š„ PHOENIX RECOMMENDED š„
Developer (Platform): Bloober Team (PlayStation 5)
Publisher (Release): Konami (2024)
Length: 15-20 hours
Genres: Horror; Psychological; Survival; Action
āļøDisclaimersāļø:
strong scenes of violence, blood, and gore
major warning for psychologically challenging themes such as depression, sexual assault, and suicide (among others)
this review contains low-level spoilers
recommendation: must play
š Pros š
Timeless tale thatās a testament to Team Silentās work in regards to mental health
Competent voice acting elevates the faithful dialogue
Stunning visuals and thoughtful gameplay make the terror sing
š Cons š
Performance mode on PS5 is not up to par
š Synopsis & Trailer š
After receiving a letter from his wife Mary three years after her death, James Sunderland returns to Silent Hill, their āspecial placeā, where the letter says she waits.
He knows itās impossible, he knows itās insane, but James canāt quite fight Silent Hillās call. Reaching his destination, James finds the town eerily empty and covered in a fog that seems to have a life of its own. Resolute in finding his dead wife, James instead will find nightmares beyond his imagination and painful truths heād buried deep.
His survival, if possible, might not be worth itā¦
šļø Introduction šļø
Itās no secret that the Silent Hill franchise has been wholly neglected for over a decade now. After Team Silent, developers of the first, and oft touted as best, four entries, were disbanded, hopes for a revitalisation of the series were all but dead in the water.
Recent additions have left many with a bitter taste and a growing disdain for publisher Konami, so the announcement of Bloober Teamās remaking of a beloved classic didnāt quite go over a storm, despite the clamouring for something passionate from fans.
Well, sufficed to say, Bloober brought passion and then some. Silent Hill 2: Remake is a stunning love letter to Team Silent that honours their creation and amplifies it for modern technology. Itās as brutal and topical as it was two decades ago while being one of the scariest entries to the horror genre to date.
š§© Plots š§©
Bloober lovingly expand without a single sacrifice to the original. They take an incredibly faithful approach by buffing the dark, twisted tale of Silent Hill 2 to a fresh shine. Some elements benefit from better technology, allowing Bloober to more clearly show the subtleties woven throughout.
Are you ready for the truth?
That said, Silent Hill 2 is a challenging story emotionally. It tackles issues such as depression, suicide, and sexual abuse with a raw honesty that gets under the skin and begins to rot. Itās grotesquely beautiful and a timeless testament to Team Silentās diligent work that is still ahead of its time.
Because itās coming regardlessā¦
Maintaining that faithful edge, Bloober keeps all the endings the original had and makes the requirements for each just as thoughtful. Hope isnāt the aim of the game, but there are some twinkling spots throughout that, with some pondering, allows the player to decide themselves what kind of ending they want for Jamesās story.
āItās grotesquely beautiful and a timeless testament to Team Silentās diligent workā¦ā
š Characters š
James Sunderland returns in 2024 to once again tell the tale of a broken man suffering after losing the love of his life. Bloober keeps his Everyman status intact, lending a relatable and homegrown aura to James that makes it easy for players to step into his shoes. Itās these qualities that turn Jamesās story from one of good or evil to intentions and reality.
Give a man enough ropeā¦
Joining him are a carefully cultivated cast of characters called to the titular town to face their own demons. Bloober maintain the feeling that these characters are entities of their own, changing and developing outside of Jamesās interactions with them. Their own powerful stories layer in and compliment the core plot, lifting Silent Hillās status as a living, breathing character in its own right as it presses down on them.
Misery loves company
What most struck me, though, was the voice acting. I expected it to be much better than the original but I was not expecting just how faithful Bloober would be. Almost every line from the original is present if slightly altered, and it shows that the writing itself from the original was fine. Silent Hill 2: Remake elevates that dialogue out of the schlocky and into the moving, so major kudos go to the voice cast for delicately delivering on their roles.
āJames Sunderland returns in 2024 to once again tell the tale of a broken manā¦ā
š¾ Gameplay and Graphics š¾
Silent Hill 2: Remake follows a similar trajectory to the Resident Evil remakes with its over-the-shoulder, third-person gameplay. Thankfully, itās still very much Silent Hill. Bloober have managed to make it feel less like homework copied and more like similarly natural progressions within the same genre.
For starters, Silent Hill 2: Remake has a much better balance in its combat between melee and gunplay. Fighting is limited and clunky in a very deliberate way to suit Jamesās character, but thereās enough freedom to ensure the player is in control even when the game tries to convince them they arenāt. Itās weighty and visceral, designed to make the player question whether their choice to engage enemies was the right one.
Enemies themselves arenāt hugely diverse, but what they lack in variety they more than make up with in strategy. Each has their own habits and attacks, prompting the player to employ a plan of action and learn the optimal way to survive.
Image Description
Speaking of visceral, Bloober deliver on visuals. Blood, gore, and decrepit decor are gorgeously graphic and, above all, they nail the oppressive and undulating fog that drenches the town. Coupled with deliciously devilish sound design and a remixed but faithful soundtrack and Silent Hill 2: Remake is one of the most atmospheric horrors Iāve played since the original Dead Space erupted onto the scene in 2008.
Graphic modes for the PlayStation 5 leave a little to be desired, though. Quality is fine and clearly where attention was most inclined, but Performance is inconsistent and, frustratingly, much, much darker than Quality.
Absolutely beautiful
The series penchant for riddle-infused puzzles is alive and well, subtly rejigged to be more intricate and far more explorative, taking full advantage of the environment and prompting the player to go forth into the terrifyingly foreboding town.
To do that, youāll need the trusty map, which, while just as useful as the original as it naturally updates as the player progresses, it is nowhere near as safe, switching it up with James having no choice but to check it in realtime (so plot your journey to hell carefully, everyone).
āā¦one of the most atmospheric horrors Iāve playedā¦ā
š§ Final Thoughts š§
Iāll say it, Silent Hill 2: Remake is the best horror game in years. Itās terrifying, punishing, and an absolutely nail-biting experience pristinely paced to wring every chill and cry from the player it can. Bloober absolutely excelled in creating a masterpiece from a masterpiece, learning from the wonderful work of Team Silent while coding in their own DNA to create an instant modern classic.
From the foreboding fog to the crunchy combat, Silent Hill fans the world over should rejoice because the series is back and back with a voracious vengeance. Itās gorgeous and narratively timeless, showing an incredibly raw look at mental health issues that, while not the most hopeful, contain painful lessons with uncomfortable truths that might just leave you with a level of compassion to your fellow man you otherwise wouldnāt have experienced.
And all from a video gameā¦take that naysayers.
The Phoenix Project 
Truly is a masterpiece. Phenomenal.
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Bloober did an incredible job š
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