Silent Hill: Homecoming

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Silent Hill: Homecoming Error creating thumbnail: File missing Game Box Art Release Date: 2007 Developer: Double Helix Games Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment Series: Silent Hill Platforms: PC Genre: Survival Horror

The second Silent Hill title developed by a non-Japanese team and the sixth installment in the video game series (the first four having been developed by the now-disbanded Team Silent), Silent Hill: Homecoming centers around a Special Forces soldier named Alex Shepherd (who incidentally bears a striking resemblance to David Boreanaz), returning to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen after being wounded in battle and eventually discharged from hospital. Upon arriving home he discovers his mother catatonic and only able to ask for the whereabouts of his younger brother Joshua, who apparently has been missing for some time, along with inhuman monsters inexplicably stalking the streets. Setting out to find his brother, he embarks on a dangerous journey as he follows the trail of clues to the nearby town of Silent Hill, all while being haunted by hints of secrets best left buried.

Overview

Taking a cue from Silent Hill 4, the firearms in this game all have different magazine capacities depending on the difficulty level selected at the beginning of the game, the specific details of which are noted in their descriptions. This title is also the first in the series to allow for manual aiming of firearms via an "over-the-shoulder view" along with weak spots on enemies that players can aim for while shooting, and also the first to allow the use of firearms in melee attacks. Compared to the game's dedicated melee weapons, however, using firearms in this manner is slower and less damaging, and is best reserved for knocking back enemies to give one more breathing room to shoot.

To emphasize the "survival" aspect of its "survival horror" genre, Silent Hill: Homecoming is also the first to severely restrict the amount of ammunition the player character can carry. Alex can have no more than 2 full loads of ammunition per firearm plus the load that specific firearm carries, for a total of 3 full loads of ammunition (if he finds more ammunition after having reached this point, he will simply exclaim "I can't carry anymore"). This restricted ammunition load is compounded by the previously-mentioned decreased magazine capacity depending on the difficulty level, forcing players to make their shots count or otherwise rely on melee attacks once their ammunition supply runs out. Each ammunition pick-up item also gives only enough ammunition to fill up its associated firearm once.

Another firearms-related feature this title pioneered for the series was the appearance of "upgraded" firearms obtainable by the player, or in other words, improved versions of firearms that would replace the older versions when picked up. These improved versions all have larger magazine capacities (which ammunition pickups will thankfully match) and better damage stats than those they replace, the latter of which is unrealistic because a firearm's "damage" is a function of its ammunition and not largely dependent on its design.

The following weapons are featured in the 2007 video game Silent Hill: Homecoming:

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Handguns

Colt Single Action Army

The Colt Single Action Army makes a return from Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, simply dubbed "Old Revolver." Like those earlier series titles, it cannot be used by the player. Unlike those titles, no enemies use it either. It is the first firearm available in the game, and one of three that the player must obtain on every playthrough.

Alex first finds it in the lap of his catatonic mother after first coming home, and takes it from her as he fears what she might do with it. Upon finding it to be nonfunctional, he eventually discovers Curtis Ackers' salvage yard in Shepherd's Glen where he then trades it with the yard's owner for the Mk. 23 handgun. The gruff and unfriendly Curtis claims that he can fix the gun eventually, but it never appears after this point in the game. Its deteriorated state implies that it may be a period piece, improperly stored and long forgotten.

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Colt Single Action Army - .45 LC

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The Single Action Army in Lillian Shepherd's possession. Why she would think to earnestly defend herself against inhuman monsters with a non-functional firearm is never explained in the game, nor is the cause of her catatonia.

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The Single Action Army in the game's inventory view. Due to the ingame 3D model shader, the gun looks as though it was dipped in a bucket full of lacquer.

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Curtis: Hmm, pretty neglected. It's a damn shame the way people mistreat such nice things.
Curtis Ackers examining the Single Action Army. Oddly enough, he thinks Alex stole it from his father (when in fact Alex took it from his mother), and Curtis is also heard (though not shown) to be rotating the gun's cylinder in this cutscene, despite the gun's inventory description claiming that its cylinder can't turn. Clearly this was the result of confusion or miscommunication amongst the development team.

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After Alex rescues Deputy Wheeler from a jail cell in the Order-Cult-occupied Overlook Penitentiary, Wheeler for some reason draws a Single Action Army in the cutscene despite using a Mk. 23 handgun right after it. He also violates one of the cardinal safety rules of firearm usage in this scene, that being "never point the muzzle at something you are not willing to shoot."

Custom M1911

Dubbed the "Chrome Hammer Pistol" ingame, this handgun resembles the various M1911s configured for competition shooting produced by companies like Strayer Voigt, Inc. or STI International. Its customizations include a compensated barrel with venting holes in all directions except towards the magwell, holes in the slide to lighten it, and a large external magwell to facilitate quick reloads (though Alex's reload speed is not enhanced by this feature).

