Some spoilers ahead. Also, this post is going to talk about mental health and social issues that may be triggering for some people. It said so on its initial splash screen with a trigger warning:
So be forewarned that if you are sensitive to any of those topics mentioned in the screenshot, it may not be a good idea to read this post!
I didn’t know what kind of game Silent Hill: The Short Message was when I started it up. It was free on the PlayStation Store and bears the same name as a pretty popular franchise. I am only vaguely familiar with the original Silent Hill games that came out on the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 but I was looking for something easy to play in bed on my PS Portal to wind down the evening with. This was probably the worst game to do that with.
Let me just say first the positives in that the game looks and sounds really good. The presentation and production value was top notch. And it was short, living up to its name. There’s only three Chapters to play through, and they’re all structured mostly the same.
You play as Anita trying to figure out what happened to her friend Maya and why you’re in the situation you’re in. You wander around an abandoned apartment complex known for graffiti and being a hotspot for teen suicide. After some flashbacks and clues you pick up from the environment, you end up being chased by a monster and you’re only escape is to find the right exit. Make a bad turn or open the wrong door, you end up in a loop until you make the correct choice. There’s no fighting or hiding, just running and opening doors. And if you’re caught by the monster you start the chase all over again.
I think most everyone has at some point freaked themselves out by imagining that someone or something is chasing you. If you’ve seen a slasher film, then the feeling is the same. If you’ve really been chased by someone in real life, my heart goes out to you. But the underlying feeling in all those scenarios is anxiety. When the monster is getting closer, the sound it makes is louder adding to the feeling of dread and panic. And it’s not easy to get rid of that anxiety either. The only way is to make a successful escape. There’s no attacking, no mashing of buttons, nothing. Once you escape you just have to let the feelings of anxiety naturally diminish. That’s not easy for some people.
This formula is the same for the first two chapters. Chapter 3 is where they add a slight twist to the chase sequence where in addition to running around, you have to find a total of five pictures in order to unlock two doors to escape the monster. The frustrating part of it is that not once during the game did it mention that you had to do this new task. I ended up finding a YouTube video (this one to be exact) to help me navigate and figure out what the heck I had to do. I’m sure with enough tries I might have clued in on the action icons above the photographs but they are easy to miss during the constant frantic running away that you have to do. It seems pointless too, you don’t have even a second to examine the picture because the monster is still chasing you.
And that right there should be an indication of my enthusiasm of the game. I pride myself on being able to figure out puzzles, beat bosses, and progress in a game without having to look up any help from the internet (case in point). But the final chase sequence was so frustrating I gave up. At that point in the game, I wasn’t vested at all and just wanted to get it over with. Once I look something up? I’m not having fun and I’ve given up. Very few games made me feel that way. With Silent Hill: The Short Message I was already done before Chapter 1 ended.
The parts of the games story that necessitated the trigger warning seemed a bit extreme, almost cliché-like. I can’t say for sure because I’m fortunate enough to never had to personally deal with those kinds of issues. That’s just what my gut tells me. There is no doubt that these are real topics, so for anyone who is currently or has in the past gone through those experiences playing this game may not be a great idea, hence the trigger warning. But if the game’s plot around those themes isn’t used to teach then why make this game? I get that not every game needs to be a teaching moment but it seems like it’s a missed opportunity to address really important issues. There are a lot of games that tackle mental health head on, Celeste and Omori come to mind, and those games are fun to play and you learn something. There’s a redemption arc in those games. Silent Hill: The Short Message offers none of that.
I’ve been in a dark place myself, as I’m sure a lot of us have been. Don’t worry about me though, me playing this game right now given my recent struggles is merely a coincidence and not a sign. Mental health is no joke and I feel like the way the game used it as a plot mechanism, felt wrong and a little gross. If that was the intent of the game designers then in that regard they did well. I just don’t think the end product is worth anyone’s time.
tl;dr version: This is not a good game. There’s nothing fun about it, no redeeming qualities, and the mental health topics weren’t handled very well in my opinion. I am still looking forward to playing Silent Hill 2 remake though, and Silent Hill f looks promising as well. I just hope those games have a better story.
Just like the trigger warning in the game, I’ll end this post like this with the same message:
This post talks about depictions of suicide, self-harm, abuse, trauma and bullying that some people may find distressing.
The author does not intend whatsoever to encourage or make light of self-harm and suicide.
If you feel that you are at risk of suicide or self-harm, please seek medical and/or professional advice, treatment, and/or support from experts in the field of suicide and self-harm prevention.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact a local hotline or hospital.
If you notice someone around you who appears to be struggling, try talking to them.
One brave step can save lives.
US 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
Tel: 988 URL: https://988lifeline.org/
International resource for local crisis support lines:
https://www.konami.com/games/silenthill/help/
Take care of yourselves.
