PT Thoughts, and My Opinion on Hideo Kojima Leaving Konami

P.T.

This little game has set the gaming world a ablaze with wonder and passion for Silent Hills which is grown too big for its own britches. The game has den so overhyped by the immense response, and I couldn't be happier for it to be honest. I love that people are psyched beyond recognition for Silent Hill, because it beats people saying: Silent What Now? Good thing too, because I said this game series would not survive without a revival, and seeing this game hasn't had a legitimate game that was worth playing in so long, I see many horror story elements being plotted into the game, whereas the avant-garde is being given an overhaul, so the game is actually going to be the best of what we all expect it to be. 

      P.T. Is a great example of what Silent Hills could be, what do t should be, and what it must be to survive. The question is do we want to play a game that is exclusively first person, or should we go with traditional third person perspective? 

With the recent news of Hideo Kojima's release from Konami, I must say, I was a tad disappointed  to see such a great talent, and despite many naysayers, a great storyteller go by the wayside to the a Silent a hills project. Most of you may recall that Hideo Kojima was a big part of the new game, but some others lead to speculation over what his role was actually supposed to be in the game. 

  In-truth, I'm not precisely sure what his role was supposed to be, but I'm quite sure that a Silent a hills is going to suffer without him on point for it's development. Konami has treated the Silent a Hill franchise like a mad dog that has fleas, and can on,y scrounge up pennies for the company. They treat Silent a hill fans like they're nonexistent, almost ashamed to have them, and yes, they once had a commercial title that rivaled Resident Evil of Capcom, but now Resident Evil has gone so far to remove itself from the likes of Silent a Hill, because of the survival horror concept going downhill.

     Konami should listen to the public, who love to be scared, and love games thwt in-turn scare them, as games like a Dead a Space, Amnesia, and even the infamous Five Nights at Freddy's trilogy, even (dare-I-say) Minecraft, has shown an importance towards the survival horror concept? Even major titles like Fallout have had horror influences that people often get utterly creeped out to play, and yes, I love a game that makes me think twice of going down a scary black pit to oblivion. 

     Kojima was a savior for this title, and with his recent release, this will be good for gamers, but bad for Silent Hill fans. Silent Hills was destined to reinvent the franchise, and still has the ability to do-so, but will it have the finesse, the panache that Hideo Kojima was going to bring, which made PT so damn interesting?  Perhaps it will be fine, as Kojima is just one man, but I feel that he really was the last saving grave to make this game go mainstream, thus bringing on several thousand more fans to the community that was hardcore and minor, but loyal to the brand to the end. 

     As a fan of the series, I think the game will eventually morph into something else, kind of like what Silent Hill: The Room, was meant to be. Sure, s lot of people hated Silent Hill 4, but I liked it because it was daring to be different, and the story was so creepy, and was perfect for the time it was released. Ju-On, or the Grudge had released, and underrated games like Fatal Frame, and my personal favorite, Siren were advancing Japanese horror to the western mainstream.  Silent Hill 4 wasn't the best, but being hooked from the first three titles,mi gave it a chance,mind it sadly went downhill from there, until PT made us all believe again. 

    Now with Kojima out of the picture, we are left wondering just what is the future for Silent Hills, and if the Fox Engine is going to make or break try quality of the game. Personally, I just finished Alien: Isolation, and found the game amazing to play, and terrible in most other aspects. Yet it reminded me why I am a gamer, because story is crucial, but not everything has to be told like it's a play on a stage. 

     If Silent Hills could be more about context, and not-so-much content, then I'm certain it will not fail, even if I were to direct it. The game is a crapshoot, it was even with Kojima at the speculated helm. The point is that Konami goes and makes one of the biggest, most intelligent marketing strategies in the history of gaming, then goes and releases it's brightest star. 

    My hopes is a company like Sega picks up Hideo Kojima, because I would love to see him work on the Alien series, or even do something completely, altruistically original, and Sega being a place that has sunk to the depths,now pulling themselves up slowly, cascading towards newer heights, it would be nice to see Kojima developing titles that are original, while no-holds-barred innovation flies from out his intense creativity, and unrealistic work ethic. 

      Still, this leaves Silent Hill fans the biggest losers of this whole debacle. We know how Konami treats us, and honestly I feel like they should just sell the damn IP to a company that would do something of value to it, rather than let it lie in a destitute state of misery, and treat us all with such malcontent. On the podcast, Voices in the Static, I heard mention of perhaps a company like  Rocksteady to give the title some tender loving care. 

  I would personally enjoy seeing a production studio like Telltale Games take the series over as well, because they have killed it with The Walking Dead, and the Jurassic Park series. Still, that's comparing apples and oranges, but as a fan, any sort of reinvigoration to the series that wasn't dysfunctional would be met with optimistic anticipation, rather than some rushed excuse for a treacherous game that isn't jovial to play, and frankly, frustrates the gamer who truly sees more potential in the series than the developers who claim to respect their franchise. 

    If I could start a kickstarter to buy the rights to the Silent Hill franchise, so I could develop the next title with a team of people as obsessed with the title as myself,mi would, and I would make it AAA, but seeing as I still have to see what becomes of a Silent Hills before truly passing judgment, and extreme like that isn't as necessary now as it would be perhaps four years in the future. 

    Not-to-say I'd do any better or worst than anyone else working on a Silent a Hill, but my point being is at my focus, and my desire would be there from day one, all the way up to the release of the game. Maybe that's because I love the idea of what this series could become, and personally, I don't think that even a Konami has thwt fire in it's belly for this series. 

Anyway, let's all hope that Silent Hills is going to be as awesome in it's own way, that PT was, which I've played now in the high double digits. 

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial. 

E-mail: mcasteditorial@yahoo.com

Twitter: twitter.com/mcasteditorial 

Voices in the Static Podcast is a Constant Update on all Things Silent Hill

     I was listening to a podcast I've recently downloaded called "Voices in the Static", which comes from the Silent Hill Historical Society website, which is hosted by a lovely lady named Whitney. I will not post her last name out of respect, but she is found at silenthillhistoricalsociety.com. Personally, I love the name of this podcast, and being a Silent Hill fan, I'm glad to find someone more obsessed with this series than I am. I also respect the podcast, because they get honest interviews, the participants don't pull any punches, especially their unbiased perspective. 

    I also respect that they say let's give the game a chance, or the film a chance before we tear it to shit, because that's how reviews and critiques should be done. This is why I've always hated doing previews, because speculation on vapor ware is not as satisfying as actually commenting on a finished,published product. 

