Each and every Silent Hill game is different from the ones that came before it, though withSilent Hill 2being a remake of one of the most beloved entries in the series, you might expect it to play it a bit closer than others, as a means of honoring the source material.
For the most part, this is true. Silent Hill 2 has the same story as the original game, the same characters, motivations, and locations. It is very faithful, though not without some unique flourishes to make it a game distinct from the original, rather than just trying to usurp it. Here’s some of the biggest differences the game has to offer.
10Maria’s Design
Serving In A Different Style
Maria is one of the core figures of Silent Hill 2, a challenge to James. What is she, exactly? That’s a great question, and one James posits himself. Whatever you want, she tells him. And that’s all you need. She looks just like his wife Mary, according to him. Though her sense of style is a tad more sensual than his wife on her deathbed.
Maria’s style has always been evocative of James' feelings. In the original, she had a very contemporary style, flaring red, exposed mid-riff, leopard print skirt and a little butterfly tattoo resting on her hip. She gets a very distinct redesign in the remake. The core aspects are there, from exposed skin to butterflies, though with a fashion sense that is contemporary to now rather than the 90s.
Maria’s original outfit isn’t entirely forgotten though, with a nice nod to it found inWestern South Vale.
9Over-The-Shoulder Camera
A Whole New Perspective
Locked-camera perspectives defined an era of horror games, from Resident Evil to Fatal Frame, though Silent Hill utilized them differently. Rather than one locked angle, it would follow James from certain angles, keeping tight to him at all times, swapping dynamically as he moved.
The remake does away with this entirely, opting for an over-the-shoulder camera more reminiscent of modern horror games. While it may not offer the same claustrophobic and otherworldly feelings of the original, it still keeps the camera close in those narrow hallways James keeps finding himself in.
8Different Voice Direction
Though Still As Unnatural As You Remember
In the original Silent Hill 2, many came away from the game conflicted on its voice direction. Everything sounded so unnatural, delivered in a way that no human would ever say. To some, this felt like poor quality, while others heralded it as another mark of what made the game’s atmosphere so unsettling.
With the remake, everyone has been recast, and the direction of their voices are changed to match. They provide a more consistent performance all the way through, removing some of the unusual vibes, but still retaining the oddity of how everyone felt to be in Silent Hill in the first place.
7Redesigned Boss Fights
No More Wooden Board Bonks
Boss fights are always a complicated feature in a horror game. What’s the right balance between letting you hold your own, and instilling fear? How do you keep up the horror when you know you can take down the big bad chasing you around? In Silent Hill 2, these bosses were manifestations of James own fears. He can beat them because he fights his own fears.
That said, many of those fights were still restricted to small areas with the intentionally clunky combat. Thematically strong, though weak in gameplay. The SIlent Hill Remake changes these dramatically. Stationary battles turn into hallway chases, multi-phase encounters. It won’t be everyone’s preference, but it was an active choice that differs greatly from the original.
6New And Refreshed Puzzles
No Running On Muscle Memory
Manyhorror games rely on puzzlesin lieu of combat. Take away your ability to fight the horrors and your only means of preservation becomes avoiding them. Handling puzzles while under the stress of survival has been a mainstay of Silent Hill, and the bizarre nature of these puzzles makes it all the harder.
While Silent Hill 2 featured puzzles that were miles more logical than those featured in the original, the Remake thankfully carries the level of difficulty present in the original Silent Hill 2. Many of the same puzzles are present, though redesigned so you can’t use decade old answers. Plenty of new puzzles are thrown in as well to keep your mind sharp in the midst of all the horror.
5Using Maps No Longer Pauses The Game
Lose Your Sense Of Direction And Your Life
Maps in the original Silent Hill 2 are central to the experience. With the changing angles of the camera and the nightmarish designs of the environments, navigating was a challenge in-and-of itself. The many grimy maps you picked up become your sole guide, though they could only be viewed with the help of a flashlight.
This is much the same in the remake as well. With more dynamic, real-time lighting, using your flashlight to parse your map is helpful, though not a necessity. The actually terrifying addition is that using your map no longer pauses the game. James is in constant danger this time with very little reprieve.
4More Active Combat
Who Needs To Be Scared Of Their Own Imagination Anyway?
While Resident Evil is typically seen as the foundation of survival-horror games, it’s combat is a high step above many of its peers. This is by intent, and so Silent Hill has always had comparatively weak combat. Its protagonists are regular people though, they’re meant to beunfit to handle firearms like a pro.
This is still true in the SIlent Hill 2 Remake, though James definitely feels a bit more reflexive. His aim is unsteady, his swings are heavy and untrained, yet he holds his own much better. He can dodge a great distance with ease, can spin on the spot in an instant, swap weapons like lightning. His handling may be off, but he doesn’t have to flee from enemies anymore.
3A Longer Runtime
Because Eight Hours Of Trauma Wasn’t Enough
Horror games strive on a tight runtime. You can only be effectively frightened for a while before it starts to lose its effect. That’s why most horror games you’ll play tend to be less than 20 hours. The entirety of the Silent Hill series is no different, with the original Silent Hill 2 clocking in at less than 10 hours for the average run.
So how about the remake? Well in its journey to modernize the original, it added some extra length, too. Almost double it, in fact. Silent Hill 2 Remake features all the same locations and story beats, but adds several hours to its play time. This results in some great levels, though does let some of the stronger story moments feel few and far between.
2Additional Endings
If you Were Looking For More Reasons To Return To Silent Hill
If you’ve ever played a Silent Hill game before, you’ll likely be aware of the fact that plenty of them havemultiple endings that you can achieve. Silent Hill 2 upheld this tradition with three endings you could get in your first run of the game, and three additional endings in a New Game Plus run.
The Remake functions identically. Three original endings, and the same three extra endings in a New Game Plus run. Except it adds two new endings all of its own as well, and unlike the other endings that offer hints on how to achieve them, Bloober’s unique endings are fully up to your own discovery. Good luck.
1Plenty Of Collectibles
Stay Awhile To Admire Everything Silent Hill Has To Offer
Collectibles are a ye olde idea in games. How do you push up playtime and keep players invested? Get them to thoroughly explore each area in the hope of picking up a new collectible. Silent Hill 2 never actually had collectibles, keeping that runtime short with all optional items typically serving a greater purpose.
Silent Hill 2 Remake changes this though. Throughout the game, you may find two sets of collectibles - Glimpses of the Past, and Strange Photos. The former seems to be echoes of James' original adventure in Silent Hill, while the Strange Photos are possible allusions to his life with Mary. Neither are necessary for the new endings though, so take solace in fact that you don’t need to scour every inch of Silent Hill for them.
