BlakCoffeeBlues

Wow, this was a day one purchase as it s for me and I have to admit I played it for an hour and was somewhat unimpressed. I came back about a week later and told myself I was going to give it a fair shot and boy am I glad I ever did. The initial turn off to many gamers I think is that it is NOT a scripted "hold your hand" type of game and it aims to take from seasoned greats such as Dark Souls (Learning from dying), Metroid (Revisiting past places with new equipment to access new areas), and even Resident Evil One (Clunky Survival Horror) Although its not perfect graphically or combat wise It almost seems to be a necessity as the graphical style allows for more surprises (think Silent Hill Fog) and the minor clunkiness gives you a sense of urgency when attacking or running from Zombies. This game is great and like many Nintendo exclusives makes me realize why I enjoy games so much. The amount of ingenuity and new ideas far surpasses almost every modern day title to date and with a few more tweaks such as more melee weapons and some slightly better character animations, the future of this series could be very good.

DefinItely for the hardcore niche. If you enjoyed gameplay in titles such as Xenogears this game is for you. The story leaves some to be desired but the addicting gameplay in terms of control layout makes for a type of JRPG that hasn't been seen in a while. Turn based with button designated moves like triangle for upwards attacks, X for downwards, Square for Paralyze and Circle for ranged it keeps the turned based mechanic feeling fluent and fun through a somewhat recognizable outing. I give it a 9 based on the re-introduction of what made old-school niche RPG's fun and the fearless attempt at completely changing a gameplay layout from its prior successor. Although a lot different from Agarest 1 and Zero in terms of gameplay it makes for my personal most enjoyable entry into the series and could see this adaptation of mechanics extending its lifespan of the Record of Agarest War series to become one of the most favored in the genre in a long time in the niche market to come.

Nothing less than what the new standard for RPG's should follow. Addicting combat, gorgeous environments, and characters that you will actually care about. It goes to show you how far time and dedication as a developer can go. The only thing you will feel left wanting is The Witcher 3.

Game is good, it has a lot of easter eggs to find from games of the past which adds to the idea of being in the same town of Silent Hill which is great. Combat isn't horrible, melee works fairly well and ammo is scarce which allows it to play out more like a "survival horror" game than Resident Evil or Dead Space (Not to say they are bad games - they are great but have definitely become more action oriented vs survival horror nowadays which is something Downpour is definitely not and feel it deserves credit in that respect because games like this are scarce nowadays). ****... I know they have a fan base but WRONG DIRECTION for this game for the intro song, I absolutely hate that they are associated with this title but thats more personal preference and won't let it affect the score because it doesn't affect gameplay however it still doesn't set a good mood. Most enemies are downright horrible looking and don't even seem to look right in the world, almost as if they pop out because of how stupid they look. But there is a few here and there that are okay at best and the game is more focused on exploration so run away if you don't feel like dealing with them. Aspects of it feel like Alan Wake with the radio sequences even the beginning part feels like Bright Falls which isn't necessarily bad but feels like its trying to borrow too much from other titles than making its own mark in the world. Because it borrows a lot from good games of the past, it does to some things right, but its not entirely original and at times feels more like fun house scares vs true horror. I would love to see more Silent Hill games so I hope the developers read consumer criticism and work with it. Its a good attempt and don't regret it but leaves some to be desired. It would be nice if you can change the control scheme but not a deal breaker. These devs have a lot of potential and should be given input so they can bring this franchise back, bashing them doesn't help anyone. Overall I am ENJOYING this game quite a bit. It nice to get away from current trends and like how it doesn't hold your hand which veteran Silent Hill fans will appreciate it more than newcomers. It sits between a 7/8 for me but went with an 8 to help with the 0's some people gave.

The only reason there isn't more 10 out of 10 reviews right now is because people who are actually enjoying it are playing it right now. Trolls come in herds and think its fun to review negatively. If any game had only remote instances taken from ME1 & 2 it would never have at minimum a score of a 0 however this game far surpasses that in every aspect so I don't get it. MORE MASS EFFECT DOES NOT AND WILL NEVER constitute a score of 0 in my eyes. There was definitely a ton of work that went into this game and should be reviewed on the content it presents. Great game, if you are swayed by the trolls you would only be doing yourself a disservice.

***HONEST REVIEW*** Alot of people are trolling websites for hatred towards this game even though 80% of them are playing it and enjoying it and the other 20% haven't played it yet. With that being said the game is great. Everything is polished and although the engine is the same they have pulled the max amount of detail they can out of it with this entry to the series. With consoles being on there last legs it was a smart move to work with a familiar system that works to prevent people from complaining about glithes. If you have been a fan of the series you will definately enjoy it for what it is...a game for entertainment purposes. It's not just another big map pack, everything is refined and lets face it as a competition (almost sports like) game you need a refresher as far as stats go. The inclusion of Call of Duty Elite just adds to the overall experience. Giving this game a 0 is uncalled for and unless fans that did give it that want to see one of their favorite franchises go under I suggest they give them the support they need as people putting their hard work into a product. Have fun, go play it and be fair.