Highlights
- Silent Hill 2 is taking notes from recent Resident Evil remakes, and Capcom should use a similar strategy for future Resident Evil releases.
- Silent Hill's psychological and surreal elements set it apart from the more action-oriented and campy Resident Evil series.
- Resident Evil should learn from Silent Hill's more subtle and cerebral approach, incorporating elements like metaphorical environments and storytelling to enhance its horror experience.
Silent Hill and Resident Evil are two gaming franchises that are often compared, in spite of their many differences. These comparisons are likely to continue, since both series are revitalizing their classic releases with ground-up remakes. It looks like the Silent Hill 2 remake will be taking some notes from the recent Resident Evil remakes, and if this is the case, then Capcom should consider reciprocating this influence for future Resident Evil releases.
Both Resident Evil and Silent Hill have been hailed as being revolutionary for horror in video games. Released in 1999, the first Silent Hill was Konami's attempt to replicate the success of 1996's Resident Evil, which set the standard for atmospheric survival horror games at that time. Although the two may seem similar at first glance, Silent Hill was decidedly darker and more psychological, with a more melancholic tone. The differences between the two series would only grow as time went on, with Resident Evil leaning more into action and camp and Silent Hill becoming more and more thoughtful and surreal, especially in its second and third entries. Interestingly enough, it seems that history is repeating itself, with Konami once again following in Capcom's footsteps by releasing a high-fidelity, modern rendition of Silent Hill 2, much like Capcom has been doing with the Resident Evil games.
New Resident Evil Games Should Follow Silent Hill's Approach to Psychological Horror
While there is an undeniable charm in Resident Evil's campy, over-the-top elements, many fans would likely agree that the series is at its best when it is more focused on subtlety and horror. After all, a significant portion of the criticism leveled against Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 tied to their focus on action over the comparably nuanced horror of the earlier games. This melting away of the series' identity played a big role in the franchise getting a soft reboot after Resident Evil 6 - a reboot that was characterized by an emphasis on psychological horror.
None of the Resident Evil games take psychological horror as far as the earlier Silent Hill games did, however. Silent Hill, specifically Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, centered on characters who were plagued by grief and anxiety, and many of the horrors that they face are directly tied to their subconscious. Resident Evil is famous for things like the iconic Resident Evil 4 opening village, while Silent Hill is famous for things like the shocking, upsetting twist in the second game or the psycho-sexual imagery present in its disturbing enemies.
Resident Evil should retain its own identity, but it could also stand to learn a thing or two from Silent Hill's more sober and cerebral approach to horror. Borrowing some staples from the Silent Hill series, such as the metaphorical, subjective nature of the game's environments and NPCs, could go a long way towards making future Resident Evil games more interesting and effective as horror titles. Since Resident Evil tends to shine when it is slower and more thoughtful, looking to Silent Hill's prioritization of atmosphere and storytelling would help the franchise bolster its strong points.
How much the new Silent Hill 2 will take from Resident Evil's modern releases remains to be seen, but it's likely that the remake will share at least some similarities with Capcom's slate of games, specifically when it comes to gameplay. If this results in a greater focus on action or moment-to-moment gameplay over tense, slow-paced storytelling, then it could make the game more engaging and fun to play in some respects. By that same token, if new Resident Evil games can learn from Silent Hill's psychological horror aspects, then they could be much more intriguing and creative.