Silent Hills P.T.: Story of Hideo Kojima’s Potential Masterpiece, The Biggest Loss for Horror Fans

A collaboration by the legendary game designer Hideo Kojima and veteran fantasy horror film director Guillermo Del Toro sounds like a dream for any horror gaming fanatic. Well, a lot of you might remember how close the gaming world came to experiencing the ‘too good to be true’ masterpiece. Unarguably, the cancellation of a Silent Hill project under the vision of Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro remains the biggest loss for horror fans to date. But what went wrong with P.T. (Silent Hill)?

Names like Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro need no introduction in the entertainment industry. While Kojima is the pioneer of video game creators, Del Toro’s reputation precedes his works in the horror genre. Thus, when Kojima Productions announced a Silent Hill project associated with both legends, fans couldn’t have been more invested. Moreover, a Playable Teaser that launched on PlayStation 4 turned out to be the perfect announcement for the project. However, the magic only remained limited to the teaser as it’s been over nine years now and fans still root over what could have been! 

P.T.: The epitome of psychological horror 

While the world was enjoying the Gamescom of 2014, a Kojima Production’s Playable Teaser took over the limelight. P T. went live on the PlayStation store right before Gamescom, on August 12, 2014. The teaser allowed PS4 players to play and experience what potential the upcoming Silent Hill had. It greeted players with a seemingly innocuous title screen set in a mysterious forest. However, the game itself was set in a mysterious hallway that continuously repeated itself, looping several times. Apparently, each loop presented something new slowly unraveling in unique and horrifying ways.

After solving a series of challenging puzzles, fans came across the big announcement of Silent Hills. The horror label had witnessed a fair share of disappointments over the years, but seemingly, things were about to change. Not just the association of the Metal Gear Solid creator and fantasy horror genius, but the association of Walking Dead star Norman Reedus also added to the excitement. The teaser created a phenomenal buzz post its launch not just as an announcement for the upcoming project but as an independent psychological horror.

Demos for video games have always existed, but P.T. was unique. Especially as it was entirely distinct from the main game that was announced. The uneasy mood blended seamlessly with lifelike images. The narrative of the game was overwhelmingly well-received by PS4 users worldwide. Also, it goes without saying that P.T. brought some revolutionary innovations to the first-person horror perspective and set new standards altogether. It was the much-needed jump the Silent Hills franchise needed. But the universe had other plans. 

Why was Silent Hills canceled? 

Several months after P.T. went live on PlayStation 4, reports emerged of Hideo Kojima leaving Konami. Kojima’s name being removed from several Metal Gear projects fueled rumors of a falling out. The future of the Silent Hills franchise was called into serious question by the renaming of Kojima Productions as Konami Digital Entertainment and the departure of numerous top team members.

Later, Konami confirmed that the promise made by P.T. would be meeting a dead end. Del Toro and Reedus also expressed their disappointment with the shelving of the visionary project. Moreover, the publishers decided to remove the PT from the PS store in April 2015, which invited severe backlash from everyone who had been fanboying over P.T. 

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To this day, this has to be the most heartbreaking step back for all hardcore horror fans. A lot of titles have tried to create the same magic as P.T. but always miss a piece or two when compared to the ultimate experience.

Now, while the Silent Hills game seems like a lost dream, fans hope to compensate for the loss with the Silent Hills 2 remake that has been rumored for a while now. 

Everything to know about the Silent Hills 2 remake 

Along with several other Silent Hill projects, Konami announced the 2022 release of the Silent Hill 2 remake. These included a movie and some fully functional games. The most notable announcement among the many new games was, of course, the remake of Silent Hill 2.

Early this year, Bloober Team revealed that the game is being developed, but they emphasized that it will take some time for it to be ready for release. Their main priorities are guaranteeing a final product and quality. In the past, Bloober Team has produced several excellent horror games, including Layers of Fever and The Blair Witch Project.

While the progress of the remake remains under wraps, the makers have branded it a huge leap in horror experience. However, fans still look forward to an official glimpse of what the developers have to offer. 

Hopefully, the upcoming remake might be giving the players some bit of compensation for the harsh loss! What are your hopes for the remake?

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