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Writer's pictureAntal Bokor

31 Days of Retro Horror Games: Day 19: Silent Hill

This year we’re putting together a list of 31 Retro Horror games. Games that have come from dead console generations, back to haunt us. Sadly, not all of these games will be available for you to play due to the complicated nature of video game preservation. However, we’re going to note if it’s possible to play them on modern hardware. We’ll be covering games from the Seventh Generation (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) and earlier. So basically anything before 2006.


Day 19



Silent Hill




One of the seminal horror game titles, Silent Hill started a franchise that would spawn spin-offs and movies. It all started with the overly foggy, extremely atmospheric, and terrifying low-res that is the original Silent Hill


I know, I know. The buzz right now is around the Silent Hill 2 remake. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure that Bloober Team would be able to pull it off–I hated almost every one of their games. But put someone else’s work in their hands and they create a masterpiece. We’ll have to see if their success continues onto their next game. But I digress.



In Silent Hill you play as Harry Mason as he searches for his daughter Cheryl. It’s not so simple as that, as you have to navigate a town full of nightmarish monsters. It was one of the first video games to really delve into the psychology of horror, staying away from a lot of horror movie tropes–and creating a whole bunch of new tropes in the process. There wasn’t a reliance on jump scares in Silent Hill–instead, it’s deeply unsettling in those moments where it isn’t outright horrific.


The story was also left intentionally vague. This helps elevate the game’s fear of the unknown but also leaves just enough ambiguity to make you wonder even after the end credits. And Silent Hill was a masterclass in showing instead of just telling, especially with its oppressive atmosphere. 




The impact of Silent Hill on the games industry is profound. Its success proved that video games could unsettle players on a deeper psychological level, opening the door for horror games with a narrative emphasis and atmospheric focused design. Games like Fatal Frame, Alan Wake, and Amnesia owe a lot to Silent Hill’s legacy, which showed that a well-designed setting and haunting soundtrack could make horror games unforgettable.


If you want to play Silent Hill today you’re going to have to look a little hard, unfortunately. However, the remake of Silent Hill 2 has recently been released to critical acclaim. 


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