What has and hasn't been fixed?

[Floodclaw]

This is a thread for compiling a list of what has been fixed and what hasn't been fixed.
I personally don't have the game yet (for obvious reasons) but I'm interested in how fixed it is going to get.

My one question to those that have it: has the abominable job on the lake been fixed in SH2? That's basically the driving point for me not getting the game. If it's fixed, I can forgive the Collection. Mostly.

[rollerfan222]

Missing music in cutscenes that WAS present in the first version of the collection, that's all i can say for now, playing SH3.

[2QUAR3D]

I've only replayed parts of Silent Hill 2 and 3 since the patch, but here's what I've noticed:

Silent Hill 2:
- The fog colour is a little lighter, and it comes in at a shorter distance. While there's (sadly) still a distinct line between it and the ground, it's a notable improvement from before
- The framerate is slightly less erratic, and generally runs at (I would estimate) 30fps. It's nothing to write home about, especially compared to the PS2's solid 60, but it's certainly a little more playable
- For the most part, cutscenes match the audio correctly (I've only seen a few, mind)
- The boat water has not been fixed at all. The fog makes the effect marginally less intrusive, but it's still incredibly poor, and nothing like the PS2/Xbox/PC version in appearance
- I might be imagining it, but I think the black fades when opening doors have been reduced slightly
- The FMVs are still cropped, stretched, colourless, and grainy. Why they look not only worse than the original, but in a different aspect ratio I will not know. Heck, the original videos were in widescreen, so the stretching is inexcusable
- The cutscenes are now displayed in cinematic widescreen (2.4:1, rather than 1.78:1). Unlike MGS:HD, where the cutscenes retained their ratio, to compensate for this extra periphery has been rendered, and it often looks odd, detracting from the scene's framing, and sometimes even housing unintended artifacts (for example, during the prelude to the final boss when James walks up to Mary, James clearly stands still for three seconds on the side of the screen, where he was originally off camera. The developers never expected players to see James, and didn't bother to code an animation for this part of the scene, something that occurs at several other points in the game). It's just another instance of the game's artistic quality being further diminished

Overall, it's playable, but I'd never recommend it. Looking at comparison screenshots, this game has been mutilated. Its textures and cutscenes lack the artistic direction they once possessed, the game feels unpolished and unprofessional, the atmosphere has been butchered, and gameplay is no longer an exercise in terror, but one of frustration. I don't think any patches can fix this. I just hope that some day Silent Hill 2 gets the remastering it deserves, because this is not how I want to remember the game. This port was bad enough to make me hate playing through what was (and on the PS2 still is) one of my favourite three games of all time.


Silent Hill 3:
- Voice sync in SH3 was a far bigger issue than in #2, and Tomm wasn't kidding with the patch. Every cutscene I've seen (with the exception of the first Closer monster introduction, where the gunshots still sounded on a partial basis) is absolutely fine now
- While the framerate still drops fairly frequently and the game itself stutters, no longer does Heather run in slow-motion, an issue which originally affected the *majority* of SH3:HD
- Again, cutscenes are rendering in cinematic widescreen, rather than having their black bars removed, and being zoomed in to match the originals
- I've noticed that the music originally present in Heather's first encounter with Claudia (where she clasps her head in pain) is still missing
- Cutscene shadows have not improved. The very first shot of Douglas' feet still features an incomplete shadow, and the self-shadowing on character models is still missing
- Still no depth of field (background/foreground blurring) during most of the cutscenes that originally had it
- Textures have not improved and still appear duller and cleaner than the original, detracting from the original artistic vision and direction of the work
- I'm not sure if it was just my copy playing up, but I couldn't get past the Mall on Normal Riddle Difficulty. One of the two chemicals you had to mix in the bucket (in the fan-conditioned hallway with all the moths) failed to spawn in its location. Perhaps if I tried again it would work, but I haven't yet bothered
- Apparently, when you reach Silent Hill, some of the fog is blue. I haven't played SH3 this far since the patch, but I shall soon do so. Still, something to comment on
- I've noticed slowdown in the inventory menu. I'm not joking

Overall Silent Hill 3 also seems playable now, with the moon-walking issues that originally made the game entirely not so having been removed. It's still nothing in comparison to the original version, but I think we've well established that by now.


Would it really have been that difficult to port the PC versions of Silent Hill 2, 3, and 4 to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 with the cutscenes zoomed to remove the black bars preserving their widescreen presentation, the FMVs of the Xbox version implemented (given its superior encodes, as far as I've seen), and perfect stability of the PS2 featured? I'm not angered by this port, I'm saddened, because I love these games, especially Silent Hill 2. The HD collection didn't just disappoint me, it managed to take one of my favourite games in all the medium's history and make me hate every second of it. That's an achievement in of itself. And if I, a Silent Hill fan, hated playing Silent Hill 2 and 3 in HD, imagine what a newcomer would think of the games. Imagine the damage this port has done, not just to series veterans, but to all players.

