Survival horror followers haven’t essentially had a scarcity of video games within the style to take a look at in recent times, with AAA megatons like Resident Evil, Useless Area, Alan Wake 2, and Silent Hill 2, and smaller but nonetheless unforgettable titles reminiscent of Signalis, Amnesia: The Bunker, Phasmophobia, Little Nightmares 2, and others having delivered some actually spectacular scares in latest reminiscence, to call only a few. However although the survival horror style is definitely more healthy than it has been shortly, it looks as if it hasn’t fairly completed its upward trajectory but. Due to latest bulletins and divulges are something to go by, it seems to be like survival horror followers have a number of extra megatons to look ahead.
Three particularly have stood out in the previous couple of days alone, particularly Resident Evil Requiem, Silent Hill f, and a remake of the unique Silent Hill. Every of those three is clearly a megaton even the place solely their names are involved, however there’s additionally loads of purpose to be enthusiastic about every while you look previous simply the identify they’re carrying- and we’re right here to take a look at all three in flip to establish a few of these greatest causes.
Let’s begin issues off with the one which has been introduced the longest, and is the closest to release- Silent Hill f, the following mainline instalment in Konami’s franchise. Introduced again in 2022, Silent Hill f has lastly had its advertising and marketing cycle kick off in earnest this 12 months, with Silent Hill 2’s stellar remake having kickstarted the sequence’ revival in 2024. Silent Hill f is, in fact, shaping as much as be a unique sort of expertise in a number of methods, however primarily based on what we’ve seen of it to this point, there’s purpose to be optimistic about what it’s promising.
The prospect of a Silent Hill recreation that isn’t set within the eponymous city of Silent Hill is one which’s sure to boost eyebrows, particularly for longtime sequence followers, however with that call, Silent Hill f may be setting itself as much as do one thing actually refreshing and thrilling when it launches later this 12 months, in September. A brand new interval location in Japan isn’t what you count on to see from the sequence as a rule, however the upcoming mainline entry is promising simply that, with its horror aesthetic deeply tied to the setting as nicely.
Particularly, Konami and developer NeoBards Leisure have spoken quite a few occasions about how the sport is seeking to mix horror and sweetness with its artwork design and visible fashion. That’s one thing that has very a lot been seen in its monsters and plenty of of its environments, primarily based on what we’ve seen to this point, and it’s an aesthetic that’s positively working for the sport in its showings up thus far. Konami says Silent Hill f is supposedly going to be a extra motion pushed recreation than final 12 months’s Silent Hill 2 remake, which can provide you with pause in the event you’re a horror fan, however we’re hoping that’s a stability that the sport can efficiently strike with out sacrificing the scares, as a result of every thing else about it’s wanting encouraging.
After all, Silent Hill f isn’t the one main title that Konami’s resurgent franchise has within the pipeline proper now. As not too long ago introduced, the writer has additionally as soon as once more partnered with Bloober Crew – the studio behind final 12 months’s glorious aforementioned Silent Hill 2 remake – to develop an analogous floor up reimagining of the unique Silent Hill. That the 2 firms would collaborate once more on one other Silent Hill recreation was one thing that many had predicted after the important and business success of their first enterprise collectively, and Silent Hill 1 was clearly (or arguably, no less than) the obvious candidate for the following recreation within the sequence to obtain the remake treatment- however the official affirmation is purpose to be pumped nonetheless. It is most likely going to be some time earlier than we get to see extra of the sport, a lot much less truly get to play it.
Additional info on the venture is presently principally nonexistent, with Konami and Bloober Crew solely having introduced its existence with little greater than a short brand reveal- but when Silent Hill 2 is the blueprint that’s being adopted for this subsequent remake within the psychological horror franchise, it’s protected to say that many are going to search out their pleasure exhausting to contain- ourselves included and not using a shadow of doubt.
However Silent Hill isn’t getting the entire time within the solar, no. Resident Evil has been the first flag bearer for the style for years, and has been in spotless kind for fairly a while at this level, so it ought to come as no shock that the announcement of its subsequent mainline entry – Resident Evil Requiem, which is RE9 in all however (official) identify, and the observe as much as 2021’s Resident Evil Village – has been met with such pleasure from all corners. However it’s not simply because it’s a Resident Evil recreation that audiences are hyped.
Requiem is making daring and thrilling guarantees, from a return to Raccoon Metropolis a long time after it was nuked on the finish of Resident Evil 3, to the developer confidently billing the sport as the following large evolution of the survival horror style. As a franchise, Resident Evil has delivered nothing however one spectacular recreation after one other ever because it reinvented itself with RE7 in 2017, so primarily based on its monitor file alone, you’ll think about that its subsequent large flagship entry goes to discover a approach to impress audiences as nicely.
Different components additionally add to the anticipation. The protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, is a newly launched character who not solely might probably deliver a brand new flavour of Resident Evil protagonist, but in addition has surprising connections to Resident Evil Outbreak that longtime followers of the sequence are probably going to understand greater than just a little. Latest fingers on previews and impressions have additionally painted an encouraging image of the sport, describing it as a pure survival horror expertise that nails the Resident Evil components, full with item-gated exploration, a give attention to elaborate puzzles, loads of scares, and sure, even a stalker enemy to relentlessly pursue you thru claustrophobic halls.
Resident Evil Requiem, in true Resident Evil vogue, isn’t going to waste an excessive amount of time between announcement and launch, with a launch due for February subsequent 12 months. Between it, Silent Hill f just a few months earlier than it, and a Silent Hill 1 remake additionally simmering within the background, it feels just like the basic, previous pillars of the survival horror style have re-erected and bolstered themselves as soon as extra. Style followers have fairly a bit to look ahead to exterior of these three video games as nicely, in fact, together with the likes of Alien: Isolation 2 (or no matter it finally ends up being referred to as), Cronos: The New Daybreak, ILL, and others, however these three megatons particularly are understandably grabbing a whole lot of the eye. Our hope, in fact, is that that every one three will grow to be well worth the wait, however for now, it’s merely thrilling to see such choices ready within the wings as a fan of survival horror experiences.
Observe: The views expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially symbolize the views of, and shouldn’t be attributed to, GamingBolt as a company.
