New Silent Hill pushed back to February

By Robert Purchese Published 14 October, 2008

Europeans play familiar waiting game.

Konami has told Eurogamer that Silent Hill: Homecoming has been pushed back to February 2009 in Europe.

The spooky PC, 360 and PS3 game was expected at the end of the month, on Halloween. No reason was given for the delay, and the publisher was reluctant to discuss the matter further.

We suspect regional localisation issues are to blame. Or, perhaps, Konami simply wanted out of a busy release period. Maybe the extra time will even be used to address a few issues.

Silent Hill: Homecoming was released in the US at the end of September and has earned decent critical applause - resulting in a Metacritic average of 73 per cent.

Homecoming is the sixth instalment in the long-running and successful Silent Hill series (Silent Hill: Origins on PSP being the fifth). Team Silent, however, no longer has a hand in the games, having backed out after Silent Hill 4.

Head over to our Silent Hill: Homecoming gamepage for all the information to date.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • menage #1 3 years ago

    Like anyone really cares then.

  • Darren #2 3 years ago

    I'm a little disappointed to be honest as I was really looking forward to it having only pre-ordered it last week. However, on reflection there are too many potentially good games coming out between now and Christmas so this is probably a good thing in the long run. It'll be released during the post-festive season games drought which means that (a) it is likely to sell better; and (b) I'll have a lot more time to play it! Good news all round really. :)

  • Darren #3 3 years ago

    P.S. Of course if you're a PS3 owner you can import the US version as all PS3 games are region-free. It'll probably work out cheaper too.

  • ArcticWolfx #4 3 years ago

    wasnt gonna buy this cus theres about 10 better games cummin out this year...
    might buy it now if it comes before killzones out

  • neilka #5 3 years ago

    It's been pushed back in Europe because they couldn't release it in Germany without cuts, at least according to Wikipedia article.

  • Ninja_Tino #6 3 years ago

    I'd import but it's meant to be crappy so naaaaaaah!

  • MrDurandPierre #7 3 years ago

    I've beaten the game and it's my favorite Silent Hill. Don't blindly go by metacritic. If you're a fan of the series (and I'm not particularly), you should at least give it a rent. Too bad about the delay thought. But as Darren said, you could import it on PS3.

  • GamesConnoisseur #8 3 years ago

    interesting that EG is using Metacritic as the reference point, why not go further and abstain from scoring games and just give review articles and link to Metacritic rating?! Too many of 'Not as good as Halo 3' or 'OMG same score as so-so game! U r biased and favors Z console'!!

    Score is just subjective number assigned by reviewer to closely match the 'investagtive' article, but I believe a lot of readers just go scroll past the articles text and focus on the NUMBER and cast their judgement!

    Anyway I may import PS3 version, as pissed off with the idea of waiting for Feb! Not going to bother trying X360 as some games are region free and others not so. I got imported Tales of Vesperia that is only locked to Asian X360! So its just a box with a pretty cover! Anyone want it? Just email me and I ll consider a swop.

    Accept the game may not be without fault but still keen on it as have all the Silent Hill related games.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/08 @ 18:16

  • Evolution #9 3 years ago

    Don't think I've seen a review that says this is a good addition to the series, I'm still planning to try it of course, but I'm not hopeful at all. At least the music will be good as ever?

  • Skeletor #10 3 years ago

    @neilka
    You should learn how to read. Australian AND German ratings boards refused to give it a rating. There are also several technical issues with the US version. Most likely, Konami plans to tone down some of the "torture-porn-style" violence and fix the technical problems along the way.
    Btw, you can release games unrated in Germany it's just that you can make more money by getting a rating first.

  • [TR] #11 3 years ago

    Ah! The waiting game!
    These developers are brilliant, I tell you! Throwing in these mini-games that you can play before you even have the game. The rest of the world doesn't know what they're missing!

