Talk:Silent Hill: Homecoming

Kenzie LaMar's Artwork
I just received a note back from Kenzie LaMar, one of the character and creature designers who worked on Silent Hill: Homecoming, kindly granting us permission to upload his conceptual designs and models for use on our Wiki, so I'll be working on that today. His work is really detailed, so if you're a fan of his work in the game, you can see them on his Deviant Art account. http://hedrus.deviantart.com/ He also said he'd check out our Wiki! Thanks Mr. LaMar! -- 20:26, September 30, 2009 (UTC)

Glitched boss?
I beat that boss 30min. without cease, but nothing happend. I have PC version. maybe game is damaged?
 * There are several bosses in SHH. Which one are you talking about?  AlessaGillespie  Talk   Contributions  10:24, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

I bet it's that freakin'scarlet boss. She's really hard to kill without a good amount of health drinks and those press  moments when you have to break off her back.--Dfskelleton 22:58, December 9, 2009 (UTC)

I had a rough time with Scarlet as well the firt few rounds, but she didn't take THAT long to beat. Sounds like a glitch, hope reloading helped. Mordrid13 11:52, July 23, 2012 (UTC)Mordrid13

Why do people not like this one?
I don't understand why anyone could hate this installment, in fact, It's my 3rd favorite (behind SH3 and the awesome SH2).--Dfskelleton 20:03, November 15, 2009 (UTC)
 * People feel it doesn't live up to the original games. Personally, I felt the storyline was extremely cliched and just didn't feel like Silent Hill.  AlessaGillespie  Talk   Contributions  03:05, November 17, 2009 (UTC)

True, Homecoming was more "I'm too creeped out to play anymore" and those startling "AAAAAH!" moments than Silent Hill 2's "THIS IS SO FREAKING SCARY I MUST STOP PLAYING BUT I CAN'T! I SIMPLY CAN'T! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!" but maybe it's because it's the first one I played and I can kinda relate to the characters a bit more. I do have a younger sibling and I know that kinda fear when you think something bad might have happened. However, certain parts I agree were kinda cliched, like  and , But I thought the plot was interesting enough considering I had been playing Halo 3, bioshock, dead space, and prey for the past month, and The new change seemed pretty good. So, alone, It's great and better than most other xbox games I had recently played, But compared to 1,2, and 3, it's not all that amazing. I probably just have a special place for it in my heart because it was the first one I played, and the hell house and hospital freaked me out a lot. I have to thank it for getting me in to the series.--Dfskelleton 05:40, December 9, 2009 (UTC)

I loved this one. It really had more of a Silent Hill feel to it, especially compared to The Room. That one to me is the one in the series that should have been made into a different game, not under the Silent Hill name.

I loved the nods to the other games, and I love the characters. Some parts are cliched I will agree with that, but I really don't feel it's the worst in the series. Frankly it all comes down to opinions being like assholes and everyone having one. --Peroxwhy gen 19:10, December 10, 2009 (UTC)

I enjoyed playing it, but I feel it was more of a carbon copy of the film's aesthetics and didn't try to be really unique in any way. I like the characters, such as Alex and Elle, and the story was good, I just feel it wasn't all that original, or strive to stand out beyond being a visually impressive game. But that's just me. -- Faded-Myth  Discuss   My Workload  05:26, December 11, 2009 (UTC)

I think people might enjoy it if this is their FIRST Silent Hill game. That should explain a lot. Because we'll have others doing the comparison or seeing similarities.Horong 17:58, October 12, 2011 (UTC)

my biggest issue (but not my only issue) with this game was that so much was ripped from the film for nothing more than fan service, and then retconed into the series. the whole 'boogyman is/isnt pyramid-head' thing is pretty much the "han or greedo" argument of the silent hill fanbase now. the peal away effect, the otherworld design, i dont feel like im playing a silent hill game, i feel like im playing a game based on the film.

