February 3rd 2024.
The world of survival horror games has seen a shift in recent years, with a lack of truly terrifying experiences being the norm. As a fan, I was excited to see the announcement of Silent Hill: The Short Message, hoping it would break the trend. However, after playing it, I can confidently say that it is just another disappointment.
There are several issues with The Short Message, but I won't go into detail as I agree with GameCentral's review. Instead, I want to focus on the main problem: it's not scary. In fact, it lacks any sort of atmosphere or tension, making it a lackluster experience overall.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a common issue in modern horror games. Even titles like Alan Wake 2, which markets itself as a survival horror, fail to deliver any real scares. The same can be said for the beloved Resident Evil 4, which, despite its success, was not a frightening game. This trend is slowly killing the genre before it has a chance to be revived.
Other games, such as Dead Space and its "spiritual successor" The Callisto Protocol, have also fallen victim to this lack of fear factor. On the other hand, The Dark Pictures series, inspired by Until Dawn's PG approach, offers more gore than scares. While I acknowledge that there are still scary horror games being made, they are often not the big-budget titles that most people are playing.
It's no secret that making a non-indie horror game limits the potential audience, as not everyone enjoys being scared. Unlike horror films, which can be low-budget, games require a significant investment, making it a risky business decision. As a result, publishers have resorted to making horror games that are not actually scary, with little to no gore or horror elements.
I understand that publishers need to make a profit, but if horror games are not a guaranteed hit, why bother making them at all? There are plenty of other trends to explore that would likely bring in more revenue. It's frustrating to see classic franchises like Silent Hill being dragged through the mud with mediocre releases, and the upcoming remake is likely to follow suit.
A horror game that lacks fear is like a comedy that isn't funny. It misses the point entirely and is painful to sit through. If publishers are not willing to invest in making genuinely scary horror games, then perhaps they should focus on other genres that are more profitable.
As a reader, I express my disappointment with the current state of survival horror games. I urge publishers to either make their horror games actually scary or not bother with them at all. The future of the genre depends on it.
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