Aug 30, 2007

It's been nearly four years coming, but the wait for the fifth episode of the gory Silent Hill series is almost up. First details are now starting to trickle out from the dark confines of... wait for it - the game's US developer, The Collective.

Akira Yamaoka, music composer on the project, has confirmed that the game will be set in the same universe as previous episodes of the series, but it will feature an entirely new cast of characters.

The starring figure, Alex Shepherd, a 22-year-old war veteran (a bit young to be a veteran of war, isn't he?), returns home after having a premonition that his brother was in trouble. Sure enough, things at home aren't so rosy and a dark fog is rolling into town. We guess that's when things start to go mental.

Yamaoka, who's additionally overseeing the general look and feel of the game, told EGM that the combat system is receiving a considerable overhaul, which is good news because it was always a bit clumsy for our liking. But let's hope it a bit better than Buffy The Vampire Slayer, eh?

SHV is expected out in US in January 2008, with a UK release yet to be announced.