbox 360 version at times. When I mean at times, there are small dips that happen occasionally while exploring your surroundings in the town that's portrayed in the game, but, as mentioned, the game plays much better than before. As far as framerate still goes, exploring with the flashlight off will help it a bit in certain areas, specifically the apartments so far, but this should've been remedied and I hope it does without having to need to turn the flashlight off.

I'm also happy to say that some audio occurrences that are triggered are on point to the original PS2 version of Silent Hill 2 as well, specifically in the apartment section; early in the game, so no disappointments hear yet. However, the audio when picking up objects still seem to be at a higher pitch, or sped up if I may say, so hopefully this can get fixed sometime later on, if it's possible.

The density of the fog has really improved as well! I would like to say that if just a tiny bit of more work can be put on it, with more of it added to say the least, it can be comparable to the PS2 version. All in all, much better than before as far as I can tell and if a later patch does happen, please consider this. The small draw distance can be seen as a "Wall" is still present when exploring.

Only just replaying the game for the little time I had with it, I thought I'd point out miscellaneous things that I hope get fixed as well. In Silent Hill 2, there is a scene where the main character, James, reaches for a key on the floor through bars in order to advance in the game. The flashlight that is attached to him obviously causes shadows and in this scene, the flashlight does not fully "make complete shadows". The shadows of the bars in front of him appear to be "cut off" and doesn't properly cast when a particular cutscene happens at that moment.

Another thing that I have noticed is in Silent Hill 3. While the patch notes do say that lip-syncing has improved as well, there are times where it's not up to par, but DEFINITELY better than before. It's off just by a little. It's noticeable, but not as bad as before. You can also see this in Silent Hill 2 in the game's cutscene in the cemetery. Again, it's not bad as it was before, but it can still be seen if one were to pay attention to it closely.

I got to hand it to the development team, everything has been vastly improved! There are small nitpicks in there that I have detailed above that I do hope do get remedied in a future patch, but who knows if it will even happen.

[Canas Renvall]

That's the point of the game. Fear of what you can't see.

Except the PH scene in the apartments. Cannot be unseen... unless you have the HD collection which conveniently has a room load before the loading screen is done which accidentally censors the game

[CrimsonElder]

Considering his issue with the fog the PS2 versions would be worse for him. The HD collection provides better visibility.

Well I feel for those PS2 users then because I cant see squat as it is.

[Dracarys]

The fog brick walls are due to the HD Collection being a collection of piles of shit.

Edit: Not the games themselves of course (blasphemy!), but the porting jobs. Absolutely disgusting how they disgrace the original SH2 and SH3.

Considering his issue with the fog the PS2 versions would be worse for him. The HD collection provides better visibility.

[Canas Renvall]

The fog brick walls are due to the HD Collection being a collection of piles of shit.

Edit: Not the games themselves of course (blasphemy!), but the porting jobs. Absolutely disgusting how they disgrace the original SH2 and SH3.

[CrimsonElder]

Old survival horror games are more inclined to let you explore. If you played the original Silent Hill you know the town itself leaves behind clues in the streets that cue you in on where to go next, but with all the fog and monsters one dreads exploring the streets too much.

The opening to SH2 is more methodical and paced slow to build up tension. You're not just fighting monsters right off the bat, and they are set up to appear at times that reflect aspects of the character and segments of his journey. Back in 2001 you didn't know what to expect and for a lot of fans it was SH2 that was there starting point.

Resident Evil is not psychological horror. The earlier biohazard games worked for being the kind of monster mash up you'd see in creature features. Zombies, snakes, sharks, mutant plants, evil corporations, and a giant monster tyrant. Nothing psychological worked into the game play, characters or plot. The set up is escape from monsters. And they did work tension and horror into that, but Silent Hill performs it differently.

That said, the game does pick up once you arrive at key locations but if running and exploration is not your thing then you will not get into this game.

Maybe thats why I expected clues and whatever to be in the streets because I did finish the original. I agree about the start it had good build up and tension but in my opinion it dragged on for just a little bit to long. I enjoyed the noises as you are running through the woods that really put me on edge because I was thinking I have no idea how you fight and I have absoultley no weapons if something pops out here I am royally fucked.

I understand that RE is a different breed of game but I do think its much better wether it be because of the style or whatever I just think its better. My problem isnt really the pacing of the game its the fact that I have no idea where to go and what I am supposed to be doing. Maybe thats how Silent Hill is supposed to be just one big confused cluster fuck. I will admit that I can be a tad bit picky with my exploration. In Fallout I had no problem but in Skyrim and Oblivion I had no interest in exploring. I have no idea why and whats the difference so I cant tell you that. So far in Silent Hill I guess I am just anticipating to much and want to see more because all I have seen so far is fog brick walls and one type of enemy. I am no giving up on this game by no means because it was a gift and I am expected to play it but I am in no rush to get through it....so far.