Silent Hill: Ascent hasn’t had much of an impact on the video game world, but perhaps the licensed t-shirts will. Konami recently announced a few Tie-in merch, which is now available on his website. The store offers some generic t-shirts, a hoodie and a green hat, but most notably a light blue t-shirt and a mug that says “It’s trauma” surrounded by rainbows and stars in the bubbliest font.
If you’ve been looking for the most emotionally problematic piece of merchandise that looks surprisingly good and reflects your inner feelings, then this is the purchase for you.
When Silent Hill: Ascent was announced, it promised a new take on the series by being an interactive, live experience inspired by choose-your-own-adventure. However, it was the slogan “It’s a trauma” that made a big impression on me, especially because it was so confusing. For a story that we were told was about trauma, it was very to the point. Worse, it was an insult to both people with trauma and to Silent Hill fans who knew the franchise’s history with the subject.
For example, Silent Hill 2 offered a profound commentary on trauma, grief, and guilt, creating a character-driven story that differed from the dense, lore-based world of the first game. These are themes that the Silent Hill franchise has pursued throughout its life, sometimes with success (Silent Hill: Shattered Memories) and sometimes not (Silent Hill: Downpour).
Silent Hill: Ascent is just the latest attempt to capture that magic, and it was a huge failure. Critics accuse the interactive story of failing to grasp the core concept of Silent Hill as Trauma, of stilting the dialogue, and of being a slog to sit through. The completely random season pass and microtransactions that included cosmetics and allowed players to choose characters’ actions didn’t help make it feel like a tonally consistent experience. It’s difficult to take a media outlet seriously when it puts out a purchasable sticker highlighting its theme. You didn’t know this was a game about trauma? Now you do.
A t-shirt or a mug is not enough Ascension Better yet, but the “it’s a trauma” sentiment makes for completely ironic merch. And considering the way the world is right now, you can do a lot worse than a t-shirt or mug that says, “I have a relationship with trauma.”
