While Homecoming's look and feel are in line with Silent Hill, the narrative's much clearer. It still deals with familiar series themes (love, forgiveness, sin, redemption), but it's also the most straightforward story to date. By the time I reached one of the game's multiple endings, I had a clear understanding of exactly what happened, and why -- leaving little for me to think about afterward -- whereas previous games were incredibly nuanced and downright confusing, no matter which ending you received.
Homecoming developer Double Helix has stayed true to the series' foundation while also taking steps in a brave new direction; they've crafted a tale that stands well within franchise lore, and they've produced horrifically beautiful environments, occasional framerate drops aside. If Double Helix learns from their mistakes here -- combat balance being the most glaring issue -- their future work could rival the series' best. Homecoming definitely fits well within the franchise, but it also left me eager to see what's next, as this is clearly only the first step in Silent Hill's next evolution.
