I finally got a chance to play this game.

[Augophthalmoses]

IIRC the scene with the memento box is slightly different depending upon whether or not you obtained all the mementos or not but don't quote me on that.

[gustavopi]

IIRC the scene with the memento box is slightly different depending upon whether or not you obtained all the mementos or not but quote me on that.

The mementos are the ones the player got, but the rest of the scene should be the same. I didn't find any "variations" at this part in faqs, but also don't doubt. In this game we must keep our minds open...

[captain crowbar]

I just wish the actual gameplay didn't get so stale so quickly. That's what difficulty levels were good for, especially riddle difficulties.

[Augophthalmoses]

Yeah, hopefully selectable action and riddle difficulty levels will stay the norm for the rest of the installments.

[gustavopi]

I just wish the actual gameplay didn't get so stale so quickly. That's what difficulty levels were good for, especially riddle difficulties.

That's the weak point of this game. Play again is a new experience like viewing a movie again plus some variations of psychological profile, story and other puzzles. That's cool, but like everything it's cool, we want more, and there isn't much more. I like the game a lot (as you can see), but I also got the feeling that it could be wider, not better, just wider.

In Resident Evil 4 you can play a parallel story with Ada (beautiful Ada), and other minigames that offer more from the same to the player. Course, RE is a "regular game", Shattered Memories requires more sophisticated solution. Maybe a "special edition", if they do, I'll buy it.

[captain crowbar]

I'm going to say something controversal here, I know, but I think I LIKED Homecoming better...at least in terms of gameplay. I thought SHSM was beautiful, tragic, and innovative in a lot of ways...but it wasn't very fun to me. :/

I'm going to make a video at some point about how I personally order the games in terms of favorites, etc.

[Augophthalmoses]

I like how you conveniently failed to mention in the other topic that you were the one who actually initiated the first PMs between us. I'm guessing there's a special reason why.

Anyway, I also prefer Homecoming over Shattered Memories. That said Homecoming had plenty of problems:

* atmosphere falters because of the complete lack of any sort of disturbing imagery or unsettling sound effects. Just stuff that makes you wonder "WTF am I hearing/looking at?" It was lacking in that department.
* while the cult portion of the storyline is decent the main twist involving Alex and his brother is both predictable and starts up that annoying trend of recent games borrowing the same amnesia plot device that needs to seriously stop.
* monster designs just weren't all that creative. I'm sick of seeing nurses and dogs.
* puzzles still don't live up to the difficulty of the earlier games
* apparently needs to have multiple difficulty settings because some people just couldn't get a grasp on the combat system. Having more health items around would have helped accommodate people as well.
* graphics could have been better and there are some stiff animations and lip synching
* the glitches. There have been a few times concerning the switch puzzle in the Shepherd House where even if you pull them in the correct order the stupid door just doesn't unlock. Trying it again doesn't work. Stuff like this gets to be annoying and SM (well, at least the PS2 version I have) had issues with cutscenes randomly freezing and/or dialogue running silent and it even happened on my first playthrough of that game. Origins had some minor glitches but at least they were game breaking like the other two titles.
* soundtrack has some decent tracks here and there but it doesn't really compare to the earlier OSTs.

But despite all that it at least had some decent gameplay and provides a decent challenge which results in the game not flying by as quickly as SM.

[captain crowbar]

The big difference between the two, at least for me, was the fact that HC had unlockables and even achievements, and SHSM had nothing besides the psyche profiles slightly altering dialogue and character's outfits. That's asthetically interesting, but doesn't affect gameplay at all, so it didn't make playing through it more than once necessary beyond trying for different endings.

[Augophthalmoses]

Yeah, that's another thing. SM had no unlockables whatsoever unless you want to count the UFO quest...which is cool I guess since it's easily the best ending in the game. But if I want to see it again I can just look it up on youtube. It just kills even more replay value for an already short game. The game isn't really fun enough to back through just to see that particular ending again and the little quest you have to do in order to do so is just taking pictures which isn't fun, intimidating like in Fatal Frame, or thought provoking.

A good story and atmosphere carries a SH game a long way, but you also have need to have more than that to keep people hooked after those elements run their course.

It was more or less like SH4: a decent concept that never really lived up to its full potential. But you gotta give them points for trying.

[captain crowbar]

indeed. Which is yet another reason I think a strange combination of SH4 and SHSM would make a good game. Combine their best elements, take out the worst parts.

[gustavopi]

Yes, but there is also personal preferences, or something that has a particular effect into a group. I like SM and there isn't logical arguments enough to justify it.

The only thing I must call for attention again is: make a good game over a successful series, using well known elements and near by story is not so hard as the adventure into new paths. Shattered Memories is a good experience in games, but we miss the "finishing" and the plus. We got this "rating" thing that is very simplistic sometimes...

Other fact: SH series was getting increasingly lower ratings to the onset of MS, as we can see in the game's websites. Maybe it fulfilled it's mission to break the sequence. In March we will know...

Last, but not list: they say that it was a Wii experimental game, playing in PS2 isn't the same, I don't know, didn't buy my Wii yet...

[captain crowbar]

I couldn't see it being any fun at all outside of the Wii. The mechanics using the wiimote were the best part of the gameplay.

[NarooN]

I couldn't see it being any fun at all outside of the Wii. The mechanics using the wiimote were the best part of the gameplay.

PlayStation Move says "Hi! "

[Augophthalmoses]

Motion controls as a whole are a pointless fad that need to die already.

[captain crowbar]

I agree with that. The only fun games that use such mechanics are things like Wiisports.

[The Gentleman]

I agree with that. The only fun games that use such mechanics are things like Wiisports.

Though Cursed Mountain was a damn good horror game even with the quirky motion controls.

[Augophthalmoses]

Figured this would be an interesting topic for crowbar when I came across it.
http://silenthillforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 03#p635703

Might add a bit more fuel for thought regarding the storyline.

[captain crowbar]

I agree with that. The only fun games that use such mechanics are things like Wiisports.

Though Cursed Mountain was a damn good horror game even with the quirky motion controls.

You know, my sister got that game a while back when I was in college, but I never tried it out. She seemed to like it.

[The Gentleman]

I agree with that. The only fun games that use such mechanics are things like Wiisports.

Though Cursed Mountain was a damn good horror game even with the quirky motion controls.

You know, my sister got that game a while back when I was in college, but I never tried it out. She seemed to like it.

Try it, but go in with a patient mind. Once you get past the awkward controls the game has an amazing story, setting and intriguing Buddhist subtexts.

[captain crowbar]

I'm thinking blind LP.