Hideo Kojima Is Keeping The Spirit Of Silent Hills Alive With OD

Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro’s P.T. isn’t that old in the grand scheme of things. First released in August 2014 as a playable teaser for the upcoming and still-not-cancelled Silent Hills, it felt like a shot in the arm for survival horror that terrified millions in a matter of days.

I will never forget the thrill I felt when Silent Hills was first unveiled after gamers solved the ludicrous, obscure puzzle at the centre of P.T., rolling credits to reveal that Norman Reedus would star as the protagonist, and that Konami was finally bringing this series back from the dead. Well, it was, until Kojima was booted from the company and the project was cancelled. For the rest of my life, I will think about what could have been, even if I’m forever thankful that this divorce is likely what resulted in the creation of masterpieces like Death Stranding.

But the spirit of Silent Hills is alive and well in OD, a mysterious new project in the works at Kojima Productions in partnership with Xbox that aims to deliver a truly unique spin on the survival horror genre. We don’t know much about it so far, which is precisely what makes me so intrigued. We know a few actors, some loose narrative concepts, and that’s kinda it.

Everything We Learned From The New OD Screenshot

Earlier this week saw a new screenshot from OD shared by Entertainment Weekly, which in itself is a very Hideo Kojima thing to do as he seeks to bridge the gap between video games and feature films. The upcoming project also features several high-profile actors such as Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and the late Udo Kier. I wouldn’t be surprised if more stars are set to be announced in the coming months as well, considering that loads of them are at Hideo Kojima’s office every other week just to get scanned. Enough about his celebrity best friends though, it’s time to talk about the screenshot.

The first thing I noticed about the new screenshot is how frighteningly lifelike it appears. It’s not too much of a surprise considering the Knock trailer also boasted unparalleled levels of realism, even surpassing what we saw in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Kojima wants us to feel like these unsettling places could be pulled straight from our own reality, and evil forces have begun working their way inside.

We know many of the visuals are based upon extensive 3D scans of real world locations and individuals, but this level of detail is still very impressive. It reminds me of when the Fox Engine — used to power Metal Gear Solid 5 — broke cover for the first time and Konami released comparisons of a real life photo and the same environment remade using the technology. At first, it was pretty hard to spot the differences.

OD gives off the same vibe. The screenshot features a pretty normal looking, narrow room with an old-fashioned TV set, a light, and some hangers on the left and a slightly ajar door on the right held shut by a hastily assembled chain. In the centre is where things begin to feel seriously creepy though, since just outside a wide open door stands a devil-like figure with a fleshy dress, devil horns, and an alluring figure. I’m pretty sure it’s Hunter Schafer, and she’s coming for us.

OD Is Keeping The Spirit Of Silent Hills Alive

In any other situation, I would be delighted to see Hunter Schafer chasing after me, but not if she’s some sort of demon intent on sucking out my life force. I’m not about that life. Putting a deeply held fantasy aside though, her character’s presence alone in this screenshot is so, so unsettling. A demonic entity standing casually on the cusp of normality, tempting us forward much like the never-ending loop in P.T., where a normal home becomes a living nightmare in a few short minutes. I can almost hear the radio crackling to life behind me as I type this.

The chain-locked door also reminds me of the small bathroom in P.T., and it even seems to be arranged similarly. I can picture myself peering through it out of curiosity, only to see it slam shut before hollow screams come from within, forcing me to carry on while I try to calm my natural fear of the unknown.

If the trailers are any indication, the game will be played from a first-person perspective and focus on a type of horror we haven’t seen in the medium before. This sounds like hyperbole, but considering what Kojima delivered with Death Stranding, I’m inclined to believe it.

I hope it isn’t just larger-than-life monsters and grotesque horrors though, but a much more grounded take on our inner fears that effectively reflects the real world. If the environments and characters are going to look so lifelike, while not imbuing the horror itself with a welcome dose of reality. That’s what made P.T. so scary all those years ago; we weren’t just hunted by an unknown assailant, but could spend time poking and prodding at the world around us, hoping to find something new, all while knowing our next move could be our last.

Hunter Schafer is enough to get me in the door, but I’m also hoping that OD can completely redefine the survival horror genre as we know it.

OD: Knock

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