Here is a detailed Silent Hill 2 Remake review where we discuss different features of the game and also give a comparison b/w the original and the remake.
We are at the cusp of the Silent Hill 2 remake and already, it has received overwhelming positive reviews.
This year has seen many revivals and remasters of classic horror games, like Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark, and Dead Space. Given the groundbreaking role of the Silent Hill 2 of 2001, its remake has been long overdue, and now it is set to release on the 8th of October 2024. And here is the Silent Hill 2 Remake review for you.
Silent Hill 2 Remake Review
The great thing about the Silent Hill 2 remake is that the developers, Bloober Team, have kept the essence of the original intact. The voice actors are different, but the dialogue follows the same beloved tempo. It keeps the player guessing and wanting to find out. The side characters are equally entertaining.
The biggest change in this remake is an unbelievable improvement in the graphics. The game simultaneously becomes disgusting and tantalizing. It scares the player yet keeps them hooked to find out the new twist.
The Silent Hill 2 remake added layers and layers of details to the environment. Fog rolls over the streets and the winds whisper ominously through alleyways. Missing persons’ posters flutter in the wind. The houses that the players discover threaten to break down under their own weight. The drywall and cinder blocks release fragments, creating a surrealist atmosphere. Cockroaches scatter across floorboards, the rotting wood of which creaks continuously under the slightest pressure.
The enemies’ appearances have been given a tapestry of horror facelifts. The Lying Figure appears to lie in a straightjacket made of its own skin, before jerking awake for a surprise attack. The Bubble Head Nurses in the Brookhaven Hospital section now use both pipes and knives for attacking. Pyramid Head has a pointed skull that can gore through its enemies in seconds.
This remake has become eerily darker, a change that will come into the spotlight during inevitable moments of dread. James’ flashlight is not too bright and this does not aid in relieving the ever-increasing claustrophobia. In such a setting, surprise attacks are particularly effective in producing a palpable shudder in the player.
The Silent Hill 2 remake uses audio to its utmost effect in producing realism. The radio static sounds, whispers from unknown sources, and the near continuous background hisses have a way of narrowing one’s attention down until even the slightest movement leads to an involuntary attack of self-defense.
When push comes to shove, the remake is much better equipped in terms of the fighting experience. Manual targeting from an over-the-shoulder viewpoint, weapon shuffling through the d-pad button, and quick dodges are some of the easily noticeable changes. Melee attacks can smash objects to reveal health drinks, ammunition, and even secret areas.
But don’t confuse this with an abundance of weapons in James’ arsenal. All this unfortunate, ordinary man has is two melee weapons, a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle. No weapon upgrades or mods are available, just like in the original Silent Hill 2. Maybe it’s the scarcity of ammo, but the most satisfying way to kill a festering, half-alien-looking zombie is with the good old lead pipe.
Silent Hill 2 Remake v/s The Original Title
The original Silent Hill 2 was never meant to challenge the complexity and versatility of something like Resident Evil or Dead Space, and the same goes for the remake. However, the developers collaborated with original creature designer Masahiro Ito to produce a few new enemy types.
A new Mannequin breed that scuttles up and down walls looking like a creepy patched-up doll is one example. The change in combat style is also evident in the boss battles. The newly added over-the-shoulder viewpoint is responsible for the urgency of fights that one feels in the remake. A lot of action sequences have been improved similarly.
Puzzles and brainteasers formed a fundamental part of the original game. In the Silent Hill 2 remake, Bloober Team has been careful to preserve and at the same time enhance these. Apart from entirely new puzzles added to the collection, the original puzzles have been given a touch of complexity to prevent those who’ve played the original title from getting bored.
However, one might say that at times, this obsession with brainteasers has been taken too far. This can be illustrated through an example. Early on in the game, a grandfather clock has to be wound to a specific time. To accomplish this, puzzles that felt like they could be quests of their own given their level of complexity had to be solved. All this just to unlock the way forward, nothing else.
One let down, the original game took around eight hours to complete, while this one takes about 16 hours. Why is it a letdown? Well, once one completes the game, they won’t have much motivation to go around it again for all of the eight different endings, as opposed to the original’s six.
In no way are we trying to discredit the genuine efforts of Bloober Team to supplement the original game. In almost every way, except a few, this remake is better than the 2001 game. Of course, it doesn’t outclass its predecessor like the remakes of Resident Evil 4 and the like. But the developers have put in their 100 percent in creating that atmosphere of bone-chilling dread and suspense that is essential to any successful horror game. And we’d say they’ve succeeded.
Is the Silent Hill 2 Remake coming to Xbox?
The Silent Hill 2 remake will be released on October 8, 2024, on PC and PlayStation 5. We won’t say that this game will remain exclusive to these platforms because it is too early to make that verdict. However, Bloober Team did announce last month that the remake will be limited to PlayStation 5 until October 8, 2025. But after that, we can expect that it will find its way to platforms like Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
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