Ask many people what the defining horror video game franchises are, and most people would be quick to mention either Silent Hill or Resident Evil. Both franchises have left a huge impact on the landscape of horror video games, with Resident Evil arguably birthing the entire genre itself, even coining the now iconic term "survival horror." As such, it's easy to see why the franchise celebrating its 26th anniversary is such a huge deal, as it is in many ways also the anniversary of the horror genre in gaming itself. It makes sense then that Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama has released an interview with Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami to mark the occasion.

Resident Evil first released on the PlayStation in 1996 and has gone on to become one of the biggest video game franchises in the world, selling over 110 million units worldwide. The series was created by game designer Shinji Mikami and was inspired by the 1989 Famicom game Sweet Home. Mikami would later lead development on another groundbreaking entry in the series, Resident Evil 4, which defined the third-person shooter genre, before leaving Capcom in 2007 following the closure of Clover Studio. After co-founding Platinum Games and directing Vanquish in 2010, Mikami went on to found his current studio Tango Gameworks, which has shipped two Evil Within titles and, most recently, Ghostwire: Tokyo.

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As for Toyama, he initially led a development team, dubbed Team Silent, for Silent Hill at Konami until the game's release in 1999, before leaving the team to work at Sony's Japan Studio. There he created the Siren franchise, and after three games in said series he went on to create the PlayStation Vita launch title Gravity Rush. After this game received a cult following, Toyama went on to direct Gravity Rush 2, before leaving Sony in 2020 following the company's shift away from in-house Japanese development and dissolving of Japan Studio into Team Asobi.

Toyama now leads Bokeh Game Studio, a team of veteran Japanese action game developers working on Slitterhead, which was announced at The Game Awards 2021. In the interview with Mikami, Toyama and Mikami discuss the creation of both the Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises, the challenges with directing a video game versus producing it, and leading the next generation of horror game developers as both Toyama and Mikami are doing with Bokeh Game Studio and Tango Gameworks, respectively.

Mikami seemingly reemphasizes during the interview that The Evil Within is likely the last game he will direct, with him producing and acting as studio head for all of Tango Gameworks' upcoming titles. In recent interviews, Mikami has shown some interest in directing one last title, however. One thing that is definitely evident from the interview is the respect both creators share for each other's work, and excitement for the future of the horror genre in gaming.

MORE: Ghostwire: Tokyo Interview With Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks