Anders Eklöf has played the remake of the beloved horror classic from 2001, which puts one foot in the past and the other in today's gaming climate – for better or worse.
Since its release over twenty years ago, Silent Hill 2 has been considered a timeless horror classic, on a level that few or no other games have achieved.
I recently played the original for the first time and fell in love. I finally understand why people are still talking about this A masterpiece of psychological horrorbut I can understand that not everyone is willing to pick up an old PS2 or put up with the old graphics and somewhat outdated game mechanics.
Now the Bloober team has it (“Average”, “Layers of Fear”). New edition of the gamewhich truly respects the original while elevating it to terrifying new heights.
Welcome back to the city of your nightmares
In “Silent Hill 2,” we follow James Sunderland as he returns to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife, who died of a terrible disease three years ago, stating that she is waiting for him there. Immediately, he encounters an abandoned city covered in fog, where hideous creatures hide in the shadows.
This psychological horror story that deals with themes like mental illness, shame, and love is at least as good and well-told here as it was twenty years ago. Some scenes have been removed or changed, while new scenes have been added. With new graphics and really good voice acting, the remake improves the mood and experience at times. Most of the characters in the original film look ugly and gross (which is undoubtedly a bit of a charm), but here they gain more depth and become more believable.
There's a reason why people continue to praise the original and its story so highly – and I truly believe that the Bloober team has managed it well with their truly brilliant presentation, direction and script.
Terrible dangers lurk in the fog
What the remake did very well was that Team Bloober managed to make the creatures that James fights truly distinctive and unpleasant yet More unpleasant than before. Every encounter with the slimy species makes the skin crawl and feel like a battle for survival many times over.
Shooting and clicking with a steel pipe may not be 100% difficult in “Silent Hill 2”, because it can be extremely frustrating at times and feel unfair to the combat, but mostly it's something that makes the experience that much scarier. The monsters are smarter than before, they can hide, crawl on the ground or jump out from behind hidden corners to scare and punch me.
Beautiful remake with some outdated features
“Silent Hill 2” is truly a visually stunning gaming experience. Wandering through foggy, rain-covered streets, dilapidated houses and ghastly hospital corridors becomes more terrifying with delicious graphics. Even the sound design scares me and draws me into the game experience. Akira Yamaoka's classical music is also well interpreted – play with headphones!
However, the graphics can be a bit weak (at least on PS5). Sometimes the image refresh rate drops, while sometimes the image stutters. In addition, effects such as rain and the like are not always perfectly accurate every time.
I also don't think that “Silent Hill 2” will appeal to everyone, but you have to have an understanding and appreciation for the design of the old game. Exploring Silent Hill requires a lot more from you as the player, as you're never told where to go, any more than James writing down tips and the like on a map. Also, the puzzles aren't very logical all the time, but they do require some thought. Just like in the original, it can feel a little tiring everyone Doors hoping someone would go open them.
If you're looking for fast-paced action, “Silent Hill 2” probably isn't for you.
A faithful remake that respects the original
“Silent Hill 2” is a really good remake that can be appreciated by new and old fans alike, as it manages the legacy of the beloved classic film very well and raises it multiple times to new levels.
It's a game with one foot in the past and the other in the present – for better or worse. Anything old that remains isn't always good for the game, even if it's faithful. At the same time, not all of the newly added items are great either. In the end, it's a genuinely unpleasant thriller, but it's at least as terrifying and psychologically exhausting as it was twenty years ago.
“Silent Hill 2”
Type: horror
platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Developer: Blubber Team
publisher: Konami
Released: Out now
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