We live in an interconnected world, with lots of regulations and projects so large and involving so many people that it’s impossible to control everything that happens. That’s why there are so many leaks. Because it’s impossible to keep secrets perfectly contained like when developments were short and contained. Something we see practically every week with different games, and this week it happened to Silent Hill.
Thanks to the Australian Classification Board and its annual reports for 2022-2023, we have been able to find out the rating and story details of Silent Hill: The Short Message, one of the new projects licensed by Konami to revive its, until recently, forgotten franchise.
From here, two notes. There will be spoilers about Silent Hill: The Short Message, so if you don’t want to know anything about it, stop reading here. On the other hand, the game includes serious themes such as suicide or self-harm. If these topics are sensitive for you, please stop reading and remember that you are not alone, and the Ministry of Health promotes the Suicide Helpline at 024.
The game will put us in the shoes of Anita, a girl who is searching for a friend who has disappeared in a place known only as “La Villa.” Described as a psychological horror game based on exploration, it has been given an MA 15+ rating, the one just below the category for individuals over 18 years old, due to its “themes of suicide, terror violence, and obscene language.”
The Australian Classification Board provides very graphic descriptions of suicides and suicide attempts involving both Anita and her friend, Maya, which can be highly impactful and, depending on their portrayal, potentially problematic. In this regard, the Board itself acknowledges that the game handles these themes respectfully and never exceeds what should be appropriate for a mature accompanied player rating. This is a positive note to read, given the delicate nature of the topic chosen for this new installment of Silent Hill.
