Summary
Silent Hillis perhaps THE most iconic horror franchise to ever exist in gaming. The only other one that comes close would beResident Evil, butSilent Hillhas always managed tomaintain its horror rootsas opposed to exploring more action-based gameplay. It’s a no-brainer then that many of the games have also featured some pretty spooky and iconic trailers over the years.
Konami is well known for their long-form trailers, thanks in part to Kojima’sMetal Gear Solidfeatures, but a number ofSilent Hilltrailers also manage to exceed the 5-minute mark. There’s a dingy, grueling atmosphere to most of these trailers that synergizes perfectly with the overall atmosphere of horror from the early 2000s. It’s the presentation of dirty industrial, barbed wire, and heavily filtered video effects that combine to create some really iconic shots. Without further ado, let’s dive into the best and the worst thatSilent Hillhas offered when it comes to trailers.
Anyone who hears that chillingly iconic music right at the beginning of the trailer will instantly be hit with awhole wave of nostalgia, as players are taken back to the fog-ridden streets of the very first Silent Hill. Sure, it’s extremely dated by today’s standards. But, come on, this trailer goes hard.
The best part is that not a single word is spoken. It relies completely on the visuals and Akira Yamaoka’s eerie sounds to convey the whole game, and it works perfectly. It shows all the important characters, introduces the setting, and even shows off the combat. It’s a fantastic example of a simple yet highly effective trailer.
No one knows all that much aboutSilent Hill f, and that’s what adds to the allure of this trailer. This is a good trailer that just about hints at enough plotlines and demonstrates some really beautiful locations to get players hooked whilst keeping them puzzling over the clues presented.
There are some great horror elements here too, from brief glimpses of moving mannequin enemies to that dramatic face peel at the end - it seriously looks likeSilent Hill fmight just be the savior entrythe franchise so desperately needs. It would be enough to have fans hooked by just showing the gorgeous scenery and Japanese locations featured in this awesome trailer!
Konami knew what they were doing with this one.That guitar riffand those iconic words, “I’m not your Mary”. The runtime is over 5 minutes, the music is phenomenal, the scenes shown are genuinely captivating, and the action looks fantastic. There’s not much to criticize here at all; it’s almost perfect!
It’s these longer trailers that established Konami’s reputation for crafting some of the best trailers in the industry. Considering this was all the way back in E3 2001, it still holds up really well today and should be used as a framework for future releases. Just imagine being at E3 live and watching the reveal for this!
Whilst the trailer for the originalSilent Hill 2did a fantastic job at portraying the whole game, this trailer for the third entry of the franchise was one of the first toreally dive into the grimey horror elements. It manages to convey this almost too perfectly.
From those first few seconds in the rusty, dirty bedroom to the guitar kicking in as we’re introduced to Heather, this is exactly what early 2000s horror was all about. Dirty, grimy, industrial, violent, and gritty aesthetics are cranked up to 100 in this trailer, which captures the overall atmosphere of the game so perfectly.
The remake ofSilent Hill 2pays so much homage to the original, and that’s reflected in this terrific trailer, which features the same music and lines, remixed for a new generation. It practically is the original but better, and it’s such a great blueprint for how remakes and trailers for remakes should be handled.
“In my restless dreams I see a town. You promised you’d take me there again some day. But you never did.“Silent Hillis clearly a franchise for iconic lines, but this one is the epitome of that, and this trailer absolutely capitalizes on it. It successfully built the hype for its release, revealed the right amount of information, and captivated gamers worldwide. It’s one of the most effective video game trailers in recent memory.
Silent Hill: Originswas a fairly underwhelming game, and some might even call it bad, but this trailer isn’t representative of that. Showcased at the 2006 E3 conference, it’s got the quick cuts synonymous with 2000s horror and the heavily filtered effects to match it. Pair that with some great music, and it’s an instant recipe for success.
It’s the second half of the trailer that really hits home and turns into full-blown horror. It’s perhaps the only trailer in the franchise that actually put off players a little, as it becomes genuinely unsettling. Details aside, it’s well worth a watch to see just how effectively visuals and sound effects can be paired in a video game trailer. Great stuff.
Oh, what could have been. This one still stings even all these years later.Silent Hillsis the game we never got, and this brief teaser trailer is still one of the most epic moments in gaming. The circumstances are what makes it so effective, though, as it’s played at the end of the P.T. demo, which at the time no one knew was aSilent Hillgame.
Featuring nothing more than an intriguing phone call and a brief face reveal, this trailer has to be credited for how much hype it generated with such little content. Originally to be directed by Hideo Kojima in collaboration with Guillermo Del Toro and featuring Norman Reedus - just writing those words brings so much pain and anger that this game never got to see the light of day. There’s always hope that it might return one day!
For anyone looking to understand how an effective trailer for a horror or any video game should be crafted,look no further thanSilent Hill 4: The Room- one of the best video game trailers to ever exist. And there’s a whole 12 minutes of it!
Featuring a whole introduction segment, some disturbing found-footage content, eerily chilling news reports, and that iconic grimey, industrial vibe, this is a masterful piece of art that showcases a wonderfully made game in such a unique way. If only more trailers followed the footsteps of this absolute masterpiece! Go watch it and see.
