Trailer Round-up: Silent Hills and The Evil Within

Whilst much of the latest news has been dominated by the delights currently screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one or two announcements have managed to push their way to the front of every horror fans' radar, namely as a result of another popular, annual event - Tokyo Game Show (TGS).

Held each year in Chiba, Japan, this video game convention is an unmissable opportunity to showcase the very latest in Japanese gaming. This year was no different, as both Hideo Kojima and Shinji Mikami's latest efforts took centre stage.

If, like countless other horror gamers out there, the Silent Hills playable teaser (PT) scared you witless, TGS were kind enough to premiere an exclusive concept video, just to scare you that little bit more...


As a companion piece to the PT, this concept video remains dark, twisted and nightmarishly bonkers with some seriously eerie sequences. Hardcore fans may sneer at the first-person set-up, others may feel it anti-climactic after the incredibly effective subtlety of the PT. Either way, Kojima and collaborative partner Guillermo del Toro are most definitely out to prove a point with this latest exclusive - to rejuvenate the dilapidated Silent Hill franchise and hopefully once again frighten us in to a collective stupor.
The same can be said for the highly anticipated The Evil Within. Due for release this October 14th on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, this latest survival horror proves it's out to shock, with a new exclusive trailer, fresh from TGS...

The material on offer here is another look at the treacherous terrain and physical struggles from our main protagonist, Sebastian, as well as a greater (albeit brief) look at the type of monsters we are bound to encounter. In addition to the familiar maniacal butcher, we are also privy to leaking lesions, spider-like limbs and tentacle-ridden faces. 
Played out to a sombre, orchestral score and the sinister musings from an assumed antagonist, we are clearly in for a dark and twisted tale. It may not appear as eerily surreal in comparison to Silent Hills, but odds are, with blood and gore in abundance, The Evil Within will provide a much needed thrill to all horror gamers in the run up to Halloween. 

Some say the survival-horror sub-genre is dead and indeed, the above may well turn out to be overly generic and dull. However, given the recent successes of independent efforts such as Outlast and Amnesia, there is an underlying sense that the sub-genre is undergoing a renaissance. There are new ideas, new techniques and new boundaries often pushed to breaking point. Arguably, these latest trailers indicate a combination of this recent ingenuity, with the rejuvenated efforts of the very creators who started it all... Fingers crossed they deliver.
What are your thoughts on Silent Hills or The Evil Within? Post a comment!