“In my restless dreams, I see that town. Silent Hill.” – Mary Shepard-Sunderland.
The remake 2024 of Silent Hill 2 by Polish developer Bloober Team, has surpassed expectations and created a faithful, outstanding reimaging of the original 2001 psychological horror experience by modernizing the gameplay, graphics and remaining true to the layered story.
The original release from 2001 is still regarded as one of the best horror gaming experiences of all time. Its fascinating storyline tackles intense subjects in a beautiful way, and the eerie nature of the looming town of Silent Hill has haunted players for decades. Fans have long awaited a new Silent Hill release, since there hasn’t been a main big budget entry since 2012.
The story begins with James Sunderland, a man who travels to Silent Hill after recently receiving a letter from his late wife, Mary Shepard-Sunderland, who died from a terminal illness three years prior, stating that she has been waiting for James at their “special place” in Silent Hill. Although skeptical, James is drawn to the town in hopes of seeing her once more.
After traveling through the woods, James encounters Angela Orosco, a timid young woman who also arrived at Silent Hill in search of her mother. Angela warns James by saying “this town, there’s something wrong with it, and it’s not just the fog either…”
Fans of the original are immediately drawn into the remake’s updated presentation, as the game now features a third-person, over-the-shoulder camera similar to many modern horror games. From the beginning, players become immersed in the town of Silent Hill, where creepy sounds and a dense, foggy atmosphere leave them feeling unsettled. This new sense of immersion makes the game much more intimidating to play.
As James searches for Mary, traversing through the streets filled with fog and the unknown, with rare seeing a living person. He explores apartments, a hospital and other frightening areas. The remake expands on these set pieces, enhancing the sense of isolated experience.
Throughout most of the game, players investigate different areas, searching for clues about Mary’s whereabouts. Along the way, players find various memos and notes that reveal the town’s history, the fate of residents and hints of others suffering. Some of these notes provide clues to puzzles scattered throughout the game, often requiring players to solve riddles or identify patterns. These puzzles offer a refreshing break from the horrors that await James.
Even though this game is a modern remake, it still feels old-school as the player is still reliant on constantly checking the map to see where they have to plan their route. As James updates the map with every locked door, open door, key items needed, the game successfully modernizes the gameplay while still feeling like the old Silent Hill games.
The remake introduces new melee combat mechanics that require players to dodge and time attacks precisely, as taking damage can deplete health quickly. Healing items like “health drinks” and syringes are scattered throughout the game but are limited, forcing players to be strategic with their usage. Firearms appear later in the game, providing a sense of relief but ammunition is also scarce, making each shot count and heightening the fear of surprise enemy encounters.
Majority of the changes are evident in the gameplay, as the classic fixed camera gameplay is replaced with a modern third-person camera, enhancing the experience and giving players a more intimate experience with the horrors James endures. This remake does what great remakes strive to achieve: it successfully scares and surprises fans of the original while respecting their expectations.
With mental health being a prevalent subject today, Silent Hill’s storyline addresses heavy themes such as trauma, loss and coping as well as more graphic elements. It tells a tragic story while remaining sensitive to these topics The fact that a game from 2001 was able to tackle such themes is mind-blowing and now with this remake for a new audience, it makes me feel happy that a new generation of people are able to experience a modernized version of this story, including the amazing gameplay, music and atmosphere.
Adding onto the remade story, fully motion captured and face-scanned acting is something that is a substantial upgrade compared to the original. Cutscenes breathe new life into the game, showing a very human and emotional side to the characters. This holds true to James, played by actor Luke Roberts, who shows emotion and expressions that are missing from the original game, blurring the line between a game and a film. The original voice acting has been known to be ‘aged’ but in this remake, every character feels human, which is a testament to the direction and the actors in this game.
The game’s music provides a dreadful and ominous soundscape that remains iconic to the series, and it feels like such a miracle that the two people in charge of, arguably the most essential aspects of the original game, are part of this remake. Masahiro Ito, the background and monster designer of Silent Hill 1 through 3 has returned to the remake as the monster designer and Akira Yamaoka, the composer of almost all mainline Silent Hill projects, including the 2006 Hollywood film, has returned to the series as well. Their contributions to the remake, by modernizing their own work from 23 years ago, shows how dedicated Bloober Team was to keeping the spirit of Silent Hill. The team undoubtedly had big shoes to fill, being that this is the first big revival of the series.
The game runs for about 15 hours in length, being a few hours longer than the original. It excells at almost everything it tries to do in remaking the original. Bloober Team have absolutely outdone themselves, leaving a bright future for upcoming projects and the future of Silent Hill, which has been dormant for over a decade.
Silent Hill 2 is highly recommended for any fan of psychological horror, or even just someone who is looking to play through a great story.
Silent Hill 2 is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.
