Silent Hill is a name many recognize and immediately think of as one of the staple franchises in the survival horror genre. Through the years, Silent Hill has become an iconic series, but the games have been in a bit of a lull for a while. The first three games are revered for their bone-chilling atmosphere, and although there was initial excitement about Silent Hill 2 getting a remake, there are now some worries about the approach the new developers seem to be taking.

When it was revealed that Bloober Team was remaking Silent Hill 2, it seemed like a great pairing. The studio proved to audiences with Blair Witch and Layers of Fear that it had the ability to create atmospheric environments that relied more on psychological horror than actual combat. Naturally, this made Bloober Team seem like an ideal fit. However, after the first in-game footage revealed a lot more action and combat than many were expecting, there are now worries that the Silent Hill 2 remake has strayed too far from the path.

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An Upcoming Horror Game May Become a Spiritual Successor to Silent Hill

Despite this initial worry about Silent Hill 2's remake not living up to expectations, there is one upcoming horror game that may scratch the itch for more Silent Hill-like games. Slitterhead is the upcoming horror title by Bokeh Game Studio, and it looks horrifying. When first watching the trailer, Slitterhead may not obviously feel like Silent Hill, but Bokeh Games Studio was founded by Keiichiro Toyama, the creator of the franchise.

Slitterhead Could Carry the Silent Hill Torch

The first trailer for Slitterhead was revealed at the 2021 Game Awards, and it takes disgusting body horror to a new extreme. Although there is still very little known about the game's overall story, it's at least known that it takes place in a Japanese city where parasites have taken over the bodies of citizens, leaving truly grotesque results.

There is still more action featured in Slitterhead than what Silent Hill is known for, but with Keiichiro Toyama behind the wheel, the overall essence of the game could feel very close to his iconic horror franchise. The game seems to be a strange blend of Silent Hill and Devil May Cry, which could prove to be a great combination if balanced well enough. Slitterhead is also bringing back Silent Hill's composer, Akira Yamaoka, which will bring even more familiarity to the project.

The Silent Hill Franchise Remains in a Tough Spot

It's been a while since the Silent Hill franchise has felt like its original trilogy. There was a promising take with Silent Hills, the now-canceled Kojima Productions game, but that was unfortunately scrapped before it got to become reality. Silent Hills received its own playable trailer in the form of PT, which took the internet by storm, and it now lives in infamy as what could have been. Since then, the most recent game in the Silent Hill franchise has been the free-to-play game, The Short Message, which didn't quite succeed in bringing back the true Silent Hill energy.

Slitterhead may be heavier on the action for those who are in search of an atmospheric, psychological horror experience, but the team behind the game gives it a lot of promise that will hopefully fill the Silent Hill-sized hole that has been in the horror genre. The game may promise heavy action, but it's also promising some heavy horror-filled energy that is reminiscent of Silent Hill. Bloober Team's version of Silent Hill 2 will hopefully be a worthy remake, but only time will tell how it holds up against a rival title headed by the creator of the franchise.

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