E3'07: Konami Confirms Silent Hill V News

Konami has today confirmed the development of Silent Hill V for Xbox 360 and PlayStation3, as part of an otherwise 'as expected' E3 2007 presentation in Santa Monica. Rumours that the series would continue on the two next-generation platforms have been circulating for almost three years, when the publisher revealed Silent Hill 4: The Room as the last 'current-gen' instalment back in 2004.

Pencilled in for release during 2008, Silent Hill V follows war veteran Alex Shepard, back from the front line on compassionate leave after the disappearance of his younger brother, Joshua. Although the trail leads to the closed community of Shepard's Glen (probably not a spooky coincidence), it's not long before Alex finds himself entering the town of Silent Hill itself...

Promising to ratchet up the tension in this fifth instalment, Konami has revealed that a new combat system will feature in the game, which will allow players to take advantage of Alex's military training (conveniently enough). The series' trademark puzzles will of course be sprinkled liberally throughout the experience, together with clues coming from the environments of Silent Hill and Shepard's Glen.

Composer Akira Yamaoka will also returning to score the haunting sounds synonymous with the series, though whether 'V' will also see Mary Elizabeth McGlynn sing for the third time in the franchise is so far unknown.

"Silent Hill V is an international, cross-cultural production, with leading development talent from around the globe collaborating to raise the bar even higher for this incredible series," said Brian Christian, Vice President of Product Development at Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "With gritty graphics and sound combining to create a haunting atmosphere and all-new visceral gameplay elements, Silent Hill V shows the level to which next-generation hardware can enhance the player's overall gaming experience."

Konami is currently working on Silent Hill Origins for PSP, due out later in 2007.