February 2nd 2024.
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the new Silent Hill game from Konami - and it's available for free on PS5. But don't be fooled by the price, this game dives into heavy themes that most video games wouldn't dare to touch.
As a fan of the Silent Hill series, it's natural to feel a bit worried about this revival. While the news of new titles being announced was exciting, the recent releases have left much to be desired. The so-called 'massively interactive live event', Silent Hill: Ascension, was a total flop. And the trailer for the Silent Hill 2 remake by developer Bloober Team didn't sit well with fans. However, there is still hope for Silent Hill f, which had the most promising trailer so far.
But during the recent State of Play event, another surprise was announced - Silent Hill: The Short Message. And the best part? It was released for free on the same day. With a playtime of less than two hours, there's not much to lose by giving it a try. And don't worry, it's not as scary as the other games in the series - but that might also be a problem for a survival horror game.
One of the challenges of modernizing Silent Hill is that the first three games, which are considered the best, are quite similar. So it's refreshing to see Konami trying something different with each new release. However, it's clear that The Short Message is heavily influenced by Hideo Kojima's cancelled Silent Hills, which fans will remember from the famous P.T. demo.
Similar to the demo, The Short Message is played from a first-person perspective and takes place entirely indoors. The game has a looping structure, where you revisit certain areas multiple times, but each visit reveals notable changes. But unlike the demo, the story follows a completely different plot. You play as Anita, a troubled schoolgirl who is being bullied and struggles with self-harm.
As the game's intro warns, The Short Message tackles heavy issues such as suicide, depression, and the dangers of social media. In the Silent Hill universe, the town represents a hell of your own making, tailored to fit each character's inner demons. Some games have also explored the idea that it can be potentially redemptive, and that the characters are not actually trapped in the town but in a purgatory-like state.
This is the angle that The Short Message takes, as it delves into the traumas of Anita and her two friends. It's an interesting concept, but unfortunately, the execution falls short in several aspects.
Firstly, there's very little gameplay to be found. Most of the time, you'll be slowly walking around an abandoned apartment building, reading diary pages and newspaper clippings - a common but uninteresting way to deliver a story in video games. And to make matters worse, there's no danger during these sections, making it feel more like a horror-themed walking simulator.
The only real gameplay comes in the form of four maze sequences, where you must outrun a monster. The first two are a breeze, the third is mildly annoying, and the fourth is downright infuriating. If the monster catches you, you have to start from the beginning. And considering the maze is quite large and requires you to find multiple collectibles, it becomes a frustrating trial-and-error experience.
In terms of scares, the game only manages to get moderately tense at best. This is a far cry from the original game on the PS1, which had players feeling physically sick with fear. And let's not forget, Silent Hill was never known for its great action, so the lack of scares is a significant letdown.
But the biggest issue with The Short Message is its writing. Instead of leaving the interpretation of the story to the player, like Silent Hill 2, the game spells everything out for you. And the symbolism that is usually found in the series is almost non-existent. The writing feels forced and obvious, and it's clear that the developers were afraid of being insensitive with the heavy themes they wanted to address.
To add insult to injury, the live-action cut scenes are poorly dubbed in English, despite being filmed in Japanese. And the frame rate issues during chase sequences can be a real hindrance.
On a positive note, the game does have its moments visually, with an impressive rendition of the Otherworld environment. But overall, it's a middling experience at best. There are a few hints at a potential sequel or a larger lore for the series, but it's hard to get excited about it given the disappointing revival so far. The Short Message is a small step in the right direction, but unless Konami improves their quality control, the scariest thing about Silent Hill will be the thought of another sequel.
Silent Hill: The Short Message
In Short: A lackluster Silent Hill revival that has some good visuals and captures the tone, but falters with its writing and frustrating gameplay.
Pros: Visuals are reminiscent of the Silent Hill series, and the monster design is great. The game's story has good intentions.
Cons: Gameplay is lacking, and the later chase sequences are more annoying than scary. The writing is heavy-handed and evident, with a poorly dubbed live-action cut scenes.
Score: 4/10
Formats: PlayStation 5
Price: Free
Publisher: Konami
Developer: HexaDrive
Release Date: January 31, 2024
Age Rating: 18
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MORE: Silent Hill: The Short Message is a free PS5 game and it's out now
MORE: Silent Hill: Ascension is a disaster, according to fans
MORE: Silent Hill 2 pre-orders open, sparking hope for an imminent release date.
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