ONE of the world’s most iconic horror game franchises is returning after ten years.
Konami shocked fans with not one but two announcements – and the latest entry is available today totally free on PS5.
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Silent Hill was a noughties hit spanning several games and even two movies.
Fans of the series have been itching for a new game since the ill-fated P.T. demo that was released in 2014.
“We wanted to make a new, modern Silent Hill. As part of that we explored how we could incorporate contemporary problems.
Motoi Okamoto
It was sensationally yanked following a decision to cancel a planned Silent Hills title and there hasn’t been much else from the franchise since, aside from from last year’s interactive streaming series Silent Hill: Ascension.
Such is the longing for more Silent Hill, PS4 consoles with P.T. installed before it was removed can fetch around £500.
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“In 2022, we announced a revival for the Silent Hill series, along with several new titles in development, and this marks the first of that new wave of games to be released,” Motoi Okamoto, a producer from Konami said.
“We’re releasing the whole game for free, so if you’ve never played a Silent Hill game before, we hope you’ll take this chance to get a taste of what Silent Hill is all about.”
This latest instalment, Silent Hill: The Short Message, follows protagonist Anita as she finds her sense of reality shattered by a series of bizarre and otherworldly spaces and a twisted monster.
“We wanted to make a new, modern Silent Hill,” Okamoto continued.
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“As part of that we explored how we could incorporate contemporary problems.
“We ended up looking at how modern youth communicate online and through phones, and the role that could play in a psychological horror story.
“For instance, a frightening thing about social media is how even insignificant individual comments can, en masse, build and build until they become this overwhelming wave of hate crashing down on you.”
Gamers have already rushed to download the new title and say it lasts around an hour and a half.
“That actually came out of nowhere, just finished it…hits right into the feels…” one user wrote.
“Welp, looks like we getting spooked tonight boiz,” another wrote.
“Playing this right now and the message is DEEP!” a third commented.
Others were quick to reference the P.T. fiasco, saying: “This time, DO NOT erase this from your hard drives!”
Looking back on Silent Hill
The very first Silent Hill game burst onto the scene way back in 1999 on the PS1.
It went on to become one of the most recognised horror gaming franchises and spanned over a dozen more titles.
In 2006, Silent Hill was adapted into a movie that grossed $156million – a sequel was released in 2012 and a third called Return to Silent Hill is currently being filmed.
Gamers have been waiting years for a new Silent Hill game – their last disappointment was 2012’s Silent Hills which had Japanese video game designer legend Hideo Kojima and Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro attached to it.
But the title was dramatically cancelled and the entire franchise was left in limbo for an undisclosed reason – rumours suggested it was due to a fallout between Kojima and Konami.
Remake
The return of Silent Hill came during a jam-packed PlayStation State of Play, an event the gaming giant uses to tease all its upcoming projects.
Fans also learnt that Silent Hill 2 is being remade for the PS5 with “improved and modernised” combat.
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The game was first released way back in 2001 – but there’s no date on when the remake will surface as yet.
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