SHV article in Game Planets (German translation)

[Mis Krist.]

Thanks to SilentHill5.net. I'm going to do a bullet list of the important/interesting parts at the end for the tl;dr crowd.

SILENT HILL V
The horror goes on to the next console generation. First informations about the horror-spectacle of the scary art.

Horrormovies exist like sand at the beach:
Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Grudge and what their names are. Friends of good horror had it very easy with the PS2. There was only two series which guaranted the creep: Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
As Capcom made the decision to made Resident Evil 5 up to the next console generation, Konami goes on and announced Silent Hill V for the next gen. But at the same time a displeasure made his round at the fans. The reason was Konamis decision for the developer-team. Not the own studio was assigned to make the first next gen SH but the american team The Collective. Only the scary soundtrack is made by Akira Yamaoka which also stands aside the americans to give tipps. That The Collective is absolutly aware his responsibility shows their ambitious and promising plans.

Drawed from unutterable suffering and pain.
With the choice of the character The Collective sure stands --
Second Page (39)
-- face against the hardest challenge.
They have to be believable and the maincharacter emotional torned. Alex Shepherd is 22 years old when he recover an wound at a military hospital which he got in the war. What war it is The Collective won't say, because they don't wanna give an political statement. As a daydream Alex have an darksome hunch something will happen to his little brother.
He directly moves back to his hometown Shepherds Glen in New England. As he arrieves the whole place is shrouded in fog and everybody seems to be gone.
The only person he meets is his own mother - totally haggard and barely accessible. From his little brother and father - no clue. The foreground is the effect of war on Alex psyche. The tense situation in the family, which we see in the teaser-trailer is a point too.
"They say war is hell. But there are worse things than war. War changes. And nobody home can understand that. They never understand me. They say you can't go home anymore. They are wrong. I won't anymore."
But behind the fasade there is more. So Alex will find out whats the matter with his hometown and what happened there while he was in war. While the search on his brother and the truth Silent Hill plays an very important role.

Pic 1 - with that banana-monster:
Just sick. The monster-design in the first next-gen adventure is really embarrasing too.
Pic 2 - with the two nurses:
As if victimhood. Alex had done an military-education and know how to answer back. To that effect the battlesystem was advanced.
Pic 3 - Fakten:
> From the producers of Da Vinci Code
> Also comes for Xbox360
> OST from Akira Yamaoka
> Advanced battlesystem with grips, offensive and defensive actions
> Better AI for enemys

Third Page (40)
Splitted horror is half as bad.
Alex Shepherd won't be entire alone in the streets of Shepherd Glen and Silent Hill. Elle Holloway, an old friend stand on his site - he knows here longer what give the potential for possible evolutions. Besides Elle is worried about Alex and often trys to cheer in his bad situation. At this time it isn't cleared if Elle is controlled by CPU or a playable character. Aloud The Collective she will play an superior role in the game. If that as a figur per direct acts, or as a formative element to Alex is pure speculation at this time.

Creepy by Next-Gen power.
Also in Silent Hill V all places have their own hellish otherworld version. The difference between the PS2 games is that the change between the worlds won't be on a special place. The change to the paralellworld will be in real-time. Near by the walls are melting and show us an creepy version. The primal fear stands in the foreground - the fear for the dark. The delevoper will adept adopt light and shadow the let the player in suspense how the area looks like and which creature comes next out of the dark.

Pic 1 - Nurse and little brother:
Trigger. Alex had a daydream about something happens to his brother.
Pic 2 - Straightjacket like monster:
Totally comfortable. The search for his little brother and the truth leads Alex to his hometown and Silent Hill.
Pic 3 - Thin creature:
Totally psycho. Alex wrecked psyche is a mirror of the events and enemys.

Fourth Page (41)
(Is about THE COLLECTIVE. I had opened an thread for them. I won't translate it now, because it has nothing to do with SHV.)

Pic 1 - Beatiful church and streets:
Scary. The developer is anxious to get the typicall SH-atmosphere.
Quote:
Fifth Page (42) >>> SHOW LINK<<<
Because of Havoc-Engine intergration all figures and objects interact realistic with ambience which of course can bring us sometimes unexpected shocking-moments. An classical SH element is the grain-filter which also is implantated in the game and profit from the next-gen power to discomfit the player. Also for the new next-gen trip the developer has is new effects of irritation and they are experimentation with it at the time to presentate much more than the grain-filter. The dynamical change of the ambience should be just one thing to make the feeling of the actuall area. The developer has also aim high for the fog and they definatly wanna use the next-gen power for that.

