Note: Unfortunately Gameinformer’s website is going through a re-haul and the original interview page is missing so I couldn’t go back and get any screencaps or pictures used so this interview will just contain the text I copied a couple weeks ago!

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Q&A

by Jeff Cork, POSTED: 6/25/2009 2:31 PM

We recently chatted with Konami producer Tomm Hulett and Climax game director Mark Simmons about what fans can expect in the newest Silent Hill iteration. We discuss the difference between remaking a game and reimagining one, clarify why combat has been dismissed, and even question Harry’s new spectacles. Read on for the details.

Game Informer: What kind of lessons did you learn about Silent Hill since developing Silent Hill: Origins?

Mark Simmons: Silent Hill: Origins was our first experience of developing a Silent Hill title. During that development we were very aware of the fans passion for the series, in particular the level of detail to which they scrutinize the games and the narrative. I think Silent Hill is unique in that respect, the fans deliver a level of scrutiny that other games don’t get.

At the outset of Shattered Memories we discussed Origins a lot. With that game we felt we had to a large extent already covered a lot of the Silent Hill 1 storyline by recapping it as a sequel to that original story. That was one of the reasons we felt strongly that we had to reimagine the Silent Hill 1 story for Shattered Memories. Origins’ story was fairly constrained by the canon of the series, but by reimagining the Silent Hill 1 story for Shattered Memories we have been able to take story telling within the game to new levels with the freedom that a reimagining provides. Every detail within the game and all gameplay elements have been designed from the ground up to deliver the narrative on multiple levels.

There will be the main story arc which we feel delivers a meaningful story which twists and turns in a contemporary way. This is supplemented by layers of additional depth delivered through many side stories via the cell phone and vast amount of detail within the world which users can spend as much time as they like finding and dissecting. Finally, there is an additional layer of depth specifically for the fans, a layer that only they will understand with many interesting and sometimes fun links to the original storyline and canon of the series.

GI: Where do you draw the line between a remake and a reimagining?

Tomm Hulett: A remake seeks to recreate an experience in exacting detail, using new technology or graphics to do what the original couldn’t. A re-imagining, on the other hand, takes a concept or a goal and creates something entirely new around that original core. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is very much a reimagining.

GI: Can you talk about the decisions that led to the nightmare world getting a complete overhaul, from its former “blood and rust” look to its current “sterile ice” presentation?

Simmons: There isn’t much that exists in Shattered Memories that doesn’t have a story telling reason for being there. The ice and snow form a key part of the narrative language within the game and once you’ve played through the game and have considered the story you’ll understand why it forms a natural backdrop to the nightmare world. It also gave us plenty of opportunities to push the hardware of the platforms with some amazing rendering effects, refractive ice, some amazing snow effects, solid ice that shimmers in the flashlight beam, and advanced lighting that accurately reproduces the light and shadow from the snow and ice. We also felt strongly that the extreme cold and ice would support a strong sense of isolation and lack of life to create an atmosphere where you’d feel really on your own in an oppressive world adding to the terror of the nightmare experience.

GI: Can you explain more about the Personality Profile system?

Hulett: The past Silent Hill games have focused a lot on the psychology of the main character to varying degrees. There are areas that suggest the entire experience is taking place in the person’s mind, while others merely suggest the monsters were “conjured” by the character’s mental state. Either way, we took this concept and ran with it, turning it into a gameplay mechanic that is active at all times. Shattered Memories is watching you, the player, and changing what you experience as you progress through the game.

GI: From what we gather, memory (and its limitations) are going to play a part in Shattered Memories. Will the storyline branch off based on player choices, or is it a more linear, tailored experience?

Simmons: You just mentioned our Psych Profile system, right? Well this system delivers a much more advanced mechanic than simple story branching. Every element throughout the entire game is changed to strongly flavor the storyline depending on your personality profile. The main story arc is delivered each time you play through, but that story arc can be very different with each play through and change in ways where 100 people playing the game will get some experiences of the story that are unique to only their play through.

GI: Is Dr. K Dr. Kaufmann?

Simmons: We can’t say. However, here is an excerpt from the design docs on Dr. K:

Dr. K graduated from __________ Medical School in the early 70s and went straight into training as a psychoanalyst, eager to test out theories “in the wild.” After working for the New York psychoanalyst Charles __________ for several years, Dr. K branched out and opened his own practice. His bravado and self-perpetuated reputation for innovation saw him taken on by several high profile clients, and at the same time attracted some ire from the more conservative members of his profession. In the 80s there were rumors of an affair with his patient __________ (the actress and daughter of __________ ). The minor controversies only added to the doctor’s rock and roll reputation amongst the rich set. In the background to this, Dr. K was developing a moderate __________. Privately he subjected __________ humiliating __________ experiments, __________ out on the 80s New York socialite scene and __________ recount her __________ afterwards. Dr. K often justified these elements of his life as being part of his need to explore the edges of mental experience in order to better understand the human mind.

GI: Why is Harry wearing glasses in Shattered Memories?

Simmons: Many things are different in this game from the original game, so him having glasses now is just another example of this. We wanted to create a more real character, not a strong action hero, but an everyday person who you might meet in the bar down the road. It’s a true survival horror game and we felt the glasses helped to push forward his vulnerability as a simple writer by profession who is thrust unwillingly into the nightmare of Shattered Memories.

GI: Combat has been one of those things that Silent Hill players have grumbled about for years. What led to the decision to get rid of it in this game?

Hulett: One thing you’ll notice when you play modern survival horror games (previous Silent Hills included), is that whenever a monster appears, you’re only scared for a moment. Then you beat its face in or shoot it, and it dies, and you’re safe, and you move right along. Enemies also tend to be stupid, and kind of let you kill them. All in all, you feel very empowered – just like playing any other action game.

But Silent Hill is a horror game, so should you feel empowered? No, you should feel weak and scared and alone and helpless. The original Silent Hill suggested that protagonist Harry Mason was a normal guy without combat experience… so we stayed true to that: he’s a writer, not an action hero. Now when the (extremely capable) creatures show up, Harry has no way to stop them and be safe again. He has to escape, using his wits to outsmart or outmaneuver them. We think it creates a much more satisfying horror experience.

GI: The first trailer showed Harry going to visit his house, which was in Silent Hill, and it’s occupied by strangers. Will the “regular” version of Silent Hill be similarly populated, or is it about as barren as in the original?

Hulett: One commonly held notion about Silent Hill is that the town is abandoned. However, many of the games suggest it’s as populated as any town in America – but when a troubled person enters, they see the “foggy” world, which is only inhabited by similarly troubled individuals. So does that mean you could encounter a lot of “normal” people in Silent Hill? I’ve been a fan of Silent Hill since the beginning, and the little mysteries like this really intrigue me. I think it’s time we explored them, don’t you?

GI: Some would say the Silent Hill series has lost its way over the years. How do you plan to grab the attention of those who have written it off?

Hulett: I think that Silent Hill may have risked turning formulaic, and the one way to ensure something isn’t scary is to make it routine and normal. However, Silent Hill has always had a ton of untapped potential, because it’s about this subjective reality where nothing is what you expect… so we decided to illustrate this by reimagining the original. We’ve examined gameplay, story, characters… everything, and turned it into something fresh and new. Anyone who yearns for the early days when Silent Hill still made them question what the hell was going on… Shattered Memories is for you.

source: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Q&A | 06/25/2009