It’s no surprise that the original Silent Hill 2 on PlayStation 2 is not only one of the best horror games ever, but one of the best games this console generation has produced. Many people should think so. It was probably more groundbreaking at the time, but I think it still holds up well by today’s standards.
However, if that’s not the case, developer Bloober Team has brought a complete remake of Silent Hill 2 to the market. This makes for one of the most impressive remakes in recent memory. There’s a lot to like about this remake that most fans and newcomers alike will love. It’s eerie, atmospheric, and at times downright gorgeous. The gameplay is functional and the puzzles are engaging.
I wish certain characters had been given a little more life, and some of the early battles in particular could have been fleshed out a bit more. That said, most of what Silent Hill 2 does is right, making it one of the most entertaining and sophisticated remakes to date.
trip to town
Similar to the original, Silent Hill 2 begins with protagonist James Sunderland heading to the town of Silent Hill to investigate a strange letter he received from his late wife Maria. It’s been three years since she passed away, but James still decides to add some humor to the letter, and our journey begins. Within the first 10 minutes you’re pretty much within Silent Hill confines and never leave.
The atmosphere is incredible, and developer Bloober’s team does a great job of turning the fog into a thin blanket that reveals enough information to spark curiosity in the distance without revealing any more information. I worked. The story itself progresses much the same way as the original, but there are some additions to certain characters and relationships that obviously extend the total running time to almost twice that of the original. I don’t think there’s too much wasted here and I can appreciate how much depth is added to these characters. Most of it is back from the original.
Without spoiling the later stages of the story, it must be said that Silent Hill 2’s reliance on an existing story is not a weakness. Because it was already incredibly powerful and appealing when it was released in 2001. A psychological thriller perspective is also executed. Moving at top speed here, the entire story delves deep into the concept of pain, loss, and ultimately the five stages of grief.
At the same time, I wish they had had more time to flesh out James’ character early on in the story. His arc makes sense in hindsight, but he spends most of the experience walking around with a bland expression on his face, rarely reacting or speaking like a normal person.
Certain supporting characters are a little quirky, but that makes their appearance feel a little more memorable by contrast. If Silent Hill 2 had leaned into this with its main character, I think it would have been a welcome adjustment. I can’t criticize this too harshly since the original suffers from the same problem, but it also feels like a missed opportunity here.
The crazy ending of the original version does come back (I don’t think I ever got over that dog). And as insane as they are, this Silent Hill 2 remake brings with it some extra endings, which I definitely won’t indulge in.
In the end, even if James as the protagonist could have used a little more love, the strong atmosphere, eerie soundtrack, and consistent sense of dread throughout the decent supporting cast still make this a worthwhile journey. Guaranteed.
Where are we?
Players will spend most of their time guiding James through the streets of Silent Hill, exploring the streets, alleyways, and nooks and crannies of the town as they progress further into the heart of the mystery. Even the amount of fog is incredibly detailed, and most fans of the original will be relieved to realize how familiar the city looks.
That said, the remake ditches the old locked camera perspective in favor of a more modern over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, which is always a welcome choice. That shitty camera in the original is still my biggest gripe. As you progress through the town, you’ll usually find yourself alternating between combat and puzzle solving in between general exploration.
Combat is okay, but a little bland. However, it works in all the right ways. You get one melee weapon early on, then three later on, but that’s it. Given that you’re always short on ammo, you’ll rely on your trusty single wooden plank for melee combat, which can get a bit repetitive.
You can avoid attacks using a dedicated dodge button, which thankfully works well enough. But beyond that, you’ll be mashing the R2 button to slam enemies into the ground.
Most enemies also return from the original and usually keep you on your toes for most of the experience. I love how certain enemies sneak up on you from crazy angles, with the DualSense controller making increasingly alarming screeches as you get closer. For new fans, the various enemies still feel just as creepy and unpleasant, which is always a bonus.
Still, this new approach to increasing tension between encounters adds a nice touch to the experience, as the original game typically had them sneaking up or even jumping out of areas invisible to locked camera systems. . Most bosses from the original also return, but some have new twists and mechanics that make those encounters even more engaging.
You also have access to health drinks and syringes to heal yourself between battles. Silent Hill 2 also does a great job of arranging these in a way that feels consistent yet valuable. James was usually pretty battered and bruised when he encountered combat, so he found himself in constant need of replenishment. But I never went without support long enough to die unnecessarily. This is one of the few things that allows the survival horror genre to shine, and it feels like it’s being ignored at times.
When you’re not smashing things or shooting things, you’ll mostly be solving puzzles to break through some kind of blockade that’s blocking your progress. The difficulty of both puzzle-solving and combat can be adjusted (again, a nice touch), but certain puzzles will require you to use the You can retrace your steps between specific areas in Silent Hill. However, unlike the combat and enemies, the puzzles in this Silent Hill 2 remake are almost completely original.
I played both the combat and puzzles on the standard difficulty setting and found them to be a suitable challenge most of the time. Puzzles may involve similar patterns in terms of gameplay, such as backtracking to find certain items, but most solutions are different and require a bit of thinking, which I love. There’s just the right amount of pressure, so solving the puzzles feels rewarding without getting frustrating.
While the combat feels a little bland when relying solely on melee options, there’s a lot to like in terms of overall gameplay. Solving the puzzles feels fresh and engaging, but the overall exploration aspect feels just as interesting when you’re immersed in the spooky atmosphere.
look at the part
Silent Hill 2 is amazing from every angle. The fog adds to the atmosphere, but there’s still a surprising amount of detail left to uncover. There’s certainly a lot to admire, whether it’s the intricately designed internal environments, the external alleys and streets, or the fleshed-out character models and enemies.
That being said, the overall performance could use a little more improvement. Granted, you don’t necessarily need a smooth frame rate to enjoy playing Silent Hill 2, but unfortunately, frame rate drops are inevitable.
You can choose between a dedicated quality mode that provides dynamic 1440p resolution at 30 FPS and a dedicated performance mode that provides dynamic 1080p resolution at 60 FPS. We feel the former option is more valuable than the latter, as the shaper resolution gives you more detail and even thicker fog, and the frame rate feels a bit more stable. The latter option doesn’t really allow you to maintain your 60 FPS goal.
final thoughts
Don’t get me wrong, I complained about James’ bland character design and basic combat. This Silent Hill 2 remake is still great. Gorgeous visuals enhance its creepy atmosphere, and excellent sound design and enemy variety add to the mix in just the right way.
Puzzle solving is also a breath of fresh air compared to the original, and existing boss encounters also incorporate some new ideas. The additional ending certainly adds some replay value for returning fans, but it seems like there’s more than enough improvement here to justify this remake for both new and returning fans. I feel it.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlight: Gorgeous visuals. New ending; the narrative is still packed with some fascinating themes and moments. New puzzles and boss encounters
Cons: Combat feels a little bland at times. I feel like James is a little underdeveloped as a main character.
Developer: Bloober Team
Publisher: Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 5, Windows PC
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on PlayStation 5 using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.