Silent Hill 2 Review on PS5
Horror fans are eating well this autumn, but no game has been more anticipated than the remake of Silent Hill 2. The original isn’t just among the best survival horrors ever made, but arguably among the best games, full stop. A remake was always bound to be a tall order, so does it work?
Absolutely.
The story is the same as the original. We follow James, a man who’s summoned to the sleepy resort town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his late wife, Mary. As he explores the now monster-infested town he comes across a number of other people who’ve come for their own reasons, as well as Maria – a mysterious young woman with a striking resemblance to Mary.
Silent Hill 2 excels because it understands the value of subtlety. This isn’t a game where you’ll be blasting through hordes of enemies or taking down the big bad with a handy rocket launcher. In fact, combat is something you’ll want to avoid as much as possible. Combat is a messy affair, and you’ll never feel like James is a soldier. He’s just an ordinary man stuck in extraordinary circumstances doing his best with what he has. Enemies hit hard, melee is wild, and the weapon sway is significant. As such, you’ll want to avoid combat even when you have some of the late-game weapons.
There’s a lot of mileage from relatively few enemy types. In fact, there’s only one new addition here, and even then it’s a simple variation of an existing enemy. While there are plenty of moments with a lot of monsters at once, there are also long stretches with relatively little action. The beauty of Silent Hill 2, as with the original, is that the town itself is one giant uncanny valley. Everything feels off in a way that’s terrifying, even without the monsters. The transition to the franchise’s trademark otherworld is remarkably subtle at times, and there are moments when you don’t even realize it’s happening.
It’s worth noting that if your only experience with the otherworld is the movie interpretation, you might be shocked. While those heavy industrial elements are still here, there’s far more of a focus on decay and disease, with bandages and medical imagery interspersed with yawning voids and rotten walls. It has a strong sense of despair, and it’s just downright uncomfortable.
The visuals in Silent Hill have always been a high point, and Silent Hill 2 is the most visually stunning entry in the franchise. Perhaps that’s obvious given the last full game came out two whole console generations ago, but it bears repeating. You can see the stubble on a character’s chin, the creases in their clothes, and the wrinkles around their eyes. The motion capture is astounding, as is the voice acting.
The soundscape is also phenomenal. It’s not just the metallic groans and the sound of blades scraping in the distance, it’s the exceptional music. There’s a real sense of melancholy and longing, and it never feels like Akira Yamaoka is trying to show off. The whole thing feels cohesive, even if it’s industrial droning and metallic bangs.
A lot has been added to the game in terms of new areas to explore. These range from stores to mini-dungeons, for lack of a better word. Often, all you’ll get from a detour is a note or a health drink. Even if one of these areas is crucial to your progression, it might involve a small storyline about someone else’s experiences in the town. It makes things feel more fleshed out and somehow makes James feel more isolated than ever before, while the game simultaneously drives in that there are plenty of other people who have experienced their own horrors in the town.
You can tell that Bloober Team has a huge amount of respect for the original, and knew exactly where to expand. One boss fight, which in the original takes place in an empty room, now takes place in a labyrinthine apartment that slowly devolves into one more recognizable from the original. Everything from the tan line of a wedding ring to breath condensing in the air works together to tell a story, even if it’s not immediately apparent.
Of course, part of the reason Silent Hill 2 works so well is the characters. There are only six characters who appear in the flesh, and despite the limited screentime of some of the supporting cast, they’re all exceptionally well-realized. There’s cowardly manchild Eddie, withdrawn and depressed Angela, and innocent but bratty Laura. James’ quest to find Mary is bolstered by his strong performance and characterization, and of course, there’s Maria. The mood-swinging stripper is a sight to behold. She’ll go from screaming at James to teasing him about a sudden rainfall. Running for her life to flirting. It’s a delicate balance, and one that the game nails. You’re never quite sure where she stands, even if you’ve played the original.
Now, let’s get to the scares. This is a terrifying game. Silent Hill has never felt so oppressive or actively hostile. There are moments where a storm rips through the ubiquitous fog, not only bringing swarms of monsters out of hiding but blocking off familiar areas. It feels, at times, like the town is egging you on, forcing you to continue in your quest even if you were busy exploring. There are moments where the screen is so dark that even the flashlight barely helps.
Elsewhere, there are plenty of moments where you’ll squeeze through a hap in the wall or turn a tight corner to find a mannequin enemy lying in wait. It’s amazing how many times you’ll get scared by these things and their nasty habit of not setting off your radio. You’d think you’d get acclimatized, but then you discover that they can hide beneath desks. You’ll be fighting an enemy only for one to emerge from beneath a desk behind you. At a few points, you might even be led into traps.
Elsewhere, the game has smartly rearranged some of the scares and monster encounters. There’s one moment where I thought I was prepared for what was going to happen and thought I was safe, if only for a few moments… only to be absolutely blindsided when the scare happened earlier than I expected, in a slightly different location, and initially without ceremony. This approach leaves you on edge, like you’re anticipating a punch but not sure where it’s coming from.
However, what makes the scares so effective is the fact that the story is strong enough to support it. There are random jump scares, of course, but a lot of the horror comes from the growing sense of unease. It’s the mannequin in Mary’s clothes, the imagery drawn from James’ psyche, the idea that every character you experience is going through their own versions of the town with their own trials and even layouts. You rarely get more than a glimpse of someone else’s journey, but when you do it’s a sight to behold.
Pyramid Head is just as effective here as you’ve ever seen him, acting as James’ personal tormentor. Just like the original, you quickly learn to dread him. From the moment you first see him you’re terrified, and yet it’s almost a relief when he does turn up.
Of course, it’s not just the combat – Silent Hill is well-known for its maps. Every area you’ll explore is intricately designed and filled with puzzles. Not just the standard, Resident Evil-style “find the right key to the door”, either. You’ll be counting moth wings, completing poems, and following obscure instructions. You’ll have a real sense of achievement just from getting to Point A to Point B at times. Many returning puzzles have been revamped, so even if you’ve played the original expect to put your thinking cap on.
In fact, I’m struggling to come up with any negatives here. You might find the enemies or puzzles too difficult, but the difficulty levels are there for a reason. Some of the character designs are a little off at times, especially Eddie, but that’s more a stylistic choice than anything else because they’re also incredibly detailed.
The biggest negative, perhaps, is one that’s shared with the original. We’re told that James and Mary shared a romantic vacation in Silent Hill, but there really isn’t much explanation of why the town was so special to them. You’ll explore a lot of different areas, but it would have been nice to see some more romantic spots. Much as the apartment buildings and the hospital are exceptionally well-designed areas, you don’t really think of them as tourist hotspots. We only visit a handful of “romantic” areas, usually in passing. A visit to a nice restaurant or some romantic night spots would have gone a long way. Still, this is just quibbling over hypotheticals. The game knows what it needs to do, and it does it well.
If you were worried about the game, it might be time to leave those worries at the door. Silent Hill 2 isn’t just superior to the original – it may just be the greatest survival horror ever made.
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