      "Voices in the Static" has been going strong for over three years now, and being a bi-weekly, or once-monthly podcast, it is a very definitive Silent Hill podcast, and is up-to-date to such a degree, Konami should thank them for caring where, and supporting the franchise more than Konami has done for the last seven years! This podcast is for the fan of the series, no matter where they come from, and although I'm an old-school fan, I love how this podcast tells it straight, and has a real perspective that this is simply a game, and if you don't like certain titles in the series, just don't buy it! Vote with your wallet, and quit being assholes to those who disagree. Sure, I can't stand Homecoming, I see it as a continuation of a series that wanted to end after game four, but let's put this into perspective: if games like Homecoming, and Downpour weren't made, then the "outrage" from fans would not have pressured the upcoming Silent Hills game, which looks to either make or break this series, and if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, I'm not going to crow and caw about how terrible the game is, I simply won't buy it! 

     Truthfully, all the games have pluses, and minuses to them: yes, even Homecoming got some things right, and even the holy relic of Silent Hill 2 had it's share of embarrassing issues, that even I blushed. Also, the translations in the third game made me laugh so hard, I forgot that this was a survival horror. Look, I don't agree completely with Ms. Whitney, and her constituency, especially when it comes to the last five games, I've found them so terrible, but I didn't harp on anyone who loved the games. In-truth, and this is hard for some people to understand: liking something is objective, I like things you don't, and it's okay! The only time anyone is ever allowed, and again, this is my opinion, that someone has my respect for disagreeing so vehemently with someone is when it comes to politics, because that is when opinion is subjective, as the views of other people do affect you directly.          

     This is a game series, be thankful it's still around for a consecutive fourth generation, because it could've died out with The Dino Crisis, Crash Bandicoot, and Parasite Eve titles of yesterday consoles. I'm a Silent Hill fan, and I don't have an agenda, and even if I did, I won't shit on someone else's parade because I dislike a title. Maybe I'm an old-school kind of guy, but I look at things objectively, even as a critic, and give my raw opinion after actually experiencing the medium im reviewing! That's why I hate when someone says: "Oh man! This is going to suck!" Two years before it releases to the public! 

   That's why I like what I'm hearing from "Voices in the Static" and it's great to see fans who are as obsessed, but as realistic and as critical of Silent Hill, and Konami as am, if not more! They use facts, and their opinions are backed up by facts, what was once called debate in this world, before asinine people could post without fact-checking. I hate nerd rage, I cannot stand people who act like babies when discussing games, but I suppose babies are always going to act as such with their toys, and that saddens me. 

     Again, I like this show, it has in-depth interviews, which is just incredible for a podcast, and Whitney and company have done more to keep this series relevant more than Konami has done for the past two, count them, two console cycles. Despite posting about writing, and writing critique, whilst having several typos and mulligans along the way, I am, at the core, a video game fan, and a mass media critic. Silent Hill is a franchise I house close to my heart, and the reason for that is because it is, in theory, an experience that is so dramatic, and so personal to the character, it is a truly psychological experience. Sure, if we want to get critical, we could say that this game steals from H.P. Lovecraft, Anton Szandor LaVey, Francis Bacon, of course, Dario Argento. Do we not realize that everything has some influence from another medium, and even if you create something from scratch, wholly original, someone will go out of their way to compare it, and give it more depth than even your original idea ever had! Critics put more thought into the medium than the developers, who in-the-end, want to make a profit! So if a game sells bad, guess what, their wallets get hurt, and they overhaul, or drop a franchise, if you truly want to change a model for your favorite game, don't buy the ones you hate, trust me, they know when you don't buy,mans that will make them remember the fans. 

     Also, stop with all the negative angst, it doesn't help your cause, and makes you look like an incompetent, immature imbecile (alliteration!) whose opinion hold. Of water, or is not backed by any actual fact. Hell, even a Wikipedia page on Homecoming  has more explanations than most fans on the reasons it sucked, but at least that page has the opinions backed with facts! 

    This all is found on "Voices in the Static" which is worth a download, especially if you're a fan of Silent Hill. At first I was iffy about this show, and once I actually sat down, and listened to the conversation, I think it would be a benefit for fans, rather than a disservice. You can download "Voices in the Static" on iTunes, and I assume  it can be downloaded on the Android store as well.   

     If you are a fan of the Silent Hill franchise, and you may want to hear a unique perspective on the franchise, I would say to download this podcast, and go to www.silenthillhistoricalsociety.com for more information. Whitney and her various guests make each and every episode a joy, and although they are all very adamant, I believe their honesty, and desire for a legitimate discussion, not a flame war on this  series is a breath of fresh air, for any perspective on the object of debate. I believe in debate, and being a podcaster who debates his best friend (Edgar Holves) on many topics without it turning into a name-calling fiasco, shows an unfamiliar class of podcaster, that is a shame of being the minority.  

    So do I agree with the opinions on "Voices in the Static"? Not necessarily, but I respect their said opinions,especially when most fans have jumped in at Silent Hill 2, then have the audacity to spit on fellow fans who jumped in at The Room, or Downpour, or even Homecoming, that is a hypocritical outrage in itself! I admire this podcast, and although I could be critical with some points of the show, nothing is perfect, and Whitney and her fellow contributors do get better with each episode. I would say that the older episodes are not that well recorded, but the sound is light years ahead of most people who record, and it does sound better, just a tad low for my taste, but Whitney is soft-spoken, and it is lovely to not have a nerd screaming at me with rage for a change. 

     So try it out, "Voices in the Static" which I absolutely love that name, and the image of Heather/Cheryl is great as well, and please swing by silenthillhistoricalsociety.com and leave a nice comment for Whitney, be decent human beings, please, I cannot be more sincere than that. 

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, please feel free to follow me on Twitter: Twitter.com/mcasteditorial or send me a message @mcasteditorial 

E-Mail: mcasteditorial@yahoo.com. 

This is not the last post for 2014, I should have one more beforehand, but if this is the last post, I'll have new posts up just after the New Year, so thank you for this wonderful year of posts, and as always, thank you for supporting this blog. 

Summer Wars, Brand-New Silent Hill, and Having to Eat a Bit of Crow

  I just watched one if my favorite animes after a long day of reading. I've read about two hundred pages in the book Nefertiti today, and now have less than fifty pages until it's done. I must say, it turned out a better page turner than I've expected, but I could see the core audience of the book was female readers, but I still admire how well it's going so-far. The anime is called Summer Wars, which is pretty decent, and a storyline that is universal: the importance of family, but done in a rich Japanese style. 

