Developed by HexaDrive and available on PS5 for free, the story follows Anita, who awakens in the Villa, a dilapidated apartment complex. After receiving a message from her friend Maya to find something, she embarks on a haunting journey through the building, trying to remember how she got there.

The runtime is about two hours, and unlike most other titles, it’s in first-person. There’s only one monster to beware of, which pops up during specific chase sequences while the story focuses on themes of bullying and suicide. You can check out our review here.

Outside of Silent Hill: The Short Message, Konami has also released Silent Hill 2 remake, which sold over two million units. Silent Hill f is in development for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and though it’s the next mainline title, it’s a “completely new title, independent of the series,” per the publisher.

Slitterhead

A bizarre mix of action and body horror from Keiichiro Toyama, the creator of Silent Hill, Siren, and Gravity Rush, Slitterhead practically screams, “Not for everyone.” As Hyoki, an amnesiac spirit who must slay the Slitterheads, you can take over the bodies of different NPCs and leverage their powers. Combat can be enjoyable, but technical issues, jank, and repetition blemish the experience. It’s an acquired taste, though, and some may enjoy the body-hopping-focused gameplay while basking in the sheer weirdness of it all.

The Unreal Engine 5-developed first-person horror title focuses on Anita, who awakens in the rundown apartment complex. Maya, her best friend, informs her that she can’t leave until she finds “it.” Throughout the journey, Anita remembers their relationship while avoiding a mysterious cherry blossom-covered monster.

Silent Hill: The Short Message received mixed reviews when it launched, with many criticizing the overall gameplay, dialogue and story-telling. You can check out our review here.

As for the franchise’s future, Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2, a remake of Konami’s 2001 classic, launches on October 8th for PS5 and PC. Check out the latest gameplay here. Other titles like No Code’s Silent Hill: Townfall and NeoBards Entertainment’s Silent Hill f are also in the works, though release windows have yet to be announced.

『SILENT HILL: The Short Message』
300万ダウンロード突破

怪奇現象が次々と起こる廃墟のマンションで、
異形のクリーチャーから逃げきれるか。

PlayStation®5で無料配信中ですので、
ぜひ一度プレイしてみてください。

PS Storehttps://t.co/UIPnH4ixHQ#SILENTHILL #SHTSM pic.twitter.com/SkPEy5JNgE

— SILENT HILL (@silenthill_jp) July 31, 2024

The title will receive new merchandise, including a 1/6 scale Sakura Head statue from Gecco, overseen by concept artist Masahiro Ito. It’s priced at 54,780 Yen, stands 410 mm (roughly 16.14 inches) tall and will be available from September to November 2024. Fans can also check out the soundtrack, composed by Akira Yamaoka, and available worldwide on Spotify and Apple Music.

Featuring over 80 tracks, it also includes songs absent from the game. Check out our review for more details. We gave it a 7 out of 10, praising its soundtrack and visuals while criticizing the simple gameplay and the narrative’s heavy-handed nature. Stay tuned for further updates in the meantime.

Over on Twitter, Konami has announced that Silent Hill: The Short Message has now surpassed 2 million downloads, less than a week since its launch. That’s up from 1 million downloads 5 days after release, so the game’s certainly kept up impressive momentum following its release.

In our review of the game, we gave it a score of 7/10, saying, “Silent Hill: The Short Message isn’t going to set the horror genre ablaze, but it doesn’t have to. As a free offering, it’s a solid showcase with a heavy atmosphere and heavier subjects, even if its narrative could have been more subtle.” Read the full review through here.

Silent Hill: The Short Message is available exclusively on PS5.

