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Back when we first heard about the Silent Hill HD Collection, it was everything that longtime fans of the series could have wanted. Who wouldn’t want to relive survival horror’s glory days in amazing HD? Sure, it seemed like the entire gaming industry was milking the HD Collection cash cow, but the Silent Hill HD Collection was something that everyone really wanted to turn out great. But like Silent Hill itself, the game took on an ugly twist that left many angry with the final product.
With Konami pushing out another patch for the HD Collection and working on one for Downpour to address some of the issues that people have been experiencing, it seems like Konami really wants to make it right. But y’know what would be tops?
Silent Hill HD Collection for the Vita.
At first blush it would seem like a pie-in-the-sky fantasy. The Silent Hill HD Collection is sitting at a measly 3.2 user score on metacritic and seen as almost broken by many reviewers. So why would Konami spend more time and resources to port the game to another system? Why not just cut their losses and move onto their next Silent Hill project, getting Book of Memories released and (most importantly) error free?
I previously stated that the HD Collection could have been so much more. It seems that a lot of reviewers share this sentiment, yet still gave the title an outstanding score anyway, as if nothing were wrong. For instance, IGN gave the title a 90, stating in their review that “little of what makes Silent Hill HD Collection excellent has anything to do with its enhancements. Slight improvements certainly help refresh Silent Hill 3 visually and the new voice recordings sound far more human than the laughable original acting. Really, the best thing about this re-release is what hasn’t changed.”
In one fell swoop, the reviewer stated that the HD Collection was so worthy not because of what changed, but because of what hadn’t. So why bother re-releasing it at all? Perhaps it says something about their reviewer. Maybe they were only reviewing the game for the 360? Doesn’t matter – the review gives off the vibe of ‘let’s just forget the audio visual issues and unfaithful changes made to the game that seem to litter it (you either had glitches/hiccups or you didn’t, and a lot of people reported having them). We’re giving it a 90 because it’s SILENT HILL!’
To be brutally honest – probably to the chagrin of my RoH colleagues – the original games are classics. They didn’t deserve that kind of piss-poor handling. The Silent Hill HD Collection deserves a place in the top echelons of remastered games for the classics that they are and given due care and attention. Not as a nice try, here’s some pity points because the quality-control department said ‘fuck it, they’ll like it anyway’
Konami has been hard at work remastering one of their other beloved franchises: Metal Gear Solid. The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which includes MGS2 and MGS3 saw quite a bit of success on the 360 and PS3 when it was released at the end of last year/earlier this year. Additionally, Snake Eater saw reasonable success and favourable reviews when it released on the Nintendo 3Ds. So it came as quite a surprise to hear that Konami would be releasing the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the Playstation Vita this coming June.
The MGS Collection is set to implement touch screen and rear touchpad controls, utilizing the Vita’s capabilities. Plus, it looks fantastic! Why can’t this be done for the Silent Hill HD Collection? Porting the SHHDC to the Vita would give Konami a chance to make it right. To start over again on a smaller console, to get it right before releasing it so no patches would be required. I don’t work in the industry, so I’m not fully versed on the subject, but wouldn’t working with a smaller system be, well, easier?
What do you think? Should Konami port the Silent Hill HD Collection to the Playstation Vita?
Editor’s note: My qualms are with the Playstation 3 version of the game. Although my picture is of my 360 avatar, I do love my PS3.
