We’ve finally got our hands on some details around the revised – and unbanned – Australian version of Silent Hill: Homecoming. According to distributor Atari, the edits Konami made to the game only affect camera angles used in the cut-scenes and not the gameplay or the storyline.
An Atari spokesperson emailed me the following statement this morning:
“The major changes to the Australian release of Silent Hill: Homecoming will be made to its cut scenes, where new camera angles and techniques will be used to reduce the impact of the unclassifiable material. These changes have only been made to some scenes, while the original storyline remains unchanged. Because of the availability of an R rating in New Zealand, the version of Silent Hill Homecoming that will be available in that territory will remain unedited.”
For me, this isn’t an issue. As long as the gameplay isn’t changed, I’m fine with it – well, as fine as I can be given our flawed classification system. And to be honest, hasn’t the great strength of the Silent Hill series always been how it isn’t explicit with its horror, but rather plants a seed of uncertainty in your head and lets it grow into cold, creeping fear? If some cut-scenes are tweaked to show less rather than more, maybe it might even become more effective?
But hey, if you disagree with me, note how Atari’s statement finds time to point out there’s an unedited R-rated PAL version available just across the pond.
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