Konami announced that the long awaited series is back with multiple new entries, including a remake of Silent Hill 2 along with a movie based on the same story.
This week, Konami finally confirmed what many fans have been hoping for: several new Silent Hill games are in development. This news follows years of rumours and leaks about potential upcoming titles, including the potential remake of Silent Hill 2. Even with these rumours, it was not until today we got a better glimpse at just how expansive Konami’s plans for the series really are.
After years of waiting, Konami’s has come out of the gate swinging, announcing a staggering five new projects in the works that bare the franchise’s moniker. The new titles include Silent Hill: Ascension, Return to Silent Hill, Silent Hill: Townfall, Silent Hill f, and Silent Hill 2 Remake.
Starting the stream off, Konami gave a glimpse at the Blooper Team developed Silent Hill 2 remake. The game will see the return of series art director Masahiro Ito and composer Akira Yamaoka, as well as a new over-the-shoulder camera that will now be built using Unreal. While little is announced about the release date, it was detailed that the game would be a PS5 console exclusive.
With that game now out of the way, the transmission moved onto something completely new, Silent Hill: Townfall. Very little is known about this game, but it was revealed that Annapurna Interactive and No Code would be working on the title. With only a short teaser to go on, the game manages to capture the sinister and creepy tone the series is known for, ending with the ominous voice over that states “I think you’re here for some other reason. And I don’t want to be anywhere near you…when you figure that out.”
With two exciting announcements out of the way, Konami shifted things to show off the news of a new film based on the lore of Silent Hill 2. Return to Silent Hill is a new movie in the universe, and will be directed by Christophe Gans, the original director of the 2006 film. The movie is said to be coming out in February 2023, and it is said to be the catalyst for the revival of the new series of games.
Keeping the ball rolling, Konami announces Silent Hill: Ascension a live, real-time interactive series developed by Bad Robot games, Genvid, DJ2 Entertainment, and Behaviour Interactive—the developers behind Dead by Daylight. It is set to go live in 2023 and aims to capitalize on “taking that feeling of communal fear to a massive scale.”
Perhaps the most unsettling of the announcements, Silent Hill f looks to take the series in a very different and potentially surreal direction. Written by Ryukishi07, Silent Hill f is a Japanese-horror-centric game that follows a young schoolgirl as she runs through a rural town that’s quickly being taken over by red vines. The game ends with the schoolgirl being transformed into a flower-like entity and her face peeling off to reveal a gooey, empty cavity inside her skull, in stunning and creepy detail. The game is being produced by Motoi Okamoto, with kera slated for its creature and character designer.
While plenty of questions still remain about all the announcements, I have to give it to Konami, they have taken the love of the franchise and looked to do new and interesting projects with innovative teams from all around the world. It is a series beloved by millions, and it is good to see it finally get the attention it deserves. With the games slowly coming out starting in 2023, we don’t have long to see how the efforts of these teams will turn out.
