In a surprise reveal, Konami finally announced the long-rumored Silent Hill: The Short Message during its January State of Play showcase. Even more shocking is that the game is free to play and is available today on PlayStation 5.
Silent Hill Series Producer Motoi Okamoto appeared in a video message after the trailer’s unveiling, noting that The Short Message was the publisher’s “vision of contemporary psychological horror.” He then revealed that it would be available to play after the announcement.
The game has been the subject of leaks for years but had never been officially announced. It didn’t even appear in 2022’s Silent Hill-centric broadcast, which announced multiple titles, including the Bloober Team-led Silent Hill 2 remake (which also got a new trailer during the showcase), Silent Hill f, and Silent Hill: Townfall.
Many of the rumors speculated that it would be a short experience in the style of P.T. (the demo for the Silent Hills game that never was). Video Game Chronicle leaked supposed first images back in 2022, but they were quickly taken offline.
We didn’t know anything officially about The Short Message up until this point. According to IGN, you play as Anita, who explores a place called The Villa. She’s not seen in the trailer holding any weapons, but she runs around with her phone, which is also featured prominently. Based on a content warning ahead of the trailer, we know it’ll have depictions of mature content, including scenes of attempted self-harm.
It’s a very atmospheric and visually striking trailer. Unlike other Silent Hill games, it has a lot of pops of color. It also features many references to Silent Hill, including a score that’s very reminiscent of Akira Yamaoka’s famous Silent Hill 2 score.
Source: Polygon
