Summary
Silent Hillhas been gaining momentum. While the franchise has long been credited with pioneering the psychological horror genre, and its earlier entries remain timeless classics, the series later had a few lesser-received titles that saw its popularity begin to wane. After this rockier period and some uncertainty about its future, though, last year’sSilent Hill 2 Remakewas impressively successful, garnering good sales numbers and being widely lauded by fans and critics, marking a turning point that has put the series back in the spotlight. Two other upcoming games were also known to be in the works alongside the remake, with one of them beingSilent Hill f.
The most recentSilent HillTransmission presentation gave fans a much deeper dive intoSilent Hill f. In development by Neobards (whose previous works include theDevil May Cry HD Collectionand theDead Rising Deluxe Remaster),Silent Hill fwill be forging a new path for the franchise in some major ways. Notably, it will be set in the 1960s in a new locale rather than the familiar town, focusing on the story of teenager Hinako Shimizu living a seemingly normal life in the sleepy fictional Japanese town of Ebisugaoka before being drawn into a world of horror. One of the items shown off wasSilent Hill f’s version of the Otherworld, and how it will channel traditional Japanese elements along with a specific theme to present players with a striking new look and feel for this iconic aspect.
Though less has been revealed about it, the second forthcoming game,Silent Hill: Townfall, is stated to still be on track.
Silent Hill f’s Switch to a Japenese-Influenced Otherworld Could be the Biggest Breath of Fresh Air for the Franchise
Silent Hill’s Otherworld Has Worn a Bit Thin Over the Years
Silent Hillset the tone for psychological survival horror, and one of the main ways it did so was through its use of the Otherworld–the dark and disturbing warped labyrinthine version of the titular town, reflecting each ofSilent Hill’s protagonists' fears and regrets that they inevitably find themselves lost in. This twisted version of reality is composed of creepy, claustrophobic, corroded corridors covered with rust and blood where unsettling creatures and memories lurk to plague the characters.
And while the mechanic and imagery are effective, having become indelibly etched intoSilent Hill’s identity, the Otherworld has remained visually largely the same across most of the entries so far. Longtime players have seen various iterations of the Otherworld throughout, none of which veered far from its original appearance. Team members acknowledged this, and revealed thatSilent Hill f’s interpretation ofthe Otherworldwon’t be “the exact same blood-smeared, rusting scenery.” This bodes well for how it’s willing to break from this tradition to keep the Otherworld terrifying while exploring new territory within it.
Silent Hill f’s Otherworld May Be the Key to Evolving It for the Series
During the Transmission, producer Motoi Okamoto spoke Hill f’s vision, stating that “a noticeable feature of Japanese horror is the idea that beauty can be found within terror.“Silent Hill f’s latest trailerhad some gorgeous glimpses of its Otherworld, which appeared to be more vibrant, with beautifully lit shrines and a landscape dotted with colorful cherry blossoms, while still giving off strong hints of the off-putting horror and confusion that it usually entails.
Taking place in 1960s Japan also seems to lendSilent Hill fthe creative freedom to reinterpret the Otherworld to better align with its story and above theme.Legendary composer, Akira Yamaoka, is involved as well, and will be joined by Kensuke Inage, who was tasked with creating the music forSilent Hill f’s Otherworld sections. Inage elaborated on his approach, describing the score as being, “unsettling yet beautiful, using imagery from shrines and blending ancient Japanese court music with ambient echoes.”
Along withSilent Hill f’s story, the vivid design and art direction of its Otherworld, evoking classic Japanese iconography that retains the series' trademark nightmarish aspects, holds great promise for advancingSilent Hillthrough this bold new concept and presentation.
Silent Hill f is about the beauty that can be found within terror.
