Silent Hill 2 Remake Review (PS5) - 2024's Best Horror Game

Silent Hill 2 Remake Review

No question: Silent Hill 2 stands as one of the most iconic and genuinely unforgettable psychological horror games of all time. Revolutionary at its time of birth in 2001, when others were mired in hitting their high notes with jump scares and zombies, Silent Hill 2 created a sense of overwhelming fear; that is why most modern horror games are inspired by it. That's why so many gamers were uncertain, worried, concerned, and also just a little bit hopeful when seasoned horror developer Bloober Team announced a remake of Silent Hill 2.

I was concerned, too. While I rarely try to recount my personal history at the top of reviews, I believe it's safe for me to say that the original Silent Hill 2 is hands down my favourite game ever. 

As a teenager, it warped and evolved my perception of what a video game could be: an environment that chilled me, emotional storytelling that seemed so redolent of every human emotion I'd ever seen acted out, and darkness that was told in new ways I was not accustomed to experiencing. My playthrough of this remake, and the words that now follow, come from a superfan; someone who knows and loves Silent Hill 2 intimately. As a completely conflicting emotion to the vibes of the game itself, it brings me great joy to say that this Silent Hill 2 remake is excellent. Not only is it a faithful recreation, but it also succeeds in refining and reviving what, in my book, is the greatest horror game of all time. It's pretty tough to find much to complain about when you're starting with such a rock-solid foundation, and that's further helped by a sleek new makeover. 

It's been 23 years since the first, so I wouldn't imagine that you know the ins and outs of James Sunderland and his obscure journey to this dark, twisted, and horribly dirty town that is in dire need of a good scrub. During its opening, James receives a letter from his wife, Mary, calling him to meet her in the eerie town, at their special place, where she awaits him. A gesture of kindness, if only she hadn't been dead for three years already. Still, spurred by uncertainty and hope, James goes into the fog to seek answers.

Silent Hill is no ordinary town. There the most unnatural and gross creations are to be found, a party of emotionally battered characters all searching for their own sense of closure, and a healthy dose of nightmare locations to explore, all loaded up with doors to unlock, puzzles to solve, and mysteries to uncover in case you survive. It was fantastic at this time back in 2001, and it holds up really well here. Silent Hill is one of the most iconic locations in gaming history, and Bloober Team have done a great job of reimagining it. Fog, once sort of a veil hiding behind-the-scenes rendering on the PS2, can breathe like a character itself now and whirl around James and his environment in ominous, foreboding ways. It almost feels as though it has a personality in and of itself, the enemies lurking within even more menacing.

Those fearful about how the original Silent Hill 2 would be presented here need have no fear of that, as it's been handled with a level of meticulous care and reverence. When interviewing the Bloober Team about their previous title, The Medium, we discussed our mutual adoration for Silent Hill 2 leading up and out of the recording about how much it influenced them and the respect they give to it. Where that narrative is left almost completely intact and iconic dialogue untouched, it's the expansion of the exploration within gameplay that truly elevates Silent Hill 2 into something more fully fleshed out and exciting.

For example, how James first receives the radio and his first weapon differs; not dramatically so, but a bit more with a sense of dread leading into it that gives the following encounters a bit more weight. The first time you have experienced the town, you can explore an abandoned flower shop and have some more puzzles force you to go a bit deeper than you'd want to into the deserted shops that line the creepy streets of this mysterious place. These changes add depth to the journey without messing too much with the original storyline, augmenting the gameplay instead of diminishing it.

Every core location you go through is kind of like how I remember them but with the differences that once again expand on them to make for a bigger task at hand. The remake holds a lot of the same cinemas, from the Wood Side Apartments to Brookhaven Hospital Toluca Prison and the Lake View Hotel, to name but a few of which sent shivers down my spine as I entered them for the first time in the remake, long memories of PS2 flashbacks returning how they made me feel over twenty years ago. This is pure nostalgia fuel at its best for hardcore like me, and seeing these memorable areas recreated with stunning visuals today puts every disgusting detail sharply into relief. The Nightmare versions are particularly nauseating to look at again, which only made me feel claustrophobic as I wanted to get out of there as quickly as I possibly could. Every time I had to stick my hand inside something fleshy or leap down deep into some unknown darkness, it made me wince.

As you're exploring, James is quick to update his trusty map, crossing out permanently unavailable doors, circling those that are locked, but openable, and writing quick notes about puzzles and their requirements. As you find notes and clues, there will be references to specific rooms or locations. James will go to those rooms and put a question mark next to them. You see if you solve a puzzle, he marks it out or he gives the room a checkmark; then you do not have to go back to that room anymore to progress the storyline. The map was a good addition to the original, but it's even more satisfying and handy in Silent Hill 2 today, making the methodical exploration of dark spaces feel connected, and minimising backtracking. If you take the clues, the map and the items you have with you, you should be able to piece everything together in a very satisfying manner, and it feels right.

He will also look through things of importance or objects that you are viewing as you advance, and this can become really useful if it's something you probably missed or if you are too busy dodging enemies themselves. Healing items and ammo are everywhere, in draws and cabinets, so while the constant searching for supplies somewhat distracts from an otherwise consistently creepy atmosphere, it gives good reason to be thorough whenever you enter a new room, as you'll need whatever you can scavenge up to survive.

