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Silent Hill 2 is well known as one of the most terrifying games of all time. Despite being a sequel, the second entry is by far the most iconic game of its series, and really launched Konami's survival horror franchise in earnest. In the years since Silent Hill 2's 2001 release - first for PlayStation 2, and then Xbox and PC - there have been a lot of games produced in the series, of varying levels of quality. As a result, many fans feel that while there are a number of fantastic Silent Hill games, it is a world that is best left alone.
Konami apparently agrees. It cancelled the Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro collaboration Silent Hills, which was announced so wonderfully by the P.T. demo, and really only uses the franchise these days to brand pachinko slot machines. The art director of the second and arguably best Silent Hill game, Masahiro Ito, is famously outspoken about the continuation of the series - or lack of - and is particularly vocal about how Konami has treated his historic subconscious nightmare, Pyramid Head.
If you want to see one of Pyramid Head's many cameos, take a look at him in Dead By Daylight below...
Pyramid Head was designed to serve a specific purpose. He is the physical representation of Silent Hill 2's protagonist James Sunderland's subconscious desire to be punished. Dressed as a mix of a butcher and a cultist, and without a face, Pyramid Head and the way he endlessly chases Sunderland down has struck fear into the hearts of players for decades.
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However, since then Pyramid Head's meaning and purpose has been diluted. When Ito recently tweeted, "I wish I hadn't designed fxxkin Pyramid Head," people believed it was for monetary reasons. While the director refuses to say why, he does claim it's not because of merchandising. "The reason is not that I can't get paid for the statues. I've never gotten paid for those in the first place." However, this appears to be true and untrue at the same time.
While our villain with the three-cornered crown was originally inextricably linked to Sunderland, Konami has wasted no time inserting him in to every single thing it can. Aside from his appearance in another six Silent Hill games, two movies, and a plethora of knick-knacks, his likeness has been leant out to any franchise which will have him. From Dead By Daylight to Super Bomberman, Pyramid Head is no longer terrifying but just a cheery gaming mascot.
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This seems the most likely explanation for Ito's distaste. He has famously said that he would only return to work on another Silent Hill game if either Pyramid Head was not included in the game or if he could kill off Pyramid Head in the opening cutscene. It seems, though, that Konami has not been eager to taken him up on his offer.
Featured Image Credit: Konami / FigmaTopics: Silent Hill, Konami
