Breaking the silence

Talking about Silent Hill and its debut on PSP, William Oertel sheds light on Konami's iconic setting of a dark, ill-fated town.

William Oertel is a Producer at Konami Digital Entertainment's Los Angeles office. In the three years he has been with the company, he has produced The Silent Hill Experience and the current Silent Hill Origins for PSP, and is now the producer on Silent Hill V.

Can you explain Silent Hill to people unfamiliar with the setting and the games?

Silent Hill is a survival horror game that started eight years ago with the Silent Hill game on the PS one. Since then, there have been three more games, with Silent Hill Origins being the latest chapter in the series.

The games are set within the mysterious town and surrounding area of Silent Hill. The reason the games have drawn such a fan base is really the atmospheric set-up within the games. Layered with depth and nuance, pulling references from many places such as US films but also psychological texts and relevant authors, and artists, fans really can appreciate the level of detail the teams try to imbue into each iteration.

Engrossing storylines with characters that are genuinely interesting, [help] people feel an emotional connection to them, and that in turn helps reinforce the feeling of horror and terror one feels when playing as these characters.

What led Konami to bring Silent Hill exclusively to PSP? Were there any specific aspects of the PSP system that made it attractive?

Konami has always been a leader in innovation. Looking at the hardware, it's not readily obvious that this kind of game would work on PSP. However, there's enormous power in this device, and so we believe that we can do something unique and creative, that people wouldn't necessarily expect. Seeing the current results with Origins, I think we have something that people will play and really like, all on a portable handheld. Truly something new and different.

What were the challenges of creating a new storyline that expands the existing Silent Hill cannon?

While there is a storyline that serves as the foundation for Silent Hill, established in the first game, the series has evolved. Silent Hill 2 really set a different way of how to perceive Silent Hill and the characters within. On top of that, the inherent nature of the series is mystery, so facts are not always clearly laid out. To that end, one of our main goals was to ensure that we were consistent with everything that was established in the past.

Another challenge is that we wanted to embody the favourite elements of Silent Hill 2, that what the character faces are somehow related to an internal struggle. With Origins, I think we've managed to capture the best of both worlds.

Travis Grady, the lead character in Origins, seems very different to those found in previous Silent Hill titles? Can you tell us a bit more about him and how the character developed?

It's very deliberate that Travis is different from the type of character seen in the previous games. From the outset, I knew I wanted someone that was rough around the edges. In past games, the characters were almost like blank sheets. That's not a disparaging remark, but we took a different route here. Travis has a definite personality, and we wanted that to carry through the entire game. As I mentioned earlier, there's many layers to the game, so when you think about what a truck driver is, what they face on a daily level, what life is like, you get a better understanding into Travis. That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. He's just as deep and complex as many people are, in spite of what his occupation may make you think of him.

Origins implies a return to the beginning, will the secrets of Silent Hill be revealed?

Indeed. The storyline is set before all the events in the previous games and ties most closely to the first Silent Hill game. So, to that end, you do meet Alessa, Dhalia, Dr. Kaufmann and Lisa. Travis will talk to them as well as explore the town and discover certain things, which of course are surprises best left for the player to find out.

However, the beauty of the storyline around Silent Hill is like any good mystery - it's not all explained. Many things are left up to the player to interpret and decide. In many ways, it's like art - it's what you make of it, and that in part is coloured by your personal experiences and perspectives.

What is next for Silent Hill?

Well, much as Silent Hill Origins precedes the entire series, we are now heavy in development into Silent Hill V, which is set after the series.