Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced it is to return to the mist-shrouded streets of Silent Hill (working title), as the eighth title in the series heads to PlayStation®3 and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Scheduled for release in 2011, Silent Hill remains true to the franchise’s original roots, and again takes the form of a third-person horror experience. With an all-new thought-provoking storyline, players will once again find themselves face to face with their deepest sins and fears in the strange world of Silent Hill.

The new game begins after a prison transport vehicle careens off the road, leaving lone inmate Murphy Pendleton stranded in Silent Hill. As Pendleton takes in his new surroundings, users will encounter mind-bending puzzles and horrific creatures and otherworld terrors. Armed only with the everyday objects they can find – from wooden chairs to glass bottles – to fend off their enemies, fight or flight responses are left to the player as they unravel a dark, thought-provoking storyline which will appeal to fans of the early, classic Silent Hill series.

Silent Hill enjoys a wealth of new elements to create a deep, psychological horror experience. In addition to the main storyline, players will also be presented with variable side quests that will change depending on the user’s play style, revealing further unknown evils within the town.

“We are honoring the rich history and strong following of Silent Hill, and working hard to build another unforgettable horror game that the fans truly deserve,” commented Martin Schneider, European Marketing and PR Director for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Silent Hill introduces an all-new storyline and unique evolutions in gameplay, building on innovations and successes from over a decade of true survival horror and terror.”

Silent Hill (working title) will be available for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360 in 2011. For more information, please contact Steve Merrett at Voltage PR on 020 7903 5122 or email steve@voltagepr.com.

www.konami-europe.com

Tomm – I knew there would be some reviews that didn’t like the direction or just didn’t get it. I felt really strongly about the game we were making (and everyone at Climax definitely did too) though, so I tried to focus on the positive reviews. It was very nice to see some fans accepting it as “the best SH since _____” though. One thing that surprised me was how many reviews said “it has nothing to do with SH1 beyond character names” considering the game’s flow mirrors SH1’s exactly, location to location. Whitney’s site actually has a really detailed chart explaining this.

Tomm – This was unfortunate. I’d wanted to keep the blog going through the EU release, and I’d planned to do a Let’s Play-style walkthrough of the original Silent Hill to get people geared up for the reimagining (and to point out some references to US players who had already completed SM). Unfortunately we hit crunch time on Rocket Knight and I couldn’t devote time to the playthrough. I apologize for leaving some of you hanging.

Q: I just wanted to say as a fan of the original games I loved all the little homages you guys fit into Shattered Memories! Were there any homages that you personally suggested to be included? Also after the game’s release, were there any unintentional connections pointed out by fans that surprised you?

Tomm – Well, the UFO Ending for one, as I explained above ☺ I’m sure there were others I suggested; I’m pretty annoying about this type of thing regardless of the game I’m working on (sorry Climax!). However, Climax has a lot of SH fans on the team and they didn’t need any help coming up with references. I really like the memento that resembles the Air Screamer from SH1. The homage to Alessa’s teacher also went over my head until right before release. I didn’t notice the Maria shadow in the UFO ending until the game came out. Rule 1 of being a super detailed SH-head is to hire other super detailed SH-heads to watch your back!