Silent Hill 2 Remake is terrifying, immersive, and just the right kind of unsettling.
To many, the original Silent Hill 2 is considered a psychological horror masterpiece. The game was unique and ahead of its time. It touched on uncomfortable subject matter and made players feel uneasy between the visuals, environment design, and voice acting. The game felt as though you were playing a fever dream.
Bloober Team, known for Blair Witch and The Medium, has aimed to rebuild this classic with Konami faithfully. The Polish developers have put down every bit of skepticism about the remake being a flop. Silent Hill 2 is great.
The two studios collaborated to create a game that honors the PS2 masterpiece by improving it and adding new features, assets, and regions. These changes have extended the game’s playtime to 20 hours, which is double that of the original.
Over two decades after the original, the game’s recreation of Silent Hill feels familiar and fresh thanks to the changes made to iconic locations like the Labyrinth and Toluca Prison without compromising its scary potential.
Despite the drastic changes, the remake retains the original’s horror while being modern. The puzzles have changed the most, with new ones or features and mechanics added to the old ones. The focus is more on exploring the larger environments to find items rather than solving riddles.
Of the many changes in the Silent Hill 2 Remake, Bloober Team improves upon the original’s gameplay and graphics and gives it a more contemporary look, but this change may be the release’s most contentious aspect. The camera has been moved closer to James Sunderland, for example. It looks closer to the Resident Evil remakes and Alan Wake 2 because of this.
The shifted camera certainly improves the combat system, especially when using a gun, while maintaining the original’s weighty and deliberate feel. The controls have been completely redesigned to accommodate this as well. You have a dodge now, and the menu has been modernized, too.
I did love the dynamic fixed camera angles of the original. It is one of the limitations of the early platform that ended up heightening how scary the game got in its best moments. Still, perhaps this is from the perspective of someone who views the original through rose-tinted glasses because the new format makes the title more approachable. It makes jumpscares and enemy encounters feel more personal.
What sets Silent Hill 2 Remake’s gameplay apart from other survival horror titles is that James is no professional fighter. He’s just your average man seeking his wife. He has no experience with shotguns and has never been taught the subtleties of swinging metal pipe.
As you would expect from a common man fighting for his life, actions like reloading, shooting, and swinging melee weapons have a certain molasses feeling to them. You can tell the unrefined feeling of controlling James is intentional, and it is done well.
It feels like every move you make counts in Silent Hill 2 Remake. When you’re in the moment trying to fight to make it out alive, you must carefully consider your moves; one wrong move and it is game over.
Although combat has come a long way since the original, it’s not perfect. I’ve had some issues with James targeting an incorrect enemy or not switching to his firearm when locked into an animation, but this seems to occur mostly when multiple enemies are attacking at once.
It can be frustrating sometimes to try to work with James’ imperfections, but having an enemy drop dead after putting up a decent fight feels even more gratifying. You really feel like a badass when you land a shot that stuns or downs an enemy, then run up and deliver a brutal finishing blow with a melee weapon. It’s a satisfying experience when everything is timed right.
The plot, though, is a big reason why the PS2 original has lasted so long. The story follows James, who returns to Silent Hill to reminisce about the memories he made there with his late wife, Mary. He comes back to see that the place has become a ghost town, ridden with thick fog and an eerie quiet that is unsettling, to say the least.
The story of Silent Hill 2 touches on uncomfortable topics as the depressed James makes his way through Silent Hill, and it does not shy away from making you uncomfortable in more ways than just using fear. Every single ending from the original game is here, and the main beats are back just as you remember them, with the inclusion of a few brand-new endings as well.
In the same way, Resident Evil has yellow tape to guide you on the right path. Silent Hill 2 Remake features white tape, and it’s not as in-your-face as the former. Even though I like not having to think about where to go next, since Silent Hill 2 leans towards being a horror game over an action game, it is definitely ideal to have more subtle hints, which the white tapes are in this case.
In the way of puzzles, the game features some familiar ones from the original but with added layers of complexity. You won’t be able to cruise through the game even if you have played the original Silent Hill 2 multiple times.
New puzzles have also been included; these range from easy tasks like finding a note to more difficult jobs that make inventive use of the surroundings. The remake doesn’t make these puzzles too easy, either. However, if you are struggling with the puzzles, Silent Hill 2 Remake also lets you choose the difficulty of the puzzles, just like the original.
The reason why you want to play this game, the horror, is still here in this faithful remake of Silent Hill 2. At this point, the now unconventional gameplay, classic visuals, and iconic fog of the original have become scarier in their way. In my opinion, it is impossible to outdo the vibes of the original—it’s simply aging like a fine wine. The remake does make a decent effort at it, though.
For starters, the iconic fog has been translated into modern standards excellently in Silent Hill 2 Remake. It is as much of a nuisance as it was in the original. In some parts of Silent Hill, you have some clarity, while it gets thicker in other parts. The way the fog distorts your eyesight heightens the suspense and leaves you feeling exposed as you investigate since you never know what might be hiding in plain sight.
Pyramid Head is just as menacing and terrifying as ever, if not more so, in Silent Hill 2 Remake. His role in the game is still very symbolic, and encountering him is just as nerve-wracking as I remember. Every encounter with him left me with a sense of dread, knowing that I could do nothing but run away or hide.
Visually, Silent Hill 2 Remake is terrifyingly good. From the moment James walks out of the restroom and looks over Toluca Lake, the visuals and attention to detail in the environment are mesmerizing.
Silent Hill 2 Remake bleeds the atmosphere, from the densely forested outskirts to the streets, buildings, and alleyways in town. You are fully immersed in the beautifully depressing world of Silent Hill. I found myself wandering aimlessly, absorbing the surroundings.
Revisiting locations from the original felt like a nostalgic adventure. Although many areas have been revamped with a remake treatment, they still maintain the same look and feel as the original. It was enjoyable to take it easy by exploring these spaces and witnessing how far technology has come. Even though they were similar, it felt as though I was experiencing them for the first time.
Early on, you’ll get to explore a familiar location from the first Silent Hill game. It was fascinating to see how this area looks with modern graphics and gameplay mechanics. Not to mention the fog – the fog is a big deal in Silent Hill, and it looks perfect in this game.
Speaking of atmosphere, Silent Hill games are known for their music, which adds to the overall ambiance. Original composer Akira Yamaoka returns for the Silent Hill 2 Remake. Instead of changing or removing the music altogether in favor of ambiance like modern remakes, the original score is back and plays a pivotal role in setting the tone.
Not only does the original score return, but it has also been slightly altered so that the old folks can notice and appreciate it. You really feel the emotions as you make your way through the game. Akira Yamaoka has once again proven to be a mastermind composer, and it really shows in the remake.
In the end, this recreation of Silent Hill 2 is a love letter to one of the best psychological horror games ever made. Bloober Team and Konami worked together to bring this classic into the modern era without losing what made it special.
The gameplay updates, while not perfect, make it more accessible without sacrificing too much of the original’s charm. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the original or a newcomer to the foggy streets of Silent Hill, this remake offers something fresh while staying true to its roots. It’s terrifying, immersive, and just the right kind of unsettling.
