Silent Hill: The Short Message

"As a long-awaited and free return, Silent Hill: The Short Message delivered on expectations with a story true to the spirit of the Silent Hill series, featuring well-crafted environments and a good variety in music. However, its limited gameplay options, …"

"For a free game that shows the first glimpse of what Konami is truly going to do with the franchise, Silent Hill: The Short Message is absolutely worth experiencing. That&s;s not to say it&s;s perfect. The "walk around and find …"

"Silent Hill: The Short Message feels like an echo of an echo. Its existence reverberates through the horror genre, but it is a noise we first heard 10 years ago replicated time and time again. The P.T. comparisons are still …"

"Another disappointing Silent Hill revival, that gets some of the visuals and tone right but is let down by a hackneyed script and frustrating chase sequences."

"Silent Hill: The Short Message potentially shows us the direction the franchise might go, but also seems to not understand what the games are about."

"Silent Hill The Short Message is a product that misses the mark and fails to deal with extremely serious and delicate issues in the best possible way."

"Silent Hill: The Short Message is a boring, contrived, borderline offensive experience."

"Silent Hill: The Short Message has interesting underpinnings – in particular the first-person influence of P.T. and contributions from Team Silent veterans Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito – but anything of real promise tends to be undercut by lampshading its …"

"Silent Hill: The Short Message is true to Silent Hill, and delves head first into psychological horror."

"The sad thing is that Silent Hill: The Short Message has a lot of good story ideas, characters and world-building, but then proceeds to waste them on completely unoriginal, shallow gameplay. It paradoxically wanted to move ahead and tackle more …"

"Let me clarify that, whilst Silent Hill: The Short Message wasn’t exactly the kind of game we were all waiting for, it’s not entirely that bad. It’s a mixed bag of a horror experience, with a story which tried to …"

"Unfortunately, I am personally very disappointed with Silent Hill: The Short Message. Even though it&s;s a free game, Konami has left a lot of potential untapped here. The creative minds could have put a bit more effort into the possible …"

"For a publisher so eager to revitalise its long-dormant franchise, it’s impressive how Konami’s first shot winds up being a miserable own goal. Even with considering its rare positives, The Short Message’s blunt-force sermonising feels anathema to the series’ core …"

"Silent Hill: The Short Message is an interesting, if not amazing rebirth for the series that proves it can be reanimated for a modern audience. Atmospheric and full of potential it bodes well for future instalments."

"Incredibly bland gameplay and some overly frustrating chase sequences make Silent Hill: The Short Message a chore to play much of the time. While there are some intriguing full-motion cutscenes and heavy story details, they&s;re not worth pushing through the …"

"SILENT HILL: The Short Message speaks to the transcendental nature of P.T. for the survival horror genre as we know it today-a monument of great cultural importance within the industry, now lost thanks to Konami. Above all, it demonstrates the …"

"Silent Hill&s;s return to consoles after 12 years away falls flat thanks to a script lacking even an ounce of subtlety."

"Silent Hill: The Short Message isn&s;t going to set the horror genre ablaze, but it doesn&s;t have to. As a free offering, it&s;s a solid showcase with a heavy atmosphere and heavier subjects, even if its narrative could have been …"

"While it can be a little ham-fisted with its messaging, Silent Hill: The Short Message is a suitably dark and disturbing experience that certainly captures the look and feel of Silent Hill. Those who dig into it will find that …"

"The Short Message is a casual horror experience with no ambitions to push the genre further like the previous games in the series. Having said that, it has its moments."

"Silent Hill: The Short Message is a solid entry into the franchise that hammers down heavy themes onto the player, while still offering a tense atmosphere and engaging story. This game won’t please all fans of the series, but may …"

"If you’re a fan of the Silent Hill series, The Short Message is definitely worth checking out... However, if you’re hoping for a revolutionary entry in one of gaming’s most iconic horror series, you will be disappointed."

"Silent Hill: The Short Message is a must for Konami fans. This free spin-off fits well into the series&s; lore with a mature, heart-wrenching story. Hexadrive&s;s short yet impactful experience shows there&s;s still much to explore in the fog. And …"

"Silent Hill: The Short Message shows glimmers of the classic horror series at its best - despite the very heavy-handed metaphor, a frustrating chase sequence, and the long shadow of P.T."

"An interesting modern take on Silent Hill, with a fascinating story and excellent location design. Apparently, Konami has really taken the series seriously — although fans will find something to complain about anyway, they want to see more psychological horrors …"