Silent Hill isn’t an IP known for its soothing soundtrack or low-stakes gameplay, so when Konami’s Silent Hill Transmission broadcast aired last week, no one tuned in expecting to hear about the year’s most anticipated cozy game. But folks responsible for video game content classification at the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) really drove that point home when they explained just why they gave the upcoming Silent Hill f a “Mature 17+” rating. The game marks the franchise’s eighth entry, but its setting — the 1960s mountain town of Ebisugaoka, Japan — is a significant departure from the series’ titular New England town. Gamers will direct high-schooler Hinako through a similarly eerie fog-enveloped environment, surviving as long as possible among horrors both seen and unseen.
Beyond the ESRB’s surface-level citation of Silent Hill f‘s “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity,” they detail — and I mean really detail — the ways in which the survival-horror game will continue the franchise’s ultra-gruesome legacy.
ESRB’s artistic summary doesn’t mince words, waxing poetic about the horrors that await: “… Players use axes, crowbars, knives, and spears to defend against and kill enemy creatures in melee-style combat. Blood-splatter effects occur frequently as characters are attacked; several areas depict large bloodstains in the environment and near corpses. Some enemy attacks can result in players’ character getting impaled in the neck …”
Additionally, Konami offers gamers a pretty intense content warning. “This game contains depictions of gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence. This game is set in Japan in the 1960s and contains depictions based on the customs and culture of that time. These depictions do not reflect the opinions or values of the developers or any individuals involved. If you feel uncomfortable at any point while playing, please take a break from playing or speak to someone you trust.”
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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