Summary
After years ofSilent Hillbeing abandoned in video game limbo, Konami finally unveiled they were reviving the series, starting with the remake ofSilent Hill 2, much to the excitement of fans. With the release of the game having came and gone, fans are now looking ahead to future games, such asSilent Hill F.
Fans have been teased with a few scraps of information and an exciting trailer to introduce them to the world and themes of this new game, which looks to be taking the franchise in a bold new direction. What better way to pass the time untilSilent Hill F’srelease by playing these other titles, which may be similar in aesthetics, themes, or just a solid gameSilent Hillfans are sure to enjoy.
Ghostwire: Tokyois sure to have a different vibe fromSilent Hill Fas it takesa more futuristicneon-overloaded approach compared to the more subdued and grounded aesthetics outlined inSH’strailer. But that is not to say it’s at all an inappropriate game to recommend fans excited about its release, as both deal with urban Japan, horror, and more monsters than one can shake a steel pipe at.
Aside from the gorgeous visuals,Ghostwire: Tokyopresents truly intimidating challenges to its players, as occultists have unleashed supernatural entities onto the city. Creatures and cults are nothing new to the world ofSilent Hill, as the Order is a present threat across many of the games. The game is a lot more action-focused than what horror fans might be used to, but this just means they will be a monster-killing champion but the timeSHFcomes out, so they only need to worry about the less tangible threats.
An ensemble cast of characters find themselves in the fictional Hanuda Village in Japan, which was said to have vanished in the 1970s. Now everyone inside the village is unable to leave, and at the mercy of thedangerous undead humanscalled shibito. They attack without mercy anyway they see, and the player must either evade their notice or fight back. The handy and unique game mechanic called sight-jacking allows them to see through the monsters' eyes to better avoid notice.
The combat is rather clunky at best, but classicSilent Hillfans should be used to this with how awkward it could be in older titles, and the difficulty can be rather challenging at times. Still,Siren: Blood Curseis not completely unforgiving, and is a safe bet for anyone who enjoys Japanese horror games.
Konami’s return toSilent Hillwas marked by another free short game, but the name ofSilent Hill: The Short Message. It seemed only loosely connected to the series as a whole, with the monsters and the psychological horror on full display. Playing as Anita, players experience the hardships of adolescence, jealousy, and bullying, which are real issues people face daily.
The story is slowly pieced together through FMV cutscenes and notes found throughout the game, all the while, the player must avoid Sakura Head, the beautiful yet terrifying monster concealed in cherry blossoms. This creature almost looks like it could be fromSilent Hill Fitself, as flowers were a prevalent theme in its initial teaser trailer.
School buildings are definitely not unexplored territories for horror, andDetentionis one such game that demonstrates how terrifying these locations truly can be. Set in Taiwan during the White Terror Period, students Wei and Fang find themselves trapped in Greenwood High School after a typhoon swept over the area. Everyone else has since evacuated, leaving them as the only two souls stranded.
Of course, it won’t remain as just an ordinary school, with the location itself taking on terrifying new looks with dangerous ghosts they must take care to pass by safely, almost like howSilent Hillgames grow more dangerous when the siren rings out, and the location descends into a nightmarish version of it. ThoughDetentiondoes it to a lesser extent, it is still terrifying to summon the courage to walk past these entities, and the game as a whole is a terrifying and worthwhile experience.
Avid visual novel fans might recognize the name ofSilent Hill F’swriter: Ryukishi07. For thosenot at all familiar with this genre, this is the writer behind the very popularHigurashi: When They Cryseries, which gained a lot of attraction among fans, despite being made on a low budget, with that being evident in some of the character designs and the slow pacing of the first few chapters.
For those who want to experience what Ryukishi07’s writing style might be like, this would be the perfect series of games to try, and with many entries within theHigurashiseries, gamers might find the release date of the newSilent Hillright around the corner by the time they have finished. Though these games are bound to be different, with one being a visual novel and the other psychological horror, there might be similar motifs to be found, courtesy of the writer.
TheFatal Framegames have held fast as among the best survival horror games of all time, debuting back during the PS2 era. The series still remains just as popular today, with many playing the newer games on modern hardware, or dusting off theirPS2 to experience the classics.
For those that don’t have access to older consoles, they can still experience titles such asMaiden of Black Water, a game all about ghosts and the afterlife, familiar themes not only toFatal Framebut toSilent Hillas well, as it does not shy away from such topics. Though it may not be the best entry in the series, it is still a fantastic entry point, especially for those looking for something steeped in urban Japanese horror to tide them over untilSilent Hill F.
Many remember the PS2 as one of the best consoles for horror games, as there was a fantastic line-up of games, such asSilent Hill 2and3,Rule of Rose,Haunting Ground, andKuon, which may be the least known among this legendary line-up.
Set during the Heian Period in Japan,Kuonis steeped in Japanese history, the surroundings holding the historical elegance of the era, while still maintaining an eerie atmosphere upon which the horror of the game thrives. WithSilent Hill Fopting for a Japanese setting as opposed to its usual American location,Kuonmight just be the perfect game to sample similar aesthetics. The game isdifficult to track downand expensive to buy, but those lucky enough to already have a copy should definitely take the time to revisit this overlooked classic.
Against all odds, theSilent Hill 2remake was a smashing success,even surpassing the originalin many ways. Fans had doubts that Bloober Team would be capable of handling the themes and topics of the game with the respect it deserved, or even producing a game that was even a shadow of the original, but they defied all the naysayers, delivering a phenomenal game.
This game followed a more personal tale of woe, that of James Sunderland, who returns to the titular city after receiving a letter from his dead wife. While looking for her, he encounters other souls such as Eddie, Laura, and Maria, who is a dead-ringer for his late wife. The story unabashedly follows themes such as grief and guilt, which monsters such as Pyramid Head are a manifestation of. The psychological horror elements are second to none, and ifSilent Hill Fis half as good asSilent Hill 2, it is certain to be a fantastic experience.
