The terrifying game in the Silent Hill series and one of the most influential horror games of all time. A remake for the game has recently been announced, developed by Bloober Team in conjunction with some of the original creators, including Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito.
Bloober Team has stated that it wants the game to retain the same terrifying atmosphere as the original, but bring the visuals and gameplay up to a modern standard. Certain design aspects of Silent Hill 2 came as a result of hardware limitations, as the technology back in 2001 did not allow for an alternative while still maintaining the vision of the game. One of these aspects was the load screens, which split the game's large map into smaller areas. Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake does not face these issues however, and so the game areas will be seamlessly linked together without any load screens.
This change, while bringing the game up to a modern standard, will also take away the only safe space players felt they may have in Silent Hill 2. During tense in-game moments the loading screen would often break up the terror of a chase or an encounter, giving the player a moment to breathe. With the new seamless game map there is no hope of reprieve from the terrifying atmosphere of Silent Hill 2, as players are constantly pursued throughout the town of Silent Hill by it's scariest monsters. The result is a much more immersive experience that, much like the town itself, won't just let the player leave.
Silent Hill 2's Gameplay Is Being Overhauled
There are a number of additional changes being made to Silent Hill 2's gameplay in the remake. One major change is that gameplay will now take place from an over-the-shoulder perspective, helping to make the player feel that they are there with James Sunderland rather than watching from another part of the room. This perspective will help shape set pieces and other gameplay features as well, since the player will only be able to see what James sees there will be more opportunities to make them fear what could be around the next corner.
There are multiple new Silent Hill games coming in 2023 and beyond, but the Silent Hill 2 remake promises to bring back a beloved title in the series and hopefully make it better than before. Being even more immersed in the experience without so much as a load screen to serve as a moment of peace is sure to put players on edge in ways that the original simply did not have the technology to do. The Silent Hill 2 remake looks set to remind modern players how horrifying the town of Silent Hill can be.
