Free Silent Hill game, the Short Message available now (PS5)

[Chris Sunderland]

Downloading now. Post your options and hot takes.

[leftshoe18]

The first act got off to a shaky start but, once you hit chapter two, it gets way better and I ended up really enjoying it. It's not the best Silent Hill game but it's a worthy new addition to the catalog. I'm still hyped that I got to play a new Silent Hill game in the year 2024. It had been way too damn long.

[Droo]

I really enjoyed it! Picked up on some interesting possible links to Silent Hill f as well!

[Chris Sunderland]

Really enjoyed it. I loved how the game slowly felt Silent Hill esqe as it goes on. Reading the notes really have me vibes I hadn't had in years. Sukura was excellent . Mr. Ito's still got it!

[leftshoe18]

Some additional observations:

The narration is really heavy-handed at times. I think the story's presentation could have benefitted from dialing that back a bit. I liked the story, it just could have been presented a little better.

I love the Otherworld design in this game. The post-its were an idea I've loved since we first saw leaked concept art and they look wonderful in the completed game.

The puzzle to get the locker combo is almost identical to a puzzle I put in my game The 13th Loop. I got a chuckle out of that.

[aj4x94]

I enjoyed it too. Me and my girlfriend took turns playing each loop until it was over. Was the game rather heavy handed with its message? Yes. Did it have most of the things that make it Silent Hill like unresolved trauma, rusty and dark art design, a layered world and environmental story telling? Sure did.

It felt like Life is Strange mixed with Silent Hill

[Arsonist]

Might as well post my thoughts here.
Good: The environments all look amazing, the whole paper/paint based otherworld idea is really cool and well executed. Wish they double downed on it instead of reverting to SH:Movie aesthetic in chapter 3. Don't get me wrong, it looked nice, just not very original. The monster has a potential to be iconic, I really liked her. She's all about contrast, soft and sharp, pretty and grotesque. It's been a long time since we saw something that wasn't a variant of a preexisting design. The live action scenes were a bold choice which totally paid off. They brought me back to SH1/2 and their hard cuts to FMV scenes. Experiencing it again, I really appreciate how they can create an uncanny, dissonant feeling that truly fits with the Silent Hill universe. I'd argue that short message utilized this better than the predecessors did. Using an entirely different style for flashbacks highlights how different things used to be for Anita, or how unique and special Maya was as a person.
Okay: Music. It's there, it did the job, but none of the tracks stood out.
Bad: The story was incredibly mediocre, or at least, the execution was. One hour just isn't enough time to cram in all the issues they're trying to tackle and do them any sort of justice. Cutting out some fat and focusing on one or two things would have helped. It would have certainly avoided things like dropping sexual abuse and self harm in one scene, only to completely gloss over them as the story needs to move forward. Or the unintentional comedy of Anita checking her follower count while being chased by a monster. Speaking of Anita, she never shuts up. It's killing the vibe, and a lot of what she has to say gave me second hand embarrassment. In general, the writing is not very good, and the art of subtlety isn't just dead. It is cremated, and its ashes have been flushed down the toilet.

[jdnation]

Digital Foundry did a tech review.
https://youtu.be/KMMAlT7yAb0