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Silent Hill 2(2024 video game)

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Silent Hill 2
Developer(s)Bloober Team
Publisher(s)Konami Digital Entertainment
Director(s)Mateusz Lenart
Producer(s)
Designer(s)Mateusz Lenart
Programmer(s)
  • Mariusz Szaflik
  • Karol Długosz
Artist(s)Mateusz Lenart
Writer(s)Andrzej Mądrzak
Composer(s)Akira Yamaoka
SeriesSilent Hill
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
ReleaseOctober 8, 2024
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Silent Hill 2is a 2024survival horror gamedeveloped byBloober Teamand published byKonami Digital Entertainment.It is aremakeof the 2001 video gameSilent Hill 2,originally developed byTeam Silent,a group withinKonami Computer Entertainment Tokyo(KCET). It is the first major installment in theSilent Hillseries sinceSilent Hill: Downpour(2012). Like the original game, it followsJames Sunderland,a widower, who returns to the eponymous town inMaineupon receiving a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, who claims to be waiting there for him.

The remake ofSilent Hill 2was officially announced in October 2022 following months of speculation and leaks. It was led by Bloober Team creative director Mateusz Lenart and produced byMotoi Okamotofrom Konami.[1]Masahiro ItoandAkira Yamaoka,who served as creature designer and composer for the original game, respectively, took an active part in development. According to Maciej Głomb, Ito provided concept art for locations and monsters while Yamaoka returned as a composer.[2]

Silent Hill 2was released forPlayStation 5andWindowson October 8, 2024. The game received positive reviews from critics, and has sold over two million units. It earnednumerous awards,including nominations at theGolden Joystick AwardsandThe Game Awards.

Gameplay

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The objective ofSilent Hill 2is to guideJames Sunderland,theplayer character,through the titular town of Silent Hill as he searches for his wife and battles monsters. In contrast to its original counterpart,Silent Hill 2features a modernizedthird-person camera systemwith an overhauled combat system.[3]

Synopsis

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Setting

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Silent Hill 2is set in the smallresort townof Silent Hill inMaine.[4][5]Shrouded in a thick fog, the town is apparently abandoned and unkempt, but Silent Hill presents a seemingly shifting infrastructure, in which the player experiences an even more worn and decaying version of the town, and the Otherworld, marked by rust, wire fences, and an encompassing darkness.[5][6]It is implied that the town's appearance is subjective to the beholder; where some see fog, others may see fire or ice.[7]

The playable character isJames Sunderland(Luke Roberts), a man drawn to the town by the possibility of seeing his deceased wife, Mary (Salóme Gunnarsdóttir).[5][8][9]During his exploration of Silent Hill, James encounters Angela Orosco (Gianna Kiehl), a troubled and suicidal nineteen-year-old girl searching for her mother; Eddie Dombrowski (Danny Kirrane [appearance], Scott Haining [voice]), an overweight, bullied, and paranoid man;[9][10]and Laura (Evie Templeton), a mischievous but innocent eight-year-old girl who knew Mary when she was alive and dislikes James.[9]James also meets Maria (Gunnarsdóttir), a woman who shares an uncanny physical resemblance to Mary.[9]

Plot

[edit]
Main article:List of Silent Hill series characters

James arrives in Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife Mary, who died three years earlier from a degenerative disease. He meets Angela and dismisses her warning that the town is dangerous, but finds it inhabited by inhuman creatures, and himself stalked by an indestructible monster,Pyramid Head.

At Toluca Lake, where James believes Mary is waiting for him, he meets Maria, who resembles Mary, but has a more assertive and flirtatious personality. Maria helps James search for Mary, coming across Eddie and Laura in a cinema, but Laura runs away from James. Finding herself inexplicably worried about Laura's safety, Maria insists on following her to the hospital, but falls ill soon after arriving. James finds Laura, who tells him that she befriended Mary a year earlier while they were hospitalised, but she locks James in a room and runs away when he does not believe her. James and a recovered Maria are ambushed by Pyramid Head, who kills Maria; a despondent James escapes. He traverses a decrepit prison, where he rescues Angela from a monster representing her father, whom she killed after enduring years of his sexual abuse. Despite James's help, Angela accuses him of not wanting the ailing Mary around.