One of the things I took away from this 2009 anime is a game called "koi-koi" that seemed not as intriguing as I would have first expected it to be. Later on, I looked into the card game, discovering it's significance, and that the hanafudas (translation literally: "flower cards") I became much more interested. Nintendo first developed these cards around the 1890s, and their inspiration goes back to the 17th century, when western style playing cards were first introduced into the eastern culture. These cards really symbolize the first culturally diffused success story of game and gamble between two very different cultures. 

    I became obsessed, as I normally do when I'm interested in something, and I began to play the game on an application I've downloaded. I played nearly two hundred rounds within the first few days, and with little understanding of the rules, the cards, and their meaning, I began to learn as I played, and researched. 

    

     The game became more and more of a challenge, and i saw a reason to get excited over this game, and others like it. Koi-Koi, or keep going, is like a reverse Go-Fish style game, where you create yakus or matches, and instead of stopping, you continue to create as many matches as possible to obtain the most points. This game is usually linked with Japanese yakuza, which I've found out later on after playing, but still it is played in many parts of the world: Japan, Korea, even Hawaii has it's own unique style of hanafuda play. 

  

       Personally, I just happened to find it interesting after watching Summer Wars, but once I've discovered Nintendo had a major part in these cards, and that they still make them today, even making a special version with officially licensed Mario hanafuda cards, I figured a gamer such as myself would definitely give the game a try. Not one to leave any stone unturned, especially in a learning experience, I began to play people online, and it's been a challenge, on that makes me reminiscent of my first game of chess. This game is like chess, but instead of patiently timed moves that require days of thought, it's fast-paced, and sure both luck and skill to win. 

 

   Koi-Koi has become something of an obsession, but now I want to go on and become very good at it, maybe even master it, then I'll probably move on to the next thing, like Hachi-Hachi (translation: literally: eighty-eight) or Senet, because I've always wanted to learn it, because it is consider the earliest board game on the planet. Still, I have to say, and as corny as it sounds, Summer Wars has given me my first taste of hanafuda, and for that, I'm forever  grateful. 

      Now, moving on to the meat of this lovely sandwich blogpost, for those who are uninformed, the new Silent Hill teaser trailer was released some time in late August. It was probably later than that, because I've recently just seen it, and it feels like it was released, so, October at the latest. Either way, I was watching someone play the teaser trailer, and I was intrigued by the absolutely terrifying gameplay I was watching. Rarely does a game go through such ambient terror, normally it's all blood and guts, being chased by a madman wielding some implement of pain and bloodshed. However, just days after stating I was officially sick of Silent Hill being ruined by those who simply can't make a Silent Hill game, I was then given a nice big slice of humble pie, because the game does look great, even if what I'm seeing is not in any way a part of what will be the game. 

    Silent Hill is the game I love more than any I've ever played in my life, because  it combines so many great elements, and drama. It wasn't a typical survival horror, which can be traced back even further than that horribly classic title: Zombies Ate My Neighbors, which I think is due for a revamp with Cliffy B. at the hem, and a bunch of really bad 90's lines, and big-ass explosions! Yeah, or not, and we see a contemporary Silent Hill that pays homage to what the series used to be. 

  

    Right now, I think the experience of Silent Hill is summed up by most fans to be the best before Konami let Americans clutter it up with shitty voice-overs, and asinine western decision-making that took away all the intelligence and creepiness, and made a slasher film that was as hokey as Resident Evil 6. Silent Hill 2 and 3 respectively were the best in the series, most fans will agree, and some will simply state that the best was the original. I am a fan of all the game, except Homecoming, and Downpour. Yes, I'll admit that even Silent Hill Origins was okay, but the one I love the most is still Silent Hill 2. 

    

        I wrote a blogpost called Silent Hill 2: The Game That Changed My Life a few months back (I believe it was in August) and I was being completely honest. The style of horror I was affiliated with before SH2 were gory slasher flicks that come to define Western culture. However, when I played Silent Hill 2, it was as if a whole new world of horror was opened up to me,the same way it was when I played Resident Evil for the first time. 

   

     Yet, other games followed in the wake of Silent Hill 2, and although it only held a score of about 7.2 rating as a game overall, it became a defining title on the PS2 and Xbox. Games like Clock Tower, Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly, and Siren did try to jump on the Eastern-style survival horror title, and were met with menial success, although I believe Siren was under appreciated I'm the states, it didn't have the steamrolling power of  the Silent Hill series. 

 

     I was a fan of Silent Hill: The Room, because the story was pure psychological fear, and the story was easy to get behind. I admired the game, even though the huge steps were taken to get away from the original stories as much as possible, people forget that Silent Hill is about being a Psycho-fiction construct, where the mind is truly the most frightening place, and what is the supernatural,,versus what is the psychological come to mend into a truly horrifying, and truly personal experience. The main characters are all strong-willed,misuse they have to maintain this dilemma that is so intertwined within their own minds, that this game could not host a character like a Jill Valentine of Resident Evil fame, or an Isaac Clarke of Dead Space. 

  

   The Room was good, it brought a fresh new story, and didn't deal so-much with Silent Hill itself, but it showed a great detail of the town's history. I personally enjoyed it, and many fans will disagree with me,which is fine,mbut if you play it for what it truly is, and the utter creep factor it renders to the player, even you will see that the new title,min the teaser pays slight homages to the fourth installment in the series. 

 

    So let's get to this teaser, and what you will expect: 

    Firstly, Silent Hill is where those who have severe problems that they cannot emotionally handle, or dark secrets that must be laid to rest go for purgation,,it is a symbolic confession booth for the damned in many ways, and this game looks to be no different.  Silent Hill is a state of being for main character, it is trial by fire, and it's residents are always seeking a form of salvation. Each game has very Catholic undertones, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the game has always been quite religious, and sets up the idea that one can in-fact go back home,,but the road there is Hell. 

 

    The playable trailer, which I've seen played, and have not been able to play personally looks to play off of many of the concepts derived in Silent Hill: The Room,,and Silent Hill 2, with a very original, and updated fear factor to the respected directors of the game. There is no secrets these days, and the two men who will be brining this game to us some time in the next year or so, are Hideo Kojima, who is probably a larger fan of the series than even I could be, and director Guilmero Del Toro, creator of one of my favorite shows on television: The Strain. 

   Kojima and Del Toro  are a dream team for Silent Hill, which has been treated like a mad dog for nearly ten years now, and both will give the game a respect that American publishers, and Ukrainian developers have failed to do in the past. Kojima wanted to fix Silent Hill, and I stated early on that if he didn't, then Silent Hill should be shot down, and left to become archived into the classics, along with the rest of the great games of time. However, he now has the reins, and with Del Toro, I believe that they can do for Silent Hill what even Konami couldn't in the PS 2 era: make the game a serious contender for the mainstream. I believe with these two behind the franchise, they could get a much broader audience to respect this game.  Akira Yokoyama has been a composer for the series for nearly every game, and I would be shocked it he wasn't on board for this revision title. His compositions were as memorable as the game itself, so much importance was emphasized on the music, that I've personally downloaded every soundtrack to every game. 