The new "Defends-Ness".
Because Alex is the first SH protagonist which is trained in using weapons the battlesystem in SHV should be much more manifold. Many defensive and ofensive actions are possible which also interact with the actuall weapon. The ambience like tables or chairs can play also a role. Grips are totally new and can be counter from enemys which should be an radical experience. If Alex military-education affect on the firearms isn't cleared yet. The enemys have an intensive AI. It isn't easy possible to run away - you can made an side-role to flee but enemys won't wait behind doors - they can change rooms. The reactions for noises and visual charms will be articulate. It is also possible to dupe the enemy when you distract 'em with light for example. Moreover The Collective will make the boss fights to an dilly special adventure. We can also be prepared for interesting riddles. In this way The Collective has experience with his game The Da Vinci Code.

Pic 1 - Attic 1:
Drastic Homeland. When Alex comes home nothing is like before.
Pic 2 - Attic 2:
Continual distress. As we know from the other SH games weapons are mostly rustic.
Pic 3 - Alex at the machine:
Headnuts guaranteed. Hard riddles can't fail in SHV.

Sixth Page (43)
Decisions in conversations for example affect of the moraly things. The perfect condition for alternate endings. If there are alternate endings the developer haven't approved now.

Aside from Easy.
The stress on The Collective shoulders to be the first american developer-studio in the history of the series is extremly big. Its not only about bringing the SH series to the new console generation but to advance the series with that step. We can note it The Collective knows his accountability. If that is enough to assure the mostly prejudiced fans is only hope but the plans for the next-gen excursion of the cult-horror-series sounds very good.

Pic 1 - Alex in red:
Hell on earth. The first time in the series the world changes in real time.
Pic 2 - The nurse:
Clever as never. The enemys are much smarter than before and follow Alex to other rooms.
Pic 3 - The nurse 2:
Old Mates. The demonical nurses fans know from the other SH games.


TEXTBOX:
Preview
SILENT HILL V
Genre: Survival- horror
Producer: Konami
Developer: The Collective
Players: 1
Date: 2008
Web: www.collectivestudios.com
Evaluation Impossible
--------------------------
The Collective haven't easy. But the ambitious plans show they know their charge.


-------------------------------------------------
1. Alex received an injury in a war that lead to his hospitalization--TC won't say which war, however, to "avoid political statement."
2. Shepherd's Glen is in New England.
3. "The foreground is the effect of war on Alex psyche. The tense situation in the family, which we see in the teaser-trailer is a point too." -- What I can gather this means the trauma of war is a big part of Alex, but his family problems are also a point of interest for the game. My guess is that Joshua was an accident--I mean ffs Alex is 22, Joshua's what, 9? Unless Mary was the 'in between' child, lulz (not that I'm saying they're related...)
4. Shepherd's Glen's sorry state is at the mo', unexplained. However, Silent Hill plays an important role in Alex's quest for truth and his missing brother.
5. Elle Holloway is your cheerleader of sorts (screenshot of her head at the source link) -- jk, but she does try to cheer Alex up.
6. "Alex wrecked psyche is a mirror of the events and enemies." Nice.
7. "The enemys have an intensive AI. It isn't easy possible to run away - you can made an side-role to flee but enemys won't wait behind doors - they can change rooms. The reactions for noises and visual charms will be articulate" Enemies are smarter--it's like you're actually fighting something with a brain this time. Oh, and they'll follow you around, a la SH4's enemies.

All in all, it doesn't seem like a huge chunk of new information, but I found it really interesting, regardless. The Source link has scans of the article, so. Have fun with that.
Source

[swedish]

Pic of Elle Holloway for those too lazy to follow the links.





She looks a lot like... Heather.

[Mis Krist.]

I think it's the hairstyle that mostly does it, though I wish they'd branch off and try to put different styles of ladies in there. I'd love if they did the same angle of Jacob's girlfriend in.. well, Jacob's Ladder. I didn't know if I liked that woman or hated her.

[Droo]

....she sort of looks like you, Krissy. O_o

[Rave_the_tainted]

Hold the phone, there's a foggy world in New England now? I thought that only areas around the town of Silent Hill could be affected by that? Unless the town's power has completely gotten out of control and has spread throughout the world...

I'm liking how Elle looks though, very pretty.

[Droo]

I imagine that will form the bulk of the mystery of SHV.

However, we have seen weird stuff happen outside of Silent Hill. Heather's hometown and Ashfield.

[Mis Krist.]

