The newly-released Silent Hill 2 remake introduces Strange Photos, a collection of Polaroid-style photos that can be found throughout the game. The well-hidden items imply another layer to the original story of Silent Hill 2 and provide something for completionist players to strive towards.

The remake introduces many differences from the original, including two new endings, and collectibles add a new challenge for devoted players. The Strange Photos are one of the new collectible items that have expanded the town of Silent Hill a little more, inviting the questions of who may have left them behind and what they experienced. Collecting these new hidden items, along with the new Glimpses Of The Past moments, gives players a little something extra to do alongside the main storyline.

What Are The Strange Photos In Silent Hill 2 Remake?

One Of The New Mysterious Collectibles With Strange Messages

The Strange Photos are a set of 26 Polaroid photos that each present a mysterious image with hand-written text underneath, which are spread throughout the game. There is also a number written on the back of each one if inspected. Their locations are not marked on the map, so players will have to keep an eye out for them while exploring. The photos can be tracked in the player's inventory for organization purposes.

Stumbling across the first few might have you believe they're part of a wider puzzle or unlockable, with the numbers on the back perhaps being the solution to a keypad or lock. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. The numbers represent which of the 26 you've found, allowing you to keep tabs on what's missing. As for the images and text on the front, they're very much up for interpretation. Some feel like they could well be linked to the core story of Silent Hill 2, while others are a little more obtuse.

The various images and messages have mixed tones, presenting a range of emotions and scenarios. Some may have more positive memories, like those titled "I've Been Happy", "Valentine's Day", and "Career's Humble Beginnings." Others have darker tones that go with ominous images, like "So Far From Home," "No One Knows," "Aftermath..." and "They're Here." Players are left to speculate on their origins, but there are implications that they document someone's experience of the town of Silent Hill and its dark history.

Should You Collect All Strange Photos?

Collecting The Strange Photos Doesn't Lead To A Reward

Players who collect all 26 of the Strange Photos in a single playthrough will receive the Pieces Unarranged trophy, commemorating their great achievement. With a large collection of items that can be found anywhere throughout the game, a trophy honoring the feat is appropriate, though it's perhaps not the most exciting reward for what can be a time-consuming endeavor.

Some of the Strange Photos are difficult to find, being hidden behind breakable glass, tucked away in hard to get into rooms, or inside of drawers. Players will need to be sharp in order to find all of them, looking in unexpected places throughout the journey in Silent Hill.

The photo collectibles in the Silent Hill 2 Remake make an interesting addition to the game, albeit one that might not be worth the time spent hunting them down. For trophy hunters, the photos are well worth searching for, but for casual players there's no real rewards to reap. Still, it's a nice feature for Bloober to include that adds just a little more reason to spend some hours in the town of Silent Hill.