If you had told me in 1999 that Silent Hill would ever be anything less than terrifying, my response would have been an incredulous, nervous laugh, muffled by the blanket I used to shield myself from newfound imaginary horrors. And yet, the human mind quickly adapts, swiftly categorizing and sterilizing even the bizarre world Konami created all those years ago. With seven games to its name, Silent Hill has arguably been gathering rust for quite some time.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories did wonders to revitalize the series, though the fresh take on its mythos did little to move copies off of retail shelves. Enter Silent Hill: Downpour, which tries to have it both ways, hewing a bit closer to the series' roots while attempting to offer a new twist on the twisted traditions of Silent Hill.