     

    I do hope some of the elements remain the same, while others we updated. For example, I love how the untuned radio goes all white noise when a "monster" is in the vicinity, and many hated that feature, while some say it's a small staple in the course that is Silent Hill. Personally, I think other elements from the trailer,which the guy playing obviously didn't get, and that's fine, he was unaware it was a Silent Hill trailer, but I saw many of the references, most people would overlook. Many of which even fans would miss. 

   

     The most obvious example was the finding of the flashlight, this has my hopes up that this is a revision, and not a reimagined game from scratch, like Homecoming was. Don't get me wrong,changes are always good,,and changes are usually for the best, especially in sequels, so long as it's not a major overhaul. With the flashlight, you see a serious degree of Silent Hill imagery throughout the trailer. The game plays the same sequences over and over, always changing in the most subtle ways, this is like a Stockholm syndrome for the player. Because they fear no change, then abrupt change, and then slightly subtle changes from then on out. The developers for the game see really looking into the psychology behind fear,,and from what I've gathered, they've read the books, thrice. It's very Pavlov in many ways, and the slight creepiness overtakes the big scares, which look like they need a bit of tuning, yet  still gags. The radio gag was great as well. 

    Now the commentator was proving my point of conditioning, as he did not want to continue, and knew by going through the cellar door, it would be another cycle, but he presses on, takes his lumps, and ushers in through the door again, for another round of Hell. There is nothing more terrifying to the human psyche than slight changes, because the brain picks up on these things, and knows something isn't right, and this is a key-root of conditioning. 

    Just by watching the trailer, I know the game is in great hands, and it plays so well on the irritable reactions we get from gross things, but not necessarily gory things. When you see it gags seem to be in place as well. Like what's behind the curtain, or what's peeking in at me through the window. The game itself should have this playable trailer bundled with it I feel, because it is a genuine game all in itself, and I think that it puts to rest all my worries of what Silent Hill will become, and makes me excited for what Silent Hill can be. 

       

     Of course, there is a downside, which I am going to discuss on the Psycho-Mac podcast, which is having actors in games, and the likeness to those actors in the design of the characters. (Not to spoil it for you, but apparently Norman Reedus,,of the Walking Dead, and Boondocks Saints fame will be a part of the game, presumably the main character, but I'm wondering if this game will go the Heavy Rain route and allow for multiple characters to be played. I also will be pissed if they make this game multiplayer online.) as a side note, I think that Norman Reedus is a talented actor, however, I feel he's just a hot commodity right now,,and yes, I understand business, but how the game looks, I don't think you need a relatively known actor to help sell it! Sure, Walking Dead fans  may latch on for him, but quite frankly, I don't think they are the same kind of fans that would enjoy this sort of horror. 

     I'm lucky: I enjoy the gory horror, along with the psychological horror of such fearful flicks like Ju-on, but to me, I begin to get a tad suspicious when Norman Reedus is added to Silent Hill, and think that this game could go in a whole other direction of failure, and that would crush me as a fan. However, I'm putting my money, literally, as a consumer on Hideo Kojima, in-hopes he makes this franchise into a shining star once again. 

        Finally, to add a nice, comforting second slice of bread to this ridiculously long post, I'd just want to wish you all good tidings, but to remind you that if you haven't read my State of Games post, it is up right now on this blog. Quite a few of you have read it so far, and I'm glad for that, because I was not sure if you would find it interesting enough, considering the sad State of console games this year. 

   I would also like to add that I'll be busy writing my little fingers to the bone coming January, so there may be a lack of Monday Blogs posts up, but know that I am always writing, because I cannot hinder my fingers, even if I tried, and I'm grateful for every audience I get, and know I appreciate every one of you, and your tireless commitment to the Malacast Editorial. 

      Okay, so the last thing I wanted to actually discuss before finishing up this post was I've written my last post with a bit of urgency, and although the grammar wasn't wretched, typos and a misspelling or two had snuck past, as I posted without haste, and thinking back on those poor choices, a quick scan would've merited a much more respectful design. So for that my dear readers, I'm truly sorry. Still, I appreciate your support for the Malacast Editorial. 

Twitter: twitter.com/mcasteditorial or @mcasteditorial 

Thank you again for reading the Malacast Editorial, and have a wonderful holiday. 