James enters a labyrinth where he finds Maria alive and unharmed behind impassable bars. She expresses disbelief at her apparent death and recounts Mary's memories, including James forgetting a videotape at the Lakeview Hotel during their last vacation. Maria encourages the confused James to find a way to free her, offering to be anything he wants her to be. On his return, however, he finds Maria dead, disfigured in the same way Mary was by the disease. After leaving the labyrinth, James confronts Eddie, who believes he has been killing people who mocked him. Eddie gleefully admits to maiming a bully and killing a dog before arriving in Silent Hill. Assuming James is also mocking him, Eddie attacks, forcing James to reluctantly kill him in self-defense.

At the hotel, Laura gives James a goodbye letter she received from Mary a week earlier, celebrating Laura's eighth birthday and expressing her desire for Laura to become her daughter. Realizing that Mary could not have died three years ago, James watches the videotape, which depicts their idyllic vacation before transitioning to James fatally smothering Mary. His memories restored, Mary's letter to James disappears, and he confesses the truth to Laura. James then encounters Angela, who thanks him for saving her but wishes he had not. Still unable to overcome her trauma, she asks James for a knife, but he refuses. Angela then ascends a burning staircase, resigned to her fate.

Afterward, James is confronted by two Pyramid Heads, who execute a revived Maria in front of him. James deduces that Pyramid Head was created as a result of his desire for punishment, but as he no longer needs them, the Pyramid Heads commit suicide. At the hotel's rooftop, he defeats a monstrous version of either Mary—who refuses to forgive him—or Maria—who refuses to let him abandon her.

The ending varies based on the player's actions: in "Leave", James tells Mary that he resented her for her illness and hostility toward him—fueled by her feelings of inadequacy and fear of her death—leading him to kill her to free them both. Sensing his regret, Mary forgives him, giving him her real final letter, in which she tells James that he made her happy and encourages him to live. He leaves the town with Laura; in "Maria", James chooses Maria over Mary and leaves with her. Maria coughs, implying she will become sick like Mary; "In Water" sees James, unable to live without Mary, commit suicide by driving into Toluca Lake; "Stillness" expands on this, showing Mary comforting James before his death; "Bliss" sees James seemingly enter the vacation videotape, choosing to remain ignorant of his actions; and in "Rebirth", James plans to resurrect Mary using the town's old gods. Two joke endings feature James discovering aShiba Inuorchestrated the game's events ( "Dog" ) or being abducted byaliens( "UFO" ).

Development

[edit]

In June 2021, Polish developerBloober Teamannounced that they had embarked on a "strategic co-operation agreement" withKonamithat would involve "jointly developing selected contents and exchanging know-how" with the publisher. Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno commented on the deal, asserting that "The fact that such a renowned company as Konami has decided to strategically cooperate with the Bloober Team means that we [have] also joined the world leaders in gaming and become an equal partner for the leading players in this market".[11]Konami issued a separate statement, with the publisher remarking, "We don't have any specifics to share at this time, but we can say while Bloober Team will continue to produce their own original content, we're excited at the chance to collaborate with them on potential projects across our variousIP".[12]

In September 2022, a series of leaks revealed purported images sourced from a planned remake ofSilent Hill 2to be developed by Bloober Team, adding to substantiated reports that Konami was supervising an initiative to revive the series by outsourcing future games to collaborative developers.[13][14]An internet leaker alleged that the images were taken from an internal test demo Bloober Team developed to pitch the project to Konami, and as a result did not represent the final title.[15]The leaked images were subsequently taken down by Konami representatives.[16]Another leak alluding to the game appeared the following month, through a YouTube description for a trailer accidentally made public by Konami themselves.[17]

