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It's a franchise that carries plenty of pedigree, but for the last few years Silent Hill has failed to make an impact on the genre it used to single-handedly dominate. Following its fourth instalment, Konami detached the series from Team Silent, handing subsequent development duties to up-and-coming Western studios.

Though Portsmouth-based Climax Games managed to deliver with Silent Hill: Origins and 2009's Shattered Memories for PSP and Wii, Double Helix missed the mark. It wasn't by a wide margin, garnering middling reviews, but it didn't resemble the next-gen revolution Silent Hill fans had been anticipating for nearly half a decade.

Sadly, Downpour isn't the return to form some were (perhaps foolishly) holding out for. Developed by Vatra Games of the Czech Republic, Konami has once again risked one its most beloved flagships with a largely untested studio.

The set-up feels a little dry in places, though just when you assume the narrative is about to yank on the handbrake, it begins to open up instead. As with previous games in the series, characters aren't pre-developed, each one is a blank canvas that is gradually moulded as they explore Silent Hill. Murphy is generally unlikeable for the first portion of the game, though when players start to see glimpses into his past and the motivations behind his actions it becomes easy to sympathise with the character.

However, whilst players may come to relate to Murphy, Downpour is fairly short on secondary characters, only two or three having any real presence. It would have been nice to meet up with other prisoners and gauge their reactions to the events unfolding around them, though at the same time their absence enhances the isolation of Murphy's grim struggle through his own personal hell.

That said, if you stray from the beaten path, there's a good chance you'll pick up a number of side quests along the way. In fact there are several sizeable locations, including a derelict movie theatre, that are completely optional, though often tied to puzzles and side quests. These areas may not have huge significance in the grand scheme of things but they act as substantive diversions, elongating Downpour's shelf life considerably.

So, there's a degree of freedom to be enjoyed but when exploring the vacant outlets of Silent Hill, things are much more structured. Pockets of enemies and tension spikes are mixed between puzzle sequences that will regularly task players with retrieving keys or combinations. Puzzles are fun for the most part, although they become repetitive at times.

Combat, and particularly melee combat, has never been the central attraction of the Silent Hill series; the last instalment, Shattered Memories, encouraged players to flee more often than fight; enemies were often too strong to engage, or there were chase set pieces that needed to be activated. In Downpour, however, players will find themselves trying to escape from the close quarters gameplay more than anything else.

With one button to swing with a weapon and another to block, the system is extremely primitive, "last-gen primitive" perhaps being too much of a compliment. Sure, no one should expect something akin to Rocksteady's Arkham series, it simply wouldn't do the franchise justice but in Downpour, having no combat at all would have been preferable.

Even if your time with previous games in the series has been limited, there's a disturbing sense of welcoming when the familiar sheet of fog begins to descend and the eerie ambience starts to kick in. For better or worse, Silent Hill hasn't altered its distinct visual appeal one bit since its first iteration more than a decade ago.

Sure, there are new districts to explore and creatures to encounter, but at its core, it successfully manages to retain the series' iconic atmosphere. From time to time players will also peel back the grey, crumbling brickwork of Silent Hill to unearth the Otherworld, a blood-soaked parallel universe that reflects the persistent theme of chains and imprisonment.

Voice acting can be a mixed bag, though the only gripes to be had mainly concern scripting. Dialogue won't always gel between two or more characters in a conversation, though the overall quality is above average, especially the portrayal of Murphy during a few of the more emotional sequences.

1. Captures the essence of Silent Hill.
2. A satisfying narrative with multiple outcomes.
3. Plenty of optional side content.
4. Decent voice acting, great soundtack.
5. Otherworld transition is well done.

1. Melee combat is absolutely dire.
2. Puzzles can get too obstructive.
3. Little replay value for non-completionists.
4. Enemies lack variety.

Going into Silent Hill: Downpour as a fan of the genre, it's easy to overlook a number of the game's niggling issues and instead focus on the immersive atmosphere. However, for those yet to build a rapport with the iconic franchise, this may not be the best place to start. It may be a visually sound package that throws a few unique spins on the Silent Hill template, though the sometimes awkward puzzles and irredeemably abysmal combat are enough to drag Downpour down the gutter and towards mediocrity.