The Game That Changed My Life

Everyone out there has a spark of inspiration, even if it is in the most menial ways. Maybe a book you’ve read made you a better person, or maybe it has influenced you to some extent. My biggest inspirations as a kid have always been the role models around me, perhaps none more-so than my grandmother who had bared a massive amount of weight from our family, as she really was the glue and mortar that kept us all in line. Sure she had her issues, and some more than others, she managed a cemetery for a good chunk of her life, and it is a tough business to keep like that working all-the-time. Most times it didn’t. Growing up surrounded by gravestones leaves me less frightened of graveyards, and more a peace with them. One of the most beautiful cemeteries I’ve ever been able to walk through was Moravian cemetery. It is famous for its beauty, and also made popular in many of Paul Zindel’s novels, such as the Pigman series. So when people learn more about me, they think of me as less macabre, more dorky, nerdy, comic-book reading, etc. When I really do partake in occasion the comic book medium, I much rather leisurely read a book (one I am reading now is On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I’ve had it for a few years, but finally decided to sit down and start reading it, and I can say so far it isn’t as trashy as I expected it to be. That of course can all change after the first fifty pages.) I never really had a problem with the dead, I always respected their honesty, and admired their determination, because it seems no matter how long they remain dead, they never attempt to return, that takes a lot of dedication. I of course joke, and in good humor, not with malice, but that is my point, the dead are at peace, they don’t have the worries the living are burdened with, they always have to get somewhere on time, which they rarely ever manage, and they are always rushing through to the next best thing, rather than admiring the things in front of them that could very well be the best experiences of their lives. This is my point, we really don’t stop at times to admire the smaller, perhaps, older and more interesting moments in life, and I don’t believe we should wait until we’re dead to start thinking, so I am going to tell you how one game changed my perception on philosophy, thought and tastes, especially in the aspect of how incredible a medium such as video games can go. I will admit that today there are far greater examples, and done in a much timelier fashion, but few have touched me as an individual as deeply, especially the plot. Silent Hill 2, perhaps the pinnacle of the series, and I will admit the best Silent Hill to date, including the third game and Silent Hill: The Room. Although Silent Hill 3 is the closest to the original game, that is, when it comes to storyline, that doesn’t necessarily make it a great game. Now, unlike past game reviews, I am not going to actually be reviewing Silent Hill 2. If you haven’t played the game yet, the HD collection is out, but I heard the people over at Konami screwed it up, so pick up the original if you want a great game experience. It would be nice to give your PS2s and Xboxes some love too, so go try Silent Hill 2, it is most definitely worth your time, even if the game’s as dated as Donkey Kong. First off, the story is just so Japanese, and I mean that in the highest regard. The story about James Sutherland and his wife Mary, who has been dead for years, but writes him a letter to meet him in a town called Silent Hill is absolutely incredible. It shows that from the beginning this game is not your typical horror, and up until this point, movies like the Grudge, or Ju-on the original version were scarcely seen in American households. Truth-be-told at the beginning of the 21st century, the Japanese culture and entertainment industry was probably limited to most Americans, except maybe for knowing that the movie the Magnificent Seven was based after Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece: Seven Samurai. Japanese horror is ridiculously based on the senses, rather than gore. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of gore in this game, but it is more suggested than brutishly shown in odd camera angles. What is eerie about this game more is the humanity behind it, and the fact that it is dealing with such unique issues that tend to hit the emotions of the player just as hard as the fears. Sure we can talk about the clunky controls, but this is an appreciation editorial post, not a semi-objective review article. Let’s continue with the story: The idea that James Sunderland is simply out to find his dead wife waiting for him on Toluca Lake in the middle of Silent Hill is one of passion, and the idea that the sexual suggestiveness of the characters/monsters involved delves more into the routes of serious philosophical and psychological discussion. The emotional dread the main characters feels is from such a traumatizing event, that we get the sense of the sinful acts with mere silhouettes of the man’s past. It is brutal, and yet intelligently written. The game is artwork in motion, and nearly captures all the makings of a pure horror classic. For years I have tried to truly unmask the deep-rooted details of this game, as so many online and in video game articles have picked and picked at this game, trying to truly understand it, and the truth is, you don’t have to fully grasp the game to get the meaning, the true meaning that it is our own psyche that decides how Silent Hill progresses. Yes, we play through the eyes of James Sunderland, but really, we are all still metaphysically trying to grasp the meaning of Silent Hill for ourselves. We get two stories when playing a Silent Hill game, especially in the second title: and that is the story of the individual character who must trek through the game, trying to deal with their own twisted demons mapped out by the designers and writers, but really it is also a sort of psychological test, one that plays on all the human emotions, and the heightening senses of the gamer, which makes them all have a unique experience that no one else can have, simply by testing their own psyche. Even the music is eerily intelligent by Akira Yamaoka, who has done such astounding work on all the titles, I bought Homecoming just to hear the soundtrack. I truly wish he would compose for more games, then again, I kind of wish he would compose for all games. Yet the music is a psychological power trip of the mind, it doesn’t just play to the setting of Silent Hill 2, it is an auditory representation of the entire game, and without it, the game is merely a linear experience. With the sound and music promptly blaring through the speakers, this game could’ve been a two dimensional tabletop Atari game, and you would still wet yourself from sheer terror. I love the music so much for all the games, that I truly believe you are not a real gamer if you don’t love Melissa Williamson’s “You’re Not Here” opening for the third game, which plays to that eerie little preview of the horrors waiting those who await taming the third game. The music, the sights, and the controls are a bit juxtaposed, but they all manage to work in a way that seems right. If the controls were better, I don’t think the immense fear of being nearly helpless in the game would shine through. Sure frustration is another way of describing the said controls, but it is the lack of mobility that makes the game even that much more realistic. Silent Hill is about a lose/lose situation, because you know that there can be no winners in a psycho-fiction such as this game, which truly very few can understand. Unless you’re s psych major, or you just happen to dabble in Jungian theory, the game is a mere misunderstanding for most, but it catches the mainstream by being about a husband who will do anything for his wife…anything. The truth is, the game can have millions of theories, most of which can come from scholars, and most of them will never even think to take into account that this was just a mesh of all the right things happening at once, without a hinder to story, and more importantly to the side puzzle that give you no break from the action or the fear, because the side puzzles and riddles to advance you are so well thought-out and well written, some are poems, some are songs, and some are removing very suggestive disgusting things in order to get to say a key, or to find a latch. Truly Silent Hill 2 is frightening all the way through, and that’s why it had changed my life in so many ways. In-truth, I don’t think any series, not even my beloved Dead Space series has come even remotely close to being of the pinnacle of “survival” ( or in this case “no survival”) horror. The problem with all this, and most of you will understand is that it is not a game that is easily a mainstream game, not for the Mom and Pop horror fans that think the best way to spook people is to have a CGI monster come popping out of the cellar door, or closet, morgue, etc. This game was far too intelligent for such cheap scares, and the fact that there are bosses just sitting there, not some great cinematic sequence to have them pop out at you, it is stunningly more frightening to just be walking and bam! Here comes Pyramid head to get you. If I were to ever take over the Silent Hill franchise, which is on its last leg, and has too much Western influence (I am not painting a great argument am I?) but I would not try to make a Japanese game, nor would I try to make a Western, Eastern or even some fantastic game based into some historic culture. I would simply make a game. The story would be the background, the controls would be a bit clunky, but I wouldn’t allow for anything that wasn’t feasibly impossible to connect with, they would be mediocre at best, at least to the degree needed to make the game more menacing than frustrating. Remember, Amnesia, an amazing game that didn’t even have a button to attack with was one of the best horror games to come out in ages. Basically, the game had to play to the senses, and it doesn’t have to look pretty, but it also doesn’t have to look gritty, an ad hoc cookie cutter “noire” game. If you have to call something noire, it isn’t noire, just so you developers out there understand it’s not a new idea. I’d want some psychological issues thrown in, but not necessarily ones that take away from slight humor, or even double entendres that will be crucial to the game, and I’m not talking about Nathan Drake asinine clichéd humor, but intelligent, but not something that sounds like stuck-up elitist humor, or intellectual monopolizing. The game just has to be a game, something that scare the holy shit out of the gamer, and also makes them feel empathy for the characters. These are the type of ideas that are not revolutionary, they are instilled in Silent Hill 2, even add in some dark comedy and malcontent from characters like Angie(?) (Might be Angela) and Eddie, who truly are more representations of individual pieces of James’s personality, but really they are manifestations made by Silent Hill itself. Let’s not even get into all the sexual connotation’s behind Pyramid Head, in what he represents to James, because that could be an entire blog post on its own. Yet, Pyramid Head is also proof positive that Silent Hill 2 is much, much deeper than the average psychological thriller, and that people and pick away for years over the actual meanings behind the game. A good example is to call it the “Eraserhead” of video games, but I would say it is much more than that, because the Silent Hill 2 does have a deep-rooted meaning, not just wishy-washy symbolism with no intent or purpose. Now, I did promise to explain a bit on how exactly this game changed my life to some extent, and I will tell you how: it proved to me that horror writing is so difficult to do, because most horror doesn’t actually involve horror being at the forefront. If I haven’t had played this game when I was young, about fifteen or sixteen, I would still be thinking of writing ultra violent, ultra bloody, over-the-top nonsense found in most horror stories that suck. Silent Hill 2 has made me a better writer in many ways, and it has made me know that fear itself is the encroaching death, not the act itself. This is so true too, because it isn’t the end-process of death that we fear, we do not fear corpses, well, not normally, but the idea of being a corpse, or the inevitable fact that the situation we are placed in, will lead to us then being a corpse. That’s why we fear more the monsters outside our windows, or under our beds, or creeping up from behind us more than we fear them once they are already chewing on our carcasses. I believe deep down that the fact this game made you not want to explore the town, especially since most of the game is masked in a dead fog, which to me is far more frightening a weather pattern than any other (except maybe tornadoes and hurricanes) but the fact that it played on those primitive fears, where a white out forces you to walk blindly into the unknown, and hope that a dog or a demon, or some estranged monster wasn’t lurking within the blanketed white. I would also like to add that the radio was a genius trick to add in, and warned you of a nearby presence throughout the game. This idea was very original, and it inspired me to think that cliché nonsense wasn’t all you needed to perpetuate an idea to the mainstream. This game was perhaps one of the biggest selling games of the year, I would say it outdid many of its competitors, especially Resident Evil’s Code: Veronica X. Having a belief that most Resident Evil titles after the first two were more action games than survival horrors, I believe that Silent Hill even today is still the boss of all other survival horror titles, and will go down as a legitimate game to play for decades. Silent Hill 2 proved to me that fear can be done in a mature, intelligent way that makes horror almost noteworthy, especially in a world full of such nonsensical fodder that we call “horror” and “science fiction”. Despite all the flaws with the game, and the outdated graphics, which really are still a lot nicer, and at times more effective than some of the graphics of the previous console generation. Moreover, the game is still quite a massive achievement for its time. Luckily, the Silent Hill saga has been re-released as a DLC HD edition, and though the game has been tweaked to include new voice-acting, the games are still relevantly left alone. Konami should not ever allow Americans to create another Silent Hill game, and I believe the end of the series was after Silent Hill 3. This may sound prejudice, racist, or at the very least insensitive, but the cultural differences, despite our current love with Japanese society and their food, entertainment, etc. does not make us experts in the field of their style of horror and psychological thrillers. Despite all temptation to go-ahead and re-purchase the HD versions of the PS2 Silent Hill games, I decided to not pay these fools money, and play them still on my Playstation 2. If I could say anything else about this game, and why it means so much to me, you may ask why is this such an important matter? I mean, it’s just a game, right? Something to entertain you, but I will admit it can be a lot more than just that. I agree with the consensus that a game\ game is a game, especially during the Playstation 2 era, but games have become in-a-way more like films, and written to be more thrilling, more action-packed, and far-more dramatic than television or film. Unlike any other medium, I believe when you become invested in a character, but more-often invested in a storyline, you are entranced in that storyline for all your years, in some ways as an immediate embellishment in that world, and later on as a musing that comes up in nostalgia, and you recall the fun times of those years, and everything with them. In-truth, I try my best to always look at the future, especially with so many people rooted in the past, but with this game, I stop and think back to a time when I could play a game, and it helped me get through the an time when our country was just about to change indefinitely. You see, Silent Hill was the last game I bought around the time the Twin Towers were attacked on 9/11, which I believe the imagery is still instilled in the last generation’s minds. Perhaps the horrors became a bit more real with me because of such a trauma, or maybe it was eerily reminiscence of the psyche that was to come for months after the attack, that we truly are all trapped in this sickening hell that only we can release ourselves from. Even now, the game brings back a loss of hopelessness that was rarely seen in games past. The idea that you are in a lose/lose situation all the time, the idea that the power normally instilled in players to finish a game and get a happy ending is taken away, and even though this game has about four endings, which includes a comic relief ending that I will not ruin, but can be found in its entirety on any video-sharing website of your choice, so you can go see it yourself if you’d like. Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, all specific editorial posts are of the opinion of the individual, and does not reflect the opinion of any other blogger that posts and/or contributes to the Malacast Editorial. If you would like to, you can follow now follow Malacast Agent, and see the newest updates to the Malacast Editorial on twitter: twitter.com/mcasteditorial, or @mcasteditorial. Again, thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, and have a good day.