Oh, and hello there! This is my first post to the forums (I've been lurking for longer :3).

[RobbieGal]

Welcome, 2QUAR3D! I'm new here, too. :)

I'm really glad I didn't buy this game. I would love to have a more reliable copy of SH2 (PS3 discs are pretty durable) because mine doesn't work anymore, but all the problems associated with this re-release are ridiculous. SH2, especially, is highly revered even by those who don't particularly like the Silent Hill series. It's disappointing how badly Konami handled the new version.

Still, it's good to know that they haven't abandoned the issues entirely. Even if they are late in getting patches out.

[rollerfan222]

I've only replayed parts of Silent Hill 2 and 3 since the patch, but here's what I've noticed:

Silent Hill 2:
- The fog colour is a little lighter, and it comes in at a shorter distance. While there's (sadly) still a distinct line between it and the ground, it's a notable improvement from before
- The framerate is slightly less erratic, and generally runs at (I would estimate) 30fps. It's nothing to write home about, especially compared to the PS2's solid 60, but it's certainly a little more playable
- For the most part, cutscenes match the audio correctly (I've only seen a few, mind)
- The boat water has not been fixed at all. The fog makes the effect marginally less intrusive, but it's still incredibly poor, and nothing like the PS2/Xbox/PC version in appearance
- I might be imagining it, but I think the black fades when opening doors have been reduced slightly
- The FMVs are still cropped, stretched, colourless, and grainy. Why they look not only worse than the original, but in a different aspect ratio I will not know. Heck, the original videos were in widescreen, so the stretching is inexcusable
- The cutscenes are now displayed in cinematic widescreen (2.4:1, rather than 1.78:1). Unlike MGS:HD, where the cutscenes retained their ratio, to compensate for this extra periphery has been rendered, and it often looks odd, detracting from the scene's framing, and sometimes even housing unintended artifacts (for example, during the prelude to the final boss when James walks up to Mary, James clearly stands still for three seconds on the side of the screen, where he was originally off camera. The developers never expected players to see James, and didn't bother to code an animation for this part of the scene, something that occurs at several other points in the game). It's just another instance of the game's artistic quality being further diminished

Overall, it's playable, but I'd never recommend it. Looking at comparison screenshots, this game has been mutilated. Its textures and cutscenes lack the artistic direction they once possessed, the game feels unpolished and unprofessional, the atmosphere has been butchered, and gameplay is no longer an exercise in terror, but one of frustration. I don't think any patches can fix this. I just hope that some day Silent Hill 2 gets the remastering it deserves, because this is not how I want to remember the game. This port was bad enough to make me hate playing through what was (and on the PS2 still is) one of my favourite three games of all time.


Silent Hill 3:
- Voice sync in SH3 was a far bigger issue than in #2, and Tomm wasn't kidding with the patch. Every cutscene I've seen (with the exception of the first Closer monster introduction, where the gunshots still sounded on a partial basis) is absolutely fine now
- While the framerate still drops fairly frequently and the game itself stutters, no longer does Heather run in slow-motion, an issue which originally affected the *majority* of SH3:HD
- Again, cutscenes are rendering in cinematic widescreen, rather than having their black bars removed, and being zoomed in to match the originals
- I've noticed that the music originally present in Heather's first encounter with Claudia (where she clasps her head in pain) is still missing
- Cutscene shadows have not improved. The very first shot of Douglas' feet still features an incomplete shadow, and the self-shadowing on character models is still missing
- Still no depth of field (background/foreground blurring) during most of the cutscenes that originally had it
- Textures have not improved and still appear duller and cleaner than the original, detracting from the original artistic vision and direction of the work
- I'm not sure if it was just my copy playing up, but I couldn't get past the Mall on Normal Riddle Difficulty. One of the two chemicals you had to mix in the bucket (in the fan-conditioned hallway with all the moths) failed to spawn in its location. Perhaps if I tried again it would work, but I haven't yet bothered
- Apparently, when you reach Silent Hill, some of the fog is blue. I haven't played SH3 this far since the patch, but I shall soon do so. Still, something to comment on
- I've noticed slowdown in the inventory menu. I'm not joking

Overall Silent Hill 3 also seems playable now, with the moon-walking issues that originally made the game entirely not so having been removed. It's still nothing in comparison to the original version, but I think we've well established that by now.


