Using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5, one group of fan developers create a wonderfully spookySilent Hillremake.
Konami’sSilent Hillgames are considered to be some of the greatest horror games of all time - and for good reason. Leaning heavily into psychological horror and darker narratives,Silent Hillhas truly compelling game design that’s withstood the test of time.
The firstSilent Hillgame released in 1999 for the first PlayStation, using real-time rendering of spooky 3D environments. Though the system’s hardware limited the game,Silent Hillused the grainy graphics to its advantage. All in all, it cleverly pushed the limits of what the console could do, resulting in tense gameplay.
But, have you ever wondered whatSilent Hillmight look like on a more modern game engine? Luckily, one group of developers calledCodeless Studiotook it upon themselves to explore that question, reimaginingSilent Hillin Unreal Engine 5.
CODELESS STUDIO’SSILENT HILLREMAKE
On January 9th, Codeless Studio uploaded a four-and-a-half-minute video showcasing theirSilent Hillfan remake. The video follows the first few minutes of the originalSilent Hillgame, as Harry Mason cautiously walks through the eponymous Silent Hill for the first time.
Though the video shows pre-alpha gameplay footage, the characters and environment already look fantastic. Also using fog to obscure distant buildings, the remake retains the same feeling of growing unease that made the original so tense. Keeping the original off-kilter camera angles and industrial soundtrack, this Unreal Engine 5 version visually takesSilent Hillto the next level.
Though Codeless Studio’s remake isn’t a 1-to-1 copy of the original, you may catch glimpses of the major recognizable moments in the video. Harry Mason’s crashed car eases out of frame, the broken wheelchair and gurney waver in the alley. Unreal 5’s advanced lighting really makes the rain and blood pop, forcing the viewer to take notice as the streets get progressively slicker with blood.
Even cooler, the alleyway scenes feel even more claustrophobic and cramped in the remake. Lit only by a match, the realistic flame emits only a small radius of light. With only so much visible, it makes turning each corner more dreadful than the last. It’s an impressive visual upgrade, yet keeps the design that madeSilent Hillsuch a successful horror game.
Harry Mason model in the remake
Unfortunately, the video ends right before the game’s first action scene. We’ll have to wait and see where Codeless Studio takes their game to see more details. However, if their video has shown one thing, it’s thatSilent Hillhas long deserved a remake.
