Silent Hill Composer Eyes Resident Evil, Says He'd \"Really Love\" to Work on Rival Series

Akira Yamaoka, the longtime composer behind Silent Hill, recently revealed he’s long dreamed of composing music for Capcom’s Resident Evil. Discover his reflections on music creation and what first drew him to the art.

Silent Hill’s Akira Yamaoka’s Dream Game Franchise Is Resident Evil

Putting the Rivalry to Rest Once and for All

Akira Yamaoka, composer and sound director of Silent Hill, shared his wish to contribute to the “rival” survival-horror franchise Resident Evil in an interview with Cyber Temple, the developer behind Dark Switch. As part of the promotional campaign ahead of Dark Switch’s October 2025 release, the studio published an interview where Yamaoka discussed his musical journey and creative process.

Yamaoka has composed for titles like Slitterhead, Lollipop Chainsaw, and Shadows of the Damned, but he’s best known for his defining work on Silent Hill. While the series already had a strong identity, Yamaoka’s signature dark ambient tones, trip-hop influences, innovative sampling, and gritty industrial rock elements from the late ’90s and early 2000s alt-rock scene helped shape its unforgettable atmosphere.

In a past interview with Swedish music site Spelmusik, Yamaoka recalled volunteering for the project early on, convinced he alone could deliver the sound Silent Hill required.

“Even during the concept phase, I felt only I could handle this. I was the first to raise my hand.”

Many assume Silent Hill was Konami’s intellectual counterpoint to Capcom’s action-driven survival-horror pioneer—and therefore, someone so deeply tied to Silent Hill wouldn’t want to touch Resident Evil. But today, most see the so-called rivalry as outdated, rooted in an era when few survival-horror games existed.

Yamaoka’s Musical Background

His reason? He simply loved playing Resident Evil. Before finding his place in Silent Hill, Yamaoka was already passionate about games and music. Back in 2007, he told Game Developer that he taught himself music production through computer experimentation. It wasn’t until he discovered his love for composing that he left his design career to pursue video game audio.

Yamaoka has long cited numerous artists as influences. In earlier interviews, he named Depeche Mode, Metallica, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and, of course, Angelo Badalamenti—the composer of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. This time, he pointed to Ennio Morricone, the Italian maestro behind legendary Westerns like The Dollars Trilogy and Once Upon a Time in America.

Yamaoka admired Morricone’s ability to infuse his distinct style without overpowering the films’ essence. This philosophy deeply influenced his own approach to game scoring, evident in his methodical composition process and the way his music has become inseparable from the Silent Hill experience.

“I think it’s vital to clearly understand the direction the game is heading,” he told Cyber Temple, “and who the audience is. Then, the music should grow from those insights.”

Resounding Approval From Fans

Fans who discovered Yamaoka’s interview with Cyber Temple reacted with enthusiasm, signaling that the Silent Hill-Resident Evil rivalry is firmly in the past. Resident Evil players expressed eagerness for more compelling music in the remakes, while others fantasized about hearing Yamaoka’s take on a classic save room theme.

Whether or not he ever scores for Resident Evil, fans agree: his artistry and vision would be a powerful gift to the franchise.