A History of Pursuits in Silent Hill

The fear of being chased has been a driving factor for many nightmares throughout history, so it’s no surprise this trope has found its home in the horror genre. Horror films have adopted chase sequences as a staple, including the obligatory moment where the character falls over at the worst possible moment as their pursuer closes in. This usually inspires a yell at the screen, or perhaps an eye-roll from the viewer - but in a medium where interactivity is necessary, video games have expanded their relationship with the chase sequence in ways film never could. 

Chase sequences are at the core of many modern horror mods, with the modding scenes for Garry’s Mod and Roblox being two notable examples. From an indie development perspective, only having one enemy to deal with is wonderful for minimising scope, and so the explosion of creepypasta PNGs endlessly chasing you through the backrooms was perhaps inevitable. Of course, chase sequences are also found in retro and AAA series such as Clock Tower, Evil Within and Resident Evil. These vary from serving as a key component of gameplay, to being a short intermission that breaks up the core gameplay loop. However, no series has explored the possibilities of chase sequences quite like Silent Hill. Within this franchise we’d see these segments evolve from simple mechanical interludes to an integral piece that would even, at times, replace combat.

While the earlier entries didn’t explore chase sequences as heavily as later instalments, the survival horror genre as a whole invites this type of gameplay due to its mechanical tendency to employ limited resources. Players often run past enemies in an attempt to conserve ammo and healing items, only reaching (what they hope to be) momentary safety once they enter the next room. The inability to fight back instils vulnerability and tension, so taking these organic moments and shaping them into something more curated feels like a natural progression for the series.