Video Games
‘Silent Hill’ Creator Feels a Remake Would be Difficult For Konami to Pull Off
In case you didn’t read the interview with Video Games Chronicle and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama talking about his upcoming project with Bokeh Game Studio and Slitterhead, the topic of Silent Hill inevitably came up (as did Hideo Kojima’s P.T.). The topic turned to the long-rumored remake of the survival horror classic, and in light of Capcom’s success in revitalizing of the Resident Evil series, how Konami would fare in their efforts.
According to Toyama, he felt that Konami would have a more difficult time with remaking Silent Hill, due to “the gameplay as a concept” being older. “It’s not an action game where you can just refine the action as in Biohazard. To bring Silent Hill up to current standards or to polish up the graphics, the fans wouldn’t be satisfied. That’s not what it was about – how beautiful it was. I think you’d have to rethink the concept to make it interesting to fans.”
Toyama also shared his thoughts on the concept of remakes, saying that, unlike films and remakes, game remakes “are difficult to enjoy as in the original state.” He elaborated by saying that in addition to the original platform being a barrier, “as time goes by game mechanics, especially in usability, lack rationality and sophistication. Visually speaking it’s clearly not made for modern equipment, so I absolutely don’t have any objection to modifying an original essence to fit the modern era which we live in today.”
Konami might have realized this themselves as far back as P.T., as according to Guillermo del Toro while working on Silent Hills with Kojima, famed Manga artist Junji Ito would have been involved. Manga artist Suehiro Maruo also had that cryptic Instagram post a few years back that teased his involvement in a Silent Hill remake.
Adding up to all of this was del Toro’s not-so-subtle jab during The Game Awards asking for a new Silent Hill game. Will we see one, is the question. After all, it’s now been almost a decade since we had a full Silent Hill game, which is when handheld title Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and the last mainline entry Silent Hill: Downpour were released.
Toyama is keeping busy in the horror space at least, as his new studio Bokeh Games revealed the off-kilter Slitterhead at The Game Awards. While that isn’t looking like any kind of spiritual successor to Silent Hill, it certainly whets the appetite for more horror from its creators.
To bide the time, you can revisit the game’s 2006 film adaptation with the Horror Queers.
When Season 7 “Project Boneyard” arrives for The Outlast Trials on July 14, players will be greeted with the return of Prime Asset Sergeant Leland Coyle. And he’s not alone. Launching for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox, Project Boneyard will include a new Trial, two fresh MK-Challenges, major updates to Escalation and Invasion, new customization features, and a new Ex-Pop enemy stalking the Prison Farm known as The Biter.
Season 7 will see Reagents sent into Murkoff’s latest correctional nightmare in the Prison Farm. At the center of it all is Sergeant Coyle, returning in a prominent new role for the season’s new Trial, Locksock the Warden.
The American prison is a meat grinder, taking in sociopaths and criminals and extruding functioning members of society. But strict routine, severe conditioning, and close quarters create a crucible for power dynamics built on violence, contraband, and flesh.
With the new Trial, you are freedom. The indefinable promise that keeps prisoners at the grindstone that turns authority to profit and back again. Don’t let false authority stand in the way of real capital. Kill the Warden, and set yourself free.
Season 7 also brings with it two new MK-Challenges. In “Bribe the Judges”, you are the master, whose property is the purpose of the law. Salary reminds enforcement that their monopoly of violence only exists for your monopoly of capital. Collect the bribes in order to pay the judges. Meanwhile, “Cancel the Broadcast” has you sabotaging the broadcast and defiling the faithful with blood in order to be let out.
Then there’s the new Ex-Pop stalking the Prison Farm in The Biter. Having had its arms removed to prevent further self-harm, Biters are universal sadists, still capable of grievous harm with their mechanically enforced jaws. Though Biters are kept chained by the neck for safety, you should approach them with caution, as their augmented legs grant them unexpected velocity.
If that’s not enough content for you, from July 14 to August 11, Twitch users who tune in to participating The Outlast Trials Twitch streams can earn rewards through the latest Twitch Drops campaign. You can read up on the full details from the FAQ on developer The Red Barrels’ website.
Lastly, Project Boneyard also introduces a range of new features and improvements for The Outlast Trials, designed to “expand player expression, streamline preparation, and improve the overall experience” across key modes. That includes the introduction of Rig Customization, Knife Customization, Loadout Presets, and Mastery Tasks, giving players new ways to “prepare for therapy” and personalize their approach before entering the Trials. The update will also bring major reworks to both Escalation and Invasion, with significant changes designed to improve the flow, structure, and overall player experience of both modes.
More details on these features, and the full contents of Project Boneyard, will be revealed closer to launch.