A new Silent Hill game called The Short Message may be on its way, according to a Korean rating.
The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea (via Gematsu) has given a rating to the previously unannounced Silent Hill: The Short Message. Unfortunately, it’s not known what this new game is, or even what platforms it will appear on. Some have speculated that the title could allude to a playable teaser, not unlike PT, the last mainline Silent Hill release.
The publisher was listed as UNIANA – the publisher of Konami’s recent free-to-play soccer fiasco, eFootball 2023. It’s also unknown whether The Short Message will be a new instalment in the Silent Hill, a teaser, a spin-off, or mobile game. Considering UNIANA’s production of arcade cabinets, it could even be a new Silent Hill arcade experience.
Silent Hill was originally released for the PS One in 1999 and tells the story of Harry Mason – a man searching for his missing adopted daughter in the titular fictional American town. The survival horror was a huge hit, spawning numerous sequels and spin-offs over the years.
It’s been about 10 years since the last full games, and fans are eager for more. Unfortunately, P.T. was the last time we saw anything official, all the way back in 2014 – the legendary teaser for the since-cancelled Silent Hills by Hideo Kojima.
However, a slew of leaks and rumours have pointed to, potentially, multiple new Silent Hill games in the works. Whether or not Silent Hill: The Short Message is connected to these leaks is unclear. For now, we’ll have to wait and see, but it could be good news for Silent Hill fans.
There are currently eight mainline games in the Silent Hill series, beginning with the original Silent Hill in 1999 and ending with the lacklustre Silent Hill: Downpour in 2012.
Want to read more about Silent Hill? Check out how someone recently trolled Konami with SIlentHill.com and find out how P.T. became a modern urban legend.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.