As I headlined my PS5 review over two years ago, there’s a reason why Konami released Silent Hill: The Short Message for free: it’s dreadful.
The game, which came before Silent Hill 2 and was shadow-dropped during a livestream, was pretty poor, and the game earned the horror franchise’s lowest Metacritic score ever, at 52. At the time, you could at least chalk it up to a couple of hours wasted on a free PS5 download.
Now, though, you could pay actual money for it — $70! — to own a physical copy on PS5.
Silent Hill: The Short Message is getting a physical Deluxe Edition thanks to Limited Run Games, with pre-orders slated to open this Friday, 10th July 2026. The package includes the following:
Silent Hill: The Short Message Game — Made exclusively for the deluxe edition, not sold separately
Set of Art Cards featuring Maya’s graffiti art and sketches
Art Poster
Sakara Acrylic Keychain
Individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity
There might be a fun novelty to owning The Short Message on a PS5 disc, especially for collection purposes. I wouldn’t recommend it, though: this is a two-hour game that’s below par throughout.
“Incredibly bland gameplay and some overly frustrating chase sequences make Silent Hill: The Short Message a chore to play much of the time. While there are some intriguing full-motion cutscenes and heavy story details, they’re not worth pushing through the dull sequences in between to experience them.”
That’s what I said at the time of its release, but bear in mind I factored in the free price point. For $70, you’d be better off giving the money to charity. Don’t bother with this one!
It’s worth noting the digital PS Store version is still available as a free PS5 download; the new physical version isn’t enacting a price rise on that edition.
[source limitedrungames.com]
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Liam grew up with a PlayStation controller in his hands and a love for Metal Gear Solid. Nowadays, he’s found playing the latest and greatest PS5 games as well as supporting Derby County. That last detail is his downfall.