It’s A Terrible Time To Be A Silent Hill Fan

For almost two decades, the Silent Hill franchise has not had the best of luck with critical or commercial reception – for good reason, the last outstanding game released under the Silent Hill banner was arguably back in 2004. Although this may change with three upcoming games and a movie, the latest release, Silent Hill Ascension, as well as a steady stream of disheartening rumors has made it a terrible time to be a Silent Hill fan.

With a history going back to 1999, Silent Hill has been a mainstay in the video game industry; however, this iconic franchise has suffered in recent years, with the last completed dedicated video game release coming all the way back in 2012. Following the cancelation of a well-received project in 2014, the franchise has seemed dead in the water. Despite this, in Fall 2022 a number of announcements were made; however, they have yet to impress fans and could represent the final breaths of a once iconic franchise.

Silent Hill Ascension Hasn’t Met Expectations

Silent Hill Ascension’s Numerous Controversies

The first Silent Hill experience to be released since the poorly received Silent Hill: Book of Memories in 2012 and the short-lived Silent Hills Playable Teaser in 2014, Silent Hill Ascension has been laden with numerous controversies and is the victim of countless criticisms from the Silent Hill fanbase – with good reason. The GenVid Interactive series is neither a TV show nor a game; it is a sort of amalgamation of the two forms of media. However, the CGI TV show with interactive elements, as it is widely labeled online, has not gone down well with veteran Silent Hill players.

Fan reaction has been nearly universally poor, with common criticisms noting Silent Hill: Ascension‘s lackluster story, cluttered UI, undercooked minigames, and poor battle passes – in addition to accusations of predatory pay-to-win marketing strategies. Many have gone so far as to voice their displeasure at the current state of Silent Hill: Ascension, as well as the franchise more generally, on Reddit, with the user KiratheRenegade creating a post discussing the lackluster Ascension. Though some are vehemently angry with this offering, others are simply disappointed that Konami would allow this iconic gaming franchise to be sullied.

Silent Hill 2 Remake Is A Cause for Concern

Pyramid Head Backstory Rumors Have Fans Up In Arms

The general reception to the Fall 2022 reveal trailer of Silent Hill 2 Remake was certainly lukewarm. The series classic is being remade by developer, Bloober Team; however, coverage, attention, and potentially even development of the project has been enormously overshadowed by Silent Hill: Ascension. While a release date has still yet to be announced by either Konami or Bloober Team, if the Silent Hill franchise is to overcome the disastrous reception that greeted, and continues to meet Silent Hill: Ascension, Silent Hill 2 Remake needs to be an undisputed return to the unparalleled glory this iconic franchise once commanded.

Despite a moderate amount of anticipation, the recent rumors that Silent Hill 2 Remake may give Pyramid Head a backstory have been met with enormous concern. Fans of the franchise are primarily troubled by the idea of a developer other than Team Silent changing the canon. Furthermore, many have been quick to point out that a backstory for Pyramid Head is particularly odd as it is only a manifestation of James Sunderland’s feelings, not a living entity with a past. If these rumors are true, it will be interesting to see how a Pyramid Head backstory would fit into the pre-existing canon, and what changes are needed to facilitate this.

It’s Been A Long Time Since The Last “Good” Silent Hill Game

A Series Of Lackluster Releases And A Notable Cancelation

Ultimately, it has been a pretty long time since the last truly great Silent Hill game was released in the West. Arguably, the most recent outstanding offering from the series came in 2004 with the release of Silent Hill 4: The Room. Since then, all Silent Hill games released in the West have seen, at best, mixed reception and at worst, universal derision. Though this decline in quality is a trend that can, theoretically, be reversed, it seems ever more unlikely that this franchise of survival horror games can ever make a return to the quality of its earliest installments.

Furthermore, Konami seemingly pulled the plug on the franchise in 2014 when they permanently removed the Silent Hills Playable Teaser from the PlayStation PlayStore, despite the fact it received the best reviews of any Silent Hill franchise release in a decade. Directed by Hideo Kojima and famed film director Guillermo del Toro, the Silent Hills Playable Teaser was for an upcoming psychological horror game named Silent Hills. Though the project was two years in development, the game was abruptly canceled, allegedly following the decision of a number of senior staff members, including Kojima, to leave Konami following the completion and release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Can The Silent Hill Franchise Redeem Itself?

Upcoming Games And A Movie Could Save The Franchise

Silent Hill: Ascension and Silent Hill 2 Remake are not the only Silent Hill projects announced to be in production – Konami seems to be looking to reanimate the shambling corpse of the franchise. While little is known about the projects, and no release date has been announced, Konami has confirmed that two new games, Silent Hill: Townfall and Silent Hill F, are in development. One of which, Silent Hill F, has been confirmed to be a new mainline entry in the series, the first since Silent Hill: Downpour in 2012. Moreover, a new movie, directed by Christophe Gans, Return to Silent Hill, has been confirmed to currently be in filming.

Despite this, Bloober Team may do an excellent job with Silent Hill 2 Remake; however, as no footage has been released, it is hard to say definitively. Though a rather minor developer, Bloober Team has a proven track record of producing some pretty good psychological horror games, including Layers of Fear, Blair Witch, and The Medium. Fans of the franchise can only hope that Bloober Team manages to initiate a renaissance in excellent quality Silent Hill games. Doing so could turn what is undeniably a terrible time to be a Silent Hill fan into a golden age of psychological horror.