In October 2022, the remake was officially announced by Konami during theirSilent Hill Transmissionpresentation, alongside other games such asSilent Hill f,Silent Hill: Townfall,andSilent Hill: Ascension,as well as the filmReturn to Silent Hill.[18]It is the first game in an ongoing initiative by Konami to rejuvenate mainstream interest in the franchise, which had not seen a new major entry since the release ofSilent Hill: Book of Memories(2012) and the subsequent cancellation ofSilent Hillsfrom former internal studioKojima Productions.[19]It was confirmed at the presentation that creature designerMasahiro Itoand original composerAkira Yamaokawould return to contribute to the remake. It usesUnreal Engine 5.[20]

Bloober Team creative director and lead designer Mateusz Lenart cited the importance of "preserving the atmosphere that madeSilent Hill 2so exceptional, while modernizing many aspects of the game's overall gameplay "as a key factor in the decision to remake the game. Lenart additionally revealed that the original third-person combat system and certain story set pieces were completely rebuilt.[1][21]In an interview withFamitsu,producer Motoi Okamoto stated that Bloober Team and the staff from the original game had differing opinions on what aspects of the remake should be modernized, versus being preserved from the original. However, he noted that "thanks to the [opinions] of Bloober Team, who are big fans of the original, the remake ended up being highly respectful of the original game."[22]

Release

[edit]

Silent Hill 2was released forPlayStation 5andWindowson October 8, 2024. Pre-orders of the digital deluxe edition of the game allowed for a 48-hour advanced access. It is a PS5console exclusivefor at least one year.[23][24][25]

Reception

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Silent Hill 2received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according toreview aggregatorwebsiteMetacritic.[26][27]OpenCriticreported that 95% of critics recommended the game, with critics praising its faithfulness to the original, as well as its atmosphere, performances, sound design, and soundtrack.[28]It sold over one million units within four days since release, making it the fastest-selling game in the series.[40]The game had sold over two million units as of January 2025.[41]

Critics praisedSilent Hill 2's faithfulness to its source material. Giovanni Colantonio ofDigital Trendsdeemed the game a "faithful tribute to a horror classic that hardly holds anything back" and lauded Bloober for not interfering with the original story.[42]Eurogamer's Vikki Blake noted its expansion and for giving "careful attention to what it preserves."[43]Jason Faulkner ofGame Revolution,who gaveSilent Hill 2a perfect score in his review, wrote that it "sets a new golden standard when it comes to remakes", and noted how the story is "carried over completely intact, honoring the original narrative while adding depth where appropriate."[44]

Silent Hill 2's atmosphere and graphics were highlighted by critics. Mark O'Callaghan ofCBR,while callingSilent Hill 2"a sublime masterpiece", believed that it "will leave any player shaking with some of the scariest moments in gaming history."[45]Ben Rayner ofDigital Spystating that "The visuals are impressive and really elevate the tension of exploring Silent Hill's abandoned buildings and streets—each feeling just off enough to ratchet that tension up as you dig deeper."[46]Dalton Cooper ofGameRantcalled it "a genuinely scary game without relying too much on jump scares. Instead, it uses its incredible score and heart-stopping sound effects to create a suffocating atmosphere of pure dread."[47]Tristan Ogilvie ofIGNlikened it to "a scab you can’t stop picking."[48]Equally praised was the overhaul of the soundtrack, which Mark Delaney ofGameSpotcalled "incredible" and "unforgettable, even as it's often deliberately at odds with the events you're seeing on the screen."[49]

There was some criticism ofSilent Hill 2's gameplay. Colantonio said it was "padded withbacktracking"and the combat" gets old ".[42]Delaney praised its melee combat, but criticized the abundance of ammo and health items provided for the player.[49]Leon Hurley ofGamesRadar+called it a "mix of clumsy pipe swinging and wobbly aiming [...] things can quickly go awry" but praised the ability to dodge.[50]TechRadar's Sarah Thwaites reacted more negatively, writing that "Clunky combat doesn’t work with a new camera angle, making for frustrating fights".[51]In a positive review, Liam Croft ofPush Squarebelieved it was one of the game's strengths and called it "weighty".[52]Kelsey Raynor ofVG247called it "good enough".[53]

Awards

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Main article:List of accolades received by Silent Hill 2 (2024)

Silent Hill 2has received multiple nominations and awards fromgaming publications.At theGolden Joystick Awards 2024,Silent Hill 2was nominated for Best Soundtrack, Ultimate Game of the Year, and Roberts was nominated for Best Lead Performer. AtThe Game Awards 2024,Silent Hill 2was nominated for Best Action/Adventure, Best Audio Design, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, and Roberts was nominated for Best Performance. AtThe Steam Awards 2024,Silent Hill 2won Outstanding Visual Style. At theNew York Game Awards 2025,Silent Hill 2won Best Remake. At the 2025Game Developers Choice Awards,Silent Hill 2received a special mention.