Would it really have been that difficult to port the PC versions of Silent Hill 2, 3, and 4 to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 with the cutscenes zoomed to remove the black bars preserving their widescreen presentation, the FMVs of the Xbox version implemented (given its superior encodes, as far as I've seen), and perfect stability of the PS2 featured? I'm not angered by this port, I'm saddened, because I love these games, especially Silent Hill 2. The HD collection didn't just disappoint me, it managed to take one of my favourite games in all the medium's history and make me hate every second of it. That's an achievement in of itself. And if I, a Silent Hill fan, hated playing Silent Hill 2 and 3 in HD, imagine what a newcomer would think of the games. Imagine the damage this port has done, not just to series veterans, but to all players.

Oh, and hello there! This is my first post to the forums (I've been lurking for longer :3).

Hey there!, thanks for taking the time to write this.

[keeps]

what an exhausting bother it must be to keep playing through it =(

[schlaufuchsMIKE]

My biggest gripes were fixed: there is not longer any stuttering in movement, and the voice syncing doesn't derail like it was before.

[kyleb]

- The FMVs are still cropped, stretched, colourless, and grainy. Why they look not only worse than the original, but in a different aspect ratio I will not know. Heck, the original videos were in widescreen, so the stretching is inexcusable

The original FMVs are actually 5:3, and they aren't cropped in these new ports, just stretched. It does look awful though, pillarboxed or even cropped would have been preferable.

[schlaufuchsMIKE]

No HD Collection ever in the history of HD Collections has ever had a good looking CGI cutscene. I agree that they should have been pillarboxed.

[2QUAR3D]

I've played SH3 up to the hospital and can note the following:
- If you try to go into a previous carriage while on the train, you'll end up on the back platform. Walking anywhere but backward here leads to an instant death with a rather amusing first-person cutscene. Checking Youtube for a video, I'm correct in saying it was much longer in the original. Now it fades out before Heather even hits the ground
(Original cutscene; all credit to the uploader)
- Now, when the game pauses for 1/4 seconds, it also disrupts the sound playback. During cutscenes I almost get the impression these pauses are intentional to help with voice synch
- Can I ask why when I open a door, the picture displayed during the fade isn't the current frame, but the previous one? Because it happens every time, and it's something fundamentally minor that's starting to become a major annoyance
- There is no longer any slowdown when jumping into the sewer water, compared to the game previously grinding to a halt
- The game often seems to pause when loading any ambient sound effects, detracting from their spontaneousness, and making them feel scripted
- The framerate is still fairly poor, and drops to some ridiculous lows in rooms where you'd least expect it. Still, it's better than slow-motion gameplay
- During the cutscene with the bloody bathtub, not only is the music (which was omitted from the Claudia cutscene earlier too) missing, but the cutscene itself is butchered; one sound effect starts, but is quickly disrupted by another completely different one. And, since I'm playing with the health bar, you'll be pleased to know, that pops up for about five seconds too! In the middle of the cutscene
- Selecting commands in the inventory menu (at least, the Combine one) seems to take longer than normal; the game doesn't read button presses for about a second after highlighting the option
- There are noticable framerate drops and audio pauses during the scene with Heather and Douglas after Harry's death
- If I recall correctly, there shouldn't be fog during the cutscene where Heather's getting in the car with Douglas, but there now is
- The voice synch during the drive to Silent Hill is still a travesty. A spectacular, heavily delayed travesty
- Silent Hill's fog, at least in SH3, is still a big grey wall with clear distinction from the ground (as far as I know, SH2:HD is slightly better than what's featured here). I do, however, think there's more 'fog' (as in the overlayed volume) than there was before. Call me mad, but wasn't there a purple hue to the fog too, rather than plain dark grey?

[schlaufuchsMIKE]

Yeah, the sound in the cutscenes following the missionary boss did get derailed. I didn't have a problem with the car ride, But I did save, quit and reload to see if it would fix the derail.

[SHBoyZRyan]

2QUAR3D, you should email Konami these detailed issues you've come across. I feel if anyone else sees anything that still bothers them still with the 1.02 patch, should give a try emailing them. I'm still trying to get an email typed up as I've finished SH2 and have started SH3 last night.

[2QUAR3D]

:) 2QUAR3D, you should email Konami these detailed issues you've come across. I feel if anyone else sees anything that still bothers them still with the 1.02 patch, should give a try emailing them. I'm still trying to get an email typed up as I've finished SH2 and have started SH3 last night.

While I think it's amazing we even got a patch in the end, and am almost certain nothing further will come of this collection, I'd be willing to try this. What address should I send it to, though? European support? American? Or is there another channel I'm unaware of?

[SHBoyZRyan]

While I think it's amazing we even got a patch in the end, and am almost certain nothing further will come of this collection, I'd be willing to try this. What address should I send it to, though? European support? American? Or is there another channel I'm unaware of?

