The truth about SH is that Homecoming poisoned the well with its misguided combat and its terrible, horrible, no good, very bad twist, and became a thesis for the aims of Western Silent Hills (regardless of their actual aims). That's why it will be my least favorite forever 1/7

Is Homecoming the worst game ever? Of course not. We've covered how much speedrunners love it. Even people who HATE it admit it has maybe the best boss designs in the series. And you might not want PH there but you sure like his design. 2/7

But because of Homecoming every new SH was "way too combat heavy" if they had any combat at all. "They just kept shoehorning Pyramid Head in" when he was nowhere to be seen. People saw SH like a Bioshock. There is always a James. There is always a tape. There is always PH. 3/7

Do we ever talk about how Howard ISN'T Valtiel and Wheelman and Bogeyman turned out to NOT be Pyramid Heads? No, because Homecoming told us they were. They had to be that's the formula. 4/7

Do we ever compare Claudia/Missionary/Heather/Harry to Sewell/Murphy/Anne/Wheelman? Do we ever talk about the themes of Downpour reframing "they look like monsters to you?" No, because Homecoming. 5/7

So if Silent Hill ends up with a new entry, while I don't envy the theoretical developers (good luck folks), at least their entry will be judged on its own merits, free of Albatross Shepherd and his brother, Genderswap Alessa. 6/7

(and to be clear, this isn't a slight at Homecoming's developers. All super talented passionate folks who put their all into the game they were told to make, tried to right the lopsided ship, and just wanted to bring the scariest town in gaming to HD). 7/7