Silent Hill 2 Review

The original Silent Hill 2 is a cult classic and is often regarded as one of the greatest horror games ever developed. Over the past few years, there have been some remarkable remakes of games like Dead Space and Resident Evil 2. While remakes of old masterpieces have their merits, nothing can compare to the original games and their everlasting effect. No matter how great the remakes are, it's hard to please everyone, and fans of the original will always have concerns about alterations, new storylines, and character dynamics.

When Konami announced that Bloober Team would be remaking Silent Hill 2, reactions ranged from excitement to skepticism. Even though Bloober Team is somewhat specialized in making survival horror games, with titles like The Medium, Layers of Fear, Blair Witch, or Observer: System Redux on their bags, these games are decent enough but not as close to the quality of Silent Hill 2.

There’s zero doubt that the fans had enormous expectations, and replicating the original Silent Hill 2's unique appeal seemed like an immense test for the developers. Thankfully, Bloober Team delivered and did everything they could to make this Silent Hill 2 Remake come to life. This game's setting was really crucial for creating the right atmosphere, and it seemed like they took every effort to recreate the tone, feel, and narrative—at times, even coming close to the exact words and scenes from the original.

In Silent Hill 2, you play as James Sunderland, who is driven to visit a place called Silent Hill upon receiving a letter from his wife requesting his arrival at a special location while three years earlier, his wife had died of a sickness. However, upon his arrival, it doesn't take long for James to become overwhelmed by the town's mystery as he stumbles upon creatures and an unlikely group of characters who have arrived in Silent Hill for reasons unknown. All of this happens for James in the hopes that he will find his wife, but the narrative writers Hiroyuki Owaku and Sato had something completely different in their minds.

The surroundings and atmosphere of Silent Hill 2 Remake will fascinate you from the moment James stares out over Toluca Lake. From the forest areas to the town's pathways, structures, streets, and alleys, the game's atmosphere is extensive, drawing you into the gorgeously gloomy world of Silent Hill 2. The iconic locations, such as the morgue, the prison, the hotel, the apartments, and even the entrance to the town, are back. Each of these places has been given a facelift and a more present-day vibe while retaining the essence of the original game's atmosphere.

Initially, you might just end up roaming around aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds of everything around you. Even though aimless roaming is something we commonly do in open-world games, Silent Hill 2’s settings will force you to do so. The attention to minute details immediately appeared invaluable. Bloober Team has done a terrific job of recreating the game's atmosphere, and they've even included particular sequences and locations from the original Silent Hill 2 as memories. Even though the town's expanded areas are open for exploration and additional endings, you can always go your own way and concentrate on the main story.

Going back to familiar places from the original Silent Hill 2 was like going on a journey through nostalgia. Even though a lot of things have changed in the Silent Hill 2 Remake, they still seem and feel the same as the original. Seeing how far video games have progressed visually has given me a chilling feel while revisiting these areas. Despite their similarities, I felt like I was seeing them for the first-ever time. At the beginning of the game, you will get the opportunity to explore a place that you are familiar with from the original Silent Hill game. It was interesting to observe the area's transformation with the addition of current-gen visuals and gameplay features.

The gameplay of Silent Hill 2 Remake mostly remains loyal to the original but has opted for a more recent take with an over-the-shoulder camera perspective, which involves incorporating simpler controls. You'll be guided by white tapes in Silent Hill 2, similar to the yellow tapes in the Resident Evil 4 remake. Even though it was effective enough, the white tape isn't as glaring as the yellow ones; it becomes more of a background texture rather than a stark contrast. But there will be times when you'll be completely puzzled and lost without it.

Overall, moving about, using the controls, and getting to the map are all reasonably easy to interact with. As the story progresses, the town takes on a chilly yet familiar air. With the new map added to the game, as mentioned earlier, there are now new explorable locations, allowing the town to have more free-roaming elements, a purpose for most players who just idly wander throughout different locations. However, a great deal of change becomes apparent as you enter into combat. With the d-pad, you can now switch between weapons, easily access healing supplies, and take advantage of the new dodge mechanic, which makes combat more dynamic.

