Keiichiro Toyama, creator of the Silent Hill, Siren, and Gravity Rush series, left Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2020 to open his own company, Bokeh Game Studio. Now, he’s ready to pull the curtain back a bit on its first project, which he says is inspired by his past as a horror game designer.
In a new video entitled “Focus,” Toyama shares his thoughts on the creative process, interspersed with concept art of Bokeh Game’s Studio’s as-yet untitled debut. The preview teases a game that bears strong similarities with Toyama’s previous work, highlighting horrific monsters and scenes that would be right at home in Silent Hill or Siren, with just a hint of the stylish flair of Gravity Rush.
“The view I have of horror is the everyday life being shaken,” Toyama explains. “Rather than showing scary things, it should question our position, make us challenge the fact that we’re living peacefully. I like bringing [these] type of thoughts in my concepts. I would like that to be the theme of my next game.”
Toyama also mentions being interested in the recent trend of “death game” entertainment (think the Danganronpa visual novel series or manga and anime franchise Mirai Nikki) as an inspiration. The idea of “regular people driven into irrational situations,” Toyama says, will likely show up in Bokeh’s first game.
While he might not get as much attention or respect as folks like Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto, Keiichiro Toyama is a living legend. And if the concept art Bokeh Game Studio has shared is any indication, his next project is sure to be just as nightmare-inducing as anything in Silent Hill or Siren. Bring it on.