Five years since the last almost-release of a Silent Hill title, and little, if any, interest has been shown by Konami in venturing back to that dark and unsettling resort town. Though there are a host of rumors about the state of the franchise, like one pointing to a soft reboot for the PS5 and another stipulating yet another remake, the future of the horror franchise remains in a fog as thick as the one blanketing the town of Silent Hill itself.
Given these ever-evolving theories, fan salivation for a new outing, and the lackluster HD collection - which still does not hold up to this day - it’s about time Konami stepped off their high horse and brought back Silent Hill for the masses in the form of an exceptional (and horrifying) remaster.
The Atmosphere of Pure Terror
The first three Silent Hill games are without a doubt the best in the franchise, with many even saying that Silent Hill 2 is the greatest horror game ever - if not one of the best games ever made. As Samantha Schorsch notes in her article at Escapist Magazine:
It’s this very atmospheric terror that makes these original Silent Hill outings so unique. Instead of jump scares and consistent hordes of zombies, in Silent Hill players are met with an underlying layer of unforgiving and persistent dread. No other game - save maybe the Metro series - can ever possibly emulate this emotional response in the player. It’s this very connection that invites the necessity of a remaster.
“…Silent Hill 2 takes the “softer” and moderately more cerebral route of guilt, disgust, emotional trauma, and decay: decay of one’s will to live, decay of the mind, decay of the soul, and decay of the surrounding world as you, yourself, wither away.”
It does not stop there, as the intertwining narratives of the original and the third games amplify the entire series as a whole. And these connections aren’t merely in story beats and characters, either, as their similar introductions are what uplifts them, underscored best by Bernard Perron in his book Silent Hill: The Terror Engine:
Dreadful New Beginnings
“At this moment, you realize that the first action you had to perform in SH1 was indeed to get killed. That’s quite an odd, remarkable, and unique introduction for a survival horror game…With monsters to face from the outset, the in-game prologue (omitted when you start another new game) asserts that SH3 is up for more action. And this is not a misconception.”
In a word, the Silent Hill sequels that followed the initial trio were average, to say the least. The Room, for instance, didn’t even take place in the town of Silent Hill, and the four games that proceeded Silent Hill 4 generally received low-to-high 70s review scores. That’s not to say these are terrible games. No true Silent Hill fan will ever pass up an opportunity to revisit this brilliant and dark world, but in all honesty, they can surely be skipped without ever missing out on any fundamental experiences. It’s clear, then, the fanbase has been starving for some of that original atmospheric terror for quite some time.
Yet, then there’s the HD remake. While these aforementioned sequels were generally favorable but not as beloved as the originals, the Silent Hill HD Collection, on the other hand, was met with absolute loathing and considered a disgrace on the series. Harsh as it may seem, there is a variety of reasons why the Silent Hill remake went wrong, such as poorly-rendered fog animation, re-recorded voice acting, and non-existent textures. It’s not so much the developer’s fault as it is Konami’s for losing the original source code of the second and third games. To make matters even worse (and to drive Konami even further into fan distaste), the publisher didn’t want to shell out any more money in the recreation of these PlayStation 2 classics, which left them rather dull and incomplete.
Given all this, do we even want a new Silent Hill? Of course we do, but maybe it doesn’t have to be new and, hopefully, it doesn’t have to come from Konami.
Two Chilling Words: Playable Teaser
Now itself considered a video game urban legend, Silent Hills: PT remains a staple of interactive horror and a benchmark of the franchise - despite never even reaching shelves. Those who downloaded the teaser upon release are now the only lucky few who can still enjoy the experience and the only other way to play this terrifying iteration is through some mighty hoops or some underwhelming PC lookalikes.
If Konami really wanted to reinvigorate their image with fans, in addition to making boatloads upon boatloads of cash, remaking the first three Silent Hill games while tossing in alongside them the PT demo would not only be a step in the right direction but the only direction possible. It may not sit well with those who now adore Kojima Productions, and may not even be possible due to their separation from Konami, but allowing fans the possibility to experience this treasure of a horror game would seal their fate as newfound icons in the industry.
No matter the case, as purported by the highly-trusted horror game leaker AestheticGamer, there is a Silent Hill title in the works. What it may be and how it will be received remain mysteries as dark as the franchise’s own narratives, though it’s clear that fans are in desperate need of a revisit to their favorite mist-filled destination. We can only hope that the oh-so-familiar Welcome to Silent Hill sign becomes tangible once more.
NEXT: Kojima States Death Stranding Was Profitable, P.T./Metal Gear Rumors Are False