『SILENT HILL: The Short Message』

200万ダウンロードを突破しました。
PlayStation®5で無料配信中ですので
ぜひ一度プレイしてみてください。

PlayStation Store：https://t.co/UIPnH4ixHQ
公式サイト：https://t.co/nbv0zTpl5P#SILENTHILL #SHTSM pic.twitter.com/g2zIfH3hoS

— SILENT HILL (@silenthill_jp) February 12, 2024

Silent Hill: The Short Message isn’t set in the titular town – instead, it follows a teenager named Anita, who awakens in an abandoned apartment complex in the town of Kettenstadt, Germany. Unable to leave and stalked by a strange creature, she seeks her friend Maya, who tells her that she must find “it.” The Unreal Engine 5 title is short, roughly an hour and a half, and offers a first-person perspective with live-action footage interspersed throughout.

Check out our review of Silent Hill: The Short Message here, though it’s worth noting that other critics have given it mixed or negative reviews. Konami’s upcoming titles in the series include Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2, No Code’s Silent Hill: Townfall and NeoBard’s Silent Hill f. Stay tuned for more announcements on all three in the future.

『SILENT HILL: The Short Message』

100万ダウンロードを突破しました。
プレイいただいた皆さまありがとうございます。

公式サイト：https://t.co/nbv0zTpl5P#SILENTHILL #SHTSM pic.twitter.com/aQKTTPURhU

— SILENT HILL (@silenthill_jp) February 6, 2024

It’s not very long, clocking in at about an hour and a half with some retries, and will likely invite comparisons to Kojima Productions’ P.T. due to its first-person perspective. The Short Message is aiming for a more self-contained narrative, though, and tackles other heavy material like suicide, bullying, self-harm and child abuse. While these topics are handled relatively well, with the appropriate seriousness, the overall narrative can get a little too heavy-handed.

"Like P.T., players will revisit the same rooms, with some new ones opening up over subsequent chapters, before the conclusion."

The Short Message starts with Anita, a teenager who pens a letter to her adult self about how humans should be self-sufficient and not rely on others. She’s not a lone wolf, though – if anything, she really wants to be noticed by other people, especially Maya, a talented graffiti artist who goes by the moniker C.B. (short for Cherry Blossom). The latter paints the girls’ scars as cherry blossoms and wants to capture the feelings they’re holding inside.

By comparison, Anita is constantly made fun of and abused, both for her art and general appearance. It may seem like the grass is greener on the other side for Maya, but she also faces issues and bottles it all up inside without telling anyone.

After witnessing a mysterious fog (hint, hint), Anita awakens at an abandoned apartment complex with no memory of how she got there, and events take a strange turn. Maya messages her about meeting up, but a monster stalks Anita through the hallways. Multitudes of notes also cover the walls, insulting and abusing her. The worst part is that she can’t leave until she finds “it,” per Maya. What is “it”? “It” is what you have to find, and you’ll be reminded of that a fair bit.

A decent chunk of the narrative is revealed in live-action sequences as Anita struggles to remember things, much less her reason for being there. It’s all set against the backdrop of a city facing industrial decline after rebuilding efforts fell through due to the pandemic, the negative effects of teenagers seeking approval online and rising suicide rates. Like P.T., players will revisit the same rooms, with some new ones opening up over subsequent chapters, before the conclusion.

"Some scenes will hit you, while others feel like they’re a bit too obvious in why Anita must endure this purgatory."

The problem, especially in a supposed psychological horror title, is that some dialogues feel unnecessary. In one chase sequence where Anita flees for her life, she pleads for someone to notice her. Sure, it fits with her overall thinking in the chapter but otherwise, it feels awkward when she’s trying desperately to stay alive. Some scenes will hit you, while others feel like they’re a bit too obvious in why Anita must endure this purgatory.

Still, Fadile Waked does well as the protagonist. Some lines can feel uneven or stiff, but she delivers on the more emotional moments. Haruka Sakaguchi, who plays Maya, does a fantastic job in the live-action sequences, exuding an air of mystery and that inner sadness which threatens to burst out. However, the lip-syncing on her lines doesn’t quite match in many circumstances – it’s probably because her dialogues were originally recorded in Japanese. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it can look odd when you stop and notice.

Debora Uehara, who plays Amelie, also does a good job as the supportive friend fighting her own personal battles to get through the days. One other performance stands out, but not in the best way. It’s almost comical due to the dialogue and delivery. Thankfully, the plot gets back on track soon after.

