For the first time in a long while, it seems likeSilent Hillfans have cause for optimism, andSilent Hill f’s appropriately unsettling reveal is a big part of that.Silent Hill fwill be the first new game in the franchisesinceSilent Hill: Downpourin 2012, so needless to say, there is a lot riding on its success.
The jury is still out on whether2024’sSilent Hill: the Short Messagecountsas afull-fledgedSilent Hillgame, as it can be completed in less than two hours.
But of course, there is a far greater, less speculative, reason whySilent Hillhas been getting so much positive buzz lately: Bloober Team’s terrificSilent Hill 2remake. Though eyed with suspicion by many fans of the original ahead of its release, theSH2remake turned out to not only be a faithful retelling of the 2001 horror classic, but an expertly crafted, clever, and sophisticated reimagining of it. Changes that Bloober Team made to the original’s structure and presentation only served to strengthen its narrative, not hinder or alter it, and the result is that the seminalSH2story can now be experienced by a broader audience. Konami may want to ride theSilent Hill 2hype train for as long as possible, makingSilent Hill fa sort of spiritual successor, but this would be a bad idea.
Konami Has to Avoid the Temptation to Make Hinako Another James Sunderland
Minor spoilers ahead forSilent Hill 2.
Hinako Shimizu is the unlikelyhero at the center ofSilent Hill f. A teenage girl embroiled in a mysterious and ghostly plague in the small town of Ebisugaoka, Hinako is clearly dealing with some psychological issues independent of the unfolding supernatural events. The game’s official reveal trailer is, unsurprisingly, rather vague and enigmatic, but it clearly conveys an intimate and emotionally evocative tale, focused more on psychological horror than jump scares.
Silent Hill’s particular brand of psych-horrorwas introduced in the first game, but it wasn’t truly established untilSilent Hill 2, whose compelling narrative about grief, guilt, and trauma put it in the same class as horror masterpieces likeThe ShiningandJacob’s Ladder. But as is often the case with successful entries in larger franchises, subsequentSilent Hillgames tended to try and recreateSilent Hill 2’s approach to storytelling. This has had mixed results, with the recentSilent Hill Ascensionperhaps being the best example of how delicate themes, like those at the heart ofSH2, can be devastatingly mishandled.
So althoughSilent Hill fwill ostensibly feature a mature, personal, and psychological story, it hopefully won’t come across likeSilent Hill 2fan fiction. If, say, Hinako’s arc revolves around the twist that she committed some horrible act and is now plagued by guilt, then there’s a very strong chance that it will feel derivative and old-hat. To build a better future for the franchise,Silent Hill fneeds to stake itself in more original ideas.
Why Silent Hill f’s Story Will Probably Differ from Silent Hill 2’s
There’s been a lot of buzz surroundingSilent Hill f’s lead writer Ryukishi07, and for good reason. Best known for theWhen They Cryvisual novel series, Ryukishi07 is one of Japan’s most compelling and innovative horror writers, and has inspired all manner of boundary-pushing VNs, includingDoki Doki Literature Club. All of this is to say that, although he is a bigSilent Hillfan by his own admission, Ryukishi07’s fingerprints will be all overSilent Hill f, and his commitment to unconventional, highly psychological narrative-crafting is sure to make the game feel remarkably unique. Ryukishi07 is nothing if not inventive with his storytelling methods.
