 Review By: Siou Choy |
Developer: | Climax Studios |
| Publisher: | Konami | |
| Genre: | Survival Horror | |
| ESRB: | Mature | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Memory Card | |
| Buy Now: |   |
One look at those washed out tones and fogbound streets, and you know you’re back in that swell town of Silent Hill.
This time around, instead of playing as some weak sister yuppie, unaccustomed to getting out of the minivan without a cup of Starbucks in hand and Bluetooth on ear, you get to play as what comes as (bet you never thought you’d hear me say this one) a relative breath of fresh air - an actual salt-of-the-earth good ol' boy trucker (visually, at least - the vocal intonations are piped in direct from baby on board central, albeit with touches of an appropriate “down home” accent) named Travis. As such, you don't have to deal with such absurdities as falling off the porch/front steps and taking serious damage thereby. You can also, for the very first time in this sort of game, actually take out enemies with your bare fists. And if that don't tell you papa ain't takin' no mess this time around, ain't nothin' gonna.
Even so, they haven't made up their minds whether he's a tough son of a b** or stricken with disease - despite the fact that he can beat the bejezus out of level bosses bare knuckle style, Travis apparently can't jog more than a half block without wheezing and trembling like an asthmatic in a room full of cats. Then suddenly, without warning or provocation, he'll snap back to normal. You’ll know exactly when this happens, since you’ll feel a dramatic difference in the controls out of the blue. Don't ask me what this is supposed to represent. I guess this was their idea of artificially induced challenge - doesn't make a damn bit of sense, but hey.
Another of the notable ludicrosities of the game is how Travis abandons his truck in the middle of the highway to chase after the ghost on foot. Now, I grew up around truckers, and I can tell you with assurance that by no means would this ridiculous circumstance take place. That cab is your baby, and what's being hauled in that trailer represents your livelihood. Would he follow away from the truck? Sure, some folks are good hearted like that. But abandon the thing, with lights on and presumably key in ignition? N.F.W.
Posted: 2008-05-14 15:40:21 PST