Weapons

Silent Hill: Downpour contains a wide variety of weapons, and you must be prepared to use any of them. When your equipped weapon breaks, you must grab whatever’s nearby.

Each time you enter a new area, take stock of the available weapons.

You should keep an eye out for superior weapons of course, but you must be ready to defend yourself with kitchen utensils or the splintered remains of park benches as well.

Seemingly identical weapons can have slight variations in power, attack speed, and durability, but their basic properties will remain fairly consistent.

One-Handed Weapons

One-handed weapons tend to lack power, but their high attack speeds make it much easier to interrupt enemy attacks.

CROWBAR

With a nice balance of speed, power, and durability, the Crowbar is one of the best available one-handed weapons.

The Crowbar is fairly common, it can smash through barricaded doors, and its compact size makes it a great choice in tight spaces.

Two-Handed Weapons

Two-handed weapons generally forgo speed in favor of durability and power.

Using these larger weapons requires precise timing, but the increased weapon length makes it much easier to damage multiple opponents with a single strike.

FIRE AXE

The Fire Axe is one of the game’s best two-handed weapons. It’s fairly common, it packs some serious power, and it can smash through barricaded doors.

HOOK

Because the Hook is the only weapon that’s capable of lowering retractable ladders, it’s best to save it for that purpose.

It can deliver some decent damage, but the Hook’s limited durability makes it a poor choice for most combat situations.

SHOVEL

During your first playthrough, the Shovel can be used like any other two-handed weapon. During your second playthrough, however, it’s best to save available Shovels for use in the “Digging up the Past” side quest.

Thrown Weapons

Although all melee weapons can be thrown, some weapons are poorly suited to any other purpose.

If a weapon isn’t effective at blocking or striking, it’s usually best to simply throw it at an attacker.

Doing so should buy you an extra second or two. Use the extra time to flee or to find a more appropriate weapon.

Firearms

Firearms are powerful ranged weapons. As long as you keep a decent supply of ammunition, you’ll find them invaluable during some of the game’s more difficult encounters.

Although you can hold up to two firearms, doing so prevents you from carrying a designated melee weapon.

COLT

Through most of the game, Pistol Bullets are much more common than Shotgun Shells. Additionally, this firearm performs very well from long range.

If you can only keep one firearm, you’re bound to get much more use out of a Colt than a Shotgun.

SHOTGUN

Overlook Penitentiary contains several Shotguns, allowing you to regularly replenish your supply of Shotgun Shells.

Once you reach this location, the Shotgun becomes a somewhat sustainable (and very useful) weapon.

At close range, the Shotgun delivers outstanding damage, and its extra size makes it a passable melee weapon in a pinch.