In Silent Hill: The Short Message, players are introduced to a new monster designed by artist Masahiro Ito. This marks the first time Ito has designed a new monster for the series in two decades, and Konami is celebrating in a unique way. The official Silent Hill Twitter account is currently hosting a poll that allows players to vote on the creature’s name. There are four choices in total, including Cherry Blossom Monster, Sakura Creature, Sakura Head, and Sakura Body. More than 11,000 votes have been cast, with Sakura Head currently in the lead with 38.6% of the vote.ย
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Those interested in voting on the monster’s name can do so in the Tweet embedded below. However, would-be participants should act quickly, as the poll is set to close in 20 hours.ย
The Monsters of Masahiro Ito
Masahiro Ito has been working on the Silent Hill franchise from the very beginning. Ito has had several roles related to Silent Hill since then, including being the monster designer on the first three games. He would have returned as an illustrator on Hideo Kojima’s Silent Hills, but the project was cancelled ahead of release. It’s been a long time since fans have gotten to see a new creature designed by Ito, but the one from The Short Message is already proving to be a fan favorite.ย
As far as Ito’s opinion on the name, the artist has referred to the monster as both Sakura Head and Cherry Blossom creature on Twitter, so both of these names would seem like the most logical fits.ย
The Return of Silent Hill
Silent Hill: The Short Message was released on PlayStation 5 on January 31st. The game was given a surprise announcement during a State of Play, and was made available that same day on the PlayStation Store. A new Silent Hill game would be cause for excitement enough on its own, but the game was also made available completely free. The free release was intended as a way of re-introducing the franchise to new players, after the series had been dormant for years. The unusual release for the game seems to have paid off, as The Short Message has been downloaded more than 1 million times.ย
Konami has very big plans for Silent Hill following The Short Message, though players will have to spend some money on those games. Developer Bloober Team is currently working on a remake of Silent Hill 2, which is widely considered one of the greatest horror games ever made. Silent Hill f is currently in development from NeoBards Entertainment, while Silent Hill: Townfall is also in the works. With several high-profile games in the works, fans have a whole lot to look forward to!ย
Did you check outย Silent Hill: The Short Message? Which of these names do you think is most fitting for the game’s monster? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