Drew: o_o That's.. a scary thought.

I think I'll have to go back and edit my post, and that bullet about Shepherd Glen's state relating to SH. I misread the two lines, apparently..

And Silent Hill is in New England. What's with everyone thinking it isn't?

[Rave_the_tainted]

Then, the fog is kinda like a calling card for the characters?

I imagine that will form the bulk of the mystery of SHV.

true, Alex will probably hear about the town and go to find out why all this crap is happening to him blah blah.

And Silent Hill is in New England. What's with everyone thinking it isn't?

Did I miss something?

[Mis Krist.]

... O_o okay I'm going to have to really buckle down to look this up but it's seriously confusing the hell out of me as to why people think it's either in WV or in an indiscernible area. I mean, the latter makes more sense than WV.

Edit: Douglas asks Heather "I thought you grew up in Portland?"

Portlands that exist in the US: Oregon & Maine.
Douglas does indeed have a California license plate, but the idea that Heather lives on the west coast is a little odd if one thinks of Silent Hill's weather and location, plus the fact that it was so early settled by.. well.. settlers. One would think it would be on the east coast, given this information. I don't know about northern California weather, but I don't think it looks much like Silent Hill's...

So really it's a toss up between either side, but I'm pushing for an east-coast/New England/Maine territory because it fits so perfectly into how much TS has been inspired by Stephen King's works, which are mostly focused in Maine/the New England area, and for the other reasons I mentioned. A quiet, New England tourist-y town up in the hills, secluded from big cities seems quite fitting. More so than West Virginia...

Let it be known, though, that of course TS has been ambiguous of Silent Hill's location, and I slipped a little by pushing my belief as a fact, though I think it's a rather obvious belief.

[Rave_the_tainted]

lol i'm confused, but I don't want to get off topic. all I know is that WV was the location of the movie's Sh and the Sh from the games are in some American state right? sorry if i'm making this way more difficult than it needs to be.

EDIT- WTF was I thinking? I was mistaking New England for England. Sorry Krist.

[Mis Krist.]

Please see my edited post.

And no worries. I've been trying to clear it up all day as well, with little luck. I've determined it could really either be in northern California or on the east coast/Maine region, with more chances of it being east coast/Maine.

... And I'm excited about SHV! Woot!

[Burning Man]

Thanks for posting, Krist. And thanks to Steve for translating the original German article.

I'm quite relieved to see that Elle is going to be a cute girl. Silent Hill is usually filled with depressing and grotesque imagery that you need an outlet, a sight for sore eyes, basically.

[Mis Krist.]

Well, they seem to put at least one or two "sight for sore eyes" in the games--us ladies even lucked out with Henry in SH4...

I almost want to hope that Elle is a person you can control in the game. If the two of them split up, one has their own thing to do while the other does theirs. That's one of the features of RE:0 that I really did love, and how you could call to them to come back if you needed help..

[jdnation]

She looks hot! I thought Heather was pretty hot too... maybe I like weird girls...

[alone in the town]

I'm pretty sure the SH1 instruction manual placed Silent Hill in New England. Or maybe the case.

Verify? I don't have one handy.

[Scanman22]

Yes, Silent Hill 1 calls the town a quite New England resort town. But, throwing in so much stuff about the Civil War battles and such kinda made me lean toward and Eastern "border" state such as West Virginia. Because, no battles in the Civil War took place in upper New England. Why would Toluca Prison exist in New England? Maybe, I'm wrong, but the location has always been a strange mystery after SH1.

[jdnation]

Sounds like these 'decisions in conversations' things may be similar to what Mass Effect is doing... Interesting...

[The Adversary]

>But, throwing in so much stuff about the Civil War battles
There's nothing mentioned regarding "Civil War battles," only that Silent Hill Prison, pre-Toluca Prison, was used for Civil War detainees.

[alone in the town]

Yes, Silent Hill 1 calls the town a quite New England resort town. But, throwing in so much stuff about the Civil War battles and such kinda made me lean toward and Eastern "border" state such as West Virginia. Because, no battles in the Civil War took place in upper New England. Why would Toluca Prison exist in New England? Maybe, I'm wrong, but the location has always been a strange mystery after SH1.

Keeps them far, far from the front lines. Makes perfect sense. There weren't any real major POW camps built that far north, but almost all of them were located many hundreds of miles from the battlefields, in places like Wisconsin, Illinois and New York.

[Scanman22]

My mistake. I thought SH2 mentions a Civil War battle nearby somewhere. No wonder it seemed odd and out of place!