
The man Akira Yamaoka is as much a part of Silent Hill as its ashen sky or molten fog. Ever since Konami released its first Silent Hill game in 1999, the composer has made dark ambient music for nearly the entire franchise – including its new movie, as we note in our Return to Silent Hill review – that is unnervingly gorgeous. That's the goal, he tells GamesRadar+.
"Silent Hill, to me – it's not just about the fear and anxiety. There are many elements that the franchise has, that Silent Hill has," Yamaoka tells me through an interpreter. "It's our emotions when we see something beautiful, and we feel, 'Oh, wow. This is very beautiful.'"