IX : The Hermit

Sound Effect

The meticulously refined sound effects of the Silent Hill series

A mechanical sound that is reminiscent of a construction site evokes a sense of urgency.

A sound that is unpleasant in a very visceral way is mixed into the noise.
C r e a t o r ' s    C o m m e n t a r y

When it comes to sound, what I pursue in particular is a sense of reality. There's a sense that it's not so much music as it is the creation of something that stimulates one's sense of hearing, wouldn't you say? There are also places where there is no sound at all, and it isn't that sound hasn't been added; it's that silence is simply the sound of that particular place.
(Akira Yamaoka)

A sound effect design that is inlaid throughout the entire game?

The first floor of the shopping mall

While walking down the corridor in front of the payphones, heavy footsteps are heard, as if something is being carried.
The fourth floor of the office building

When Heather gets off the elevator at the fourth floor, suddenly out of nowhere a scream like that of a wild beast is heard.
C r e a t o r ' s    C o m m e n t a r y

In daily life, complete silence in one's environment is unusual, wouldn't you say? And so in the same way, things like footsteps and people stirring are inlaid even in the game. One responds to sounds that are not related to the game and once one is pulled back to reality, one is immersed more deeply into the game world. These sorts of effects are what I'm aiming for. The probability of their occurrence is random, so the point at which these sounds are heard should differ depending on the player. Without the importance placed on atmosphere in Silent Hill, its production wouldn't be possible, right?
(Akira Yamaoka)
The fifth floor of the construction site

Footsteps are heard from the floor above, but the building is only five stories high.
Hazel Street Station

The payphone rings for just an instant when Heather approaches it.
Near the elevator in the church

A piercing shriek like a bird's cry is heard.

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