If you told me a few years ago that Konami would make a comeback and successfully resurrect one of their most beloved IPs and video game franchises, I’d consider it a farfetched idea that could only be possible in my restless dreams. Wonders never cease in the gaming industry however, as the controversial company that parted ways with Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima and focused their efforts on panchiko slot machines have finally seen the light and gone back to producing actual video game content in recent years. Among the properties they own and have revived is the long dormant Silent Hill franchise – which hasn’t seen a mainline game released in over a decade. That all changes with the release of Silent Hill 2 – which is a masterfully crafted remake that brings psychological horror back for the new generation.
Officially announced two years ago during Konami’s Silent Hill Transmission presentation, the Silent Hill 2 Remake was among the many projects Konami announced to revive the franchise and rejuvenate interest in the IPs they own. Developed by Bloober Team, the remake is a modernization of the original Silent Hill 2 game created by Team Silent that was first released in 2001 for the Sony PlayStation 2. Now utilizing a modernized third-person camera system and a combat system that takes inspiration from other titles such as Resident Evil 4 and The Last of Us, this new version of the beloved survival horror game is still very much the same game that fans of the original have played but has been given a modern facelift and upgrade to entice players new and old to experience what main character James Sunderland’s late wife Mary calls their “special place”. It’s very much the same story and setting that made Silent Hill 2
Widely considered the best installment in the series as well as one of the best video games of all time, Silent Hill 2 is the sequel to the 1999 PS1 survival horror game “Silent Hill” – which Konami developed as their own entry into the then new “survival horror” genre that began with Capcom’s Resident Evil series. Taking inspiration from horror films like “The Shining” and “Jacob’s Ladder”, the games were produced and developed by “Team Silent” – a development team within Konami that consisted of game developers such as Keiichiro Toyama, Masashi Tsuboyama, Masahiro Ito, and famed Silent Hill series sound director Akira Yamaoka. Silent Hill 2 would be directed by Tsuboyama-San and would first be released on the PlayStation 2 on September 25, 2001 – garnering widespread acclaim and praise thanks to its psychological horror elements, graphics, monster design, and soundtrack.
After Team Silent disbanded, the Silent Hill series went to American based developers and the quality of newer games dipped in comparison to its predecessors. An attempt was made to steer the ship and bring things back to form when Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, and Kojima Productions were working on a new entry called “Silent Hills” – which was revealed in a horror demo game called “P.T” that upon completion revealed The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus as the protagonist and walking into a foggy suburb reminiscent of the series’ namesake town. Sadly, that sequel never materialized as Konami cancelled the project and internal conflicts with Kojima led to the Metal Gear series creator departing from the company, with the company deciding to focus on making pachinko games and leaving all their IPs dead in the water for several years.
Fortunately for us gamers Konami finally saw the light and decided to focus on making actual video games again. With the success of many survival horror title revivals such as the Resident Evil series and Dead Space remakes, the Silent Hill 2 remake is Konami’s answer to drawing back its fanbase – and Bloober Team delivers on that promise by retaining the same story and atmosphere while modernizing the experience to meet the standards expected of AAA titles today. Played entirely from an over the shoulder perspective, players control James as he makes his way around Silent Hill with nothing but his wits and determination to find out if his wife is still alive. Exploration is a key component of the survival horror experience, and you start off with nothing but a picture of Mary and the letter she sent – with all the items needed to be found and a ton of puzzles and mysteries to solve in order to progress through the story. Difficulty settings can be adjusted by gamers before starting a playthrough, but every decision and the way you play determines which ending you get – and there are multiple ones ranging from the good, the bad, and the outright silly that add replay value to this single player experience.
Probably the biggest change from the original Silent Hill 2 experience is the combat – and that has a modern day action game flavor to it that’s not unlike The Last of Us and the Dead Space Remake. The first weapon James will find and start off with is a wooden plank – which you can use to smack monsters multiple times until they hit the ground and you stomp on them to finish them off for good. Firearms and other weapons soon become available as you progress through the game such as a handgun and shotgun, but like any traditional survival horror title this is not meant to be a game where you go guns blazing. You’ll have to be conservative and make sure you save your ammo well, and that also counts for health items too. Depending on the difficulty settings these can be rare to find around, so taking damage and staying alive is dependent on your survival skills. Bringing out the map is quite handy, and it will mark out what places you’ve explored and what objectives you’ve accomplished too. There is also a dodge button – where timing needs to be mastered especially when you fight monsters and bosses like Pyramid Head and they try to take a swing at you.
After all the years of dormancy and plenty of fan outcry for the series to return, I can honestly tell you as a longtime Silent Hill fan that the series is finally back. Konami came in swinging alongside Bloober Team with this remake, and I’m glad to see that they exceeded expectations and brought a lot of old timers back while also introducing this classic psychological horror series to a new generation with a pretty good makeover to boot. This dropping on Halloween season was well played and it’s the perfect horror game to dive into this spooky season. If you’ve never experienced Silent Hill, then the Silent Hill 2 Remake is the perfect way to visit that “special place” where many restless dreams were made and born from a wish.