  • miiiguel #12 3 years ago

    GamesConnoisseur, before importing a 360 game, go to playasia.com as they list which ones are and are not. Btw, I just ordered an jNTSC 360 from there, so if you want to get rid of those Tales, PM me (soon as I will get it if you're not interrested)
    ta ta!
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/08 @ 11:55

  • indafunkyhouse #13 3 years ago

    Typical fuckin germans and aussies causing all the problems, and its the rest of us who have to suffer with a heavily censored version of the game. Guess they have to give us the censored one seeing as anyone in germany and aus could pick up our copy and play it

  • Zero9X #14 3 years ago

    For good reason, it certainly can't stand up well with whats getting released this and next month. I imported this rubbish, gave up on it due to its god awful. Very Low resolution textures everywhere, plastic character models and lack of any decent graphical detail to speak of in the normal realm. Hair designed by Playmobile.

    The dogs look like something i made out of red plasticine when i was 6.

    Alex moves way too slow, he looks like he is moving faster than he acually is. He also has the loudest steps i've heard in a game for awhile.

    Where i was constantly focusing on the graphics i was missing out on the atmosphere, it was just way too hard to ignore. I'm a huge fan of the Silent Hill series and it pains me i just couldn't put up with it.

  • Mr_Brown #15 3 years ago

    To be honest I was going to buy it, but wouldn't be able to afford it next month. So not a huge loss then.

  • bad09 #16 3 years ago

    Well if my local still has some import copies I'm buying it tomorrow ;)

  • the_jamaster #17 3 years ago

    Was looking forward to this so that sucks dosen't surprise me though. Oh well might get Dead Space for now.

  • snafu65 #18 3 years ago

    They can push it back indefinitely as far as I'm concerned, its gonna be crap anyway.

  • spudsbuckley #19 3 years ago

    Played it, finished it, it's great!

    I love the fact that the PS3 is region free :)

    /goes back to enjoying €40 games from Canada

  • GamesConnoisseur #20 3 years ago

    Miiiguel: "GamesConnoisseur, before importing a 360 game, go to playasia.com as they list which ones are and are not. Btw, I just ordered an jNTSC 360 from there, so if you want to get rid of those Tales, PM me (soon as I will get it if you're not interrested)
    ta ta!"

    Ta re tip for checking for compatibility, it is strange that at one time it was said X360 would be region free but depending on which publisher. Should have pursued region free ambition.

    However happy to get the game to you Miiiguel! We ll sort it out via XBL, cheers mate.

    I was stonked suprised when I got into my local PC World to get new 1 TB hard drive and ponder BD drive when I glimpsed "Silent Hill: Homecoming" Strategy Guidebook! Freaking hell I thought and the game not going to appear on the PC World's games shelves until February. I browsed through the book, saw some great artworks and interested in the new monsters, weapons and was pretty close to buying it even though no game to go with it!!
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/08 @ 18:38

  • napalm68 #21 3 years ago

    I'd make a guess it was to make a censored cut to appease the Australian and some European censors.

  • Tetragammatron #22 3 years ago

    I keep hearing the "I'd have no money anyway" argument, what games are coming out that would have prevented a purchase of this particular game? Yes I'm out of the loop.

  • Zebula77 #23 3 years ago

    This is incredibly disappointing. I'm getting it on import, but the delay is still very baffling.
    Probably won't be the best Silent Hill game at an average of what, 75% scores? Well, Silent Hill 2 only scored in the mid-80s as far as I remember and that's pretty much the best game I've ever played.
    We'll see. Definitely looking forward to this.

  • timberwolf #24 3 years ago

    game's crap thats why.

  • CaptainKicker #25 3 years ago

    Thank you Germany for being a bitch

  • Triggerhappytel #26 3 years ago

    "I keep hearing the "I'd have no money anyway" argument, what games are coming out that would have prevented a purchase of this particular game? Yes I'm out of the loop."

    Wow, you are out of the loop. Fable 2, Gears 2, Far Cry 2, Mirror's Edge, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, Banjo Kazooie 3, Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, etc.

    This is the busiest pre-Christmas games rush I ever remember.

  • Tetragammatron #27 3 years ago

    Damn, makes me wish I had a functioning console ;[

    PS3, 360 both on the scrapheap at the moment, I should probably get them fixed!

  • VMerken #28 3 years ago

    OOOoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo

    Guess I better not watch Zero Punctuation next week or the spoilers will be the end of me.

    Heh.