The Chrome Hammer pistol has a magazine capacity of twelve rounds on Normal difficulty, and seven on Hard. It can be obtained if the player has Alex hack away at wooden planks blocking off a crypt in the Rose Heights Cemetery with the Fire Axe. Obtaining this weapon is optional, and Alex will still use the Mk 23 handgun in cutscenes.

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Strayer Voigt Infinity 1911 - .45 ACP

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The Chrome Hammer pistol in the game's inventory view.

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Alex firing his Chrome Hammer pistol at a Needler monster. Unfortunately, this monster is capable of blocking most of his shots with its blade-like limbs from the front.

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Alex caving in a Lurker monster's skull with the Chrome Hammer pistol's butt. This melee attack (used by all ingame handguns) has an inconvenient wind-up animation given Alex must first bring his pistol over his head, and in real life would likely break off the external magwell rather than do any real damage.

Taurus PT92

Named the "Mk. 23 Handgun" in-game, it most closely resembles a Taurus PT92,. The gun itself is also very similar to that of the Beretta 92FS "Samurai Edge" featured in Resident Evil, another popular survival horror video game series, although without the stainless barrel and slide-mounted safety. Despite Alex describing the gun as a "9mm pistol", it has apparently been converted to use .45 ACP ammunition as evidenced by the ingame pistol ammunition items. It is safe to assume that Double Helix Games must have mixed the appearance of the PT92 with the caliber and name of the Heckler & Koch Mark 23. The Mk. 23 handgun has a magazine capacity of nine rounds on Normal difficulty and five on Hard, and is one of three ingame firearms that Alex must obtain.

This handgun is the first usable firearm available to the player, and it is obtained after Alex gives the Old Revolver to Curtis Ackers at the Salvage Yard in Shepherd's Glen in return for his information. Curtis then gives the Mk. 23 Handgun to Alex because he likes "a fair trade." It can also be found near the end of the game in a specific room in the Order Cult's Lair, which is useful because the moment Alex enters that level all his weaponry and healing items are stripped from him. The Mk. 23 handgun is also used by Deputy James Wheeler after he hands his shotgun to Alex.

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Taurus PT92 - 9x19mm

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Curtis: "A soldier's gotta have a gun."
Alex: "Thanks."
Curtis: "Yeah, I like a fair trade."

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"The 9mm pistol Curtis Ackers gave me. It's in good condition and easy to use."

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Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth while searching for clues in Silent Hill's Grand Hotel, Alex shoots a Monstrous Nurse in the back of the head before it becomes aware of his presence. Being a Silent Hill monster, however, even this isn't enough to kill it instantly. The game's less-than-realistic ejection animation for spent casings can also be seen here.

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Deputy James Wheeler (his first name is unmentioned in the game but available in the game's files) with a Mk. 23 handgun in the Otherworld version of Silent Hill's Overlook Penitentiary. For some reason, the holster on his right side is always depicted as empty, even before he draws his handgun.

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Not content with merely shooting Silent Hill's monsters, Deputy Wheeler will also use his gun in melee (he never uses a melee weapon for this purpose) whenever the monsters get too close. Here he is seen trying to pistol-whip a Siam monster into submission.

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Alex with the Mk. 23 handgun in one of the game's defining moments. Despite needing to deliver an accurate shot in this cutscene, Alex never lines up the handgun's iron sights with his eyes, and yet still manages to pull this off if the player prompts him to.

Handgun Ammunition

These cartridges are labelled to be .45 ACP, and are scattered throughout the game. Each will give a full magazine's worth of ammunition when picked up, appropriate to the player's currently-equipped handgun and difficulty level.

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The handgun ammunition item on pickup.

Shotguns

Franchi SPAS-12

The Franchi SPAS-12 is featured ingame as the "BlueSteel Shotgun," and replaces the 12 Gauge Shotgun on pickup. Like the "Chrome Hammer" handgun, the SPAS-12 is also optional and can be obtained when Alex unlocks his father Adam Shepherd's (who bears a distinct resemblance to Terry O'Quinn) hunting supply and butcher room with the right key. The BlueSteel' Shotgun has a slightly higher tube magazine capacity of five shells (four on Hard mode), and deals more damage per shot than its predecessor.

There are some differences between the real-life weapon and its ingame version. First, the rear aperture sight used by the real SPAS-12 is not modeled in game, being replaced with a notched rear sight to see the front blade sight through. The real-life SPAS-12's semiautomatic firing mode is also not emulated in this game, and Alex is forced to use it in a pump-action mode only. Unlike many media depictions, the ingame version of the SPAS-12 is depicted with a full-size, fixed, and rifle-style buttstock, which could be because the development team didn't want to have to animate Alex extending or folding the real-life version's folding buttstock each time he took it out or put it away.

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Franchi SPAS-12 - 12 Gauge

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The SPAS-12 in its initial location ingame. The room's status as a hunting supply and butcher room is substantiated by the hunting trophies elsewhere in the Shepherd house, as well as a flashback cutscene that shows Alex's father butchering meat inside.

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The SPAS-12 in the game's inventory view.

