The Silent Hill franchise is entering a renaissance, and although it's great to see such a long-running franchise making its way back into the mainstream flow, the series as a whole seems to be having an identity crisis. Originally, the Silent Hill games felt cohesive in tone, but the current release lineup might arguably be getting too experimental, and Supermassive Games could be the perfect developer to get things back on track.

One of the most recent additions to the Silent Hill roster is this year's The Short Message. Although the game is completely free, it failed to hit a lot of the same notes that Silent Hill is known for in terms of horror. However, one of the biggest points of concern regarding the Silent Hill franchise is the highly anticipated release of the Silent Hill 2 remake by Bloober Team. Being responsible for 2019's Blair Witch, it was exciting to hear that the developer would be in charge of Silent Hill 2's remake, but a recent gameplay reveal showcasing a surprising emphasis on combat has made some skeptical.

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Supermassive Games Could Bring Silent Hill Back to its Original Form

Silent Hill 2's Apparent Turn to Action is Worrisome

As one of the most influential horror franchises in gaming, Silent Hill's emphasis on offering a horror-filled adventure, as opposed to blending action and scares, made the game feel truly special. While Resident Evil offers a fun balance of horror and action in one experience, Silent Hill has mainly focused on just purely. Of course, there are some combat mechanics, but action is not what put Silent Hill on the map.

Bloober Team has proven that the studio is capable of crafting a heart-pounding atmospheric horror game with Blair Witch, so it's surprising to see action being thrown into the mix when it's not necessary. However, the franchise being given to Supermassive Games could really bring the focus back on stories that are steeped in absolute dread and skin-crawling moments. Bloober Team shouldn't be completely discounted, of course. The developer arguably has what it takes to make a great Silent Hill game, but Supermassive Games also stepping into the franchise could be a match made in heaven.

Supermassive's Long History With Building Haunting Atmospheres

Supermassive Games has some great horror titles under its belt. From the likes of Until Dawn and its growing list of choice-based horror titles to the haunting world of Little Nightmares, the developer has shown over and over that it is highly skilled at building horrifying, yet compelling, worlds. Just like Silent Hill 2, Little Nightmares 3 is highly anticipated. While there is a lot of pressure on the third game to live up to its predecessors, Supermassive Games would have a perfect chance to step into the Silent Hill world after Little Nightmares 3 launches.

A Silent Hill game developed by Supermassive Games could present the studio with the opportunity to find a unique balance between its choice-based games, like The Quarry and Until Dawn, and the environmental storytelling of the Little Nightmares franchise. Also, the titles from Supermassive Games have practically zero focus on combat and still manage to be intense. Supermassive Games, showing what it does best under the skin of a Silent Hill game, could offer familiarity for longtime fans while also being innovative with the series.

Silent Hill's Uncertain Future

As of now, Silent Hill's future is quite mysterious. How the Silent Hill 2 remake will perform is a big enough question, but then there's also Silent Hill f, which seems incredibly compelling but is also under wraps. Silent Hill 2 could prove to be an amazing remake, and this will hopefully be the case, but also giving Supermassive Games a crack at the series could create something incredible. There is currently no official release date for the Silent Hill 2 remake, but it will eventually be clear whether Bloober Team nails its execution or not.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Franchise

Silent Hill

Platform(s)

PC , PS5

Developer(s)

Bloober Team

Publisher(s)

Konami

Genre(s)

Survival Horror