Summary
After an extended absence,Silent Hillis back, and several projects under its banner are already underway. Whether or not any of them will prove successful enough to shapeSilent Hill’s direction remains to be seen, but it’s still good to see activity from the series again. The ideas and imagery established by earlySilent Hilltitles were strong enough to remain relevant ever since, so the different studios taking a crack at the classic survival horror franchise are all working off of the same strong foundation.
Projects likeSilent Hill: AscensionandSilent Hill fmay operate outside the series’ norms, but they still draw from the original small, mist-covered town haunted by past and present evil. The core narrative of a troubled hero being drawn intoSilent Hill’s madness holds strong in most projects, as do many other unspoken concepts and rules that unite many games in the series. Keeping track ofSilent Hill’s tendencies can help fans and aspiring developers see what made the old franchise so beloved.
“Survival” Is Just As Important As Silent Hill’s “Horror”
The very genreSilent Hilloccupies is a core part of its identity.Silent Hillstands alongsideResident EvilandAlone in the Darkas one of the main titles that popularized survival horror after earlier games likeHaunted HouseandSweet Homehelped invent it. Players needed to find and use a limited supply of weapons and healing items carefully, givingSilent Hill’s otherwise unimpressive combat a tense edge in every encounter. This feeling fades as players familiarize themselves with the games and their tendencies, but is an essential part in sellingSilent Hill’s horror up front.
Silent Hill Makes Its Problems Personal
Protagonists don’t braveSilent Hillfor no reason, but the town can use their very motivations against them. Even though the bulk ofSH1’s horror is tied more to Alessa than Harry Mason, almost everySilent Hillfan is familiar with James Sunderland and Heather Mason’s anxieties manifesting inSilent Hill 2and3.Silent Hill 4even preys on the player’s desirefor peace and safety, becoming relentlessly stressful as the end draws near. Not even side characters, likeSilent Hill 2’s Angela and Eddie, are spared from fueling some environments based on their own traumas. With too many other examples in the franchise to count, psychological horror and monsters related to the main characters form the heart ofSilent Hill.
Players Will Visit Silent Hill’s Otherworld Eventually
Many hostile monsters lie in the player’s way, butSilent Hillalso emphasizes its hostile environment. Gameplay typically defaults to a “Fog World,” implied to either be reality or just under its surface. However,exploreSilent Hill’s labyrinthine buildingslong enough, and players will eventually transition into the dark and twisted Otherworld. Fully embodyingSilent Hill’s surreal, metaphorical horrors, this nightmarish place instantly became a staple ofSilent Hill, and fans are always eager to see what form it will take next.
Silent Hill Has Many Endings, And Not All Are Serious
TheSilent Hillfranchise normally upholds its grim tone, with most games only featuring one or two particularly happy endings. However, most entries also feature one or two especially silly endings, usually related to either a recurring UFO full of gray aliens, or a Shiba Inu mastermind introduced inSilent Hill 2. It’s typically impossible to get these endings on a first playthrough, which is for the best, considering they also tend to unlockSilent Hill’s most ridiculous and overpowered weapons.Silent Hillmay be famous for its horror, but it knows how to make comedy hit just as hard.