Editorial: Upcoming Posts, and A Quick Discussion on Bloggiing

First: an allusion to upcoming posts

Every single big move made in entertainment today seems to go in this abstract formulae that aggravates rather than innovates. For example, we know the biggest movie releases are going to suck so bad, that less than one percent of the U.S actually sees them. Yet movies that make so much money, never get the recognition they deserve. The joke is that most of these award ceremonies should be made for the entertainment that was the least entertaining.
  This is not always the case with video games: which normally receive accolades before they're even released to the general public.  Video games take years to make, and spend more time in post production (which can last forever, now that downloadable patches are inherently more accepted, than a scarce bandage for a rare bug or glitch) than any film, or television show. Video games have tons of awards, which act more as a rating system than some  glorified kiss-ass festival.          
   Games, no matter their genre, tend to be stocky, never really advertise far from what the market desires. When something noir, unique, or just plain wacky, it is now made into a new sub genre that creates a boatload of sequels.  I find that most games are far from actually being legitimate new. Not since the times of the fifth generation consoles, has there been a great deal of risk-taking games. I do believe that games are more innovative, in-terms of story, and the voice acting and sound effects are unparalleled to any major motion big budget film.
       I've mentioned this some time ago in a past blog post. I do enjoy reminiscing, I even have an upcoming blog post that I've spent a few hours on about two months back, solely based,on my love of one nostalgic game: Silent Hill 2. This game was the second one I bought for the Playstation 2, and I go into detail about the game.  For those who actually followed this blog for some time, they know that I write a ton of posts out, and put them up when applicable.  If I have the time, I'll occasionally write one out on a tablet (which I find irritably annoying) that usually gives me some time. I've written a great deal in the last five years, some of it I actually like, but I have very little to show for it, because I never take that next step.
      So I write this blog, and in the above paragraphs, I've started to discuss the change in the production of video games, which is quite obviously the most dynamic expenses of the medium. Production changes more often than the way it's coded and played. The biggest change for most video games in the last thirty years is that the remote had gone wireless and is nearly flawless. The remote hasn't changed in forever. I've written an article, entitled Peripheral Apocalypse, which I will also be putting up in the next couple of weeks. So I have a few posts that will come to fruition for the Malacast Editorial.  However, until those are applicable, here is my post for today:

