Tested on: PS5
Also available on: computer
That’s Silent Hill 2, One of the most cherished games of all time, handled by Bloober Team, a Polish studio with a fairly poor track record, made many skeptics shudder – but not in a good way. But non-believers will be proven wrong, because this remake is as bad as Pyramid Head itself.
This was no simple task for Blubber. Silent Hill 2 It offers a smart, nuanced story that avoids cheap jump scares, explores mature themes and delves into the psychological traumas of its troubled characters. Completely unique for its time (2001 again!) and things to be treated with caution.
reasonable
But see, on a narrative level, above all else, Bloober remains loyal. What’s more: the new dialogue and subtle facial expressions of James Sunderland, who heads towards the cursed city after receiving a coded message from his dead wife, are more contemporary, visceral and believable.
The latter receives some success during the transition from gameplay to cinematic scenes, which do not play instantly as we are accustomed to today, but with an annoying cutscene. Fade to white. Details, but still.
All the atmosphere
The biggest upgrade is of course the graphics. Whether it’s the lonely, fog-shrouded streets, the dilapidated hallways of Woodside Apartment, the rusty and peeling walls of Brookhaven Hospital or the absolutely filthy cells of Toluca Prison, Silent Hill 2 Remake It is all about the atmosphere.
Also playing a major role are the terrifying soundscapes of Japanese composer Akira Yamaoka, who makes another appearance. Add to that the grinding metal, industrial beats, and bizarre screams, and shivers will run down your spine.
And we haven’t even mentioned the monsters themselves, writhing and hideous as they are, but they are intrinsically linked to the major themes of punishment and mourning, led by the majestic Pyramid Head. The fact that this monster and other monsters have so many details makes them even more terrifying.
Recent additions
Fortunately, you can still defend yourself to some extent, and the new over-the-shoulder perspective makes shooting and hitting sequences much smoother than before. Think of it a little like a jump from Resident Evil 2 To a new edition. Now, the slow and wooden movements are of course typical of the survival horror genre, but they never get frustrating here – much more intense. Other recent additions, such as hotkeys for health items and a much-improved map, make the game much easier and more intuitive.
And among the horror, there’s also the puzzling, and Bloober has expanded and even completely revamped some classic mind games, which provide new challenges without losing the original charm.
This, combined with longer scenes and dialogue, makes this remake much heavier than the original. It’ll keep you busy for about twelve hours – which isn’t necessarily long, but believe us: your tag user will thank you.
Symbolism
Despite the improvements, the new version also has some minor flaws. Some areas, like the prison, are so wordy, and some of the new scenes and lines of dialogue are perhaps so overt in focusing on the core themes that the symbolism behind them gets a little lost.
But overall, we can’t help but admire Blubber’s butt. We already wrote it: it’s not easy to start with such a classic, but they succeeded with great success. Now for the first part please.
