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The Historical Silent Hill

The upcoming Silent Hill title awaiting us, the town’s Historical Society will be receiving a boost in tourism.

A fan's painting of "Misty Day - Remains of the Judgement"

Game writer Tom Waltz teased FearNet about the eighth installment’s historical twist, describing a tie-in, four-issue comic book that’s set in the 1800s and follows an outlaw named Jebediah Foster.

“I’m hoping that gets the fans going crazy and curious because the new game is a modern story and the comic take place in 1867. So we’re hoping people will be wondering, ‘How the hell can that happen?’”

Waltz confirmed that, with the script fully written, voice-acting for the game has begun. He’s also made fans a bold promise: “What I’ll say is, this is going to be a great game, and it’s going back to the core spirit, maybe people would point to Silent Hill 2. It’s character driven, it’s very dramatic, and I think it’s gonna rejuvenate the title.”

The writer assures gamers that the Silent Hill comics, like the games, aren’t throwaways, stating, “These comics they matter to Konami and they matter to the Silent Hill universe … Once ‘Team Silent’ disbanded and it just became Konami’s game but not the original creators’, the speculation was it’s just a franchise they’re milking and no one cares, but the truth is, everyone cares … Everyone on this team is a fan and cares what the fans think.”

What do you think? Are Silent Hill comics worth four bucks a pop? Can this new game, lacking Yamaoka’s or McGlynn’s grace, steer close to the high-esteemed Silent Hill 2?

No official word yet on the comic’s publisher, but I’m betting the company will stick close with their usual, IDW.

A previous Silent Hill comic.

Tags: IDW Publishing, Konami, Silent Hill, Tom Waltz
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Pilot: Hellboy: The Storm

The dead are rising, and not in a Black Lantern kind of way. In an all hail Hellboy kind of way. Mignola and Fegredo top off their ongoing storyline with The Storm #1, already on shelves.

Mike Mignola reunites with artist Duncan Fegredo, together closing their saga with a final, three-issue arc called The Storm. After Darkness Calls and The Wild Hunt, Hellboy finds himself standing thick in England’s darkest secrets, including that of his own lineage. The days of hacking through demons and tallying mythologies could be ending fast for Hellboy, now inheritor of the European country’s ancestral throne. A bigger evil looms on the horizon as the Queen of Blood’s army threatens Hellboy’s rise as king. Armored bodies of the “noble dead” are stirring in their graves, walking familiar soil once more.

You can read my full recap at Impulse Creations.

Tags: Hellboy, The Storm
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Pull-O-Rama: July ’10

Like Charmed? This month’s Pull-O-Rama feature at Impulse Creations includes an early review of Charmed #1 from Zenescope Entertainment. You can enjoy a little B&R and new indie series goodness on the side, too.

“Dying for a old western style comic with the paranormal and supernatural flair of Hellboy and the detective storytelling of Sherlock Holmes? Hang up your coat and hat and call off the hounds because The Sixth Gun might be just the book readers have been craving.” - The Sixth Gun #1

“In the recently released Batman and Robin #13, the Dynamic Duo’s luck has run short. Not to mention the artwork will send a good chill or two up your spine.” - Batman and Robin #13

“Next week, Zenescope Entertainment channels the Power of Three into comic book form.” - Charmed #1

Tags: Batman and Robin, Charmed, DC, Oni Press, The Sixth Gun, Zenescope Entertainment
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Review: Revolver

Bang, the world’s tearing itself apart. Bang, it never happened. That’s exactly the setup for Matt Kindt’s new graphic novel, Revolver. Read my review over at OneMetal.

“I lie down there; I wake up here.”

From Super Spy author and illustrator Matt Kindt’s imagination emerges Revolver, a new original graphic novel published by Vertigo. The mind-bend asks a difficult question: Is a life full of meaning worth sacrificing for one of shallow comfort? The answer comes easier than readers might think.

Meet Sam. Until a few minutes ago, Sam has never been in a fight, let alone killed another human being. Of course, only a few minutes ago, his luxuriously dull world existed free of terrorist-driven explosions, his superficial girlfriend waited just around the corner, and his biggest complaint was having to edit someone else’s party photos. At 11:11 every night, Sam finds himself walking through a different reality. The boss he once hated now spearheads an underground revolution in which he takes part: a newspaper called “Revolver,” bent on reporting the country’s turmoil that has made looting, savaging, and murder casual occurrences. Each time Sam wakes up, his dead-end job and materialistic obsessions seem pettier than ever before, and only Sam remembers the night’s change—or so he thought. Confused and troubled by the events unfolding around him, Sam seeks the one link between his two worlds: a man named P.K. Verve.

Tags: DC, Matt Kindt, Revolver, Steve Wands, Vertigo
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PS1 Review: Threads of Fate

In a world where aeons (err, [relics]) hold unimaginable power, a spoiled princess with a phobia of pumpkins and itch for world domination and a humble shape-shifter with modest intentions meet in a bumbling little town. As they race for Valen’s relic, the ultimate aeon, the two magically bestowed adventurers pummel thievish pirates, explore ancient ruins, and best a mighty dragon. Wrap two stories, one lighthearted and the other redemptive, in one action RPG/platformer, and Threads of Fate is born.

Japan recognizes Square’s sorely underplayed creation (released here in 2000) as Dewprism, a game drizzled with role-playing elements and rife with personality. Clocking in at around fifteen hours, Threads of Fate engages players in a satisfying romp through dungeons and other fantasy locales. After choosing between the magician-in-training Mint and Rue, a mysterious and driven young man, players arrive at the central hub of Carona, and from there embark on a linear path rich with humor.

Although Mint develops her magical prowess along the way, Rue can transform into the monsters he encounters. Simplistic, non-obtrusive puzzles guarding rare treasure, the heroes must implement a different approach to overcome the challenges embedded within the picturesque environments. Indeed, the graphics have lasted well past their shelf life. Vibrant colors fill the screen, and catchy music adds a fun flair.

Since Mint and Rue can take a generous amount of damage before calling it quits, the game’s design adapts quite flexibly to the player’s skill level, the battle system ensuring that players build their stats without grinding. For perfectionists, extra opportunities periodically surface to boost core stats.

While the manageable but limited number of areas, side quests, and characters creates a wholesome and easygoing mini RPG, the world ends up restricted with little reason to revisit places besides collecting a missed item or two. Although magic is intuitive, players will be hard-pressed to exploit the variety available. With the exception of the aforementioned in-game puzzles, enemies have relatively non-specific weaknesses, so magic goes to waste.

Any head-scratching moments that crop up subside quickly, but one wonders whether this is due to the tight world. For such a small town, Carona poorly utilizes its services: The tavern, church, and Hobbs’ shop justify a stark handful of visits combined, Marco’s shop is always understocked, and the rare item buyers curiously disappear when they’re most needed. With a short list of areas to investigate, players won’t be stuck for long.

Though streamlined and entertaining at first, eventually the story and dialogue begin to drag, restating the same old ideas. Nonetheless, the dynamic aned quirky characters interact wonderfully, every scene comes to life, and the consistently interesting bosses fight fair. Two quests means at least a moderate replay level, but with this game’s charm, you’ll want to bash pumpkins and play with cute Poppul Purrels all day long. 8/10

Tags: Action RPG, Dewprism, Platformer, PlayStation, Square Electronic Arts, Threads of Fate
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