Despite how confined the apartment complex can be, it’s meticulously detailed, whether it’s the oodles of graffiti adorning the walls or the trash and rubbish filling the hallways. Unreal Engine 5 shines here, showcasing sharp textures, atmospherics and great lighting and shadows. When Anita uses her phone to illuminate the surroundings, it comes across as natural. Even the particle effects are worth noting, particularly in the more harrowing sequences, and the music is also pretty good (especially the credits song). The downside is that the experience is very restrictive.

"That being said, there aren’t any survival horror elements – dying in the chases will take you right back to before they began. There’s also no real threat or danger outside those, diminishing some tension."

Konami and developer Hexadrive clearly wanted to focus on the narrative above all else. It captures that oppressive Silent Hill atmosphere as it transfers seamlessly from the rundown complex to a pristine school hallway or into a well-kept home steadily following into neglect. However, the gameplay is little more than a walking simulator in the strictest sense of the term (except for the places where you’re required to run).

There’s only one puzzle to speak of, and it involves something as simple as searching for a few brightly colored numbers on the walls and ceiling. Much of the title sees you looking at things, reading and interacting with graffiti and art. It’s not like I expected combat, especially in a free title like this, but even P.T. had a bit more exploration-focused puzzles. There also aren’t many scares – perhaps two or three overall.

It’s a given when considering the game’s length, but more down to the focus on atmosphere and narrative. I would settle for a few effective scares, coupled with some macabre discoveries, rather than unnecessary jump scares every other minute. That being said, there aren’t any survival horror elements – dying in the chases will take you right back to before they began. There’s also no real threat or danger outside those, diminishing some tension.

Silent Hill: The Short Message comes across as many things. It’s an earnest message to those with suicidal thoughts to seek help and for other people to try and talk to them if they sense something is wrong. It’s also an Unreal Engine 5 showcase of sorts while reflecting the stories that Konami wants to tell. On top of that, it feels like an introduction to the world of Silent Hill for potential newcomers, focusing more on the general theme without having to delve into the extensive lore.

"Silent Hill: The Short Message has some shortcomings, but as a compact title and a beginning for things to come, it’s solid and worth experiencing."

It could also be viewed as a means to explain how other titles could embody Silent Hill. This is best seen in a little newspaper explaining the fog, referring to it as the “Silent Hill Phenomenon” after the titular town. It’s described as representing uncertainty and “sensory illusions” for those who are psychologically unstable, and how when they experience “high stress,” their vision may become “obscured or tunneled.” “Social uncertainty or apprehension about the future manifests as fog, thus blurring the lines between illusion and reality.”

It also teases that as time goes on, “more and more cases of the Silent Hill Phenomenon” are seen. A “rapid rebuilding of society” with a “stronger emphasis on counseling and mental health care for the young” is in order.

Some of the series’ media has veered away from venturing to the town, and this feels like an explanation for how its influence can spread through the world. As far as potentially setting up other Silent Hill stories, it’s a unique approach which still retains the core premise of the guilty facing their deeds – and other inherent trauma – head-on.

For now, Silent Hill: The Short Message has some shortcomings, but as a compact title and a beginning for things to come, it’s solid and worth experiencing.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

The Short Message focuses on Anita in a strange apartment block with disturbing messages everywhere. The location is rumored for its suicides, and soon, Anita is hunted by a strange monster as more supernatural events occur. What is her mission, and why is her friend Maya telling her that she can’t leave until she finds “it”?

The good news is we don’t have to wait to find out, since Silent Hill: The Short Message is available to play now. Based on its Australian Classification Board rating, it has a mix of first and third-person cutscenes with gameplay focused on exploration. Stay tuned for more details on the title in the coming days and additional announcements from the State of Play.

The Australian Classification Board (ACB) recently published an annual report in which it revealed new details on the title, as well as story-related spoilers.