why does every game from this point on have to have the otherworld transition use that peel away effect? why do they use it at? its another concept from the film, not the games. so many staples of the series have been lost or altered beause of this games need to retcon concepts from the film. to me this game was the beginning of the downfall for this series. thats why i hate it. (also, predictable story, bad graphics, poor animation, lacked tension, art design wasnt great, etc etc)  Shawnh (talk) 00:09, April 5, 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure what definition you're using for "retcon". A retcon, from what I understand, is a change in canon that cannot be logically explained. Everyone sees the Otherworld differently, and Alex did not exist in the series before SHH, so I don't know how you could claim that the slightly altered look of the Otherworld is a retcon. The Otherworld's look was not stagnant in the original games either, and changed constantly between each game. In fact, it even changed within Silent Hill 2 itself, to depict the different Otherworlds seen by James, Angela and Eddie. There's no reason why SHH's aesthetic has to be a carbon copy of any of the previous installments. It makes sense to give it a similar look to the film, since the film drew in so many new fans and was highly praised for its visuals. Pyramid Head / Bogeyman isn't a retcon either, because he looks differently enough from James's monster that it's obvious he's being manifested from someone else's mind.it's not like they didn't give him a reason to be there. I have no problem with SHH utilizing the film's look because A) it doesn't do anything to the canon because the Otherworld changes its appearance constantly based on who's viewing it anyway, and B) the film was pretty damned beautiful, IMO. Nothing in the canon of the games was altered by the films, so I don't know what retcons you're talking about.  AlessaGillespie  Talk   Contributions  03:46, April 5, 2013 (UTC)


 * sorry for the misuse of the word.  i never said the older games looked the same, im very aware of the variety.  im saying that from this game on the otherworld was too similar.  (excluding shattered memories)  Homecoming uses the peel away transition, Origin uses it at the end, Downpoor uses it, and i could bet the next installment will use it aswell.  while we both may agree that Pyramid Head and Bogeyman arent the same, that doesnt mean people dont argue about it.  Look at the talk page for PH for that example.  Shawnh (talk) 08:43, April 5, 2013 (UTC)

Death of Alex's father
I think we should change those boss trivias saying only Amnion hadn't tried to kill Josh's parents. The Pyramid Head/Bogeyman is a manifestation of Alex, isn't it? It killed Adam, so all the manifestation of the sacrificial children had been trying to kill their parents(Alex is originally to be drowned according to the order). If you stick to Amnion, it did tries to kill Alex, Josh's killer.

Homecoming: Good or Bad?
I have seen all the crap everyone hands Homecoming, but, in all actuality, its not THAT bad. I mean, ok, not as good as 2, but it really could have been worse.Awesomebloodvamp 11:22, August 28, 2010 (UTC)

Agreed. I actually liked it quite a bit. I can see where the negative comments are coming from, makes sense to me. I think my only complaint was that it was kind of easy. Except for the Scarlett battle, I had no problems. Just a little too linear, but I enjoyed it over all. Mordrid13 11:57, July 23, 2012 (UTC)Mordrid13

When asking such "broad" questions like this can you please keep it in the forums. We should only be discussing relevant subjects in relation to wiki page on this talk page, really, as so not to clog up the log. Thanks - Mr Hazard 12:02, July 23, 2012 (UTC)

Flashback with the Laser Pistol
Am I the only one to notice when Alex has the Flashback of him giving Josh the Flashlight, the Laser Pistol on the locker/Toychest after you unlock it from the UFO ending?

— Cheryl Mason 12  00:32, March 29, 2011 (UTC)
 * I actually liked it. The storyline was not as good as the others, but I thought it was fun to beat the crap out of enemies and I loved the bossess, my favorite being Scarlet. - 050294 04:49, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
 * I loved it. had a bit of trouble with Scarlett, meaning she would not die. But, don't worry, i already know who, what and why she is.Awesomebloodvamp 09:31, August 29, 2010 (UTC)

Alex was not angry when he was wrestling with Joshua?
In the article somehow it insisted that Alex was in an "angry rage" or "jealous rage", but it has changed to "snatching with anger" or some sorts. He was not showing anger or neither was he snatching it; he just didn't let go, and the friendly wrestle turned into disaster, did it not? :S

Photo
In the first cutscene, after Alex see who's pushing the gurney, he looks at his left and a photo can be seen for a second, the picture of three children, a girl between two boys. Is this a reference to the killed children? Or maybe it goes so fast I can't discern who's in that photo. --Lady ligeia 10:31, October 31, 2011 (UTC)

Symbolism issues
I have a bit of an issue with a couple of the speculations seen in the Trivia section. The first is the 2:06 speculation. It's made pretty clear in the game that 2:06 is the time Josh is fished out of the water, and Alex's mind becomes overloaded by guilt. To turn it into 6 - 2 is way beyond iffy and reaching, IMHO. There are 4 children and 4 families, yes, but I highly doubt that's meant to be symbolic of a number fear in foreign countries, and especially linking the 2:06 to it is just way out there. I doubt the random coincidence that the word HATE just happens to have 4 numbers is evidence for anything, either.

My second issue is with the "horizontal bodies" bullet. The bodies are split horizontally because that's how Adam died, not because of some obscure psychological theory. I just don't see the evidence for this to stay.