Notes

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  1. ^Based on 26 critic reviews
  2. ^Based on 107 critic reviews
  3. ^Based on 125 critic reviews

References

[edit]
  1. ^abOkamoto, Motoi; Lenart, Mateusz (October 19, 2022)."Silent Hill 2remake revealed, first gameplay details and design changes announced ".PlayStation.Blog.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2022.RetrievedJune 22,2023.
  2. ^Parijat, Shubhankar (January 5, 2023)."Silent Hill 2Remake – Masahiro Ito and Akira Yamaoka Have 'Taken an Active Part in Development'".GamingBolt.Archivedfrom the original on June 22, 2023.RetrievedJune 22,2023.
  3. ^Okamoto, Motoi;Lenart, Mateusz (October 19, 2022)."Silent Hill 2 remake revealed, first gameplay details and design changes announced".PlayStation.Blog.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2022.RetrievedJuly 3,2024.
  4. ^Blake, Vikki (October 4, 2024)."Silent Hill 2 Remake review — an all-time horror great returns".Eurogamer.Archivedfrom the original on October 4, 2024.RetrievedOctober 4,2024.
  5. ^abcOgilvie, Tristan (October 4, 2024)."Silent Hill 2 Review".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on October 4, 2024.RetrievedOctober 4,2024.
  6. ^Brunskill, Kerry (October 8, 2024)."Silent Hill 2 review".PC Gamer.RetrievedOctober 8,2024.
  7. ^Hornshaw, Phil (October 11, 2024)."Silent Hill 2Remake Answers A Decades-Old Question: Which Ending Is Canon? ".GameSpot.RetrievedOctober 14,2024.
  8. ^Delaney, Mark (October 4, 2024)."Silent Hill 2 Remake Review — Born From A Wish".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on October 4, 2024.RetrievedOctober 4,2024.
  9. ^abcdAli, Ayyoun (October 11, 2024)."Silent Hill 2Remake Voice Actor Cast List ".Game Rant.RetrievedOctober 14,2024.
  10. ^D'Amato, Lee (October 10, 2024)."Every Way James Is The [SPOILER] In Silent Hill 2 Remake (& Every Way He's Not)".Game Rant.RetrievedOctober 14,2024.
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  12. ^Goslin, Austen (June 30, 2021)."Horror developer Bloober Team partners with Konami, the studio behindSilent Hill".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on February 27, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 27,2023.
  13. ^Robinson, Andy (February 18, 2021)."Bloober Team hints it could be working onSilent Hill…but it's not the only one ".Video Games Chronicle.Archivedfrom the original on February 18, 2021.RetrievedMarch 19,2023.
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  20. ^Wolens, Joshua (August 19, 2024)."The Silent Hill 2 remake feels like the PS2 classic in a Resident Evil 2 remake wrapper, and you know what? That's not bad".PC Gamer.
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  23. ^Croft, Liam (October 19, 2022)."Silent Hill 2PS5 Remake Announced as a Console Exclusive ".Push Square.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2022.RetrievedOctober 20,2022.
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  25. ^Romano, Sal (May 30, 2024)."Silent Hill 2 remake launches October 8".Gematsu.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2024.RetrievedMay 31,2024.
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  44. ^"Silent Hill 2 Remake Review (PS5)".GameRevolution.October 15, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 30,2025.
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  46. ^"Silent Hill 2 review: A fantastic remake of a horror classic".Digital Spy.October 11, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 30,2025.
  47. ^Cooper, Dalton (October 4, 2024)."Silent Hill 2 Remake Review".Game Rant.RetrievedJanuary 30,2025.
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