Silent Hill: Homecoming

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Ultra-violent; only for adult survival horror fans.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this game is sometimes scarier than anything in the Saw movie series. Although horror movie-loving adults will relish it, this game is full of unapologetically gory and bloody scenes, especially when you fight with a knife. It contains psychological and physical terror, torture, blood, guts, screams, and insidious, insane laughter. Zombies are sometimes unclothed and bloody, and the language can be quite explicit. It earns its M-rating, and can even make adults squeamish. This game was not created for kids to play.

  • Alex Sheperd is a violent war veteran trying to save his creepy, lost brother.
  • Unapologetically gory and bloody, especially when you fight with a knife.
  • The slow moving, zombies are sometimes unclothed and bloody.

What's it about?

Make no mistake and beware. SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING isn't for kids. This is a horror survival game full of psychological and physical terror, torture, blood, guts, screams and insidious, insane laughter. In fact, the tale about protagonist war veteran Alex Shepherd searching for his lost kid brother in ultra-creepy, mist-laden environs will make some adults squeamish. Really.

While the game has some new developers who live stateside instead of in Japan, the game mechanics are pretty much similar to those in previous iterations of the series. As you search for clues and solve puzzles, you use buttons to attack and slash, pick up items (like first aid for your inventory), shine a flashlight, and check out a map to see where you are in the Silent Hill universe. New within Homecoming is the ability to dodge, strafe, and roll out of the way of the many monsters and bugs which constantly shiver your timbers. Yet because of the strength and speed of some beings, you wish you could move with more alacrity.


Is it any good?

 

The point of all survival horror games is to create a hopeless, almost depressive mood that is filled with violence. In fact, if you don't have mood in this genre, you've failed. The first moment of the game isn't scary, though. You're tied to gurney, being pushed through a dark, dank hospital. You see scenes of torture in rooms and you're screaming. It's too over the top, though, fake-y. Once you're left alone, you break your bonds and begin to search the lonely rooms, and that's when the suspense and tension builds. The game gets more difficult midway through when save points and first aid become less available.

But the suspense flows more than it ebbs. Within a few hours you're exhausted, almost as if you've sloshed through the buckets of blood and the violence that's been laid upon you (along with the slicing and cutting you've been forced to commit to stay alive). Admittedly, gamers who play horror-oriented offerings have seen pretty much every monster clone imaginable. Demons like Lurkers, Smogs, and Needlers have been seen in some form elsewhere. But the crazed, blood-soaked Pyramid Head, who made his first appearance in Silent Hill 2, is somewhat unique, dragging his heavy sword as if it were a psychological burden as he limps along. But it's not the monsters that make the game work; it's the terrifying, tension-filled steps that lead up to the meeting. That's where Homecoming shines.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about what makes this game so scary. Is is the things that go bump in the night? Is it the monsters? Is it creepy sounds in the background? Could the game have been as scary without the attention paid to violence and gore?


This review was written by Harold Goldberg
Adult
June 7, 2009
 
LOVING IT
This game is awesome, but it actucually is not too bad if your child is used to PG-13 movies it is OK.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
February 21, 2009
 
Love creepy games like these
This game would be more for the older teen or adult audience/players. Even though I've played multiple horror/survival games, the Silent Hill series still freaks me out, even when playing in daylight with people around. I think a small child would have nightmares from it. ( This next bit is my own opinion, so it could be true for some and not others.) It's not just the creatures... they're not even half of it. The feeling of terror mostly comes from the atmoshpere. Rusting walls, foggy graveyard, and (known especially to the fans) the screeching of metal being dragged across the floor by the pyramid head. Even the music can make you cringe (though some of the tracks are actually nice to listen to). Not to mention things that pop outta nowhere. Haha even the fear of dying and starting over gets extreme just because you don't want to do it again. Even though I'm stubborn with judging age with games, this one falls in with a matured audience that can handle extreme feelings of tension and fear. Totally in love with the story line and characters, hence why I keep (slowly) advancing in the game.

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Parent of 8 and 10 year old
January 7, 2009
 

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Teen, 18 years old
December 7, 2008
 
hint
heres a hint when you see me pull out your best wep and prpare to fight to the death!!!! and trust me youll know when you see me trust me ! ! ! -----

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Kid, 12 years old
June 11, 2009
 
should only be watched by ages 10 +
gory but interesting

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Teen, 13 years old
December 19, 2011
 
Very violent and bloody,but OK if your kid is OK with gross out horror games and movies.
I'd say for once I quite agree with the M rating .Although it s not deserving of not for kids,maybe just a 15 rating would be fine .Although I can probably stomach anything without getting sick and I don't get any problems playing this game,I actually yelled “Goddamnit!" at one part.I play this game at least 8 hours per day from the time I got it in 2009(two years of non stop playing every day) and that would make unhardened people sick.Do not play with a full stomach because I actually underestimated it and let my lil brother play he got shyt scared and wouldn't sleep for three weeks and he vomitted.I have this for my Xbox 360 and PS3 and from what I've noticed from both versions,I notice the Xbox 360 version is tons more violent and the ps3 is considerably toned down.Anyway,mature kids only.Otherwise,NO.

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Teen, 17 years old
December 22, 2011
 
SH Homecoming Review
this game contains strong brutal violence and gore,disturbing images of monsters, and some strong language. this game is pretty good. it has a decent story for a horror game, the graphics and soundtrack are great, the atmosphere is very dark and creepy. sometimes the melee combat will get annoying and so will the puzzles believe me. but overall a good horror game that you prabaly will play again, just go on the internet if you get stuck on the puzzles they suck. grade 8.5 out of 10

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This review was written by Harold Goldberg
Platforms:Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Survival Horror
Developer:Konami
Release date:September 30, 2008
Price:$59.99
ESRB rating:M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes.

This review was written by Harold Goldberg

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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