Games

Psychological horror is a tricky thing to pull off in a videogame. But it’s something that the first couple of games in the Silent Hill series managed with aplomb. Unfortunately, recent years haven’t been quite so kind to the franchise, with a greater emphasis being placed on combat at the cost of the more subtle chills that once proved so effective.

In attempting to find a balance between the two styles, …Downpour proves to be neither one thing nor the other. Fans of action games will be disappointed by the clumsy combat system, while those craving something more cerebral will feel let down by the game’s constant recourse to bludgeoning things to death.

Which is a real shame, because at times the game shows genuine flashes of brilliance. There are a handful of truly creepy moments waiting to be unearthed by those who stick with it and you can’t help but wish they were anchored to a better game. 

The visuals are also prove to be particularly atmospheric, even more so if you have the kit to make use of the native 3D mode, which succeeds in drawing you into the onscreen action and makes the horror seem that bit more immediate.

Konami, Xbox 360/PS3, £50 Approx , On sale now
HCC VERDICT 3/5