Honestly, I'm feeling the same way. With the length of time for the 1.02 patch, some may have actually played both games before it released, don't want to deal with it because of the issues, etc. This patch has fixed a lot of the known issues that made this Collection worse from the start. I'm with others as if it's possible to continue any other issues we've noticed. Basically trying to get this Collection at it's fullest for what we have from it. I think everyone gets some idea where I'm coming from, sorry for not giving more detail on my part.

The email is Konami of USA Customer Support, this is the email address I've noticed me and everyone have used to give our thoughts: customersupport@kde-us.com

Trying to figure out if it's worth my time to continue in the community to support this Collection. Trying to go through the games, enjoy them and find issues. But it's probably worth being proud that we even got this 1.02 patch. Just don't see anything good out of continuing and just enjoy what we've got. Last, glad I have my PS2 versions of the games, so no lost, just prefer them HD.

[Ashley]

I recently played through SH3 HD with this new patch, and I was perosnally quite pleased.Its not perfect, but its playable and everything that did happen was minor (to me, may differ for others)

Some of my observations:
- To me, the framerate was great. It stutters every now and then, but it usually only lasts a second, and it generally stayed consistant
- Lip synching was pretty good, I only noticced a few times when it was noticebly off, mainly when I noticed it, it was the end scene with Heather and Claudia.
- The fog, while not as thick as the ps2 versions, it looked good, and probably on par with Silent Hill 2's fog
- A couple of scenes play the wrong music. The scene with Claudia and Vincent doesn't play the alternate hilltop office building ambiance, instead it plays the ambience from the streets of silent hill
- The streets of silent hill ambience sounds a bit different, and not as good as the original song (which is a shame for me, because I love that song a lot)
- The end scene with Heather, Claudia, and Vincent doesn't play that really sexy version of Innocent moon, but instead it plays Maternal Heart. I assume this is because this song was never released, event he sound box version of this song is different, and not very good, so I don't blame them for not being able to use it.
- I never noticed any blue fog personally!
- I only had one game freeze, and I think it was a fluke, it happened in the hosptial when fighting two nurses.
- The pick up item sound is still very high pitched, whicih was weird to me , because when you equip an item, and use it with R3 button, it makes the nromal pitched item get sound. Not a big deal, but just notiing!
- Ammusement park scene with Claudia and Douglas still doesn't play the full version of Lost Carol
- The black foggy stuff blocking the glass in the alternate hospital with Valtiel on the nurse is significantly decreased, and you can mostly see what is going on back there

But really, this was all minor things to me, I enjoyed my playthrough through SH3 HD. Before this patch, I only played about 20 minutes of 3 in HD, so I can't tell you everything that was wrong with before the patch, but really, I was pleased with it. I am more happy that I had a playable version of the game in HD, and thought the visuals looked really nice. I would have preffered if the grain filter wasn't toned down so much, but its something I can easily live with! Good job guys I haven't touched SH2 HD, but I will once I get all the trophies in SH3 HD Thank you to the developers for even taking the time to make this patch for us, to get us a game that is much more playable and stable

[Crystopsy]

I apologize if this is a little off topic, but I'm gonna be purchasing a PS3 in the coming weeks and I'm contemplating which system to buy the HD Collection on. I've read good thing about the PS3 patch in terms of improved framerate, voice synch, fog, ect.., but still I'm undecided. I know graphics don't make a game, but any insight to which console the game looks better on? Anyways, I again apologize if this is a redundant question. I guess realistically I'm looking for tangible reasons to buy it for the Playstation 3 console as opposed to the 360.

[schlaufuchsMIKE]

Oo, yeah, the ending cutscenes in Silent Hill 3 have audio desyncing, too.

[NarooN]

Skimmed most of the thread, and I guess they fixed some stuff and other stuff remains glitched and/or unpolished? I guess I won't be buying this after all, not much of a loss since I've got them on PC and can just use haxx to play them in 16:9 anyway. Oh well. Hate playing SH2 with the keyboard controls though.

[2QUAR3D]

Skimmed most of the thread, and I guess they fixed some stuff and other stuff remains glitched and/or unpolished? I guess I won't be buying this after all, not much of a loss since I've got them on PC and can just use haxx to play them in 16:9 anyway. Oh well. Hate playing SH2 with the keyboard controls though.

You can use MotioninJoy with your computer to play with a PS3 controller, assuming you own one. Then, you'll have to find a way of binding the controller's buttons to the game. I don't remember whether or not the PC version supports gamepads, so you may have to use JoytoKey, and bind each button to a key on the keyboard, and configuring the game to use those keys (don't worry if you have to assign the analogue stick to the four arrow keys; the game recognized the analogue stick with the precision of a D-pad on the original system, so you aren't missing out on/can't miss out on analogue precision, as it never existed).

[kyleb]

The PC versions support gamepads natively.