The report, which has since been taken down (but can still be viewed via Wayback Machine) describes the game as an “exploration-based psychological horror game”, and reveals that the game is set in an apartment building called The Villa in modern-day Germany. As per ACB’s description, The Short Message will be a first-person game, though its cutscenes will be a mix of first- and third-person.

Plot details for its central characters relating to themes like suicide and self-harm have also leaked, in line with what previous leaks have claimed.

You can read the description in full below, but do keep in mind that it contains spoilers:

“An exploration‑based psychological horror game in which players control characters in an apartment building called The Villa in modern‑day Germany. The player assumes the role of a young woman, Anita, who must explore The Villa through first‑person gameplay in order to collect clues and uncover what has happened to her friend. Anita is exploring a bathroom environment which features a bathtub filled with bloody water, blood‑splattered tiles and a razor blade on a bloodied sink. Upon examining a razor, Anita experiences a flashback. In a cut‑scene depicted through a first‑person point of view, a voice yells, “This is all your fault! Bad things happen because of YOU!” and a hand holding the razor enters the frame. The character’s left arm enters the frame with horizontal scars evident across the character’s wrist. The scene cuts to a black screen before the razor makes contact with the character’s wrist.

“The following shot features an image of the character’s left arm with old and fresh scars. In a cut‑scene depicted through a mixture of third‑person and first‑person shots, the player character stands on the edge of the building’s rooftop, looking down. It is implied that Maya committed suicide by jumping off the ledge of the rooftop. The player character, in a distressed state of mind, speculates that she will never compare to Maya. Echoes of her mother’s abusive tirades are heard in the background as Anita prepares to jump and says, “Maybe I can be like her… Here goes…” In a first‑person shot, her feet are seen near the edge of the ledge before, in a third‑person shot, she steps off and begins to fall.

“Throughout the game, cut‑scenes depicting self‑harm and suicide are followed by black screens which feature white text encouraging players to seek treatment and help if they are at risk of self‑harm and suicide and to offer support if they see people around them struggling. In the Board’s opinion, depictions of suicide and self‑harm within the game occur in the broader context of discourse exploring issues revolving around mental health which encourages players to seek help or offer support to those in need. As such, the impact of the depictions does not exceed strong in impact and can be accommodated within the MA 15+ classification.”

It remains to be seen when Konami will officially announce Silent Hill: The Short Message, or how the company will position its release in terms of scale and significance. Initial leaks claimed that it would be playable teaser for the next mainline entry in the horror franchise, which was later officially announced as Silent Hill f.

Now, new potential story details on The Short Message have also emerged, courtesy of prominent leaker Dusk Golem. Posting in messages on Discord (via Reddit), the leaker has revealed alleged narrative details of the game, though they state that this information comes from a 2020 build of the title, which means they may or may not have been altered since then. Obviously, there are some potential spoilers ahead, so keep that in mind if you wish to read on.

Slent Hill: The Short Message will allegedly see players stepping into the shoes of a student named Anita. All but invisible to others in her class, Anita has just one friend in Maya, whom she grew up with, though the two have lately been growing apart due to Anita developing “destructive habbits”, like slitting her wrists and “looking at shocking things on the internet”.

Things seemingly take a turn, however, when Maya is found dead, apparently having committed suicide. Even after her death, however, someone has been continuing to post on her social media accounts. Hoping to uncover the mysteries surrounding her friend’s death, Anita travels to an abandoned apartment complex, where is where Maya took her own life.

The leaker has also said that the details mentioned above have very few spoilers and essentially only cover the beginning of the game, and that there’s plenty else going on in the story that they don’t cover, like the aformentioned abandoned apartments having “their own storied history”.

Initial leaks surrounding The Short Message claimed that the game would be a relatively shorter playable teaser that would set the stage for the next mainline Silent Hill game, which has since then been officially unveiled as Silent Hill f.

When (or if) we’ll hear something about the game remains to be seen, though with Konami confirmed to be attending Tokyo Game Show this September, hopefully, it won’t be too long before that happens.