Speaking of combat, the mechanics have been the best improvement so far, and there has been a significant improvement from the original combat in the experience. The combat is planned more strategically, with the major focus being on the different enemy designs. Since James has few weapons at his disposal because he is not accustomed to fighting, the key to success is being able to adapt your approach to different situations. Even though the combat design and rigidity may seem unsettling at first, given the game’s survival nature, they flow nicely as you progress in the game.

All of the items and unlockables from the first game have been brought back, including weapons and even the chainsaw. While in combat, you can quickly switch between melee weapons and guns, and this process is pretty simple. That, along with the dodge mechanic, makes combat more severe yet engaging. Hitting an enemy with a shot that knocks them down or stuns them makes you feel great, especially when you can follow up with an intense melee attack to finish them off. The experience is more fulfilling when the timing is just right.

The puzzles in Silent Hill 2 Remake are pretty diverse, and many of them are identical to those found in the original game. Although you will recognize the old puzzles, you will also notice that they have been updated to include an additional degree of difficulty. The coin puzzle, for instance, has developed into an engaging narrative with multiple levels. As the story develops, you'll need to rearrange the coins to fit the new plot points, which you determine by analyzing the text that goes along with each coin.

Most of the puzzles from the original game get an additional layer of complexity with a new layer of interactions and intensity. Furthermore, various puzzles have been included, starting from easy ones like locating a note and progressing to more complex ones that make innovative use of the surroundings. Playing through the story to its conclusion revealed a whole page of puzzle answers, which is a reflection of how engaging and insightful the game is. While puzzles tend to get difficult to solve as you progress, you can nonetheless select the level of difficulty for each puzzle, just like in the original.

Aside from bringing back all the enemies from the original game, Silent Hill 2 Remake has improved the visibility of their hideous details, which is truly horrific. However, except for a few boss fights that were modified for the new controls and visuals, their actions and sounds are reasonably faithful to the original game. The new combat mechanics make boss fights feel better than they did in the original game.

These fights are more of a test of endurance than they were before, and you'll have to be able to read the surroundings during the fights, which reminded me of the Dead Space Remake. Furthermore, Otherworld's enemies also have more modern designs and behaviors, making them more challenging and keeping them from being repeated. You should be cautious when you take them down since they now explode with acid vomit.

The makeover definitely brings out the best in the mannequins. Even if they aren't particularly powerful, they're considerably scarier now. They'll remain motionless as they blend into their surroundings, taking cover under tables and in dark corners. After that, they'll surprise you by leaping out of nowhere and slapping you with their cankles, which can be somewhat terrifying.

Additionally, enemies respond more intensely to what you do. Even if you manage to get away, these enemies will narrow the distance between you and them and pursue you. Button mashing will cause the enemies to snatch you or your weapon, tossing it aside and stagger you, and this level of realism in combat is just incredible.

There are also several terrifying moments during the gameplay. Their speed and aggression are also significantly higher. An additional highlight of the Remake is the nurses, especially the way they twist and moan hysterically as they emerge from the hospital's shadowy corridors or amble aimlessly. And they're significantly deadlier when it comes to being attacked. Along with the other enemies, Pyramid Head is far more cunning and violent, and he is just as frightening.

Not to mention the characters and how they were represented, the emotions of the characters are now given a lot more attention. While the technological constraints did limit the original, in this Remake, due to enhancements in motion capture technology, the cast expertly portrays the range of emotions experienced by these characters. Every character is just as distinct and memorable as in the original game but with a lot more detail and complexity overall.

The script has been revised to incorporate new sequences and reframe dialogue more accurately. All the scenes still have their intended significance. The voice performers had to really sell the sequences because the animation wasn't up to par with what we have now. New technology in Unreal Engine 5 allowed the developers to emphasize further how the actors' bodies and movements, in addition to the script, make their intent come alive. Every little detail of his facial expression conveys the pain and rage that is visible in his expressions.

With each passing moment, the tension rises, and you can see how the characters' facial expressions change. For instance, Eddie's breakdown facial expressions are both extremely scary and natural. When Eddie is about to explode, you can sense the impending tension and discomfort by being in his presence; it's as if you can taste the emotional pain. It's a striking illustration of how acting and technology can give a character more complex sensations.

The additional bits that were added in between different scenarios of the original game improve what was previously there, giving a sense of optimism about what was missing back then. While the additional scenes don't significantly impact the story, the multiple ending scenarios offer an alternative perspective on Silent Hill's fate and are definitely worth returning to the town for. Although, the ending you find depends on a number of factors, one of which is your playing style.

