History YMMV / SilentHillDownpour

* CatharsisFactor: While killing Naiper initially can be horrifying, after playing the game and learning what he did, it becomes much more fun to dish out the CruelAndUnusualDeath.

* ContestedSequel: With this being the last official Silent Hill game in the series, it has split the fanbase down on whether or not it’s [[{{Sequelitis}} another bad attempt to produce a Silent Hill game with too many technical problems and a lousy plot]], or a [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel flawed, but a satisfying game that brought the series back to survival horror over action horror and had an engaging story comparable to the early Team Silent games]], ''[[TakeAThirdOption or]]'' a SoOkayItsAverage survival horror game [[InNameOnly that doesn’t feel like it belongs in the series]].

%%* GoddamnedBats: As well as Goddamn Screamers, Goddamn Dolls...half the enemies in the game, really...

* ContestedSequel: With this being the last official Silent Hill game in the series, it has split the fanbase down on whether or not it’s [[{{Sequelitis}} another bad attempt by an American company to produce a Silent Hill game with too many technical problems and a lousy plot]], or a [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel flawed, but a satisfying game that brought the series back to survival horror over action horror and had an engaging story comparable to the early Team Silent games]], ''[[TakeAThirdOption or]]'' a SoOkayItsAverage survival horror game [[InNameOnly that doesn’t feel like it belongs in the series]].

* BaseBreakingCharacter: The Bogeyman. Detractors, most notably ''The Real Silent Hill Experience'' feel that he's yet another rip-off of Pyramid Head in the vein of the Butcher from Origins to cash in on Pyramid Head's WolverinePublicity, with the concept, "a big monster with a heavy weapon who represents the player's hidden psychosis," being too similar to Pyramid Head. Other reviewers like WebVideo/NitroRad and [[WebVideo/LeeAndDena Dena Natali]] felt that he was a much more original character with a different meaning in the plot and that while he's similar to Pyramid Head he's not an outright rip-off like The Butcher.

* UncannyValley: Sewell's lips are...oddly animated. His upper lip seems to vanish whenever he speaks, making his front teeth very prominent to the point where he looks like he's wearing dentures.
** The same can be said of Murphy's mouth. When he talks, his lower jaw awkwardly moves up and down, with only his lower teeth showing.

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: A common criticism of the game is how clunky the gameplay could be. Enemies could still damage you even if you block their attacks, the lock-on mechanic had a habit of just flat out not working, the actual melee combat is unwieldy and often imprecise, the open-ended setting was easy to get lost in (not helped by the game encouraging exploration), and the puzzles were found to be too confusing even for veteran fans. The story, however, was praised for its more gloomy atmosphere and feeling closer to the first several entrees in the franchise without rehashing any specific plot threads.

* BestLevelEver: The final moment of gameplay involves [[spoiler:Murphy, transformed into the Bogeyman, chasing Anne through the prison. All those Weeping Bats, Juggernauts and other nasties that got in your way? '''Flatten them.''']]
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: All the people Murphy meets in the town are either bound there due to their own sins or are a manifestation of Murphy's guilt. Except for the homeless guy found in the subway, who asks for a candy bar, a coat and a fishing rod as part of a sidequest, before opening up the [[GoodBadBugs glitchy subway doors]] and falling asleep/dying as part of a sidequest.
* BrokenBase: This being a ''Franchise/SilentHill'' game it was inevitable. But a big sticking point for many is [[spoiler: how Murphy's past changes depending on the ending]], with fans arguing back and forth if this was an interesting concept or just sloppy writing.
* ContestedSequel: With this being the last official Silent Hill game in the series, it has split the fanbase down on whether or not it’s [[{{Sequelitis}} another bad attempt by an American company to produced a Silent Hill game with too many technical problems and a lousy plot]], or a [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel flawed, but satisfying game that brought the series back to survival horror over action horror and had an engaging story comparable to the early Team Silent games]], ''[[TakeAThirdOption or]]'' a SoOkayItsAverage survival horror game [[InNameOnly that doesn’t feel like it belongs in the series]].
* CriticalDissonance: Critics weren't kind to this game mainly due to technical issues and gameplay frustrations, but it got a rather positive fan reception thanks to putting the emphasis back on survival instead of combat and a storyline that was more remniscient of the older Team Silent entries without feeling rehashed.

** A couple of monsters developed some fan nicknames, before their real ones were revealed. We have a platinum blond monster with a plastic sheen to it; this one is called Barbie (Real name: Doll). Another one is a monster that is able to speak to Murphy, though always with a snide tone. Because of its monocle and somewhat snooty appearance, it was labeled Aristocrat (Real name: Monocle Man).

* {{Narm}}: Some of the sidequests, especially since it's almost unheard of to have something heartwarming happen in a Silent Hill game. Notables ones include scattering a woman's ashes on her favourite bench by the lake, and returning stolen items to the residents of an apartment block. [[spoiler:Entering the old war vet's apartment triggers stock gunfire and explosion noises to clue the player in on what item needs to be returned (a war medal). Returning the item makes a heroic wartime march theme play.]] The player will either smile happily or stifle a laugh.

