Silent Hill fans can finally — finally! — rejoice. Konami has confirmed that, after accidentally leaking some details earlier today, the beloved survival horror game Silent Hill 2 will make a return as a timed PlayStation exclusive, alongside a bevy of other Silent Hill projects currently in the works. You can watch the stream via the embed below.
The stream opened with that iconic shot of Silent Hill 2 protagonist James Sunderland staring into the mirror, wondering if his wife Mary is waiting for him. James then walks through the foggy streets of a town before we see a cinematic montage of familiar sights impressively rendered in modern graphics. The trailer was short but confirmed two things: Silent Hill 2 is available to wishlist on PS5 right now, and it will absolutely be locked on PlayStation (and PC) for 12 months after launch.
Konami also talked a bit more about the other projects in development right now. We saw a glimpse of Silent Hill Towerfall, developed by Observation and Stories Untold creators No Code. Details are scarce on this project, but if you’re familiar with No Code’s work, then you can expect some “deep psychological horror,” according to the studio’s creative director John McKellen.
Another project Konami showed off was Return to Silent Hill, the upcoming film directed by Christophe Gans (the writer-director of 2006’s Silent Hill) which “tells the story of a young man” coming back to the town only to find nightmares.
There was some chat about Silent Hill merch like shirts and statues, before Konami jumped to a third project, an apparent “whole new experience.” Titled Silent Hill Ascension, the project is a “live, real-time interactive series” that sounds akin to Until Dawn. You can change outcomes, be part of the scenes, and shape the Silent Hill canon. But if you fuck up, you fuck up because there is, apparently, no reset button. It’s due in 2023.
The livestream wrapped with one final announcement of a completely new Silent Hill game, titled Silent Hill f. Serene footage showed a young girl exploring a foggy town; slowly, invasive tendrils make them themselves known, followed by very colourful, all-consuming fungal growths. The brief trailer ends on a shot of the girl’s now-infested corpse, just as its face sloughs off. Silent Hill f is developed by Neobards Entertainment, with story by Ryukishi07, creature and character design by kera, and produced by former Nintendo developer Motoi Okamoto.
This remake of Silent Hill 2 has been rumoured for a hot minute now. Back in May 2022, screenshots purporting to be related to the franchise started making the rounds online, with Layers of Fear developer Bloober Team attached to the project. Bloober Team announced a month later a totally separate horror game within the Layers of Fear universe that appears to be a reboot of sorts. However, Bloober Team is now leading development on Silent Hill 2 Remake, with Konami serving as the game’s publisher.
While Silent Hill 2 Remake may be a PlayStation exclusive for 12 months after it launches, the game will also be available on PC. Sorry, Xbox folks.
Silent Hill 2 first came out in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. It put the new console’s horsepower to good use, rendering notoriously thick, rolling fog that cranked the atmosphere to previously unknown heights. The plot had protagonist James Sunderland visiting the doomed town after receiving a letter from his previously deceased wife, Mary. As you can imagine, following the trail leads nowhere good, and we gradually learn that Sunderland is a very, very broken man.
Various sequels followed over the years, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but Silent Hill 2 went down as a particular fan favourite for its fantastic atmosphere, terrifying situations, and psychological depth. It also served as the first appearance of the now-beloved antagonist Pyramid Head.
After years of very little new or exciting Silent Hill content, it looks like fans finally be feasting like it’s 2001 all over again.
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