Silent Hill f and Townfall Must Evade the Franchise’s Worst Crutch

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As a lifelong fan of the psychological horror genre, I have been following the evolution of Silent Hill with bated breath. The original games, particularly Silent Hill 2, left an indelible mark on me, and I’ve eagerly anticipated each new installment, hoping to rekindle that same eerie, unsettling feeling.

It’s refreshing to observe how Tales of the Shire focuses on the hobbit-homes and avoids incorporating elements from its IP solely for nostalgia or familiarity, making it unique among games tied to such iconic franchises. Conversely, the Silent Hill series faced a challenge in creating new titles that could live up to the psychological horror masterpieces crafted by Team Silent.

The intriguing and captivating concept of Silent Hill is boundless, offering countless opportunities for characters, stories, and settings. This richness ensures that its creativity and originality will never be limited. Similar to Silent Hill 2, each story or character doesn’t necessarily have to connect directly to another to maintain the lore. As an anthology series, there should never be a need for repetition of iconography unless it’s essential. For instance, Pyramid Head was tied specifically to James Sunderland, and future games like f or Townfall should break away from such tropes entirely.

How Silent Hill Games Have Regurgitated Pyramid Head and the Executioner/Bogeyman Trope

The terrifying character, Pyramid Head, from Silent Hill 2, serves as an exceptional antagonist and embodiment of James Sunderland’s guilt. However, in the years following Pyramid Head’s introduction and his impact on the series, the concept of a menacing figure that represents a dark mirror image of the protagonist has lost some of its originality and been distorted:

  • Silent Hill: Origins’ Butcher as a reflection of Travis Grady.
  • Pyramid Head himself briefly, needlessly, and inexplicably appears in Silent Hill: Homecoming.
  • Silent Hill: Downpour’s Bogeyman as a reflection of Murphy Pendleton.

In a simpler and more conversational way: The character Pyramid Head from the game Silent Hill: Homecoming isn’t necessarily a representation of Alex Shepherd, but rather he is just an aimless executioner/monster figure. The same can be said about the Butcher from Origins and the Bogeyman from Downpour in the Silent Hill series; while they aren’t poorly designed, they are similar to Pyramid Head and lack the originality that other monsters or bosses in the series have.

A significant number of Silent Hill games from the West often lack the subtletely woven narratives found in Silent Hill 2, which is problematic given that Origins, Homecoming, and Downpour share a common theme and silent, symbolic antagonist representing the protagonist. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories also offers an innovative perspective for its storytelling, but it still relies on familiar narratives and characters.

The reason the executioner/bogeyman trope persists is largely due to Pyramid Head’s iconic status in Silent Hill 2, making it an easy choice for creators to reference him—directly and without apology—in Homecoming.

Future Silent Hill Games Should Be Held to a Creative Standard

In order for both “f” and “Townfall” to be considered fresh additions, it’s hoped they won’t rely too heavily on surface-level visuals. While it may be difficult to avoid Silent Hill‘s imagery entirely if elements like fog or the town itself are present, having characters or enemies appear without a clear reason for their presence would be a significant oversight.

One enjoyable aspect of delving into the mysteries of the Silent Hill universe is recognizing or assuming that certain monsters are specifically designed for a single protagonist to encounter. This unique interaction between character and creature in the game’s narrative creates a distinctive experience within the Silent Hill novel, unlike any other player’s journey.

In a more casual and simplified way, we could say: “The movie ‘Homecoming’ would have been overly reliant on the visuals of the 2006 film even without Pyramid Head. However, the eerie town of Shepherd’s Glen and its four founding families’ history are intriguing. Unfortunately for ‘Homecoming’, it went too far by using excessive symbolism, a decision that has tarnished its reputation.

Instead, Silent Hill: The Short Message took a completely different route, having very little resemblance to the original Silent Hill. If one were to accept this departure, it’s unfortunate that the game, being a free, two-hour walkthrough similar to early Bloober titles, fell short of expectations. It’s hoped that future Silent Hill games will follow a different path when developing their lore and visuals. However, fans should not get too excited as the remake of Silent Hill 2 was just released, and it’s likely that the pattern will persist with more inspiration for monster designs coming from Pyramid Head in future Silent Hill games.

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2024-12-01 14:25