      For bloggers, writing is essential, almost critical, when it can be done nearly every single day. I write nearly every single day, but I take a nice long hiatus when I'm nearing the end of a project. For example, I'm writing a novel right now, it's a futuristic Sci-Fi that I'm hoping to end at 180 pages. (Approx. 100,000 words plus) I'm at 100 pages currently, and I haven't touched it in a few weeks, probably about a month, month-and-a-half tops. I'll be finishing it up pretty soon, I just wanted to think of ways I could end the book that will both appeal to my readers, and satisfy my tastes. A lot harder than it sounds!
     Yet, most writers write what they want, which makes sense, but even I have to bite the metaphorical bullet at times, and actually write something I despise. This novel is more up my alley, and I think my readers who have read my fiction beforehand, will admire it greatly, because it goes well with my short stories, and a bit of my poetry.
  I take a long break in the middle or the end, because I'll jump right into the next novel the second I'm done with the current, literally just hours, or days after,,I take no time to rest.  This works for me, and seeing that this is the sixth manuscript I've written, I believe that it will be a standalone, I'm not too fond of serials, unless they're short, they literally follow one another, and they could be read individually, just in case someone picks them up in the wrong order. Sounds contradicting right? That's why it's tough, and I don't do it on average. I think when Stephen King opted to writ a sequel to The Shining ( the sequel is entitled Doctor Sleep) it was more an act to appease himself, and not necessarily the reader. Which is great! He has reached the pinnacle of his career that he could right the script to a porno, and it would be the most mainstream porno ever made. The man could write a book about two headed puppies from hell, and turn it into a number 1 best seller. I almost wish he trolls the market one day and writes a book about killer rhododendron. Or did he do that already?
  As writers, which we are, essentially, we blog either every day, or every week, depending on time management. So we kind of band together, like an online family of constructive critics, and most are,willing to help out their fellow blogger. Now because of independent publishing, we help each other, because of how marketing on each other's blogs help spread the word of our books, especially to potential audiences that might not have been reached before.
    My point is, we use this medium to discuss what we want about the subjects that get cloudy in other forums. However, blogging also allows us the opportunity to do some free marketing for our other ventures.  Anyway, before this post is completely wrecked, I'll end it here.

Thank you for supporting the Malacast Editorial, as always:

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Thank you again for reading the Malacast Editorial, it's much appreciated. I'll have a new post up for this upcoming Monday Blogs, if you follow me on Twitter.com, you'll know when The blog is updated. You will also be informed via e-mail whenever I release an E-book. I'll only inform those that are interested, so you can message me directly, or send me an E-mail.

Until next post, keep well, and enjoy your day, afternoon, morning, and night.

GTA: IV and Silent Hill 5 Previews!

NOTE: ALL IMAGES FOUND VIA GOOGLE IMAGE

I love Summer, so I am happy to start posting, and reading books again. I usuall hibernate on my winters, and continue to go forth with just rest, work, and the occasional article online. So I have two previews for you, one is Grand Theft Auto IV and Silent Hill 5, because I personally like both of these games.
from www.grandtheftautoiv.com/screenshots/9.jpg. Shows a ship in what appears to be Liberty City's Portland Habor.
Well, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV was shown about four months ago, and it was hyped up to what we had expected. Although it looks to take place in Liberty City, which is fine with me, since Liberty City was perhaps my favorite one in the game series. Although, I do wonder if GTA V will be a revamp of VIce City; my least favorite place of series. Now, this games looks amazing , just like the GTA III looked for PS2 (Looking at PS3 Version of game) What astounds me is the graphics, they are decent for what seems to be a giant game. I wonder if Shoreside Vale, along with Staunton Island will tie into Portland as well. Images point to yes, but I am confused as to how well this game will be done gameplay wise? Will the game use the triggers on the PS3 controller to the advantage? I hope so, since they seem to be a rip-off of the XBOX 360 controller's and the Wii's wireless, trigger controller as well. As I scroll throught he screenshots on gamespot.com, I find that event he water relfelection is astounding! I wonder if seagulls will even be able to shit on you at random times. The surreality of this game seems to be able to touch on that do-what-you-want style of gaming.

Random people around what seems to be Libery City's Business District: Staunton Island.

Now on GTA IV the most important aspect is, do the cars look nice? I must admit, the cars look as amazing as Grand Turismo 3 did when it astounded me the first time I played. The cars have relflection, life, and abosutley better thant the box-like cars found in the PS2 version of the game. If I got this, it would eat away hours of my day, just driving around! The cars are so detailed, they even have windshield wipers! I wonder if the cars that have windshield wipers in the game can be used during a rainfall? Do convertibles have tops that you can put up as well? Perhaps the R2 and L2 triggers will do something of that sort, but I am just making theories. We will have to wait until October '07 rolls around. So far, the licencense plates from the pictures seem to have no codes, but these pictures are probably old than water when they were released to Gamespot.com, not that I care, but I know Rockstar to be much more realistic than what is being portrayed. Of course, it might also be self-censorship, due to the backlash they would get from the ESRB. The landscape looks absolutely amazing, and I would say that gamers will actually do more with just searching around the city, before they even do any of the missions. The gorgeous scenery is astounding, as if they took even extra pride in the tiniest of details. If people argue that $60 is too expensive, they need to be slapped, this game looks like it should cost at most $100, but I am going to say that this game will probably go Platnium on Xbox 360, and a Greatest Hits on PS3.
One reason that Rockstar may have some issues getting this game on the market. The building here looks quite similar to the Empire State Building, a Landmark in New York City. Although this is obviously not the same buliding, it may cause some issues.
No doubt in my mind that this game is not going to be on every kids Christmas List. Parents will also go forth and buy this game for their kids, as it is something that the ESRB, and Video Game Companies don't get: most parents raise sensible kids that can be like 12 and play this stuff without taking it to heart. Especially the surreality of these games, like smashing a car into a wall, while not dying, it's always made games cartoonish. a spectacular image a downtown area of Liberty City. Perhaps Portland? Perhaps even Shoreshide Vale? Either way, it's very beautiful scenery.
I cannot say much more on this game, but thatthe wait is taking longer than needed, and I even recall running home from a long day to see the first trailer. That was in March, and I have been waiting a while for new information, some real gameplay footage, and some more depth to the story. One final thought before I move on to Konami's fifth installment in the Survival Horror Genre Silent Hill V, Grand Theft Auto IV has already been sparking controversy. Rockstar comes under too much scandal due to the infamous "Hot Coffee" Mod in GTA: San Andreas. This has effected them mostly in the attempt to publish games that normally would get the needed Mature rating (17+) but, due to the AO (Adults Only, 18+) made to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has hurt the ability for Take Two and Rockstar Games to put out titles like they use to do: with ease. Now it seems everyone under the sun wants to see Manhunt 2 get canned due to graphic content and "the game being nothing more than killing to advance in the game" (paraphrased)

reason two as to why Rockstar my have issues. Does this look familar? Looks very much like the Statue of Libery, found near Elis Island in New York City's habor. I guess a name like Liberty City needs a good image to symbolize the name. What better than the giant green lady herself?

