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The Silent Hill franchise has been a long and winding one since the days of the original PlayStation console. Sure it's had the ups and downs that all franchises that span close to a decade will come across. From the movement from generation to generation, to developing intriguing storylines, to expanding the genre while keeping intact what made the first incarnations so appealing. It is true that Silent Hill has had its hits and misses where fans are concerned, but it is undeniable that every single version of the series gave you the willies.

Silent Hill: Homecoming is the series movement onto next generation platforms so gamers not only expect the game to come at them with plenty of scares, but push the envelope and take advantage of what our current technology has to offer. Homecoming delivers for the most part, but still falls into some of the same snags. Even though they have tried to take the series back to its roots, it is hard not to feel as if this isn't just a small improvement of what has been done before. For a story line built around suspense and eeriness, it's hard to get the creeps when you felt like you've been through it.

The story follows Alex Shepherd, returning from his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother. Like all Silent Hill games before this, you will find it hard to grasp exactly what is going on in the early goings of the game, but I assure you, things do tend to make sense the further you progress through the story. Finding the truth has its price as you will lose loved ones, struggle between the realms of the real and the unreal, and of course...there will be blood.

The audio is just what you would expect from the Silent Hill series, with that being said, it's a mixed bag. On one hand you have incredible ambient sounds that may or may not be a threat, but the beauty is that you never know when danger will strike. The soundtrack is as gripping as ever and thankfully composed by Akira Yamaoka who has presented the score throughout the series. Of course, like any Silent Hill game, you have the atrocious voice acting. I'm sure the developers are really trying to capture that B-movie feel with stiff emotions, overreactions, and misplaced grunts and groans, but let's face it, in 2008 things should be better than this. At least the dialog and storyline are interesting enough for you to endure the pain.

Silent Hill's biggest obstacle has always been the game play. While they have finally gotten rid of the glitchy camera work, it is still hard to say that Silent Hill feels polished when the controls are concerned. This especially holds true during close quarter battles as you will find it difficult to find your aim and distance when times get tough. Thankfully your arsenal and attack methods are the largest yet in the series, so the rest of the time you will find yourself tinkering with new ways to take down similar creatures. Where Silent Hill really lets some gamers down will be the scares. They are just too few and far between to really keep you on edge the entire game.

With a clever story full of twists, terror, and torment, I would be lying if I said that even with all of its flaws; I still truly enjoyed Silent Hill. Of course I am a fan of the series, I love horror films, and I enjoy the rush of being scared. It was the game's storyline and characters that captured me versus the suspense this time around, but that didn't make the game any less enjoyable for me. If you aren't a fan of the series or old school survivor horror, then Silent Hill: Homecoming isn't the game that will convert you and you may rate this score a letter grade below mine. Otherwise, fans will eat this up as it is the best in the series since Silent Hill 3. Just remember that Pyramid Head is waiting for you.