Nobody expectedBloober Teamto stick the landing onSilent Hill 2. Let alone create a game that not only lives up to the survival horror classic, but stands alongside it.I certainly didn’t.
After being underwhelmed byLayers of Fear, and outright despisingThe Medium, it was the last thing I expected. Early trailers looked ropey, while gameplay previews were few and far between with little idea of exactly how the project would turn out.
But after going hands-on with the remake for three whole hours right from the beginning, it was clear that Bloober Team had nailed it. The Polish studio worked in conjunction with the original development team - well, some of them - to create a new vision which was not only faithful to the horror masterpiece, but wasn’t afraid to expand it in certain ways. Combat is more functional, the titular town is expanded yet still drenched in claustrophobic fog, and it can now depict its timeless characters and narrative with far more fidelity and detail.
Fast-forward a couple of months and now reviews are here, and to the surprise of everyone, they are near universally positive. Not only is Silent Hill back, its most beloved entry returns with a fundamental understanding of what made it so surreal and magical to begin with. It’s cause for celebration, and for some,a reason to apologise to Bloober Teamfor ever daring to doubt them in the first place. Despite loving what I’ve played though, I’m not one of them.
I spoke to key members of Bloober Team ahead of release, andthey were equally as nervous about getting this game rightas fans were anxious to play it. Their passion was so clear, and it more than paid off.
Bloober Team hasn’t magically been this untouchable developer who just happened to pull out a banger to prove us wrong. More than likely, over the years, it has developed a number of horror projects both big and small, good and bad, and arrived at a place where it proved good enough to do Silent Hill 2 justice. I don’t feel silly for doubting its ability or feeling like Bloober’s past efforts painted it as a poor fit for a psychological horror classic like this.
The Medium ended with the damning revelation that the only way to truly rid yourself of any mental health condition is to take your own life, and refusing to do so will forever doom you to be a burden to those you care about. It was a clumsy ending for a clumsy game filled with clumsy characters and themes, all of which were wrapped up in a clumsy aesthetic homage to Silent Hill 2 that fell short at almost every turn. This was the last thing Bloober Team was known for before Silent Hill 2, so, of course, I had my doubts. And I always will.
But recognising those doubts and continuing to harbour them is vitally important, and if you suddenly write off Bloober Team’s history because it stuck the landing with Silent Hill 2 you are discarding over a decade of critique which is well worth preserving. I like to believe that the developer was aware of the criticism it earned from past titles, while also seeing all the things it did well as a studio who evidently has a basic grasp on what makes horror work.
The Medium also dared to sympathise more with a character who abused children than his victims, something that I still don’t understand. It is a barbaric narrative with no good justification.
During the development of Silent Hill 2, it took those criticisms in good faith, and sought to be better, more creative, and grow as a studio instead of stubbornly heading the other direction. Studios make good games and bad games all the time, but Bloober Team ended up being a unique case because it dealt with a niche genre that we can’t help but feel precious about. When you suddenly cross the streams and begin remaking one of the most revered games in history, people are going to turn their heads, no matter what.
We should view every creator in the world - whether it be an individual or a developer which employs hundreds of people - with the same perspective. Everyone is flawed, yet even with these present, you are still capable of great things. In this case, that great thing is Silent Hill 2. Gamers are eager to operate on generic binaries of good and bad, with there being little room for nuance inbetween. Imagine if Silent Hill 2 wasn’t a masterful revival, but instead a competent yet flawed one that notably fell short of the original. It would still have qualities worth discussing, and as a critic I would still work to view it without bias.
I never cover an upcoming game hoping it will be bad, but I’m only human, and when I care about something as much as Silent Hill 2, I’m going to feel protective if there’s even a slight chance of its remake falling into the wrong hands. Bloober Team proved us wrong, and it is deserving of the ample praise it’s receiving, but don’t use that success as a blanket excuse for forgiving what came before.
Silent Hill 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Investigating a letter from his late wife, James returns to where they made so many memories - Silent Hill. What he finds is a ghost town, prowled by disturbing monsters and cloaked in deep fog. Confront the monsters, solve puzzles, and search for traces of your wife in this remake of SILENT HILL 2.High-end Graphics and SoundWith ray tracing and other cutting-edge technical enhancements, the world of SILENT HILL and its unsettling ambiance is even realer than before.And with the inclusion of new, immersive soundscapes, you’ll feel like you’re standing in the thick of it.Larger EnvironmentsExplore locations and buildings that were once inaccessible, or are newly added in the remake. Enjoy the same acclaimed story, even while you experience the town of Silent Hill with fresh eyes across an expanded map.Over-the-shoulder CameraThe remake moves from the original’s fixed-camera viewpoints to an over-the-shoulder perspective, putting you closer to what James sees, for a more thrilling, more immersive experience as you explore the town and come face-to-face with monsters.Evolved Combat GameplayFamiliar weapons like the steel pipe and handgun make their return, but now with an updated combat system. Avoid attacks with carefully timed dodges, aim down sights, and more, making monster encounters more engaging and nerve-wracking than ever.
