Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2 is a remake of the survival horror game of the same title released in 2001, which is a the most recognizable and appreciated part of this cult series. The remake was published by Konami, the company responsible for the brand, and its development was undertaken by the Polish studio Bloober Team, which gained experience thanks to projects such as Observer, Blair Witch, The Medium and the Layers of Fear series.

Plot

The story of Silent Hill 2 takes place in the titular mining town located in the American state of Maine. Similar to the original, it is the external representation of the mental state of the people visiting it, and consequently - the fears and weaknesses they are hiding.

The main character of the game is James Sunderland. Three years after the death of his wife - Mary - the protagonist receives a letter from her in which his beloved invites him to a "special place" in Silent Hill. Upon arriving at Silent Hill, the protagonist begins a deadly journey, during which he will not only have to face his own demons, but also meet other unfortunate souls who, for various reasons, ended up in this town.

Gameplay

In Silent Hill 2 we watch the action from a third-person perspective (TPP). The adventure leads us through various locations, which we can explore in two versions. The first one is gloomy, deserted and shrouded in fog, and known as Fog World. The second one is Otherworld, a kind of alternative dimension lying on the border of reality.

While traveling through these places, we complete tasks that push the plot forward and meet other characters trapped in Silent Hill. Among the latter, Maria leads the way, who despite similarities to the wife of the main character, is her opposite. The woman is afraid of monsters, so she wants to follow James. Depending on how we treat her (whether we care about her safety or leave her to her fate) we can reach one of many story endings. Along the way, we also have to solve puzzles that unlock access to subsequent locations.

In this version of Silent Hill, we encounter opponents who are an emanation of the characters' fears and traumas, or even the fantasies they repress. This includes a creature know as Pyramid Head that is hunting James, from which the hero mostly runs away (although eventually the time comes for a direct confrontation), as well as the famous demonic nurses. The protagonist fights enemies using melee weapons and firearms (like a pistol or shotgun). Due to the fact that ammunition is a scarce commodity here, it is worth carefully searching the places we visit in search of it.

Changes compared to the original

One of the sources of inspiration for the creators of Silent Hill 2 was a remake of another cult horror game - Resident Evil 2. Bloober's remake introduces a number of changes compared to the original, although at the same time it tries to preserve its spirit.

Graphics are the most obvious changed and they have been created completely from scratch. The remake also offers a thoroughly refreshed combat system. Moreover, its authors focused on puzzles and location designs to adapt them to modern standards. In addition, the developers decided to introduce some modifications to the plot. At the same time, as they said, they tried to maintain "the atmosphere that made Silent Hill 2 so special." Finally, the authors of the remake refreshed the appearance of individual characters. An example would be Maria, who in this version of the game abandoned her pink crop-top and leopard-print skirt in favor of a black dress and a red jacket.

Graphics, music and other technical aspects

Masahiro Ito, a concept artist known primarily for his unique monster designs for individual installments of the series, worked on the remake of Silent Hill 2. The game's soundtrack was created by Akira Yamaoka, a composer who has made significant contributions to the series (and the entire industry). The game runs on Unreal Engine 5.