‘Silent Hill 2’ is a hit. That’s good news for Konami as it returns to the classics

For years, fans have been waiting for a Silent Hill video game with the trademark psychological scares and complex storytelling that once made the franchise a hit.

It seems that time is finally here.

The recently released remake of Silent Hill 2 sold more than a million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling entry in the series. And while it is a remake, in many ways it’s an entirely new game, with additional content, modern graphics and revised gameplay.

The success is a surprise for some, especially the most die-hard Silent Hill fans. Because even though video game publisher Konami has remained active in the gaming business, fans see the company as having long neglected many of its most beloved franchises, like Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid and Castlevania.

The success of Silent Hill 2, and the announcement of several other projects, begs the question: How serious is Konami about revitalizing its most beloved franchises?

The return of a classic

For the uninitiated, the storyline of the game goes like this: Your character, James Sunderland, is looking for his wife, who has been sending letters from a town called Silent Hill.

The only problem is that she died three years ago.

When Silent Hill 2 was first released in 2001, it was different from most other horror video games. It didn’t star a rugged hero cop fighting zombies, like in some Resident Evils, for instance.

Instead, you played as a regular guy who was looking for his wife in a town full of disturbing creatures that reflected the psychological wounds of the characters in the story.

“These weren’t brave characters going on a quest,” said Mike Drucker, who wrote a book about the history and fanfare of the original Silent Hill 2.

“These weren’t one dimensional villains who want to burn down the world. These were people who suffered and made a lot of bad mistakes — and that’s fascinating to have in a game.”

Drucker said the horror was more abstract and psychological than other video games. It was influenced by the David Lynch TV series Twin Peaks, and the paintings of Francis Bacon.

“I think the game is supposed to unsettle you,” Drucker said. “You don't want to fight a mannequin that’s made of two legs put on two legs. You don’t want to do that.”

Critic Kelsey Raynor, who reviewed the remake, was a skeptical fan.

“I think ultimately people didn’t trust Konami to make a new Silent Hill after being let down time and time again,” she said, referencing past attempts to revitalize the series that fans panned as low-effort cash grabs.

But Raynor said that against all odds, this new version had delivered on its promises.

“Silent Hill fans have always been a difficult bunch to please, but this has proven to be that,” she said.

Konami’s shifting priorities

The reception is good news for Konami, which has had little success with Silent Hill games in the last 15 years.

Jason Enos was a product manager for Konami throughout the 2000s and said the company moved away from its “bread and butter” franchises that people loved — Silent Hill, Castlevania, Contra — in pursuit of what it hoped could be bigger profits.

“There really wasn’t much logic behind it,” he said. “Other than, ‘What’s on the side of that rainbow? Could be a big gold pot if we follow that rainbow.’”

Konami still makes a lot of money in video games, releasing Yu-Gi-Oh! games, sports titles and more. And video games sales account for almost 70% of the company’s profits, which were at a record high in its last fiscal year.

But some fans still feel as if Konami has shifted its focus away from historic franchises. In the 1980s, games like Contra, Metal Gear Solid, and Castlevania helped define what games looked like at home and in the arcades. And in the 2000s, Konami released big-budget, inventive and thematically challenging video games.

The Silent Hill 2 remake marks a return to that kind of video game.

And now, Konami has a slew of console gaming projects planned, which includes a remake of another classic: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

In the video game industry, a well-executed remake can net major profits. Capcom has remade several entries in its horror game franchise Resident Evil, which was a competitor to Silent Hill in the Playstation 2 era. The remake of Resident Evil 4, which was released last year, has sold more than 8 million copies.

Enos said this strategy from Konami — dipping its toes back into historic franchises by recreating already beloved works — is a good one from a financial perspective.

“If they can kind of harness this formula — not that it's a simple formula — and apply that to other things inside the Konami portfolio, then this could be a huge new change for the company,” he said.