It's been a long time since anyone set foot in the relentlessly punishing town of Silent Hill. Our most recent preview dates back several months, nearly back into 2007, and no other outlet has seen or heard much since. What horrible shapes have been lurking in the darkness since the last time Konami offered a peek? We've got the answer, spread across three days of exclusive Silent Hill: Homecoming coverage.

Day 1: Updated impressions | Day 2: Exclusive movies | Day 3: Interview with Akira Yamaoka



We'll get into the story details later in the impressions, but first we want to bring up the major gameplay changes Double Helix (formerly The Collective) has brought to next-gen Silent Hill. Don't worry, they know what makes the series special, so the traditional standbys are in place; fog-choked streets, unlit hallways filled with broken doors and mind-bending psych-outs are intact and as haunting as ever, but with all new hardware, the time was right for a handful of tweaks.

The most immediate change we picked up was how alive the environments are. As much as we love the older titles, it often felt like you were merely observing the world instead of affecting it. Now, when war-vet Alex Shepherd bumps into a chair, it'll squeak and scrape across the floor, creating a piercing noise that acts as a beacon for all kinds of blood-chugging beasties. Imagine how Peregrin Took felt when he sent the skeleton careening down the well in Fellowship of the Ring - it's not quite that epic, but your toes will definitely curl anytime something tilts, droops or falls.