Released for PlayStation 2 in 2001, “Silent Hill 2” is a survival horror game developed by Team Silent—a group of developers within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo—as the second installment in the “Silent Hill” series. The game amassed a large fanbase, with over one million copies sold in Japan, Europe and North America. Fans have praised the game for its use of symbolism to portray emotional and heavy topics such as guilt, shame, lust and grief.
Along with the game’s use of psychological horror, the foggy atmosphere and sound design build the scenes. The storytelling entices the player to want to know the true meaning and background behind the protagonist and all other characters encountered during the journey. “Silent Hill 2” is widely regarded as one of the best video games ever created and the pinnacle of the “Silent Hill” franchise. In 2022, IGN readers voted the game the best horror game of all time, overriding the “Resident Evil” franchise.
As technological capabilities have developed, video game remakes have become more common in the past decade. These remakes ensure better graphics and sound quality and help developers keep up with the next generation of video game consoles. Before this remake, the last time a game in the main series of “Silent Hill” was released was in 2012—over 12 years ago. So when a “Silent Hill 2” remake was officially announced in 2022, fans were glad to see the return of one of their favorite franchises.
The remake was developed by Bloober Team and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. Some fans initially hesitated about the game being remade since it was such a classic, worrying that it wouldn’t live up to the original and their expectations. Any concerns they may have had subsided when the game was released on Oct. 8 for PlayStation 5 and Windows, selling over one million copies within three days and earning an “overwhelmingly positive” review on Steam, confirming that the remake stayed faithful to the source material and further improved an already beloved game.
The game follows widower James Sunderland, who receives a letter from his wife, Mary, who suffered a terminal illness and passed away three years earlier. In the letter, she tells him that she is in the town of Silent Hill and asks him to find her. Still grief-stricken and in denial, James goes to Silent Hill but discovers that the fog-ridden village is abandoned and seemingly deserted. James continues to explore the area, finding out that everything is not what it seems, and encounters others on a similar journey, such as Angela Orosco, a troubled and anxious young woman, Eddie Dombrowski, a paranoid and unstable young man, and Laura, an innocent yet mischievous little girl.
The town morphs itself into a place where one’s inner demons and darkest secrets are revealed. The appearance is different for everyone involved, forcing them to face their fears head-on and have the opportunity to either confront their actions or deny them. James meets specific characters tailored to his story, like Maria, a seductive woman who eerily resembles his deceased wife and monstrous creatures that reflect his inner turmoil and anguish. The player controls James as he navigates around the creepy town, doing puzzles, unlocking areas, engaging in combat with said creatures and striving to find the truth behind it all.
The composer of the original game, Akira Yamaoka, reprised his role for the remake, and the art director and creature designer, Masahiro Ito, returned to provide the concept art for locations and monsters. The lead producer for the remake, Maciej Głomb, professed that he was grateful for having many of the original creators on board for their help and advice and for explaining the many innuendos throughout the game.
The original game features a third-person point-of-view, with the player being able to control James through multiple camera angles. The remake preserves the same point of view but adopts an over-the-shoulder camera perspective rather than just sticking to fixed stills. This change allows players to fully immerse themselves deeper into the game and character. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the graphics are polished, and the character models are more realistic. The town of Silent Hill feels like the player is steeping into the sinister world in real time, and the facial expressions of the protagonist and other characters allow us to read their emotions and gauge their feelings. Overall, the “Silent Hill 2” remake aligned very closely with the original work and created a piece that continues to be loved by old and new fans alike.
