What does it mean for a franchise when its next installment gets cancelled? How much does the cancelled installment inform the next game? Does anything from the original concept remain? These are all hard questions for developers to answer. Thankfully, it’s not the most common situation, but in the case ofSilent Hill,that’s exactly what’s going on. IfKonami wants to bring this cornerstone horror franchiseback to life, it has to think about what became ofSilent Hills.
Many horror game fans probably remembers the bone-chillingPT.Completing it revealed that the game was actually a playable trailer forSilent Hills,a new installment in the series of the same name. What’s more, the trailer and the larger game was being made with the help of horror legends, and perhaps most importantly, acclaimed video game designer Hideo Kojima. Unfortunately,Silent Hillswas cancelled and Kojima is no longer connected to Konami. That leaves horror fans wondering what the nextSilent Hillgame will look like without him. Can it live up toP.T.without Kojima’s vision?
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Konami Without Kojima
Even though he never worked on aSilent Hillgame before the playable trailer back in 2014, Kojima had a rich history with Konami.Metal Gearis arguably one of Konami’s most famous franchises, after all. Kojima was the mastermind behind the military action-adventure and stealth games ofMetal GearandMetal Gear Solidand worked on them when Kojima Productions was part of Konami. Considering how long-lived and beloved that franchise is, Konami clearly valued Kojima’s creative ideals, and Kojima seemed comfortable there. By working together, the studio and the designer made some really strong content.
Unfortunately, that relationship is over. In 2015, Kojima and Konami parted ways, compelling Kojima to work independently with his own studio. That meant that his plans forSilent Hillswent up in flames. As long as he was outside Konami, he was outside the franchise. That meant that Konami has summarily rejectedthe work he put intoPT,even though the playable trailer spread like wildfire and got lots of praise.
The biggest obstacle a newSilentHillgame has to overcome is thoseexpectations set up byPT.Considering how long it’s been since Kojima was working with Konami, odds are that the new game will takeSilent Hillin a different direction from Kojima’s plans. Even if Konami does base the game on whatever notes and plans he shared with the studio, that’s very different from having Kojima in house collaborating on the project. A newSilent Hillgame will inevitably be compared to what Kojima had to offer the franchise, no matter what direction it goes in.
Kojima Without Konami
Although there really wasn’t much hope of Kojima suddenly reuniting with his former employer to begin with, particularly after the various reports of mistreatment, the odds are ever decreasing that Kojima will have a hand inSilent Hill.That’s because he’s already doing very well for himself.Death Strandingmade serious waves when it released last year, delivering a wholly unique post-apocalyptic experience. It even incorporated some of Kojima’s collaborators fromSilent Hills,seeing as horror movie director Guillermo del Toro played one of the supporting characters toNorman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges.
What’s more, after all these years, Kojima might actually be producing a horror game of his own. It’s been confirmed that Kojima Productions is starting a new project; it’s already started hiring even though fans don’t have much of an idea what the game is about. Supposedly, Kojima has started watching horror movies in search of inspiration for a new project, and if he’s still in touch with del Toro, he’ll have a really talented reference to bounce ideas off of. For a moment,fans thought Junji Ito might be inon a new Kojima project, but that rumor has been dispelled for now. Even so, just Kojima and del Toro’s expertise could produce a really chilling game.
If Konami does produce a newSilent Hillgame soon andKojima Productions does its own horror game, Konami might have made significant competition for itself by ejecting one of its star developers. Kojima’s mystery project could completely outshineSilent Hillconsidering the resources he has available. In other words, the nextSilentHillgame doesn’t just have to live up to the game that was almost made; it also has a chance that it needs to compete with a rival game whose creation was inadvertently spurred by Konami’s actions.
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King of the Silent Hill
Even though the Halloween season has ended, there’s still significant interest in horror games right now. Whether it’s the upcomingResident Evil 8or one of the many indie horrorsensations of the last month likePhasmophobia,there seems to be a horror game for everyone either out now or on the way. If a newSilent Hillgets announced soon, it might get a boost by riding that wave of popularity. Presumably, Kojima’s project is still a long ways away, since he’s famous for teasing projects well in advance of their release. IfSilent Hillscomes out much sooner and avoids conflict with Kojima’s work, it might be more successful than otherwise.
Of course, a newSilent Hillannouncement would be a big deal in its own right. There hasn’t been a newSilent Hillgame since 2012, so it’s about time that Konami return to one of its most famous properties and bring it back to life. Next-gen technology is opening up a lot of possibilities for horror games,asThe Mediumindicates. Still, one has to wonder what Konami will lose out on without Kojima on the franchise. Many of the ideas he had are bound to find their way into Kojima Productions' new project, and Konami has gained a good window of timing to return to this important part of horror game history. Time will tell if Kojima’s departure will leaveSilent Hillworse off.
A newSilent Hillgame is rumored to be in development.
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