Published 11/12/2024
Rating : 9/10 Recommended
The original Silent Hill 2 video game was released 2001 to widespread critical acclaim and cemented the IP as one of horror's top franchises. Since then Konami released a number of sequels using a platoon of developers to diminishing returns. Many clambered for the days of yore when Silent Hill was something to be feared and respected. Fast forward to 2024 and the Bloober Team, known for the psychological horror franchise Layers of Fear brings us a faithful recreation of a genre classic.
I remember playing Silent Hill in my early 20's. The game was stressful, in a good way. This incarnation is every bit as good, if not better. I played the first 45 minutes of Silent Hill 2 on the PS5, on a 55 inch TCL with a Samsung soundbar and subwoofer.
If you enjoy jump scares, hellish landscapes and nightmare sound design then you'll fall in love with this game as I have.
The DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 has an audio speaker that can play certain audio cues from games, such as NPC dialogue and notification sounds. When you pick up the radio that crackles when enemies are close it comes from the controller, to horrifying effect.
Silent Hill has always been about style over substance. The plots range from contrived to downright silly, dialogue is awkward at best, and the puzzles are little more than speed bumps, implemented to fill out the gameplay time. The real fun lies in the immersion factor. This is where you get your money's worth, and in this day and age where AAA titles cost upwards of $70 the bar is set high.
I opted to purchase just the game and will wait to listen to the full soundtrack when it releases on Spotify November 30th. Akira Yamaoka returned to compose a eerie, thrilling soundscape that gets under your skin and stays there long after you signed off. His score coupled with the insanity-inducing sound design makes for a sonically exhausted experience, and we haven't touched on the gameplay yet.
Akira Yamaoka returned to compose a eerie, thrilling soundscape that gets under your skin and stays there long after you signed off.
Silent Hill 2 is a horror game through and through. There is no linear path to follow like the Resident Evil franchise. You'll find yourself backtracking abysmal apartments and other places no human should endure looking for keys, coins, valves and other useless trinkets. You'll read hand written notes that make very little sense. You'll meet Pyramid Head (the guy with a construction cone for a head who prefers the silent acting method). You'll meet Eddie...who you leave in a bathroom.
Thankfully this version of James Sunderland is a violent one. It's quite fun smashing a creature made entirely of legs with a spiked 2X4, then curb stomping it while blood gushes out. His grunts and exertions are necessary catharcism. I admit to curb stomping dead creatures to ensure they are still dead. You know what else is fun? Barreling through doors. Initially I was timid. I would approach the door, press x to open, creep my way in and scan for enemies. Now I barge in gun cocked, clearing rooms like this is an FBI room-clearing training simulator. That's the mindset you develop when every scene is taken out of Dr. Suess's worst nightmare. It's an oppressive feeling you cannot shake.
That's one major difference I enjoyed between Silent Hill and the Resident Evil franchises: if Leon Kennedy is out of bullets he's about as useful as effective as an AOL dial-up connection. James has his 2x4, which never runs out of ammo.
My play times so far vary between an hour and two hours, never more than that. Taking breaks is needed. This is not a game you wish to playthrough from beginning to end. At this rate I should be finished in January 2025. Obviously I'm not in a rush: considering how long it took for us to get this glistening gem stretching out the enjoyment is not a terrible idea. My last video game completion (read obsession) was Cyberpunk 2077 which had a fair number of choice-based endings I was all too eager to experience. I'm already seeing instances of choices affecting outcomes, however, this may be one of those titles where the ending I reach is the ending I stick with. The game is that scary good.
Since the game is still relatively new I don't anticipate a big sale for Black Friday, but 10% off is not out of the question. While being only 20% in I cannot for the later stages (this is an early impressions review) but I can wholeheartedly recommend this title for any fans of Outlast, Alien Isolation, SOMA, Resident Evil, Alan Wake, or Layers of Fear. It's time to piss those pants!
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