According to NeoGaf, Game Informer reveals in an upcoming issue that the previously titled Silent Hill 8 for PS3/Xbox 360 will be officially known as Silent Hill: Downpour, or as I will be calling it, Silent Hill: DP.

Water is going to play a big part in the game with rain being a major theme and GI shows screenshots of a river running across a ceiling. As someone who is terrified of water, this both excites me and fills me with dread.

Unlike the other titles in the franchise, Silent Hill: Downpour sounds to be more of an open world game with side quest and a larger map than we've ever seen. Players will visit parts of Silent Hill that we've never seen and will not be revisiting some of the classic locales we're all familiar with such as schools and hospitals. In fact, the town is so big that players will utilize a subway system to get around and the demo for the game will take place in the outskirts of SH, much like the trailer we saw at E3.

The combat appears to be largely the same as the other games with most fights avoidable, but the big change is the bosses which will be QTEs. We'll see how that turns out. Expect a return of all your favorite melee weapons, but this time around they're easily breakable and you can only carry one at a time. Puzzles will also be back, being a large part of the franchise, and will have the option to change the difficulty. Hey, some people just want to fight zombies.

I only recently jumped into the series with Silent Hill 2 and fell in love with the game. SH: DP looks great so far and I will definitely be working my way through the rest of the series to prepare for its release later this year.