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Alex aims the SPAS-12 at two angry and dangerous Siam Monsters charging at him. As can be seen in this screenshot, the front blade sight is too tall to allow proper alignment with the rear sight.

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Alex in full recoil after firing the SPAS-12 at a Siam Monster. Despite being the first player character in the Silent Hill series to properly shoulder a shotgun (the previous ones that could use shotguns all fired them from the hip), he still doesn't properly brace the recoil, making for a very slow firing rate as he must realign the gun after every shot.

Winchester Model 1912

Simply called the "12 Gauge Shotgun" ingame, this weapon best resembles the Winchester Model 1912 pump-action shotgun in 12 Gauge. It has a tube magazine capacity of four shells on Normal difficult, or a paltry three on Hard. The Winchester Model 1912 can first be seen in Shepherd Glen's Salvage Yard, but cannot be obtained there. Alex instead first obtains this shotgun at the Shepherd's Glen Police Station after Deputy Wheeler hands it to him. It appears to have a rifle-style front sight, but no rear sight (which would be required to make full use of a rifle-style front sight, rather than the standard shotgun bead sight).

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Winchester Model 1912 - 12 Gauge

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The Winchester Model 1912's initial location ingame, on Curtis Acker's desk. Alex can ask to take it, but will always be rudely rebuffed.

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The Winchester Model 1912's next appearance is in the hands of Deputy Wheeler, whom Alex first meets after completing the Grand Hotel level. Here Wheeler is shown interrogating Alex behind bars at gunpoint.

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After gaining Wheeler's trust, he escorts Alex through the deserted and boarded-up Shepherd's Glen Police Station. The shotgun's rifle-style front sight can be clearly seen here.

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Deputy Wheeler showing he isn't afraid to smash faces with the butt of the law after the Police Station is invaded by a horde of Schism monsters. The same animation is used by Alex for one of his melee attacks with any long gun.

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"Devastating at close range, but fires and reloads slowly."

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Alex firing the Winchester Model 1912 at one of the game's bosses. For some reason, both ingame shotguns have a blindingly large (and highly unrealistic) muzzle flash when fired.

Shotgun Ammunition

Rarer than handgun ammunition, boxes of shotgun ammunition can be found throughout the game. The shells inside also aren't modelled to reflect the enlarged rim that shotgun ammunition possesses (strangely enough, the spent shells ejected by the ingame shotguns are in fact modelled with enlarged rims). In reality the shells' rims would preclude storage of them side-by-side with their primers facing the same direction without any spacers as the game depicts; the box would either need spacers to keep the rims from butting up against one another, or otherwise the shells inside would need to be placed so that all adjacent shells have their primers facing opposite directions.

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A box of shotgun ammunition ingame. Though the box is sized to carry 10 cartridges, each box will only give you enough ammunition to fill your shotgun's tube magazine once (which in practice means 5 or less).

Rifles

M14

The M14 rifle is surprisingly called the "M14 Assault Rifle" ingame (despite its cartridge making it a battle rifle), and has a magazine capacity of 5 rounds (real-life versions carry 20 rounds). Its stopping power is higher than the ingame handguns, but less than the shotguns. The M14 is an optional weapon, and can be acquired in Silent Hill's Dargento Cemetery if the player completes the Janus statue puzzle and loots it from an otherwise-inaccessible area of the cemetery.

Regardless of whether or not the player obtains the weapon, a few soldiers from Silent Hill's Order cult can be seen using it, though it cannot be looted from their corpses.

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M14 - 7.62x51mm NATO

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The M14's initial ingame-location. Based on this grisly scene, it can be surmised that its previous user was dragged inside the hole to meet an untimely and bloody demise.

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The M14 in the game's inventory view.

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Alex takes a moment to admire the hellish scenery of Silent Hill's Church of the Holy Way in the Otherworld. As can be seen in this screenshot, the rear aperture sight that would be on the real M14 rifle is missing on the ingame model, and without that (or an equivalent, such as a notched rear sight block) as such Alex has no realistic way of lining up the front sight correctly.

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The M14 is also very useful for knocking out fractured glass, as well as buttstroking the occasional monster (Alex will use the same animation for one of his melee attacks with a long gun, and melee attacks with long guns are faster than those made with handguns).

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Alex about to "make like Gordon Freeman" on an M14-wielding Order Soldier.

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare L96A1

The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare L96A1, known in-game as "A Police Marksman Rifle", is featured without a scope and located towards the end of the game in the Underground room 113. It is similar to the M14 in terms of ammunition and capacity, however it is more powerful. Due to the weapon being located in close proximity to Deputy Wheeler and lacking any form of attachments, it may be possible the L96 was bought as a civilian model for use by the Shepherd's Glen police.

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L96A1 - 7.62x51mm NATO

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"Has increased damage and holds more ammunition over the regular rifle."

Other Weapons

Laser Pistol

Like in many previous Silent Hill games, this weapon is unlocked after getting the "UFO Ending". The weapon has unlimited ammunition and is able to kill enemies with rather ease.

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"Small but very effective. Where did this come from? Did aliens leave it here?"