As you observe James experience each emotion until his collapse, he truly stands out. His portrayal is so realistic that you can't help but root for him as the game progresses. Maria continues to be a charming and enticing presence, tempting James with her charms whenever possible. The voice actor who plays Mary is quite similar to the original, and Laura's, too, was quite impressive.

Silent Hill is known for its fog, and this game does a fantastic job of capturing its essence. The improved visuals allow fog to grow around you instantaneously, and it feels incredible. As you approach the town, you'll see that it becomes thicker. It gives the impression that the monsters are weaving through it in some distance, making you nervous that they could unexpectedly show up.

Feeling exposed as you step out into the unknown, you can't help but wonder what threats wait beyond your line of sight due to the fog's obfuscation. The sun's reflection in the fog is breathtaking in a later game scene that takes place at sunset over Silent Hill 2. Keep in mind that the fog might sometimes move in like a hurricane, increasing the number of monsters and the level of tension in the air.

The visual accuracy of Silent Hill 2 Remake is quite remarkable. In appearance, it's on par with Alan Wake 2 Remake and could be among the best games in terms of visual quality. Everything in the game remains incredibly faithful to the originals, while the updated character designs all look fantastic.

Even more so, many of these updated design concepts are recycled ideas from long-ago iterations of the game by Team Silent. It's hard to describe the beauty of Silent Hill's empty, falling-apart streets; walking into the fog was often restoration. It must have been difficult to incorporate current techniques that make the high-resolution textures stand out so well.

Although it is aesthetically pleasing, that is only the tip of the iceberg. In certain areas, as you go backward through the game, you'll see the settings have changed. These changes are so delicate that they will make you wonder if you're really going crazy. The ambiance is really out of this world; it conveys the sense of being trapped in an eternal hell with no escape. And even the modern-day visual tech has never made rust look better. The graphics do have a few minor flaws, but nothing too major to distract you from the experience.

The sound design in Silent Hill games is well-known for contributing to the ambiance of the series. As you progress through the game, the sensations truly hit you. Throughout the game, particularly in the alternate reality, you will also hear disturbing noises, such as distant cries, whispered conversations, the movement of nurses' footsteps as they go around a corner, and many more.

For the Silent Hill 2 Remake, veteran artist Akira Yamaoka is back, but this time around, he has opted to keep the music the same rather than alter it or remove it entirely for the sake of more ambient, current remixes. The return of the original soundtrack is crucial in establishing the game's tone. The original score is back, and it's slightly different now, so there's even more depth.

Performance-wise, I didn't notice anything wrong with the game. However, there are a few issues with the combat, which can be a bit frustrating. Especially when James gets locked inside a sequence, he always aims at the wrong enemy or fails to switch to his weapon. However, this seems to happen more frequently when different enemies attack at the same time. Even while you're under attack from enemies, dodging at the right moment briefly makes you invincible during the sequence. Whether that was deliberate or just a bug that will be fixed in a patch is anyone's guess, but it did save my skin a few times.

It's great to see enemies return in this remake because scrapping the old enemies and introducing new ones would've been unfair. It is not just the enemies; it appears that nothing was taken away from the original game. While some changes have been made to provide veteran players with a new experience, everything else remains unchanged. Everything that made the original so remarkable is still there, and perhaps more so, with all the latest enhancements.

In the end, the original Silent Hill 2 is widely regarded as a masterwork of psychological horror, and so will this Remake. The game surprised the fans of Silent Hill and even Resident Evil. Similar to the Resident Evil 4 Remake, the Silent Hill 2 Remake does not diminish the brilliance of the original. There had never been too many games like it before because of its unsettling themes that caused the players to feel uncomfortable. The combination of the graphics, the setting, and the voice acting made Silent Hill 2 Remake seem like something out of a raging nightmare.

And at its core, the Silent Hill 2 Remake has been a fantastic experience. It's an outstanding replication of the original game that updates the experience while still maintaining its origin. Not to mention, Silent Hill 2 Remake, without a doubt, is one of the most visually impressive games I've played fairly in a very long time. The double-edged plot of the game is its most remarkable aspect. One of the things that makes Silent Hill 2 incredible is that it is not only about James. It goes against all James has done and his unwillingness to admit the reality.