Original Silent Hill heading to Wii

By Robert Purchese Published 2 April, 2009

Re-imagined with no combat.

Konami is bringing the original Silent Hill back to life on Wii and has boldly decided not to include any combat.

"This is a re-imagining of the first Silent Hill. It's not a remake or a port. That's an important distinction. It really feels like a new game," producer Tomm Hulett told Nintendo Power magazine (read by GoNintendo).

The game, subtitled Shattered Memories, still centres on Harry Mason who is still looking for his daughter. But Hulett said familiar elements will be "all twisted to betray your expectations".

One of the most "significant and intriguing" additions will be your answers affecting how the game unfolds, we're told. And puzzles - handled by Wiimote interaction - will always be close at hand, resulting in "a lot less backtracking".

"Long-time fans of the series will also be delighted to learn that there's a way through every locked door; no more checking dozens of entrances only to find that 90 per cent of them are permanently barred shut," added Hulett.

Specifically, players will move Harry using the control stick and aim the torch by waving the Wiimote. Then, when Harry spots or uncovers something of interest, he'll vocally respond.

Konami goes on to ambitiously tout no load times, and claims players will only flee rather than engage baddies during combat. And while fleeing, the Z button will handle context-sensitive manoeuvres like breaking down doors, hopping fences and crashing through windows.

There's even a mobile phone feature for the Wiimote, the speakers on which will crackle to simulate static noise.

There's no word on a date nor a developer, although VG247 claims British developer Climax is behind the project.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • TheTingler #1 3 years ago

    Heard about this yesterday and was very happy, but that "no combat" idea has got me worried. Is this going to be a waggle-game?

  • Xerx3s #2 3 years ago

    What day was it yesterday?

  • the_dudefather #3 3 years ago

    "Long-time fans of the series will also be delighted to learn that there's a way through every locked door; no more checking dozens of entrances only to find that 90 per cent of them are permanently barred shut," added Hulett."

    Assuming this game is real, rather than a april fools gag, the idea of no 'LOCK IS RUSTY LOL' messages intreiges me, as does zero combat, will be interesting to see how they implement that given how combat happy the newer games are

  • Goodfella #4 3 years ago

    Hmm, sounds interesting, if real. I never liked the combat in Silent Hill games.

  • HermitArcader #5 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • DFawkes #6 3 years ago

    Combat free? I think I might almost orgasm at that. This has the potential it be brilliant, or boring. Can't wait to find out which.

  • DanWhitehead #7 3 years ago

    Yeah, the combat always seemed out of place in Silent Hill. Turning it into a pure horror adventure could be a stroke of genius, and will hopefully pull horror gaming back from the gun-toting extremes of RE5 and make it scary again.

    If it's real.

  • koopa #8 3 years ago

    Also didn't like combat in SH, maybe this'll be something like Clock Tower

  • GamesConnoisseur #9 3 years ago

    I m wary with April fool being yesterday as I did quite a few pranks at work!

    I was too wary that I treated the news of Alan Shearer being the Manager of my dearly beloved Newcastle United as a joke from mates looking for revenge!

    That is waaay off the point, sorry but if true re every locked door being openable that is great but also would that give us too many exploration to do with all houses looking the same with the similar features?

    Still if they can keep it interesting and egging us to explore then that is fanastic, repetitive combat can get tiresome so if they removed this but making escaping the combat a fun and challenging part of the game. I m all for it.

  • Darren #10 3 years ago

    I've never played the original Silent Hill so this game has me very interested so long as its up to the quality of the superb Resident Evil Remake on the GameCube, a game I rate above the original PS version. That it will have no combat sounds great too because that was the weak element in the recent Silent Hill Homecoming IMO. I'd much rather have lots of puzzles and a creepy atmosphere, thank you.

  • space_ace #11 3 years ago

    from the first paragraph, i started expecting qte and there it is below! otherwise, this sounds cool

  • Death-of-Imagination #12 3 years ago

    No combat could be interesting. Looking forward to the 'hide under duvet, until nasty mr passes by' option... I didn't warm at all to the poorly designed Origins, so the prospect of Climax making another one is more scary than anything else.

  • Evolution #13 3 years ago

    @GamesConnoisseur

    Still, it's not bad now that it turns out not to be a hoax, right? :)

    Although certain things about this announcement do intrigue me, I can't help but feel this is going to be about as good as Origins was. Having only read about SH:Homecoming, I can't say for sure, but with those two games it seems like the series has lost itself. The fact that they are "remaking" the first game only proves that they couldn't create original ideas on par with the first couple of games. Oh Team Silent, I miss you :(

  • mr_chimp #14 3 years ago

    Please don't be a late April Fool, this sounds amazing.

  • el_vicio #15 3 years ago

    Oh wait, no Team Silent, again ?

    Screw you.

  • penhalion #16 3 years ago

    ......? I'd have to see confirmation that this isn't an april fools joke as it was announced yesterday as far as I can tell. It also sounds highly unlikely that you could do any silent hill game without combat as you'd loose the boss battles and the entire end of the game.

