Summary
- Silent Hill: The Short Message has surpassed 4 million downloads on PS5.
- The game received mixed reviews at launch but has found success a year later.
- This milestone achievement for Silent Hill: The Short Message has sparked optimism for the upcoming release of Silent Hill f and other entries in the franchise.
Konami has announced that Silent Hill: The Short Message has officially surpassed 4 million downloads, marking a major accomplishment for the survival horror title. Silent Hill: The Short Message launched as a PS5 exclusive and is still available for free download, giving fans a chance to check out one of the latest entries in the legendary Silent Hill franchise.
Originally released in January 2024, Silent Hill: The Short Message diverts from other entries in the franchise by shifting its setting to a fictional town in Germany rather than the titular town of Silent Hill in the United States. The game also introduces new gameplay mechanics, implementing a first-person horror game experience, as opposed to the third-person POV most heavily associated with the franchise. These major changes led to mixed reviews from critics and fans early on, but the game has still managed to reach an impressive milestone.
Silent Hill: Townfall Faces a Fork in the Road After SH2 Remake, The Short Message
Silent Hill: Townfall is shrouded in mystery, leaving the game with the tough task of meeting the expectations of franchise fans.
Silent Hill: The Short Message has reached over 4 million downloads on the PlayStation Store, sparking optimism among audiences about the future of the series. Early reviews for Silent Hill: The Short Message were a mixed bag, ranging from critiques of the POV and setting changes to praise for refreshing enemy designs. However, it would seem players have continued to take an interest in the smaller title. While the game is indeed shorter than most entries in the series, fans have enjoyed discussing the implications of its story on the broader lore of Silent Hill. Players have also used new information revealed in Silent Hill: The Short Message to speculate on possible changes that may be coming in the next major franchise release, Silent Hill f.
Silent Hill: The Short Message's Achievement Could Bode Well for Silent Hill f
In spite of mixed reviews, the latest milestone for Silent Hill: The Short Message could bode well for the upcoming launch of Silent Hill f. Both games make major changes compared to staple entries, with the setting of Silent Hill f also moving away from the titular town of Silent Hill. Additionally, one of the widely applauded enemy designs in Silent Hill: The Short Message has already sparked early comparisons to imagery and themes in Silent Hill f, which could prove beneficial for the latter. Between Silent Hill: The Short Message hitting a major achievement and audiences excitedly awaiting more news of Silent Hill f, hype for the classic survival horror franchise seems to be showing no signs of slowing.
The latest milestone of Silent Hill: The Short Message may come as a surprise to some, though many have pointed to the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake as a possible catalyst for renewed interest in The Short Message. Whether the upcoming release of Silent Hill f will be met with the same enthusiasm as its predecessors remains to be seen, but the celebratory energy now surrounding Silent Hill: The Short Message has many franchise fans feeling optimistic.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 55 /100 Critics Rec: 31%
- Released
- January 31, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Konami
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Silent Hill
WHERE TO PLAY
An all-new, modern Silent Hill experience, powered by the latest in game technology.
Following messages from her friend, street artist Maya, Anita arrives at an old, crumbling apartment block. Drawn inside, she soon encounters bizarre, otherworldly spaces and inexplicable happenings as she explores, all while being pursued by a twisted monster.
If she wants to make it out alive, Anita must somehow escape the abnormal perils of the apartments and find her way out again. But where is Maya? And just what is this strange world that she finds herself lost in?
