This game revolutionized horror without ever being released. If not for it, the genre would look very different today

In August 2014, the horror branch of the video game industry changed - if not forever, then at least for many years. That’s when P.T. debuted - a short demo of Silent Hills. Unfortunately, the full game - a collaboration between Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, and Norman Reedus - never saw the light of day.

Silent Hills timeline

gamescom has always served as an appetizer to the main events of the gaming calendar - traditionally, the June showcases led by E3, which the Summer Game Fest has recently tried to replace. Still, many significant titles were announced in Cologne, with Silent Hills undoubtedly taking the spotlight.

Hideo Kojima unveiled it to the world in his own distinct style. In August 2014, a trailer for the mysterious project P.T. was unveiled, reportedly being developed by the debut team 7780s Studio. At the same time, a PlayStation 4 demo was released on the PlayStation Store for all interested players.

The mystery behind this setup didn’t take long to unravel. A Twitch user known as SoapyWarping was the first to complete the demo. In doing so, they discovered that P.T. was essentially a playable teaser for the upcoming Silent Hills, and also uncovered the names of the key people behind the project.

Silent Hills. Source: Kojima Productions / Konami.

Within just a few days, unofficial reports began circulating about what the project would offer. We’ll get to that discussion later, because by March 2015, dark clouds were gathering over Kojima, Kojima Productions, and Silent Hills. It was then revealed that the renowned developer had been removed from the Metal Gear Solid series, signaling the end of his partnership with Konami.

Shortly after, the Kojima Productions logo vanished from the game’s official page, and just over three weeks later, news broke that P.T. would be removed from the PlayStation Store. Moreover, it disappeared from the digital libraries of players who had acquired it, making it impossible to download again. This turned consoles with P.T. still installed on them into rare, coveted collectors’ items.

Unsurprisingly, this sparked serious concerns about the project's future. These concerns turned out to be justified at the end of April 2015, when it was revealed that, although Konami remained interested in the Silent Hill franchise, Silent Hills itself had been canceled.

Guillermo del Toro and Norman Reedus had both voiced their disappointment and frustration. Nearly two years later, del Toro spoke out again, this time more bluntly, calling the cancellation of Silent Hills "one of the most idiotic things" he had ever witnessed and expressing his dislike for Konami.

Silent Hills. Source: Kojima Productions / Konami.

Ideas for Silent Hills

The gameplay of Silent Hills is still mostly a mystery. Hideo Kojima and his team revealed only that they intended to implement a first-person perspective, while leaving room for the possible inclusion of a third-person camera.

Furthermore, it was assumed that Silent Hills would be an open-world game, as the Fox Engine powering the project was designed with such games in mind. To some extent, this was confirmed years later by a fan who managed to explore parts of the town.

So, how was Silent Hills supposed to scare us? In a conversation with Eurogamer, Hideo Kojima shared his thoughts on the matter:

Silent Hills. Source: Kojima Productions / Konami.

The legacy of Silent Hills

Unfortunately, in the end, we never got to see the full horror Kojima had planned; P.T. was only a teaser, not a full-fledged demo. Nonetheless, after the project’s cancellation, games trying to fill its niche began popping up like mushrooms after the rain. These games included the Layers of Fear series, Visage, and MADiSON. Interestingly, even Capcom followed suit, transforming Resident Evil VII: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village into first-person perspective games.

The legacy of Silent Hills doesn’t end there: in 2020, rumors began to circulate suggesting a possible return of the project. Ultimately, it turned out that Konami had different plans for the franchise, with the Bloober Team playing a key role - first remaking Silent Hill 2 and then moving on to revamp the first game. The next full-fledged installment of the series, however, was Silent Hill f, which took the franchise in a completely new direction.

From a chronicler’s perspective, it’s worth noting that after the cancellation of Silent Hills, the paths of Norman Reedus, Hideo Kojima, and Guillermo del Toro did not diverge. The actor, developer, and director continued their collaboration on a new project - Death Stranding - which not only came to fruition but also launched an entirely new franchise.

Silent Hills

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• Overview

• Konami
• Hideo Kojima
• Silent Hill (franchise)
• cancelled games
• Necro Gaming