Recently the Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto, Silent Hill 2 concept artist Masahiro Ito, and composer Akira Yamaoka sat down with IGN to discuss a number of upcoming Silent Hill projects and the Silent Hill 2 remake. The interview with IGN touched on a number of items related to the Silent Hill 2 remake but arguably the most interesting piece of discussion was Ito’s thoughts on his visual aesthetic for the creatures of Silent Hill 2 and in particular Pyramid Head.
Ito spoke about the fact that he didn’t think the game’s main character, James, would perceive monsters with traditional horns and antennae. Ito notes “He just didn’t seem like someone who loved creatures with antennae and horns.”
When I thought about James, I didn’t see him as a character who could possibly be well-versed in what monsters look like, given the trajectory of his life. He just didn’t seem like someone who loved creatures with antennae and horns. In that case, the monsters would have to take the form of what he’d seen and heard until the present moment. That’s why I felt it wouldn’t really be right to use stereotypical creature designs when depicting the person James is.
Masahiro Ito – Silent Hill 2 Concept Artist
If you show a picture of Pyramid Head to anyone, even if they haven’t played Silent Hill, they’ll most likely recognize the iconic character. Funnily enough, though, Ito’s reasoning behind designing the character with such an unusual silhouette was in part down to trying to attract more magazine readers to take an interest in the series.
There were a few other reasons I designed Pyramid Head to look that way, though. At the time, the primary source of information about videogames was magazines. When I thought about the kind of game Silent Hill 2 would be, I did feel concerned that it may be hard to get the attention of magazine readers through screenshots. So if I’m being honest, that’s one of the reasons I designed a creature with such a bizarre yet simply shaped head and a human silhouette.
Masahiro Ito – Silent Hill 2 Concept Artist
The creatures of Silent Hill have spawned so much inspiration for concept artists over the years that it’s almost hilarious to think that the creator’s mind focused heavily on trying to market the piece first. Needless to say, it worked and fans welcomed the addition of Pyramid Head to the roster of gaming’s most terrifying antagonists.
The Silent Hill 2 Remake currently has no release date yet. The original Silent Hill 2 is available on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.
