Ought to we definitely be thrilled about a Silent Hill revival?

On Sunday, Konami did the next to past thing we ever predicted of the publisher, and discovered that Silent Hill is producing a comeback. The only way it could’ve stunned fans more is by saying that Metal Equipment Sound is truly getting remastered.

Here’s the initial trailer for Silent Hill, if you fancy a short trip down memory lane.

In any case, pleasure from followers was quick, as is to be expected. Silent Hill admirers are incredibly passionate about the franchise, though numerous of us are primarily passionate about viewing individuals original game titles on fashionable consoles. Ideal now, it’s a battle to engage in Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 on present day devices, and honestly, they may possibly be aged and haggard at this point, but they nevertheless have some thing really particular about them.

It is been ten yrs considering the fact that we final acquired a mainline Silent Hill video game, Silent Hill: Downpour, and nearly two decades considering that we last gained a properly excellent Silent Hill sport (excluding PT, if you’d really count that as a Silent Hill game, provided it hardly ever bought the prospect to truly be 1). I’m personally a massive Silent Hill lover, whilst I’m only an advocate for the initially 3 game titles, excluding a rendezvous I had with Silent Hill: Shattered Recollections.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, 2009.

My enjoyment for Silent Hill being brought back from the lifeless wore off promptly mostly, this was thanks to the likes of each good friends and ResetEra reminding me that this is Konami we’re chatting about, and not Capcom. Konami who, concerning 2006 and 2013, managed to release various video games with Silent Hill in the title none of which were truly treated as a Silent Hill sport, or fulfilled with the very same acclaim as the first trilogy.

Silent Hill pretty much feels like a adverse attachment for these video games. I can only converse for Shattered Reminiscences, which wasn’t a bad game by any suggests. Nor was it wonderful, but it was nonetheless an fulfilling experience. If anything at all, what brought the activity down in this occasion was getting Silent Hill hooked up to it, and running the expectations of Silent Hill supporters. That claimed, can Konami even recreate the sensation the unique Silent Hill gave admirers? I’m not certain.

You see, a profitable return isn’t just about throwing gamers into a foggy city with hideous monsters and a lifetime’s truly worth of trauma to unpack via the Otherworld. If it was that easy, The Evil In just would have ticked those bins. Silent Hill was a near too much to handle feeling a experience of vulnerability and the unknown, and a basic shock at how Silent Hill informed a tale packed with trauma – a thing lots of of us discover as a quite genuine horror.

A scene from Silent Hill that shows Harry 
approaching a gate marked 'BEWARE OF DOG'.

Silent Hill, 1999.

As soon as Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 laid the groundwork that they did, I can see why the games that followed endured. It isn’t only all down to Konami kicking Workforce Silent to the suppress, but the point that Silent Hill did not established itself up to be a enormous franchise. In Silent Hill, we began out as Harry Mason on the search for his adoptive daughter, Cheryl, subsequent a automobile accident. Then, in Silent Hill 2, we step into the footwear of James Sunderland as he searches for his deceased spouse, who has somehow sent him a letter from beyond the grave, inviting him to the eponymous city.

Now, Silent Hill 2 does not target on the figures or plot of Silent Hill, but it all will take spot inside of the very same town, and players discover them selves cracking open a intriguing (but unnerving) story inside of both of those game titles. In Silent Hill 3, we observe Harry Mason’s daughter, Heather Mason – that wasn’t a 50 % bad time both, even if a huge chunk of the activity was not truly expended in the city of Silent Hill. This is the place the collection commenced to experience.

James Sunderland faces Angela Orosco in Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2, 2001.

Just after this, interest in Silent Hill is frequently misplaced for most people today. Positive, we see Alessa and Pyramid Head rock up in later video games, but a lot more as Easter eggs for admirers of the sequence, relatively than an real advancement upon earlier video games. There are no much more plot threads or figures for individuals to be invested in, and I feel this is a most important motive as to why Silent Hill fell flat in later on yrs.

With all of that in thoughts, we should to regulate our expectations for whichever is following. Never get me incorrect, I’m alternatively relieved to know that Silent Hill is not in excess of. Right after all, PT confirmed us some guarantee that the sequence could, a single day, provoke the extended chased-soon after Silent Hill sensation in followers yet again. Moreover, following a ten years off from Silent Hill, there is some hope that Konami may possibly have last but not least have finally realised this sequence requires some undivided love and interest.

Cheryl/Heather Mason in Silent Hill 3

Silent Hill 3, 2003.

But, supplied Konami’s track report with Silent Hill, I have my uncertainties that this is the scenario. With rumours of Bloober Staff performing on a Silent Hill 2 Remake also, I fear that whatever’s next might be just as typical as the earlier instalments. Or as mid as The Medium – Silent Hill deserves better.

Honestly, as someone who has advocated for a Silent Hill comeback for a long time now, I’m now imagining, and hoping, Konami will simply 1 working day just port Silent Hill 1 to 3 to fashionable consoles devoid of butchering them (searching at you, Silent Hill High definition Collection), and permit Silent Hill relaxation in peace.

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