Silent Hill: The Short Messagewas one of the biggest surprises at the PlayStation State of Play in January 2024. Few could have expected PlayStation and developer Konami to announce a brand-new, PlayStation-exclusive title, especially one that would shadow-drop later that day. From the momentSilent Hill: The Short Messagewas revealed, it was unlike any franchise entry in the series’ long history. Reception to the overall experience was mixed, but few could argue thatThe Short Message’s first-person perspective didn’t work wonders for the IP. TheSilent Hillfranchise is set to release a variety of titles soon, and all signs point to the focus remaining on traditional third-person experiences. However,Silent Hill: The Short Messageshouldn’t be the last time the series goes for first-person horror.
Silent Hill: The Short Messagefollows Anita, a young woman who becomes trapped in the apartment complex of her deceased friend, Maya. As she navigates the apartment’s twisting labyrinth, she is tormented with negative messages, stemming from personal experiences, and stalked by an otherworldly creature. During the game’s introduction, producer Motoi Okamoto described the title’s conception, revealing it is the first in a wave of new original titles for theSilent Hillfranchise. To initiate this modern era, Konami thought it more important than ever to release a contemporary title, in which the protagonist navigates various contemporary problems and the horrors that can result. In doing so Okamoto believed that the plight of young people struggling with the modern horrors of technology may be highlighted and addressed.
Silent Hill: The Short Message Saw Konami Experiment with a New Perspective
Silent Hill: The Short Messagewas a boldnew direction for theSilent Hillfranchise, with nearly all of its core features and concepts original to the title. In many ways,The Short Messagefelt like an experiment in modernization. The title’s message, characters, items, and horrors stemmed from a deeply contemporary space, where the age of social media and constant connection have given rise to new types of bullying, grief, and loneliness. More directly,The Short Messagesaw Konami experiment with a new genre of survival horror, as it traded its traditional third-person exploration and puzzles for a grounded first-person exploration of mental health and relationships.
While much of the experience was maligned for its heavy-handed dialogue, cyclical nature, and teenage drama,Silent Hill: The Short Messageutterly excelled at delivering the world ofSilent Hillfrom the first-person perspective. When it worked, it truly worked, with certain segments ofAnita’s journeyoffering a compelling look at what a mainline entry could do with a modern approach. Environments were rich and disturbing at times, and the title’s chase scenes, though overlong, offered genuine scares initially. While the series doesn’t look to be exploring the vantage again in its officially announced projects,The Short Messageproves that the first-person perspective has a place in the franchise’s future.
Silent Hill Should Return to First-Person In a Future Title
TheSilent Hillfranchise is marking a major return to the spotlight, with various multimedia projects currently in development. Konami has confirmed that theSilent Hill 2 Remake,Silent Hill f,Silent Hill: Townfall, a new theatrical film, and anotherunnamedSilent Hillprojectare on the way, and it’s likely even more projects are to come. With so manySilent Hillexperiences in the works, Konami has plenty of room to experiment with unique visuals, gameplay, and story elements.Silent Hill: The Short Message’s strengths and weaknesses could be used to inform the development of these hereto unannounced future projects. Specifically, the title’s first-person perspective should be adapted to an experience much closer aligned to the heart of the mainline property.
Silent Hill: The Short Messagewas a shaky reintroduction to the gripping psychological horror thattheSilent Hillfranchiseis revered for. However, it could still satisfy its role as the first of a new wave of titles. The ideas set forth inThe Short Messagecould massively influence the future direction of the mainline game series, starting with a jump to the first-person perspective. Until more details are provided about the mainline series, namelySilent Hill f, fans ofSilent Hill: The Short Messagehold out hope that its best ideas will return in the future.
