Silent Hill: Ascension's Debut Sparks Backlash from Fans

Article Key Points

Silent Hill: Ascension disappoints fans who feel Konami is too focused on monetization and not enough on creating a compelling experience.

Viewers actively engage in the interactive show by making choices on story elements, ultimately shaping the official lore of Silent Hill.

The inclusion of a season pass for Silent Hill: Ascension has sparked controversy due to the perceived unfair advantage it provides to those who purchase it, and the availability of exclusive content, leading to concerns over the implementation of pay-to-win mechanics.

Fans of the Silent Hill franchise had high hopes for the debut of the Silent Hill: Ascension interactive experience on October 31. However, their excitement has turned into disappointment as many feel that Konami's focus on making money from its intellectual properties has been confirmed with the recent launch of Silent Hill: Ascension.

Silent Hill: Ascension is a unique interactive show, similar to the community-driven game Until Dawn. Each day, a new scene is aired and viewers have the opportunity to make decisions that impact the storyline. These choices will ultimately determine the official Silent Hill canon. At the end of the week, all the scenes are compiled into a bingeable episode. Even if fans are unable to participate in the live experience, they can still watch all the scenes as a video-on-demand (VOD) and vote on decisions at least 24 hours in advance.

One of the central concepts in Silent Hill: Ascension is the use of Influence Points (IP) as a voting system for decisions. The more Influence a person possesses, the more influential their vote becomes, and they even have the ability to persuade other viewers to vote in a particular way. Additionally, there is a cameo contest where lucky audience members can appear in the show and become a part of the official Silent Hill storyline. However, participating in the contest requires a significant amount of Influence Points.

The primary issue that many people face is the cost of the Silent Hill: Ascension season pass, priced at $19.99. Notably, the season pass includes over 60,000 IP, providing purchasers with an advantage in shaping the story and a higher chance of winning the viewer cameo opportunity. Alongside this, the season pass offers exclusive cosmetic items and options for customizing profiles, as well as access to daily puzzles that reward additional IP. While the developer, Genvid, emphasizes that viewers can engage with the show for free, it is important to recognize that this is similar to labeling a free-to-play game as "free."

The general consensus from social media comments is that the Silent Hill: Ascension live experience was confusing and poorly executed. The interface, especially on mobile devices, is overcrowded and cluttered. Many viewers have expressed difficulty in actually watching the show due to the constant display of chat messages, stickers, and other distractions. Additionally, the lack of moderation has resulted in a continuous stream of offensive usernames and messages.

However, despite these issues, some gamers have decided to delete the Silent Hill: Ascension app, while others eagerly anticipate the next installment. It's important to remember that this is just the beginning of the franchise's next chapter, with other Silent Hill projects in the pipeline. There is still potential for improvement beyond the initial impressions.

Silent Hill

Renowned for its original trilogy, Silent Hill is a captivating series of survival horror games. These games engraved themselves in the hearts of players thanks to their exceptional atmosphere and thought-provoking narratives conveyed through symbolism and metaphors. Notably, Silent Hill 2 is now on the cusp of being remade by Bloober Team, a development that holds immense potential to rekindle the franchise's allure.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about the Silent Hill: Ascension. On the one hand, I appreciate the innovative concept of an interactive show that allows viewers to shape the story. The idea of having a season pass that provides exclusive content and advantages is also intriguing. On the other hand, I am concerned about the potential for pay-to-win mechanics and the overall monetization of the experience.

I believe that Konami should focus on creating a compelling and immersive story that stays true to the spirit of the Silent Hill franchise, rather than prioritizing monetization. While the interactive show format has the potential to be engaging, it should not come at the expense of the narrative or the overall gaming experience. I hope that Konami will listen to fan feedback and make adjustments to address these concerns, ensuring that Silent Hill: Ascension and future installments in the series deliver the high-quality experiences that fans expect.