Summary
It was lying dormant for quite some time, but it looks likeSilent Hillis coming back with a vengeance. A few pieces ofSilent Hillmedia have seen a recent release, while Konami has merely unveiled a few others. TheSilent Hillrollout has been initiated, though it hasn’t been an absolute success so far.
The long-awaitedSilent Hill: The Short Messageseems to be underperforming, landing a fairly negative critical response following its unexpected, free release on PS5. Last year also set the stage for the launch ofSilent Hill: Ascension, an interactive, community-shaped episodic experience whose story is determined by votes from viewers. Unfortunately,Ascensionhasn’t enjoyed resounding success either, with critics citing live-service monetization and questionable writing as reasons to stay away. Despite these disappointing releases, theSilent Hilltrain is continuing to chug along, with multiple additional titles in the works.
Games Confirmed for the Future of Silent Hill
Silent Hill 2 Remake
Arguably the most highly anticipated game in the upcomingSilent Hillrelease schedule, the remake ofSilent Hill 2was revealed in October 2022. Fans got another look at the game during Sony’s February 1 State of Play showcase, which shed additional light onBloober Team’s take onSilent Hill 2’s gameplay. The remake seems to be following in the footsteps of the recentResident Evilremakes, in that it is a full reimagining of the original game, complete with a modern camera perspective and reworked mechanics. There is some apprehension surrounding this remake, mostly due to Bloober Team’s patchy track record and Konami’s history with the franchise.
TheSilent Hill 2remake, at the time of writing, does not have a release date, though it is expected to drop in 2024.
Silent Hill F
Compared to theSilent Hill 2remake, not much is known aboutSilent Hill F. That said, there’s reason to be optimistic about this bold new release, as it looks to be taking risks that could benefit the franchise.Silent Hill Fwill break series traditionby taking place in 1960s Japan rather than in the modern United States.
The game’s decision to move away from the titular town ofSilent Hillis certainly interesting, but many are most excited about the creative mind behind the game. The story ofSilent Hill Fwill be penned by Ryukishi07, an acclaimed novelist and visual novel writer best known for theHigurashi: When They Cryseries. Many fans are hopeful that Ryukishi07’s mind-bending, psychological approach to horror storytelling will translate toSilent Hill F.
Silent Hill: Townfall
Silent Hill: Townfallis shrouded in mystery, even more so than the previously mentionedSilent Hillprojects. Konami offered a short teaser trailer for the game in 2022, but virtually no new information has been revealed since. However,Townfallholds quite a bit of promise, as the game is being developed by not only No Code, the studio behind the well-receivedStories Untold, but also Annapurna Interactive, the indie games giant responsible for titles likeOuter WildsandWhat Remains of Edith Finch.
Games Rumored for the Future of Silent Hill
Ports of the Original Silent Hill Trilogy
Konami hasn’t made any official announcements yet, but comments made byThe Short Messagedeveloper HexaDrive suggest that thefirst threeSilent Hillgames could be portedto modern consoles. In a recent interview, HexaDrive level designer Rika Miyatani stated that the studio was initially going to work on porting the original trilogy, but Konami wanted to pivot toThe Short Messageinstead. Still, this only means that HexaDrive wasn’t selected to port the original trilogy. Given how beloved the first threeSilent Hillgames are, it’s conceivable that Konami would find another candidate to handle the ports.
Silent Hill: The Short Message
WHERE TO PLAY
An all-new, modern Silent Hill experience, powered by the latest in game technology.Following messages from her friend, street artist Maya, Anita arrives at an old, crumbling apartment block. Drawn inside, she soon encounters bizarre, otherworldly spaces and inexplicable happenings as she explores, all while being pursued by a twisted monster.If she wants to make it out alive, Anita must somehow escape the abnormal perils of the apartments and find her way out again. But where is Maya? And just what is this strange world that she finds herself lost in?
