Konami has Silent Hill: The Short Message It has been officially announced that it will be available completely free for PS5 starting today.
The game originated as an experiment to explore how individual horror elements work and how they can be refined. At the same time, the project served as a practical experience that ultimately led to a full release.
“We wanted to make a new, modern Silent Hill,” reads the PlayStation Blog. “In doing so, we explored how we could incorporate current issues. Ultimately, we investigated how modern youth communicate online and via phones, and what role this could play in a psychological horror story. The frightening thing about social media, for example, is how even insignificant individual comments can accumulate into a massive wave of hate that crashes down upon you.”
PlayStation Blog
Social challenges in today's world
The underlying theme is that life is becoming increasingly complex and challenging, and people are struggling to cope – a society in isolation, online hate, bullying at school, and exclusion. This particularly affects young people, who are thus confronted with a whole range of serious problems.
“We chose to center our story around young characters like this one. Characters who are truly suffering and lost, and for whom even the smallest setback can plunge them deeper into a spiral of fear. But equally, even the smallest act of kindness can be the reason they fall from the abyss. And that's what makes this game a message, from us to everyone who lives with this ever-present conflict and pressure.”
The game's synopsis so far reads: Anita follows up on messages from her friend Maya and finds herself in a run-down apartment building notorious for suicide rumors. Drawn into its interior, she soon discovers her sense of reality is shattered as she encounters bizarre, otherworldly spaces haunted by a perverse monster.
Maya's message was clear: "I can't leave until you find it." – but what is Anita really looking for?
Silent Hill: The Short Message Available from today as a full PS5 experience in PlayStation Store to be downloaded
I'll test it today, let's see if it's a typical run-of-the-mill Pretzel clone or if it has more gameplay content like Resident Evil 7.