Konami has announced that a remake ofSilent Hill 1is now in development by Bloober Team, the same studio that created the critically acclaimed and commercially successfulSilent Hill 2remake, which released last year. Thenew remake’s announcementcame with virtually no details other than the game being officially in development.Silent Hill 2remake was my favorite game of 2024, and I consider it to be one of the greatest games and remakes ever made, thanks to its faithfulness to the original, horror elements, clever puzzles, and improved combat.
The remake ofSilent Hill 1, however, seems like it is still a ways away. With Bloober Team releasingCronos: The New Dawnlater this year and having another announcedgame in development simply called “Project R,“there is a lot on Bloober Team’s horror game plate at the moment. Even so, I hope Bloober Team is not completely done with theSilent Hill 2remake, asthere is still one big missing part from the original game that could definitely be DLC.
Born From A Wish Still Hasn’t Been Remade
Maria’s Story Isn’t Complete… Yet
Born from a Wish was the extra, Maria-focused side scenario that was added in for the Xbox release of the originalSilent Hill 2and also appeared in almost every special edition and re-release of the title, even making it into thedoomedSilent Hill HD Collection.Born from a Wish is a prequel to the events of the main game, and it added a lot of context to Maria’s character, who she could be, how she ended up inSilent Hill, and led right up to her meeting James at Rosewater Park.
The scenario began with Maria waking up in Heaven’s Night, contemplating suicide with the revolver she woke up with, and then exiting out the back in search of someone. When she locates hints at life, she ends up heading to the Baldwin Mansion, where the rest of the story takes place. She meets Ernest Baldwin from behind a closed door and takes on a couple of errands for him, just forthe chance to meet him and have someone be by her,and she is eventually told about James and him being a “bad man.”
The gameplay of Born from a Wish wasfocused more heavily on puzzles than combat. Maria only got two weapons in her story: the revolver she starts with (and has very little ammo, in traditional survival horror fashion), and a Chinese cleaver that can be picked up before exiting Heaven’s Night. Notably, she also doesn’t get a flashlight in her game, despite the majority of the game taking place in a dark mansion. The story was short, sweet, and added even more layers to thecomplexity of Maria.
Silent Hill 1 Shouldn’t Pull Focus From Born From A Wish
There’s Still A Lot of Demand For Born From A Wish DLC
Silent Hill 2was a very faithful remake, even down to its charming yet slightly janky combat, multiple endings (and theconvoluted ways to obtain said endings), and the game’s hauntingly mature themes. One of the missing parts from the original game,maybe the only missing part, is Born from a Wish. The fan demand for the scenario to be added as DLC has been high sinceSH2’s release. Players can even visit the outside of the Baldwin Mansion with Maria in the game, and she makes references to the events of the scenario and how it “feels familiar.”
Silent Hill f, thenext mainline installment in the franchise, isscheduled for release on September 25, less than a year after the release ofSH2remake. That game is not being developed by Bloober Team, though, instead being made by NeoBards Entertainment. But even with another studio taking the nextSHgame,the fan requests for Born from a Wish from Bloober Team are almost endless.
Similarly, theResident Evil 4remake was missing the Separate Ways campaign from the original PlayStation 2 re-release ofRE4. It was added in September 2023 for $9.99 and was greatly expanded in terms of content from the original version, prompting comparisons between that and what could happen with Born from a Wish.
There have beena lot of rumors about the existence of the DLC. Immediately following the reveal of theSH1remake, known horror game leakerAestheticGamer aka Dusk Golemon X replied to a post and said:“No idea where it’s revealed, just that it’s happening & should be out before the year is up,“in response to fan question regarding whether Born from a Wish DLC was happening or not. While Dusk Golem is often right, he has been proven wrong in the past, so this is hardly a confirmation of the DLC’s existence.
Bloober & Konami Are The Perfect Fit
Bloober Team’s Underdog Story Is Inspiring
Bloober Team had its breakout success withSH2remake. The team made generally well-received games in the past, but not close to the level ofSH2, and many fans were skeptical about Bloober’s ability to recreate a game that’s so important to so many people. Faith in the team grew even shakier when thepanned combat trailer was revealed, with many fans afraid that Bloober Team had missed the mark. That, of course, turned out to not be the case at all, and I’d considerBloober Team and Konami are a match made in Heaven.
Since the success ofSH2remake, fans have been begging for anotherSHremake from the studio, and now that it’s confirmed to be on the way,most fans are probably excited to see Bloober Team teaming up with Konami again. Bloober Team’s games have always had a great atmosphere and presentation, but they lacked engaging gameplay and memorable stories. The studio seems to have hit their stride with theSH2remake, and it’s clear from all the projects it has ongoing that it isn’t aren’t slowing down.
Hopefully, thiscontinued partnership between Konami and Bloober Teamis a positive one. Born from a Wish could still be on the way, too, and with that and aSH1remake in development, could we see Bloober Team complete the original trilogy and remakeSilent Hill 3as well? It’s impossible to see that far in the future, but judging by the fan reactions to the reveal of theSilent Hill 1remake and the glowing reception ofSilent Hill 2, Bloober Team’s future (andSilent Hill’s) is looking bright.
