Silent Hill: The Short Message dev Hexadrive has a new horror game, Niraya of ■■
And the first fifteen seconds are absolute nightmare fuel.
Silent Hill: The Short Message developer Hexadrive is developing a new horror game, Niraya of ■■.
I have no idea if that "■■" is permanent or merely obscuring the final word until we get closer to the release, but an announcement teaser – which boasts the dubious honour of having one of the most disturbing cinematic openings I've ever seen – says it's currently slated for Q4 2025, so it may be a while yet until we know more.
The teaser begins with a news report detailing how "a large number of bodies", including children, were discovered at a temple. At the same time, a huge hand with inhumanly long fingers is caressing the face of a dead child. So that's nice.
Then we see a little of the gameplay, which has a very retro/PS1-esque presentation faintly reminiscent of the Fatal Frame games. It's a significant departure from the hyper-real graphics of The Short Message.
"Niraya of ■■ is a Japanese horror game inspired by the Buddhist beliefs," the Steam description explains.
"The game focuses on a unique system where players 'avoid' the attacks of various monsters. This, combined with the fear of exploring eerie environments and solving puzzles, is a major draw of the game.
"In this game, the protagonist is cast into a mysterious realm unknown to the modern world and must attempt to escape. Players will guide the protagonist through unknown areas, solving hidden puzzles to progress. However, as mentioned, the exploration is filled with terrifying experiences, including strange phenomena and sudden monster attacks."
Right now, it looks as though the horror game is only coming to PC via Steam, although there's plenty of time for that to change, of course.
"I suspect that anyone who can relate to Anita's fictional experiences from a real-life perspective will have one of two polarising responses to Silent Hill: The Short Message: deep outrage, or deep admiration," I wrote in my Silent Hill: The Short Message review, giving it three out of five stars.
"For me – someone who can, unfortunately, relate to some of the darker themes expressed in The Short Message – it's the latter. Despite its inelegant delivery and high-school drama framing, Anita's story, if clumsy at times, is impactful, thoughtful, and – perhaps most importantly of all – hopeful.
"No, it may not be the Silent Hill game many of us were expecting; it may not even be the Silent Hill game some people want. But even with that infuriating chase sequence, I'm very glad it exists."
In related Silent Hill news, Silent Hill 2's original creators "didn't want to make the same thing again" when it came to Silent Hill 2 Remake, causing Remake developer Bloober Team to push back on some of their more outlandish suggestions.