Silent Hill 2 Review: Dear Maria, Count Me In

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Silent Hill 2 at a Glance
2. Pyramid (Head) Scheme
3. Bulletproof Love
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Silent Hill 2 at a Glance
2. Pyramid (Head) Scheme
3. Bulletproof Love
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Silent Hill 2 at a Glance

There’s no better time to play a horror game than October, and when I was given the opportunity to write a Silent Hill 2 review, I couldn’t pass. As someone who has survived plenty of terrifying titles across all platforms, I’ve missed out on the Silent Hill series, so playing a remake of the iconic game was a fascinating prospect.

While I can appreciate the atmosphere during my time with the Silent Hill 2 remake, with James’s expedition across the dangerous, seemingly abandoned town offering plenty of scares, the only thing more horrifying than the monsters awaiting me is the clunky combat.

Pyramid (Head) Scheme

Silent Hill 2 doesn’t put (too much) pressure on jump scares and action to enable a good horror experience, offering a slow burn that gradually becomes more intense as you complete brain-teasing puzzles while shooting down monsters. The fog hides enemies’ shadows, giving you pause before you’re forced to enter the dense mist.

Much like the original, the Silent Hill 2 remake sees James Sunderland receive an odd letter from his late wife, Mary, who passed away three years prior. Apparently, she’s in Silent Hill waiting for James to find her, and besides the torrent of red flags most people would get from this, James takes the risk.

During his time in Silent Hill, James meets various strange characters who have also found themselves in the town. The cast delivers a campy 90s style of horror that feels fitting for the atmosphere, adding a layer of acceptance over why these people made the stupid decision of even entering this town.

However, what really adds personality to the admittedly simple premise is the town itself. Silent Hill feels just as alive as the cast – walls shift at a moment’s notice, and strange versions of the standard Silent Hill exist (well, stranger). Very few horror games put as much of an emphasis on the locale as Silent Hill 2 does, making the map just as memorable, if not more so, than the characters.

Unfortunately, some areas are memorable in a bad way. The tight corridors, coupled with clunky controls, made some padded-out parts of Silent Hill very frustrating. After backtracking numerous times for some puzzles, it can grow tiring quickly. I wish that some of the pacing had been cut, which is something that the recent avalanche of Resident Evil titles has truly nailed.

This is more apparent in certain areas than in others. For example, the hospital is an iconic set piece that sticks out with an exciting back-and-forth puzzle that feels engaging and challenging, but the apartment complex is tiresome. The number of stairs James had to go up and down constantly makes me believe he should’ve brought a Fitbit to Silent Hill.

In general, though, my time during the Silent Hill 2 remake really reflects the excellent atmosphere. Unlike my time with games such as Outlast or Alien: Isolation, I didn’t find myself too frightened, but it does a great job of making you feel uncomfortable and anxious. Arguably, that’s a harder feat than pure scares.

Bulletproof Love

Walking body bags, strange bugs, weird-legged pounds of flesh, and, of course, the iconic Pyramid Head are just some of the encounters you’ll face in Silent Hill 2. While the body horror aesthetics of the original and the remake add to the gory and grotesque nature of the narrative, Silent Hill 2’s combat is arguably the scariest part of the 2024 version.

I understand that James isn’t a soldier, a police officer, or a zombie-killing badass, so he’s not going to be fighting off enemies with ease. But the melee combat and gunplay both feel rough to use and while Silent Hill 2 revels in the atmosphere, I wish it staked less on the action.

The clunky controls feel scary at first, adding pressure to your first few encounters with enemies, but they quickly become tedious and frustrating. James dodges with the fluidity of a, well, zombie, and he hits with the intensity of someone swatting a fly. It grows old way too fast, and I wish Bloober Team had focused on scares from the psychological horror over combat. Silent Hill 2 remake gameplay is a step up over the original, but far from smooth.

Another strange thing, whether intentional or not, is the fact that the flashlight is pretty terrible. It illuminates about one meter in front of James and very little else. While it does add to the spooky vibes found during my Silent Hill 2 playthrough, it made plenty of combat situations frustrating. I’ve already been jump-scared by a nurse, so why do I need to then struggle to keep the light on her, too?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still serviceable and breaks up the lengthy puzzles found within the town of Silent Hill, but it feels very rough. Bloober Team has done a surprisingly great job of remaining faithful to the original experience from my viewing of the original Silent Hill 2, but the developer’s lack of experience in horror action makes for some very rough gameplay moments in the remake.

The Bottom Line

Silent Hill 2 does a great job of capturing an uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing atmosphere that few horror games master. The tight corridors keep your heart racing, while puzzles keep your brain ticking, and the town feels alive in twisted, disgusting ways. A campy vibe makes the simplicity in the scares all the more interesting, like watching an old horror movie.

I’ve got to give the Bloober Team credit here, especially after the developer’s disappointing track record. The studio needed a good story, something that Konami gracefully offered to the team.

However, Silent Hill 2’s most horrifying aspect is the clunky gameplay. Alongside some tedious puzzles and lengthy pacing, the Silent Hill 2 remake may be exciting for series veterans, but it’s not as great for a newcomer like me. Despite my reservations, I still believe Bloober Team should be given the chance to remake the rest of the series.

Silent Hill 2’s release date is October 8, 2024, so you won’t have to wait long to get your scares in before Halloween approaches. It’s exclusive to PS5 (for the first year) and PC and retails for $69.99 with pre-orders available on the PlayStation Store and Steam, respectively.

FAQs