Silent Hill 2 Remake Review

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Like entering the foggy lakeside town at the heart of Konami’s revered horror franchise, it feels uniquely surreal experiencing a Silent Hill 2 remake in 2024. Spearheaded by Polish studio Bloober Team, the indie outfit behind 2016’s Layers of Fear, 2017’s Observer, and 2021’s The Medium, it’s safe to say that resurrecting the Holy Grail of survival horror would be a Herculean task to any team. Coming from someone who considers the 2001 classic as one of his favorite games of all time, however, it’s a massive relief to finally say it out loud: Bloober Team has miraculously stuck the landing, and crafted a remake that truly honours its esteemed source material, while also building upon it in small yet meaningful ways.

Very few games possess the profound appreciation that Konami’s venerable horror sequel boasts, and rightly so. Not only is it a cultural touchstone that helped usher in a new era of psychological horror, but its thoughtful approach to dark and mature themes was incredibly boundary-pushing for the medium back in the early noughties.

After all, as opposed to the physical manifestations of horror that dominate the likes of, say, the Resident Evil and Dead Space franchises, the Silent Hill series offers a more metaphysical take on the genre. Instead of flesh-munching zombies and limb-tearing necromorphs, Konami deployed the battle zone in the minds of its forlorn protagonists, with the eponymous town serving as a purgatorial limbo to the lost souls drawn to it like moths to a flame. In short, the psychological warfare at play in Silent Hill is objectively more terrifying than the blood-drenched shlock of its genre brethren.

Story: Foggy With a Chance of Existential Dread

Of course, going back and reworking a masterpiece brings with it its own set of challenges, but I’m happy to report that the Silent Hill 2 remake retains the core story beats of its 23-year-old predecessor. If there’s something special that resonates with you about the original game, then chances are, it’s included in Bloober Team’s re-tooled modernisation, albeit with a new lick of shiny paint.

For the unaware, the premise sees you assuming the role of James Sunderland, a despondent and downcast husband who’s received a letter from his wife, Mary. In it, Mary details how she’s waiting for James in their “special place” in Silent Hill, and how James promised to take her there again one day. Thing is, James’ wife died three years ago. As you can imagine, off the bat, everything just seems eerily off.

Entering Silent Hill in Silent Hill 2 2024 remake

What helps to immediately ground this peculiar set of events are a few important elements. Firstly, tonally, everything feels so bizarre and strange, but not in a forced sort of way that many contemporary developers tend to fall into the trap of. Instead, the Silent Hill 2 remake conveys its otherworldly ambiance in an organic and natural way that many other imitators just simply cannot emulate. Dialogue is delivered with unbridled sincerity, and it takes its heavy themes seriously and treats them with care. James even overtly calls out the letter as being ridiculous, but the tease of even the remotest possibility that Mary is still alive helps to push him and the plot forward.

Secondly, the vibrant cast of characters you meet along your journey are all believable and surprisingly relatable. From the dispirited pessimism of Angela, who is in Silent Hill looking for her “mama,” to the troubled victim of constant bullying Eddie to the seemingly orphaned wee lass Laura, it’s hard to not form a tangible connection with Silent Hill 2‘s web of endearing characters. They really do feel real, especially juxtaposed with the unreal aura that emanates from the foggy rural town.

Story-wise, then, only minor nips and tucks have been made to the original’s dialogue, and it was wise of Bloober Team to keep the overarching narrative intact. Really, this was absolutely key to the success of this reconceptualisation of Konami’s beloved hit, as I was a little concerned that the changes would be too overly dramatic. Thankfully, the Silent Hill 2 remake strikes a nice balance between old and new, with a heavy emphasis on keeping things as authentic to Team Silent’s original vision as possible.

Gameplay: Painting the Town Red

Moving onto the gameplay, then, and plenty of changes have been made to bring it in line with its modern day peers. Most notably, the camera has been switched to an over-the-shoulder view, much akin to Capcom’s excellent Resident Evil 2 remake from 2019. While this evolution does dull some of the well-orchestrated scares from its source material — many of the creepy set-pieces from the 2001 classic relied on fixed camera angles, after all — a myriad of newly developed terrors await. From entirely new areas to even a new enemy type, there are a few fresh set-pieces that’ll surprise and shock modern players, which helps ameliorate this change of perspective.

