Silent Hill f is impressing fans left and right with "Very Positive" beginnings on Steam last month, as well as a million sales in just four days – but its success only comes after the skill of its developers and talented voice actors, like Konatsu Kato.
Kato, who voices protagonist Hinako Shimizu, hasn't exactly had the easiest of times while recording her lines for the recent Silent Hill, however. As she previously admitted in a post, as translated by Automaton, her work on the horror game was mentally taxing – to say the least. "I've been living as Hinako in the world of Silent Hill for a long time now," she had written in an online message, going on to admit it was difficult.
"On some days," Kato explained, "I almost felt my own sanity slipping, but it was worth it to be able to contribute to this game." Since then, the voice behind Hinako has opened up more in further interviews – including a new discussion with Famitsu, as translated by Automaton. She says her initial recording sessions were "smooth," but as time went on, the work became more psychologically demanding – much like Hinako's own journey in-game.
Kato would record the same scenes multiple times, with noticeable changes to her emotional state and subsequently, her lines – a recollection of hers that is reflected in Silent Hill f's New Game+ mode. The actor recalls she found herself questioning, "What am I? What is Hinako doing now? Where?" It all became almost too confusing for her, especially while recording the two different versions of Hinako interacting with one another.
She states she would lose track of herself and who she was – both in character and her real self. "There were times when I would burst into tears without even thinking about anything," Kato states. "The more time I spent facing Hinako, the more my confusion grew. I remember there were days when I felt like I was going crazy." It was overwhelming, with Kato saying her most vivid memory of the work is "not knowing where I was or who I was."
The actor is impressed by Hinako as a character, however, especially with her maturity as a high school student and diverse perspectives – but she'd never want to meet the girl, and she certainly wouldn't want to step foot into the crimson-dusted world of Silent Hill f. The thought of encountering the protagonist makes Kato feel like she'll lose her mind, and she "would want to disappear in a second" if she found herself in Ebisugaoka.
After hearing her describe the difficulty of the role a few different times now, I think I'm able to understand why – not only is the subject matter of the horror game quite heavy, but having to take it on as the main character would amplify this weight tenfold.
Searching for something else to play after Konami's latest banger? Browse through our quick rundown of the most exciting new games coming this year and beyond for more.
