Silent Hill 2 Remake | Review

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows

Developer: Bloober Team

License: proprietary license

Composer: Akira Yamaoka

Genres: Survival horror, Adventure game, Puzzle, Adventure

Publishers: Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment

Series: Silent Hill

Key Takeaways!

• An amazing recreation of the original 2001 game
• Breakable windows for loot
• More emphasis and meaty melee mechanics
• Psychological atmosphere
• Conveys dread and fear while playing nonstop
• Great music and sound design
• Great visuals
• Played on Playstation 5
• 15 Hour campaign
• NG+ adds weapons and items
• Plenty of collectibles
• Choices have impact on story and ending
• Better acting performances all around for all characters
• Improved boss fights from the original
• Story stayed true to the original with some slight changes
• Puzzles can be challenging and time consuming
• Konami is back thanks to Bloober Team

Introduction

I remember beating the original Silent Hill 2 on my Playstation 2 back in 2001 while attending UWM. I was in awe of what Konami created in the survival horror genre. Fast forward way into the future where I recently finished the remake to this classic horror video game.

First off, Bloober Team nailed Silent Hill 2 Remake. I know of Bloober Team from playing games like Blair Witch, Observer and The Medium. Bloober Team just needed an opportunity with Konami’s Silent Hill to prove they are capable of being an okay dev to a great dev and they did just that.

Presentation

Silent Hill 2 Remake unlike the original is third person over the shoulder aspect much like the recent Resident Evil remakes. Asides from James’s run animation Silent Hill 2 Remake is near flawless in my opinion.

James returning to Silent Hill in search of late wife Mary and his descent into horror still holds up. The visuals were really impressive along with the music and sound design. The gameplay loop of exploring, combat and puzzles while navigating dark mazes gave me a since of dread and nostalgia.

I didn’t experience any real game breaking bugs or glitches. I did see a few floating dead enemies but that’s about it. I played the game on my base Playstation 5 in performance and quality mode and thought the game ran and looked really good. Bloober Team made Silent Hill 2 modern yet keeping an old school essence.

Story

You play as James Sunderland who receives a letter from his thought to be dead wife Mary who’s in Silent Hill. James visits the town which is being controlled and manipulated by a dark entity named Maria who resembles Mary. Or is it Mary? Anyways.

Along his search for Mary he meets a cast of quirky morbid, abused characters such as Angela, Eddie and Laura. The acting and dialogue of all characters were a big improvement in depicting the game’s story. This game has plenty of serious themes attached to it’s characters.

Gameplay

Silent Hill 2 Remake is a third person survival horror video game centered around exploring various maps, mazes, gathering puzzle items to solve said puzzles. The loop was solid although I thought the puzzle item fetch sequences padded the overall game’s length.

While some puzzles confused the hell out of me some were simple to figure out yet they were all interesting in design. Melee on your first playthrough has James using a Steel Pipe and 2×4 to slay Lying Figures and Mannequins.

Big improvement were the boss fights most notably the Abstract Daddy. Pyramid Head wasn’t as big of a deal as I anticipated as you just had to dodge and shoot his legs. I will say as a whole I loved the true to form enemy designs of every monster in this game.

As you progress you acquire a handgun, shotgun and Rifle. I wish you could have used the Great Knife. Collectibles include photographs and letters. Searching the maps nets you healing items and ammo. As for Bloober Team this is the best feeling mechanically-wise melee and shooting game they’ve made. Just sayin.

Visuals

Silent Hill 2 Remake utilized Unreal 5 to bring a beautifully morbid detailed game to life. I loved the mist, detailed facial models and items while holding them in James’s hand. Every nook and cranny seemed so lived in and vibrant. Sticking James’ hand in toilets had me feeling “it”. Such detail.

Music | Sound

The music was somewhat different from the original in certain spots yet I still loved it. I’m not a big video game music guy with that said I really enjoyed Silent Hill 2 Remake’s sound design and music. The music really added tension and despair at the right moments in the story.