Thoughts?  AlessaGillespie  Talk   Contributions  01:44, June 3, 2013 (UTC)

2:06 may also pertain to the serial killer who was executed and pronounced dead at 2:09. 2:06 may be the time he joined his "lord". Played HC for the first time this week and sorta breezed through it. Just my 2 centsLuxor Dome (talk) 00:25, September 7, 2014 (UTC)

I completely agree on the horizontal bodies, they're pretty far-reaching and make a lot of vague allusions and appeals to authority. "Neuroscientists have concluded" and "these in-sleep experiences are frequently called sideways views on reality" should at the very have external links to reputable sources to back them up. DCartland (talk) 11:04, April 27, 2018 (UTC)

Scarlet (Alex's 2nd death animation)
The wiki on Scarlet states that there is a second death animation for Alex where he gets lifted up by Scarlet and gets his head bitten off like Dr. Fitch(not being decapped from being bitten on the neck after being pounced on). Anyboby know how to trigger this? And which phase does it occur? Thanx

Luxor Dome (talk) 00:15, September 7, 2014 (UTC)

Date?
How do we know that the game takes place in October 2007? Has any staff confirmed it? Staurophobia (talk) 13:08, August 9, 2017 (UTC)

I believe the dates come from Alex Shepherd's Diary, Elle Holloway's Diary and Deputy Wheeler's Diary, which were supplementary texts not present in the game. -- Murphy Pendleton  :D  13:10, August 11, 2017 (UTC)

Anybody have a link to the interview described?
I pretty distinctly watching or reading an interview with one of the developers (most likely Tomm Hullett) where they state that the combat in the game was beefed up to reflect Alex's military background. I'd like to add this contradiction to the trivia section but I can't seem to find the interview and don't want to add it unless I'm 100% sure that it actually exists. DCartland (talk) 11:05, April 27, 2018 (UTC)

Completely wrong part.
In the section 'trivia' there was this statement 'supported by the ending in which it is revealed that Alex had been in a mental asylum throughout the entire game', no he wasn't in a mental asylum throughout the entire game, that was BEFORE the game, the events in the game are real and are caused by the god in silent hill for breaking the pact, suggesting the story of silent hill homecoming wasn't real and alex was in a mental asylum throughout the 'entire game' is offensive towards the game. That ending is ridiculous and not the real ending, is as canon as the UFO ending or even less. Correct it please to 'supported by the ending in which Alex had been in a mental asylum throughout the entire game', since 'revealed' considers that ending as true. I saw the ending but that ending can't be canon, it completely rejects the story of the entire game as an illusion, is as canon as the UFO ending or the bogeyman ending, and even more absurb and ridiculous than the UFO ending, even the surgeons are his own father and one of then has the voice of Wheeler, the real ending must be the good ending, the other 3 are ridiculous and illogical. Only 1 of the endings must be the real ending, the others are absurb and illogical, the bogeyman ending seems quite unlikely and a joke ending, seems unlikely pyramid head would turn Alex into another pyramid head, the ending in which his father drowns him is quite illogical and absurb since it nullifies the story of the game, the UFO is the most obvious joke not real ending, and the ending in which all was a dream is very illogical and absurb too, because it destroys and nullifies the entire game in case that was the true ending, therefore it can't be real, the true ending can't destroy the entire game and itself, the all-was-a-dream ending is as ridiculous as the UFO ending besides being extremely offensive towards the game if considered the true ending. Anyone with simple logic skills should know that can't be the true ending. -SCARLET


 * It wasn't "completely wrong" at all, you're just interpretting what the article said incorrectly. When it said, "supported by the ending in which it is revealed that Alex had been in a mental asylum throughout the entire game", this is true because it's just talking about this one specific ending, and anyone who takes this to mean it was suggesting this applies to the whole game is misinterpretting this part. Could it have been worded better so newcomers don't get the wrong idea? Sure, but it was always still truthful and it should been obvious to the reader the hospital ending backstory only applies to itself when we have a plot summary of the whole game up until you get the endings. — Alex Shepherd   ツ  17:33, 12 April 2021 (UTC)


 * I stand by what Alex said. Not to mention, we as consumers and not the creators, who deliberately left the "true" ending to be ambiguous (although there are those more likely than others, sure), have no jurisdiction here on the wiki to proclaim which ending is absolutely canon. We must respect the decision by the game's developers to not have an ending that is set in stone as the one ruling over the others. We can't let our own opinions and emotions on certain endings overrule facts, which in this case is simply we do not know with absolute certainty the "real" ending of Homecoming as planned by the development studio. ╟_Ωzz… &#12288; t a l k  02:07, 15 April 2021 (UTC)