** The appearance of the void that chases Murphy in the otherworld for some players. The concept is frightening, but the thing itself looks like an unfinished explosion graphic. It doesn't really help that it doesn't have a visible effect on the environment other than certain objects despite supposedly being an all-consuming black hole.

* OneSceneWonder: Monocle Man, who's basically a HighClassGlass {{Eldritch Abomination}}, a giant draped face with a monocle (or, rather, a giant spotlight with the appearance of a monocle) in its left eye. He is encountered at the climax of the cavern train ride whose only words is asking if the player enjoyed the hellish ride. He only appears once in the entire game, but there is no doubt his image will always stick in the minds of the players. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen He was apparently originally planned to be a boss encounter]], but this was cut.

* UncannyValley: Sewell's lips are...oddly animated. His upper lips seems to vanish whenever he speaks, making his front teeth very prominent to the point where he looks like he's wearing dentures.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Surprisingly, [[spoiler: Sewell]]. His plan relied on [[spoiler: manipulating Murphy (who had previously refused to murder Napier) into killing Coleridge and if that didn't work he would have to fight two grown men by himself and hope that Coleridge wouldn't be able to tell anyone the truth. If Murphy couldn't kill the pedophile who murdered his son, what the hell made Sewell think Murphy would kill a guy he actually ''liked''?]]. He actually was very lucky things worked out as they did.
** In the Monastery, the Bogeyman slowly walks over to a young boy has Murphy struggle as he attempts to recite the rhyme from memory despite its entirety being in his journal. [[spoiler:As a result, the Bogeyman is able to snap the boy's neck before he finishes the rhyme.]] Justified due to his obvious panic at the time, not thinking clearly.

* FoeYay:
** So much between Cunningham and Murphy. [[spoiler: Especially when she talks about all the sick and disgusting things she debased herself with just to get Pendleton under her thrall...]]
** Murphy and Sewell, [[DownplayedTrope to a lesser extent]]. Largely because of the prison setting.
* [[GoddamnedBats Goddamn Weeping Bats!]]: As well as Goddamn Screamers, Goddamn Dolls...half the enemies in the game, really...

* WinBackTheCrowd: Somewhat. While the [[BrokenBase base remains as broken as ever]], the general fan reception towards Downpour became more positive in the years following its release, thanks to a patch fixing most of the game's technical issues. You won't see too many ''Silent Hill'' fans completely dismissing the game these days, as they did at launch.

* WinBackTheCrowd: Somewhat. While the [[BrokenBase base remains as broken as ever]], the general fan reception towards Downpour have been surprisingly positive. The majority even states that they'd be OK with Vatra producing another Silent Hill game, should they be able to iron out the obvious technical bugs and remedy the relatively average enemy design.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: The Bogeyman. Detractors, most notably ''The Real Silent Hill Experience'' feel that he's yet another rip-off of Pyramid Head in the vein of the Butcher from Origins to cash in on Pyramid Head's WolverinePublicity. The concept, "a big monster with a heavy weapon who represents the player's hidden psychosis," is too similar to Pyramid Head. Other reviewers like WebVideo/NitroRad and [[WebVideo/LeeAndDena Dena Natali]] felt that he was a much more original character with a different meaning in the plot and that while he's similar to Pyramid Head he's not an outright rip-off like The Butcher.

* {{Narm}}: Some of the sidequests, especially since it's almost unheard of to have something heartwarming happen in a Silent Hill game. Notables ones include scattering a woman's ashes on her favourite bench by the lake, and returning stolen items to the residents of an apartment block. [[spoiler:Entering the old war vet's apartment him triggers stock gunfire and explosion noises to clue the player in on what item needs to be returned (a war medal). Returning the item makes a heroic wartime march theme play.]] The player will either smile happily or stifle a laugh.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: While composer Akira Yamaoka’s presence is sourly missed after his departure from the series, his successor, Daniel Licht, does a damn good job at continuing where he left off. ''[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tXTx1xfZEi8 Intro Perk Walk]]'' in particular manages to create a new, atmospheric sound that fits right at home with past tracks. It’s slow and simplistic.

* TearJerker:
** Early on, there's a poster for a missing dog. And only minutes later in the house, you find the bloodied dead body of a dog on a bed… oh.
** There's a police dog locked in a cruiser in the garage of the Centennial building that barks at Murphy should you investigate. After you get the Security Card, some Weeping Bats swarm the area, and you hear it yelp. Then you see the poor creature's bloodied corpse. This game series does not like animals. With luck, the dogs weren't real, given it was set in the Fog World of Silent Hill.
** Murphy's flashbacks. You know the ones. Not to mention how Silent Hill seems to take extra measures to rub it in and show him increasingly disturbing hallucinations and Otherworld features to remind him.