One of the best surprises in the remake is how the Bloober Team has managed to preserve the puzzles of the series, cryptic and unsettling, yet with an added new layer to them. Veterans will find familiar puzzles, but new twists that will make you think differently. The subtle changes make these feel engaging even for the connoisseur, who knows the original game inside out. Some of the newer puzzles are just tasteful, adding the required challenge without ever feeling forced in any way. A few are so nicely woven into the world that I had to go back and verify to be sure they were actually new or old, and it impressed me how the new additions fit so seamlessly in with the style and challenge of the original.

Not to be outdone, the enemy A.I. Makes an impressive showing once again, due to an astonishing evolution from the former one. The Lying Figures; freaks with their arms permanently tucked in, the faceless Nurses and the Mannequins; torsos with four legs are more creepy than ever but it's much sharper at combat. It dodges, strikes back with a thud, and keeps you on the edge. 

Even after I'd seen plenty of them, their wild, hard-to-predict behaviour kept me off guard, especially as the Mannequins crawled up the walls and waited around corners to jump out at you with a punch (kick?) to the face. More enemies are harder to see coming now, which makes the remake feel visceral with danger. Despite this newfound sense of ability to fight back, this threat to power equilibrium was a well-maintained example, bullets were scant and most took several melee hits to bring down effectively. Any stomp with a grunt and squish was cathartic, too.

Combat sometimes gets in the way of itself, though, especially when multiple enemies come at you at once. The downside of narrow hallways, cramped apartments and small patient rooms in hospitals is that you rarely have much room to manoeuvre. While the over-the-shoulder camera does a great job of making encounters feel more intense, it had problems when backed into a literal corner and can't see which direction you're facing. Add to that healing items take a moment or two to take effect, and some unfair deaths came my way where I was trapped and without the vision to help get me out. This can make some of the faster boss encounters tough too, as my attempts to dodge out of the way and secure ammunition were thwarted by an attack I couldn't see. Of course, with any horror game, you are faced with something scary the first time you experience it, but frustrating the third or fourth time you have to repeat it.

Of course, Silent Hill 2 wouldn't be Silent Hill 2 without the return of one of the most blood-chilling and legendary video game horror villains of all time: Pyramid Head. He still looms large over proceedings, and Bloober Team has wisely retained his enigmatic, dread-inducing presence. He is even more menacing this time, and suspense is built up to his first appearance full, with heavy footsteps resounding in the hallways and the clang of a giant sword scraping to the floor reminding one that he was never really too far away. I shrieked every time I saw him, though I knew well enough that our meetings were inevitable. This remake cements his status as an icon, and I can only wait for new people to materialize in Silent Hill 2 so they may face him for the first time. I loathe him. I love him. Never want to see him again. Can't wait for my next playthrough.

For my money, Akira Yamaoka is an all-time great composer of video game music, and he's back in a big way with this version of Silent Hill 2. Continuing off the good bones that initially made it so everlasting on a first listen, Akira has remixed and reimagined it to feel more modern and updated rather than pure copy and paste. As a purist myself, it can actually hold on and be more haunted, industrial sounds we associate with the series. Using higher-quality audio, and more dynamic effects, it adds a greater level of immersion: when that's layered on with the scary bumps and ever-present radio static when an enemy is nearby, which comes through the DualSense, adding to the tension, it all comes together in a truly edge-of-your-seat way as James stumbles through his mental and physical torment.

I also enjoyed the new cast's performances; Luke J. Roberts does an excellent job playing leading man James, appropriately responding to the strange situation in which he finds himself, stubbornly staying on his path to find his wife and Salóme Gunnarsdóttir also shines as Maria. The doppelganger for James' wife Mary, she brings a playfulness to the role and her delivery darts between sexy and strange as required. Well acted, too, by Evie Templeton (Laura), Gianna Kiehl (Angela), and Scott Haining (Eddie), it's all just a slick production overall, which would be more than capable of delivering the source material – and its additions-with gusto.

Even with the changes, and a game that runs almost double the length of the original, that time honestly flew by never feeling bloated. Bloober Team hasn't lost sight of the core that made Silent Hill 2 so effective; fear. Fear of what lurks within the unknown as you walk through the thick fog or as you open up the creaking door the first time, not knowing what is in there. The fear that has to be faced as he peels away the layers of truth behind his journey, which is a tale just as twisted and stunning now as it was back then. It's the fear that makes that game so impactful, and this edition captures that same creeping dread.

It's not a 1:1 remake; it's more lovingly reimagined, by a team that loves the source material just as much as I do. Playing it felt like a timewarp, except everything looks crisper and more terrifying than I remember it. Those foggy streets that were hiding technical blemishes are now intentionally obscuring my view, making the whole situation feel downright glum in the best possible way. And those brain-teasing puzzles are as clever now as they ever were back in the old days, hugely thrilling for those old-school horror freaks; obscure enough, yet not to the point of inconsequentiality.

Conclusion

The Silent Hill 2 remake is something more than being a tribute to one of the best horror games ever made-it's a game that rediscovers what a remake can be. Silent Hill 2 is definitely 2024's Best Horror Game.

Bloober Team has come through with a faithful and modernized version of Silent Hill 2, making it a must-play for the fans of the series and horror fans alike.

With the release date of the Silent Hill 2 remake by PS5 and the Steam and PC versions coming, there never has been a better time to look at or find this classic. Whether propelled by nostalgia or a much-anticipated deep, psychological horror experience, the Silent Hill 2 remake brings you into madness creation forever etched into your mind long after you put that controller down.