Silent Hill 2 review

Having been scared silly by the original Silent Hill and loving every minute of it, I remember visiting my local independent video game shop way back in 2001, hoping that they’d sell me a copy of Silent Hill 2 days before its release. That day I was lucky; cash was handed over, and home I went with a spring in my step, ready to immerse myself into a new nightmare. Days later, my first playthrough was complete, and my mind was well and truly blown. Silent Hill 2 was a masterpiece.

Now, in the year 2024, Silent Hill 2 has been remade. And while I had faith in Bloober Team in doing a good job, the result is beyond what I believe anyone could have expected. Like all of the best remakes, Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remains faithful to the original game while respectfully enhancing it and expanding upon it in meaningful ways. This is not just Silent Hill 2 with upgraded visuals, but it’s also not a game that only vaguely resembles Silent Hill 2, riding on its coattails in the hope of making a quick buck.

For those who have never had the pleasure of playing what is one of the best horror games of all time, Silent Hill 2 puts players in control of James Sunderland, a sullen man who is making a journey to the town of Silent Hill to find his wife. The caveat is, she died a number of years ago due to an illness. So then why is he looking for her? Could she have survived somehow, or was the letter he received telling him she was waiting for him in their “special place” just some kind of cruel joke?

In terms of gameplay, the original followed the classic survival horror template, and this remake is no different. Arriving in the town of Silent Hill, you discover leads and make your way through numerous locations, all in the hope of finding your wife, Mary. Along the way, puzzles and locked doors present frequent roadblocks, requiring you to diligently search the areas available to you and put your thinking cap on. But overcoming these obstacles isn’t the only thing you have to worry about; there’s also an assortment of grotesque creatures out there to make your life harder.

Thanks to its more modern controls, new over-the-shoulder camera, enhanced combat system and touches such as James making notes on the in-game map to help guide you on your way, it would have been easy for this remake of Silent Hill 2 to be bereft of the tension found in the original game. And yet, despite all of these changes and numerous quality-of-life additions, Silent Hill 2 has never felt more atmospheric and tense. Playing this new version of Silent Hill 2, I was transported back to 2001, being terrified of opening a door or moving around a corner because of the horrors that may lie ahead.

Part of that is because of the sound design. It was brilliant in the original game, but now it’s even more effective at putting you on edge. Ambient noises are truly unsettling, consisting of the likes of heavy breathing, clanging metal and a whole lot more. And when you add in the noise generated by your broken radio that springs into life when an enemy is near, you’re constantly kept on the edge of your seat. Many horror games use dynamic audio, but none have done so as effectively as Silent Hill 2, the hairs on the back of your neck standing to attention as your radio crackles. Knowing an enemy is near but not being able to see them thanks to either dense fog, lack of light or them simply hiding, is absolutely terrifying.

Combat is another reason why this remake is such a success. James may have some new moves at his disposal, such as a three-hit combo with melee weapons, a helpful dodge and a mean stomp attack for when enemies are on the floor, but he doesn’t feel overpowered in the slightest. In fact, your enemies here feel more dangerous than ever before, sometimes blocking or dodging your attacks, hiding on ceilings and even following you over ledges making you think twice about simply running away.

When you do engage enemies in close combat, it all feels more violent, too, adding to the tension. I particularly appreciate James’ exasperated grunts as he stomps and batters downed enemies, really selling his desperation and frustration.

Of course, it also helps that this new update of Silent Hill 2 looks phenomenal. Character models are stunningly detailed and brought to life with fantastic animations that really sell their actions and emotions. Moving through the town of Silent Hill, you could really believe it’s a living, breathing place — especially now that it’s more interactive, with you able to smash random windows and enter more building in the hope of finding valuable supplies. Then there’s the fog; I don’t think there’s ever been a better recreation of fog in a video game. It has a real sense of volume that adds immensely to the atmosphere.

The only criticisms I can realistically aim at this stellar remake of Silent Hill 2 are mere nit-picks, such as the half-hearted way that James pushes doors open, and the occasional issue with the game’s camera. These don’t hold the experience back one jot, however; it’s pretty safe to say that this is the best horror game in recent years.