Silent Hill 2 Remake is a remake of the legendary classic survival and psychological horror game. Approaching a game of such caliber and delivering on the promises can be challenging but this one manages to deliver a good remake. It is a solid game that offers a good play-through. There are some issues but it’s up to the fans to decide how much these issues impact the game. At first glance, it reminds me of the new Resident Evil remakes. It adds some things here and there such as level design, narrative change, and the order of different game events. Overall it is faithful to the source material and is entertaining.
A lot of players including me, think that nothing can replace the original but this is as close to an amazing experience as one can get. It is a good new version because it is faithful to the original as mentioned earlier. It is longer and scarier compared to the original. It is clear while playing the game, that the developers are fans of the source material which has helped them make a good game. All this makes you wonder, is Silent Hill 2 Remake worth it? Let’s find out.
Setting
Silent Hill 2 Remake acts as a stand-alone game so you don’t need to play the first one to know the story of this one. You play as James Sunderland who is now at the town called Silent Hill. He went to that town after he got a letter from his wife who had died three years ago. Things start to go weird pretty early on. Similar to the original game Silent Hill 2 Remake is secluded. It seems like the characters are stranded far from reality. Weird things just happen all around.
There is atmosphere for these weird things and the game is just full of it. The fog looks good with detailed surroundings, every single room and interior space that you encounter feels different. Each one of these places is full of its own unique stuff. Despite not having some elements that don’t match with the original, it still feels like a Silent Hill game that we have come to love over the years. It becomes more evident when start to see some gross-looking stuff.
It has barbwire, peeling paints, duck tapes, and all the stuff that makes up the location of a haunted house. That’s when you realize why Silent Hill 2 Remake is such a good idea. Originally these areas had fewer details and were muddy. Now there is more detail and environmental storytelling in these areas. It offers a glimpse of the insanity that surrounds the town.
The Remake
Seeing the iconic areas in a new light is where most of the fun lies. It is not an exact recreation, some areas have been made bigger, changes are made to areas and more details are added to these areas. The locations are made bigger but they serve a purpose in the story. Silent Hill 2 Remake is longer but not because there is more room or the streets are bigger.
There are also some new puzzles and more details are added to the classic puzzles. That’s when the updates to different gameplay mechanics start to justify themselves. Getting a map and then navigating through it is easy, with the map being accessible with a single button. Items for health gains are tied to the triangle button. Weapons can be swapped through the D-pad. Key items for different puzzles can easily be accessed just by clicking the item that you want to unlock.
Combat
This time around, health is indicated on the screen rather than a health bar. There is a red indicator on the side of the screen that acts as a health meter. It can be annoying and can be turned off but that’s the only way to know your health so it is better to keep it on. It is just too bright compared to the rest of the game and could have been done better.
It is easy to move around with options of quick turns and dodging. Combat has been updated to a great degree compared to the original. The first obvious difference is that the game is now 3rd person. You will come into contact with different weird and freaky creatures. Each encounter is desperate with you franticly using guns and melee weapons which kind of reminds me of Resident Evil Village.
The main character is not a master shooter and Silent Hill 2 Remake makes sure that he feels that way with the weapon sway. It makes you stressed but does not feel like unfair. Gunshots are intense with decent visual flair. You can shoot some of the enemies in the legs to slow them down which opens that for a powerful melee hit that takes them down. It is a risk-reward situation because these shots are hard to land.
Melee Combat and Movement
Melee attacks revolve around hitting and dodging. If you have played The Callisto Protocol then you will know how its combat works. However, unlike The Callisto Protocol, the combat sequences with enemies are not locked and you have the freedom to move around even when dodging or attacking. What makes it better is the unpredictability of enemies which remains intense even after playing it for hours. The enemies that appeared at the beginning of Silent Hill 2 Remake can be dangerous even after hours into the game.
One thing to keep in mind is that controls are clunky and you find yourself cornered or the camera getting stuck and showing weird angles making it hard to see enemies. When facing multiple characters it’s hard to land a hit on the enemy that you are targeting. You might hit the wrong enemies at the wrong time which can screw you over. Combat is not great and can become messy from time to time similar to how it was in the original. They could have done better this time around but it is what it is.
Enemies and Horror
Despite its negative, the game is easy to get invested in and ignores the messy combat even hours into the game. Enemies can do a lot of damage in a short time which keeps you tense. The survival horror elements in the game are in full swing. On normal difficulty, Silent Hill 2 Remake is not hard but as you crank the difficulty up. There are even adjusters for combat and puzzle difficulty which was a blessing in disguise for me because I don’t like puzzles and I am sure that there are a decent amount of players who will agree with me.
One thing that the game does better is hiding enemies in creative locations. It’s not jump scares but it does make the game feel more creepy. The game is scary especially if you have a good screen. The darkness is done well. It uses darkness effectively and as a tool to make the game better.
Your flashlight is not good and you can say that it sucks. It makes even the larger areas feel claustrophobic. There are moments when you are going down the hallway, you hear something, and your flashlight goes dim but you have to keep on walking. That’s when the Silent Hill 2 Remake is at its best. When playing it at night with the light off and the sound turned up, it elevates the feeling.
General Gameplay
Changes have been made when it comes to bosses and these changes are made for the better. A lot of boss encounters in the original were clucky where the bosses would just keep coming after you. It is the same as the original but there is way more stuff going on. There are more cinematics and interesting things are added here and there. The order of certain things has been shaken around. Locations, items, and encounters are shuffled around which adds a new layer of freshness to the game.
It seems like Silent Hill 2 Remake wants to keep the experienced player’s guard up while also adjusting it for storytelling and pacing. Some characters get extra scenes and stuff with locations that you have already passed through. These locations are part of a greater play. The performance of the characters is really good. Especially the main character, his dialogue delivery, and facial expressions are spot on. It is good even if you are just watching the game doing its thing. In the end, it’s all subjective and the experience can vary based on the player. The voice acting of other characters is also good.
The music of the game is consistent and adds to the general feel of the game. Different tweaks are done to the music but it remains close to how it was in the original. The Silent Hill 2 Remake looks great despite some hiccups. The fog looks great and the details on different stuff are top-notch. Like a good survival horror, the game does give you the reason for replayability. Some of the magic in survival horror games lies in their replayability.
Verdict (Is Silent Hill 2 Remake Worth It?)
The game is now longer than the original. Even though is longer its pacing is better which makes it a better experience. There are reasons to replay it with new additions and multiple endings to unlock. Even though it lacks pre-rendered CGI cutscenes like the original, it is still very much a Silent Hill game.
Some players might want a scene-to-scene copy of the original while others will want new things added to it. So there are always going to be debates on remakes. One thing is certain it is a good Silent Hill experience that caters to fans of the original and new players.
It can be a great entry for new players and if that leads to something positive then I am up for it. It is not like fans of the original are going to detest Silent Hill 2 Remake. There are a lot of things to like about the game and not too many to dislike. It does a good job of introducing new things while also retaining all that made the original such a great game. If you are coming at it as a remake then it will absolutely vibe with you.
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