Whisper on the Silent Hills
Everyone should have seen the existence of a new Silent Hill game coming, well before the P.T. demo hit Playstation Network last week. In addition to the subtle hints Hideo Kojima dropped on his Twitter account in the last year, we were pretty much told it was happening.
Two years ago, Kojima mentioned at the Eurogamer Expo that Konami’s president asked him if he would consider handling a new title in the franchise. The idea of that happening sounded nice on the surface, but many wrote it off as an empty gesture. These days, Konami does nothing but Metal Gear and Pro Evolution Soccer, outside of a plethora of mobile games, and they’re hesitant to green light anything outside those franchises for dedicated platforms. But the Silent Hill franchise still has some popularity, enough that Kojima could get a new game green lit if he really wanted to.
Another potential issue involved how it could be handled, and who would handle it, if it happened. I previously noted how it could have been handled like the last few Castlevania titles, with Kojima Productions having little involvement while MercurySteam did most of the work. Outside of Kojima himself choosing a developer he felt was best for the job, that wouldn’t have been different from the path the franchise was currently (or previously) on. It’s been through a path of uncertainty since Konami’s internal developers were no longer available to work on installments.
You have to love how P.T. (which stands for “Playable Teaser”) was so nonchalantly introduced at Gamescom, though. It was announced alongside other indie games, from an unknown developer called 7780s Studio (perhaps with Yoakim Mogren’s involvement). Some players noticed the similarities P.T. had to a Silent Hill game as they ventured through it. They remarked that exploration felt similar to the first-person segments in Silent Hill 4: The Room, though it’s possible P.T. conveyed an even larger sense of fear. Others noticed it might be related to Silent Hill after noticing how some of the environments wouldn’t look out of place in Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, both of which were developed with Konami’s Fox Engine.
After making it to a certain part of the game (there are multiple ways to clear it, though someone may have found a definitive method), you’re treated to a special video. It shows a mysterious town while both Hideo Kojima and, more interestingly, Guillermo Del Toro’s names are displayed. Following that is a man strolling through the town, played by The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, whose likeness was captured very well. The name “Silent Hills” is displayed, to the shock and glee of many dejected fans. It wouldn’t have been as much of a surprise if more had considered, or remembered, the aforementioned information. But that was for the best, since it genuinely surprised people.
In addition to Kojima and Del Toro, a plethora of other names were displayed at the end of the trailer, the majority of which belong to Kojima Productions members. Their roles on the game are anyone’s guess at this point, though I’d like to hope it’s hinting that it will be developed internally. Kojima Productions has been short on staff for a while, the reason why the previously-teased Zone of the Enders project never took off. Perhaps the roles of certain team members on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain have finished, and they’re ready to move over to another project. While I was thinking Kojima and Del Toro might simply be advisors while another third-party developer could handle the main project, that wouldn’t explain the other names. Some Team Silent members remain at Konami, and they damn well should be part of this project. Given the way the company is these days, though, they’ll probably remain slaving away making social games.
While creating a good atmosphere is key to making a memorable Silent Hill (and, by extension, horror) experience, there’s another incredibly important factor: the music. A number of fans still associate the sound of Silent Hill with composer Akira Yamaoka — and for good reason. Unfortunately, he departed Konami in 2009 for Grasshopper Manufacture. Getting him on this game will be a long shot, but it could be possible despite him being employed at another company. He’s currently working on the soundtrack for PS4-exclusive Rime, a title developed by Tequila Works with no involvement from Grasshopper. It’s possible they could get him on board, but it could be a little difficult with his busy schedule. There’s also the question of whether Konami would want him on board.
Konami still hasn’t made a grand announcement for the game, something that will presumably happen at, or before, Tokyo Game Show. Kojima Productions is no stranger to announcing a game early, meaning we won’t be able to see if it’s as frightening as Kojima is promising until 2016 at the earliest. Look forward to seeing a munch of media before then.
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Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
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I was genuinely bored after about ten minutes. I’m sure the real thing will deliver a much more frightening experience, and hopefully not through mere jump scares.
I recall reading that Silent Hills would offer a different experience compared to P.T., but man, I can’t remember where I read it. I would have included it in the post if I did.
Not sharing video trailer!?
Uh, it’s linked to right in the fifth paragraph.