Likewise, this over-the-shoulder perspective makes a discernible impact on the moment-to-moment exploration and combat. Specifically, exploration has been developed a little further, and James can now rummage through drawers, and smash shop and vehicle windows to obtain health pickups and ammo. It’s quite reminiscent of resource gathering in The Last of Us, but it works effectively in the context of Silent Hill’s world.

Elsewhere, combat has been rebuilt from the ground up, and the bone-crunching melee is incredibly visceral and satisfying. Again, this often evokes Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic adventure, and I mean that as the greatest of compliments. Everything feels super polished and the cinematic quality of the original title has been given a welcome shot in the arm, and dialled up to 11. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that James is now a deadeye marksman.

In fact, Silent Hill 2 remake‘s core shooting is accurate enough to reliably sharpshoot sole enemies, but wobbly enough to give you pause when more than one hellish abomination closes in on you. Add in a constant feeling that you’re underprepared, with a consistent need to investigate every nook and cranny for more munitions, and it’s fair to say that Bloober Team has struck that all-important balance, which is absolutely critical in survival horror.

While the monsters baying for your blood move in a more dynamic way, and harbor a few different attack combos up their sleeves, James has been gifted with a handy, new manoeuver: a Dodge. This mechanic may be one of the biggest departures over the original, but it thankfully doesn’t derail the combat in a significant way. It’s especially utile for dodging some of the newly implemented attack patterns from adversaries and bosses, though due to the claustrophobic nature of the level design, you’ll never truly feel safe, even with this new addition.

Transitioning over to the game’s litany of puzzles, and they’ve also received a lot of careful attention. While the majority of puzzles are beat-for-beat like its predecessor, they are largely more sophisticated and more deeply developed. Luckily, they’re not too overwrought and ultimately feel authentic to the soul of Silent Hill 2. That’s not to say that they’ve been dumbed down at all. In actuality, Silent Hill 2 remake‘s puzzles can be really challenging, even on Standard difficulty, which will likely be music to the ears of diehard fans.

Graphics & Audio: A Masterpiece, Remastered

Presentation-wise, the Silent Hill 2 remake absolutely excels. Built using Unreal Engine 5, it’s immediately noticeable how far we’ve come since its 2001 incarnation. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll forever have a soft spot for Team Silent’s OG art direction, but credit where credit is due: Bloober Team has done a phenomenal job translating the rust and grime of Silent Hill and repurposing it for modern hardware.

From the beads of sweat on James’ forlorn brow to the dilapidated, dimly lit corridors of the Otherworld to the lush, verdant foliage of the surrounding forests, the Silent Hill 2 remake is a visual spectacle that consistently impresses. Ray-traced reflections in windows and puddles glint as you amble your way through the derelict streets, and the realistic way that the hellish monstrosities lurch towards you makes my skin crawl.

Furthermore, the newly voiced cast captures the magic of the original performances, and the terrific facial animations are just stellar. Honestly, it’s one of the best looking games I’ve played this year. Thankfully, it also runs smoothly on PS5 in its Performance mode. This mode targets 60 fps, though the framerate does take a slight hit when the onscreen action gets busy with multiple enemies. Combine this with other environmental effects like dense fog, flames, or hordes of bugs, and you do witness the occasional framerate hitch, but it’s nothing game-breaking.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Akira Yamaoka’s iconic soundtrack and audio design, which is undoubtedly one of the other crucial parts of Silent Hill 2‘s nightmarish formula. While a few songs have been slightly remixed and extended, the changes are subtle and work seamlessly in-game. Simply put, Akira Yamaoka’s haunting soundscapes remain some of the most atmospheric and moody compositions in the entirety of gaming.

Conclusion: A Nightmare Come true

My playthrough clocked in at around 18 hours, which is roughly twice as long as the 2001 original, but it rarely felt like extraneous padding. On the whole, I was immensely enamoured with the Silent Hill 2 remake, and it felt strangely magical embarking on its soul-stirring journey in a modern setting.

Against all odds, Bloober Team has managed to retool and modernise one of the most beloved and iconic survival horror masterpieces of all time. Slight nips and tucks here and there have been carefully made to placate modern audiences. But crucially, the core oppressive atmosphere, mature storyline, mind-bending puzzles, and intense combat remain faithful in a remake that honours its original source material, while making enough changes to keep fans on their toes. Yes, Konami’s cherished horror series is finally back, and it’s an absolute joy getting lost in its cold, foggy embrace once again.

Review copy given by Publisher.