Spoiler:
Silent Hill 5 (working title) will be the fifth installment in the survival horror series. Although not much is known about the latest installment, it is speculated to be released either later this year or early 2007 following the release of the Sony PlayStation 3. However, the game's development and exact platform release wasn't officially confirmed at E3 2006, but could still be unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show later this year.
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Known Details
The most recent news on Silent Hill 5: The Room 2 comes from an article in the July 2006 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (#205), page 54. A brief report explains that, "It appears as if Konami is developing a next-gen Silent Hill, only on U.S. soil. And with Resident Evil 4 gameplay to boot!" The reason behind the change of development locations is presently unknown (as the series has always been handled by Team Silent in Japan). Gameplay akin to Capcom's Resident Evil 4 suggests the game could include an over-the-shoulder camera and possibly even more action-focused gameplay than previous entries in the Silent Hill series have offered.
While very little has been officially confirmed, chief designer of Silent Hill 5, Masashi Tsuboyama announced the game's development in a 2004 interview with Eurogamer. Tsuboyama-san first clarified rumours that it wasn't going to be called 'Shadows of the Past' as previously reported from one website. In the same interview, he stated that Konami wasn't sure which next-generation console it will be put out on but mentioned that it will be the best one, "be it PS3, be it Xbox 360... It won't be on the current consoles." It has since been accepted that Silent Hill 5 would likely be released on the Sony PlayStation 3.
While the game hasn't been officially announced through its publisher, according to IGN, many speculate that the game has already been in development for nearly 2 years and that the game is likely to be released on the Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 next-gen console, which is to be released on November 17, 2006 in North America and Europe. It is noteworthy that Konami has handed over the responsibilities of Silent Hill: Origins (working title) over to Climax Studios, marking the PSP release as the first installment in the franchise not be developed directly by Team Silent. In several interviews, Akira Yamaoka has revealed some information regarding the fifth release. He hinted at a return to the psychological roots that were present in Silent Hill 2 and that the team was interested in setting the game's atmosphere in a sunny environment gone wrong. Yamaoka has commented that the game might not even be called Silent Hill 5, possibly indicating that Konami will scrap the numerical title and settle for a subtitle. The post-development journal for The Room has revealed that the team wasn't pleased with the overall action-oriented elements present in the previous installment Silent Hill 4: The Room and will likely not incorporate anymore action-based elements into future installments to the franchise. It has been rumoured also that the team is to be developing an entirely new horror IP for the Microsoft Xbox 360 as well, which has been hinted by the team during in interview about using the original Silent Hill 3 storyline for a new release. Director of the movie adaptation Christophe Gans has also stated in various interviews that the fifth Silent Hill game is in development.
Many rumours and hints have arisen around the plot and gameplay style of the game. Many believe that it will be set in a mental asylum (some have speculated the Brookhaven Hospital), and will be told through a series of flashbacks depicting how the main protagonist got up to that point, though this has generally been associated with the 'Shadows of the Past' rumour and has no real basis outside of it. The game itself still hasn't been officially announced to be in development nor has the exact console platform been confirmed. Rumours still speculate it will receive a PS3 release (although the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PC has also been mentioned) and is believed to be released either later this year or early 2007.
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