Summary
Silent Hill fis set to be the first new entry to the series since 2012’sSilent Hill: Downpourand, as such, there is huge anticipation to find out what this new game might bring to the table. While it would seem there will not be the usual direct connection to the titular town of Silent Hill, which has incensed some fans and brought up the understandable debate as to whether the series name is only attached to this project for brand recognition and how deep are the links (and how deep they need to be) tothe past setting and games of the series, this change has also developed a lot of intrigue around the new title and interest in what further changes will come with the shift in setting.
It is easy to recognize that many old fans of the series are nervous as the change in location will mean that many other subsequent aspects will also be undergoing alterations. However, it should be appreciated how many new avenues this will open up for the developers and players. There is also moreexcitement in trying something newrather than sticking to what has come before.
1A New Town Means New Locations
Unfamiliarity With The Environment Is A Key Aspect Of Horror
Players have long been too familiar with the setting of Silent Hill. While understandable, the need for new games tocreate new areasto explore has led to the supposedly small town of Silent Hill having two hospitals, a sanatorium AND an asylum, a disused prison (closed due to water damage), a new prison (built on the haunted lake!), two police stations, an orphanage and so it goes on to the point of utter ridiculousness.
Furthermore, players are also overly familiar with the Otherworld of Silent Hill. Rusty metal, degraded streets, walls soiled with damp. While players' expectations can be subverted in places, as wasachieved in the excellentSilent Hill 2remake, this can only go so far before accusations of straying too far from the source and what Silent Hill means to old fans. By changing the setting,Silent Hill fis already completely confounding expectations and creates an opportunity to do things in a radically different way from previous entries.
2Evolution Of Silent Hill’s Unsettling Soundscape
Music For Tears, Tension, And Terror
Whether it was the Spanish guitar, industrial noise, or melancholic piano,Silent Hill’s soundtracks have always been something to behold and whenever Akira Yamaoka is at the helm, somethingboth anxiety-inducing and beautifulseems sure to follow. His soundtracks have always done an excellent job of evolving for each new game to better represent the changes within and create a soundscape that reflects the new environments and characters.
With the obvious big change of a Japanese setting, it is exciting to imagine how the cultural heritage will influence the soundtrack. Also, as this is a more rural setting than Silent Hill, it will be interesting to hear how that affects not only the soundtrack but the ambient audio overall.
3Moving Away From Western Culture Should Reinvent The Horror
Different Influence And Intention Will Reform The Experience
It is to be expected that the horror of the series itself will have something of a homecoming (no pun intended) by changing to a Japanese setting. WhileSilent Hillhas always been set in America, the kind of horror and the method of its delivery always stood out and was so effective because it was a representation of a place and culture created through the lens of another culture. In a similar way that Silent Hill was depicted as a town lost in time and unspecific in era it was likewise lost in place, recognizably American and yet unmistakably something else.
Gradually, the series developed a stronger Western identity and, most notably in the case ofSilent Hill: Homecoming, began to feed from Western horror culture and even modelling itself on the 2006 movie adaptation of the games by Christophe Gans. Hopefully this drastic shift willreturn the series to its core tenetof unsettling and uncanny horror, full of originality and entirely unfamiliar.
4A New Population Of Monsters
Players Can Once Again Expect The Unexpected
While the familiar, unsettling freaks and beasts ofSilent Hillwill always have a place in the hearts of many, it is fair to say that over the years they have lost some of thatall-important fear factor. While it could be fun to see a classic or two undergo a big redesign and appear in some form or other, it will be refreshing to have a whole cavalcade of monsters that players don’t know what to expect from.
While it should certainly be expected to continue the series trend of symbolic relations between the protagonist and the monsters they face, it also seems likely that the change of location will have its own influence on the enemy aesthetics too.
5A Change Of Culture And A Change Of Themes
A New Neighborhood With New Problems
Something already evidenced in the first new entry to theSilent Hillcanon,Silent Hill: The Short Message, is that by moving away from the familiar town there is likewise a movement to examine different issues. Or perhaps, more accurately, from different perspectives and a lessening of dependency on Western culture as integral to the series. InTheShort Message, for example, despite the German setting, it delved into the issue of teenage suicide, which is particularly prevalent in Japan.
WithSilent Hill fbeing set in Japan itself it seems appropriate that the themes and issues present in the story, while no doubt having a global value, will have their roots founded in the fears, traumas, and hopes of Japanese culture.