Basically it's a game where you kill to survive, and are rewareded for a more gruesome execution-style. Although the majority of the games on the market that are either FPS (FIRST PERSON SHOOTER) or even Survival Horror, your main objective IS to KILL your ENEMY! Besides, in the first Manhunt, you were required to do task in order to advance to new areas. So when games like this come under controversy, and release dates are held off way beyond the point of reason, it scares me to think what they will do to Grand Theft Auto: IV. Especially since Rockstar decied to make Staunton Island (Theory of the name of the area) look like Manhattan. Although some building do look like they have a similar structure, they are not in fact the landmarks that exist in the city today. One fear was that planes would be excluded from the game, due to the idea some "sick fuck" would fly a plane into the buildings that "resemble" the "Landmarks" found in the city. Yet the many flight sims do not come under wraps, since they are not made by Rockstar. The joke is, even in the family friendly games like the flight simulators, planes can crash into bulidings. In fact, the flight simulators often have cities that very much resemble real cities more than the fictional world of Rockstar's giant franchise.
Another gorgeous scene of Liberty City from the shore. Look how the water reflects! This game is in iteself an art that very few have ever seen done on a home console!

To conclude, be sure to buy a copy of this game as soon as you can, since it might be your only chance to own a copy before somone pulls it from the shelves. Nevertheless, if you're a fan, or even a first-time player who just happens to own a PS3 or XBox 360, I recommend investing in this franchise, it's definetly going to set the standard for the future games to come. In fact, I think it already has! Name one game that is not using the free-roaming technique? Hard these days, but GTA had made that a standard, where others just hinted at the idea.
Silent Hill Logo found at sillenthill5.net. All images from same site.

Konami, the name conjurs up some history, and due to that reason we have games that still make us want more. Games like Metal Gear Solid series, and the game I am about to talk about: SIlent Hill V. Silent Hill, the name just envokes the raw emotion an videogame can have, and a storyline that only works well in the gaming world. The story of Silent Hill sets it apart from other games like Parasite Eve, Clockwork Tower, Siren, Fatal Frame, and of course, Resident Evil. Silent Hill's history is one that can be traced well into an inter-woven storyline. The game itself does not have difficult battles, but the eeries ambience, and the twitchy, distorted, even hideous monsters, appirations, and even ghosts make you play this game with a nightlight. The graphics from Silent Hill are not only on par with the storyline, but may even excel just a bit above! The first game on the PS1 looked like a PS2 game, and the first game on the PS2 looked amazing, as if it was like a PS 2.5, definetly pushing the mark.
The new main character going down a hallway.
Although they play out like soap operas from hell, it is an honorable trait that gives this series the fanbase. Some of the fans may not even realize how big Silent Hill is compared to others franchises in the genre. Perhaps it is due to the fact that the storyline makes the games more like Dramas with a touch of Horror. The games reach out to a broader audience due to their content, and even seem to be like a play being shown in front of the television screen. Excluding Silent Hill 3, most of the games seem to have a long play time. Silent Hill 3 was just too short in my honest opinion, and just did not have that subtle edge to it that most of the other titles had; although it did pay homage to Zelda, and to Japanese Anime. Silent Hill 4 is possibly the second best, as everyone knows it is difficult to compete with 2, being a landmark game for the PS2 and Xbox consoles. It was deemed so highly, an alternate version was released called Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, which was only out for Xbox, but slowly and surely came to the PS2 console as well.


new character, old weapon. Looks like the metal pipe you normally get at the begining of the majority of Silent Hill games.


Now, Silent Hill V, looks amazing. I do not even want to discuss the graphics, because I would downplay exactly how well it is turning out so far in its early development. Not much about the storlyine has been said, only hints and hopes so far. Might I add, that only two pictures exist on Gamespot.com so far, adn the trailer is nothing mroe than a teaser of what sounds to be the lead character of the game. I do not even know the characters name yet, but what is even more intersting is that you are drawn into the trailer so much, you seem to not feel as pissed off that it had absolutely no gameplay, not even a shot of what SH lloks like on NEXT GEN! I mean, I saw nothing but the save symbol that is drawn wherever you can find a place in the game to save, and the words "SILENT HILL V" in red. I was still saying "Wow" after the dialouge. Which proves that Konami know how to make this franchise last.
The plot revealed so far through the dialouge is that a soldier, home from war, yet sounding a tad like someone out of touch with reality, has to find his missing son. So, what better place to look for a missing son than in Silent Hill? This is quite a different tale as was announced around a year or two ago, when the game was going to be based in the insane asylum near SIlent Hill, where the lead character went throught the remenants of the past, explaining what heppended to him to shrinks. I guess that storyline was not holding water, and would not be able to withstand more thatn 8+ hours of gameplay. Nevertheless, more has to be revealed soon, as this was all announced just prior to the E3 2007 showcase. Konami did pay some attention to their trailor, by let words speak louder than actions, and perhaps focused more on the real money maker, Metal Gear Solid: 4.

Just take a little off the top, not really a comfortable looking barber chair there. Bet the Barber Shop Quartet share the same body!

Silent Hill V does look to be a worthy Sequel to IV, but I do hope they make a better final Boss than what was given to us last tine, it was annoying and easy. One way to get pumped up is to go out and get all four first games if you do not own them, and play them all in order. After which, you can watch the decent attempt at the film adaptation, and also count down the days until the second film. All the games should be Greatest Hits by now, or at least at the price in their original packaging.
Hope you've enjoyed this preview, and stay connected to this site for an update coming soon: a "The Stolen Child" Review! Also look forward to a review of Kaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns". Thank you again for your support for Malacast Editorial, and as always, please check for recent updates to the sister site for new amateur writing: shortstoryweekly.blogspot.com!