Silent Hill f writer Ryukishi07 shares what he hopes you learn from his take on the horror series
Truth be told, I haven’t played all that many games this year, who has the time! There was one I couldn’t miss out on, however, which was Silent Hill f, the first properly new entry in the series for many years, and one with some pedigree behind it, Higurashi and Umineko writer Ryukishi07. I ended up reviewing it for this here site, and liked it very much then, and perhaps more now. There were some great lessons to be learned, and in a recent interview, Ryukishi07 put some of those lessons into succinct, quite lovely words.
Speaking to GamesRadar, the writer spoke of how each of the horror game’s characters, not just protagonist Hinako, but her parents, her friends, and the mysterious Fox Mask “may have had their own hell. Please do not forget that, or the fact that Hinako was oblivious to those hells, as she was too consumed by her own personal hell to notice.” He continued to note how your own personal hell is “a world of solitude that no one else can perceive, but please do not fall into the trap of assuming that others around you have no hell of their own.”
It’s later on in the interview where Ryukishi07 says what I find most heartwarming, a strange feeling to have with something like Silent Hill. He discusses how he wants people to believe that whatever form of hell a person might be experiencing, it will come to an end one day. And according to him, “the key to the way out of your personal hell lies in the hands of your family, friends, or your local hotlines. You have endured through your personal hell so much. You have already persevered enough, so please, be proud of yourself, and rely on the help of others.”
The hotlines part is possibly a touch hokey, but the overall spirit of the message is one I appreciate deeply. It is a message that is well woven into the game itself, and is borderline Kingdom Heartsian in its nature, a series that is perhaps diametrically opposed to Silent Hill in almost every regard. The feeling of comradery between Hinako and Shu is one of the best elements of the game, and it’s reassuring to see the powerful narrative of the two relying on one another wasn’t just a fluke.
I’d really recommend the full reader over at GamesRadar, as long as you’re alright with some spoilers. I had little faith in Silent Hill f, and was proven wrong, so to see the love with which Ryukishi07 speaks of his creation is just nice to see.