Silent Hill 2 is one of the most iconic survival horror games in the history of gaming. Originally released in… Continue reading Silent Hill 2 Remake: Everything we know so far
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Silent Hill 2 is one of the most iconic survival horror games in the history of gaming. Originally released in 2001 on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC, by developers Team Silent and publishers Konami, the cult status of the game has ensured a huge level of hype for Bloober Team’s upcoming remake.
The Silent Hill 2 Remake will be released on October 8, 2024 – 24 years and two weeks after the original game’s release. An autumn release date is perfect for a psychological horror like Silent Hill 2 and the run-up to Halloween is the perfect time to revisit James Sunderland and his exploration of the iconic town.
Anyone who pre-orders either the standard game or the Digital Deluxe edition will receive a cosmetic mask, Mira the Dog, to apply to the protagonist James. In addition to the mask, deluxe edition pre-orders come with a full 48-hour early access to the game, a rising trend in pre-order bonuses.
In addition, PlayStation 5 pre-orders will also come with a Robbie the Rabbit mask players can equip.
As well as the game itself, the Silent Hill 2 Remake Digital Deluxe edition comes with a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack by composer Akira Yamaoka, and an in-game Pyramid Head mask (arts and crafts style) that players can force the protagonist to wear (creepy). Given how integral the soundtrack is to the atmosphere of the game, it’s a great include for fans.
While the standard version of the game will cost a hefty $69.99 / £59.99, the Digital Deluxe edition will set you back $79.99 / £69.99, which some players will see as a small price to pay to get their hands on the game two days early.
On release, Silent Hill 2 Remake will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC only – not Xbox Series X|S. However, this does not automatically rule out the game coming to Xbox consoles ever – the original game was released initially for the PlayStation 2 only but was ported to PC and Xbox within a year.
Just like the original game, the Silent Hill 2 remake follows protagonist James Sunderland as he is drawn back to a town he loved by a letter from his dead wife. In an extremely expected twist, a letter from a deceased loved one is not a one-way ticket to a good time, and James is sucked into a living nightmare featuring the series’ iconic monsters.
The game is, at its heart, a lament on the topics of grief and guilt, with Pyramid Head acting as a physical manifestation of James’s inner torment. Explore the infamously foggy town and its dilapidated interiors to try and find the answers James is seeking – could Mary truly be alive? Why did she bring him here?
Developers Bloober Team have gone to lengths to acknowledge the gaming providence of the title they are working on to ensure players that the remake will stay true to the original, which still receiving the modernization expected of a current-gen remake.
“It is one of the most recognizable brands in the gaming world,” they said in their annual report earlier this year, as reported by Eurogamer, “and definitely a key one when it comes to the horror genre. We make every effort to provide the best possible emotions – both to those who played the original over 20 years ago, and to those for whom this will be their first approach to the famous series.”
One of the most notable changes in the remake is that the game will no longer use ‘tank controls’ for the player character, instead adopting a more modern approach. The gameplay trailer from May’s State of Play broadcast shows off this modernized angle.
“One of the new elements that you could spot in the reveal trailer is the adoption of an over-the-shoulder camera,” said Mateusz Lenart, creative director, and lead designer at Bloober Team, in a blog post on the official PlayStation website. “With that change, we want to immerse players even deeper into the game, make them feel like they are a part of this unreal world, and deliver them a more visceral experience across the board.”
Naturally changes to the controls and camera angle lead to further changes down the line, and the combat system has received a rework to suit the remake’s design.
Lenart also said that maintaining the feel of Silent Hill is important to Bloober Team. “One of our primary goals is to preserve the atmosphere that made Silent Hill 2 so exceptional, while also modernizing many aspects of the game’s overall gameplay. We are working closely with the original creators, including Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito, to ensure we’re keeping that unique Silent Hill feel intact.”
They also teased some new features coming to the PlayStation 5 version of the game, enabled by the DualSense controller and its adaptive triggers. The studio’s previous game, The Medium, made some use of these features and they intend to expand on this for Silent Hill 2.
Remakes seem to be the big hitter at the moment, as last week Ubisoft announced planned remakes of classic Assassin’s Creed titles, and Capcom continues to remake the entire Resident Evil catalog.
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