Silent Hill: The Short Message

58%
Game Brain Score Based on 11 reviews
  • atmosphere
  • music
  • story
Silent Hill: The Short Message Game Cover
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.
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  • Play​station 5
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

58%
Audience ScoreBased on 11 reviews
atmosphere2 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The music from Akira Yamaoka successfully recaptures the iconic sound of the Silent Hill series.
  • The game features excellent visuals and attention to detail, creating a heavy atmosphere.
  • It approaches heavy topics like suicide and abuse with sensitivity, and the performances of the actors are commendable.
  • The gameplay is incredibly bland, with frustrating chase sequences that feel like a chore.
  • The writing is blunt and undermines the seriousness of the themes, lacking subtlety.
  • The game feels like a test demo rather than a fully realized experience, falling short of expectations for Silent Hill fans.
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its depth and creativity, featuring a unique reinvention of themes and intriguing, bizarre monsters. While it effectively conveys heavy subjects, some reviewers feel the narrative could benefit from a more subtle approach. Overall, the atmospheric quality sets a promising foundation for future installments.

    • “Atmospheric and full of potential; it bodes well for future installments.”
    • “Good atmosphere, interesting reinvention, creatively weird monsters.”
    • “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.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music, particularly composed by Akira Yamaoka, successfully recaptures the iconic sound of the series, complementing the game's excellent visuals and attention to detail. The solid soundtrack enhances the engaging narrative, which tackles heavy themes effectively, despite the game having few but impactful scares.

    • “The music from Akira Yamaoka manages to recapture the series' iconic sound.”
    • “Excellent visuals and attention to detail, with a solid soundtrack.”
    • “The narrative is engaging and its actors put in good performances despite some unevenness.”
    • “The music from Akira Yamaoka manages to recapture the series' iconic sound, but it feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
    • “While the soundtrack has some memorable tracks, it often feels out of place and doesn't enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The music is forgettable and fails to create the atmosphere that the game desperately needs.”
  • story2 mentions

    The story is criticized for its lack of originality and subtlety, resembling a poorly executed homage to classic horror games like Silent Hill and P.T. While there are some engaging cutscenes and narrative elements, they are overshadowed by frustrating gameplay and uninspired dialogue, making the overall experience feel tedious.

    • “The story plays like a bad Silent Hill caricature, with chase sequences that feel frustratingly trial-and-error and dialogue that is so on-the-nose it feels allergic to subtlety.”
    • “While there are some intriguing full-motion cutscenes and heavy story details, they're not worth pushing through the dull sequences in between to experience them.”
    • “The game takes all the wrong lessons from P.T. and retreads the past decade of horror games with lackluster results.”
  • gameplay2 mentions

    The gameplay in "Silent Hill: The Short Message" is criticized for being bland and often frustrating, particularly during chase sequences. Players find the interactions limited, primarily revolving around notes and the narrative, which can feel overly obvious and distracting at times.

    • “Incredibly bland gameplay and some overly frustrating chase sequences make Silent Hill: The Short Message a chore to play much of the time.”
    • “Lip-syncing on a character feels off, which can be distracting at times. Not much to the gameplay, save for interacting with notes and chase sequences. The narrative can get a little too heavy-handed, showing its hand a little too obviously at times.”
  • graphics1 mentions

    The graphics are praised for their excellent visuals and meticulous attention to detail, complementing a solid soundtrack. While the narrative effectively tackles heavy themes like suicide and abuse, the overall visual presentation enhances the emotional impact, despite a few missed opportunities for scares.

    • “The graphics are excellent, showcasing incredible visuals and attention to detail.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, creating an immersive experience that enhances the overall gameplay.”
    • “The art style is beautifully crafted, making every scene a visual treat.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is praised for its excellent visuals, attention to detail, and solid soundtrack, contributing to an engaging narrative. While it effectively addresses heavy topics like suicide and abuse, some users noted a lack of scares, though the few present are impactful. Overall, the optimization of visual and audio elements enhances the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

58% average critic score

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