    ....yea I'm guessing april fools joke that has lived too long.

    Edit: Or maybe just a simply mis-translation of the japanese press release.
    Edited by 1 at 02/04/09 @ 10:38

  • el_vicio #17 3 years ago

    Well, the rumour has been floating around for a couple of weeks now, so....

  • Wendelius #18 3 years ago

    A SH game with no combat sounds interesting / intriguing. Let's hope it's true.

    Wendelius

  • el_vicio #19 3 years ago

    Scans from the new Nintendo Power

    http://gonintendo.com/ ?p=77596

  • beckyh #20 3 years ago

    No combat? How intriguing. This seems a great idea to me because I always loved the puzzle elements of the series but also always hated the combat. This will give the story and the puzzles and the contaxt sensitive actions to escape or whatever - it reminds me of Fahrenheit.

    Instant-buy from me for sure!!

  • beckyh #21 3 years ago

    Thanks for the link el_vicio.

    This is great news. When can I expect to blow the dust off my wii then?

  • chicknstu #22 3 years ago

    "has boldly decided not to include any combat."

    This could be the best Silent Hill ever! The combat has always been the weakest part of the series.

  • gav_and_the_gavster #23 3 years ago

    This sounds like a refreshing approach to redoing old games. I hope it proves successful as it has me very interested.

  • Agent_Llama #24 3 years ago

    Awesome news. :)

  • brappbrap #25 3 years ago

    Read the article headline and thought "no no no no" but after reading the article, colour me intrigued.

    Providing this isn't a darn april fool's.

    Darn.

  • M4RKYB #26 3 years ago

    How come there's static playing through the wiimote speaker if there's no enemies nearby?
    This could be great with no combat though, I always loved Silent Hill for its haunting atmostphere, and somtimes bashing a mangy dog over the head with a bit of 4x2 ruined it.

    Edit: Ok next time I'll read the article properly.
    Edited by 2 at 02/04/09 @ 13:41

  • YenRug #27 3 years ago

    Ah, no combat, so running away from everything is going to become a series of QTE's over and over and over again. Well, right up until you mess one up and "AHHH! He's caught up with me!", then onto the game over screen. Yes, loads and loads of gameplay to look forward to there, then.

    Yes, no combat might work wonders for the tension and atmosphere, but I'd still like the chance to defend myself rather than be insta-gibbed because I didn't press a button quickly enough to open a door, or vault a fence, etc.

  • MattyD #28 3 years ago

    YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY

  • gamecubeisbest #29 3 years ago

    I hope we will get a PS2 port.

  • Segnit #30 3 years ago

    There are no words to how happy this makes me. I hope they go through with it and polish the experience!

  • spudsbuckley #31 3 years ago

    This is kind of obviously an April Fools joke. EG just reported it a day later than everyone else is all.

  • Sean.Aaron #32 3 years ago

    Cool, a horror game without guns as the solution to fighting horror.

    I never played the game on the Playstation, so I'm interested...

  • Grom #33 3 years ago

    Full scans - http://ww w.true-gaming.net/boards/showpo...

  • johnny_death #34 3 years ago

    *is actually looking forward to this*

  • bad09 #35 3 years ago

    April fools or not, I'm actually interested combat was always the weakest part of the SH experience! My only concern is the Wii (lets all be honest) is butt ugly on a HDTV, I'm not a graphics whore as such (I still play PS1 I can't be!), but going from the lovely (er....in a bloody scary way) HD Homecoming to PS2 graphics in a SH game? Don't know if I can TBH, but will definitely keep my eye on this (if real!).

  • bad09 #36 3 years ago

    Yeah, felt kinda dumbed down at first but as the game went on it was cool. I loved the finishing moves.

    Not as good as Siren though I want more of that!

  • bad09 #37 3 years ago

    @ CountFapula

    Morning mate, you up early to (I'm going to work early BOOO!)

    Well it just felt very simple, the lock on, the roll. Like I said though that was only at first, as I got into it I really liked the way it played. I just really struggled to enjoy HC at first in general, it just didn't "feel" Silent Hill, in fact after a little play it went back on the shelf for a while. I went back though and that changed and while the series has not progressed really I like the old school feel and ended up enjoying HC probably more than 3 and certainly more than 4! If only you could move in that 1st person mode like Siren...

    ...speaking of which, yeah I meant the new one (I never played the old games), you can tell it's a cheap game but the atmosphere in PS3 Siren is awesome, one of my favourites of last year, might actually try finishing that tonight, I got stuck somewhere at the end ages ago and it got forgotten!

  • Bulbatron #38 3 years ago

    Sounds good, but why does it have to be exclusive to the fucking Wii?

  • Spong #39 3 years ago

    "Sounds good, but why does it have to be exclusive to the fucking Wii? "

    I'd have said that myself, if Konami hadn't released a press statement yesterday saying the game is now going to be ported to the PS2 and the PSP. Seems like they actually want the game to sell some copies.

    Good news that it's coming to a proper console and not one aimed at 5 year-olds or the clinically infirm.
    Edited by 1 at 06/04/09 @ 19:13