Silent Hill 2 Remake Hype Is Growing Despite The Initial Hate

Silent Hill 2 Remake had a rough reveal, between some disappointment that it was being handled by hit-or-miss horror studio Bloober Team and, more recently, divisive takes on protagonist James Sunderland’s new face. But a new batch of glowing hands-on previews is giving fans something to get hopeful for as the PlayStation 5 console exclusive gets closer to release. A glimpse of Pyramid Head is helping.

Bloober Team’s track-record is all over the place, from the heights of Observer to the divisive middling-ness of Layers of Fear 1 and 2. Even within particular games, like The Medium, opinions vary wildly on what’s good about them, what’s bad, and what’s just plain goofy. So plenty of fans had more than a little bit of trepidation at the prospect of the Polish studio remaking one of Konami’s all-time horror classics, especially as the early trailers showcased some weird-looking character models.

Pre-order Silent Hill 2 Remake: Amazon | Best Buy

The latest round of buzz, however, is doing a lot to dispel that dread. It begins with a new trailer that finally shows off Eddie and basically matches the memorable 2003 teaser for the original Silent Hill 2 shot for shot. It’s a big play for nostalgia but also one that’s paying off, as it reinforces the remake’s faithfulness to the original, which Silent Hill sickos basically don’t want to see any changes to.

The good news is that it sounds like improvements have been made without sacrificing any of the eerie allure of the OG experience. According to Digital Foundry’s Thomas Morgan, combat is more varied but not overused. There are new puzzles and additional endings, but Bloober Team is mostly sticking to the specifications and spirit of the original Silent Hill 2 blueprint. “It provides the game a comfortingly familiar structure—while allowing new detail to flourish around it like a trellis—and I’m looking forward to seeing where it grows past its first three hours,” he writes.

We are gathered here today to celebrate the size of this W #SilentHill2 pic.twitter.com/xe5CB0xPeh

— Daily Silent Hill Music (@DailySilentHill) August 19, 2024

IGN’s Dale Diver was similarly impressed with how reserved Bloober Team was, likening Silent Hill 2 Remake more to BluePoint Games’ by-the-book recreation of Shadow of the Colossus than Capcom’s remade Resident Evil 2. GameSpot’s Jessica Cogswell, meanwhile, said the overhauled graphics haven’t negated the grimy mystique of the older version. “The Silent Hill 2 remake is a gorgeous game that doesn’t abandon the grime, grotesquerie, and yes, fog, that made the original game so mesmerizing,” she wrote. “In fact, it regularly amps it up. Locations are expanded upon, with a handful of new buildings and eerie shops to walk through and plenty of smaller details and objects that make the world seem more grounded in reality—even if that reality is one of horrific isolation.”

Bloober Team producer Piotr Babieno recently told Kotaku alum Ashley Bardhan at Rolling Stone that the studio’s mission was less to create a modern remake of the game than a “romantic vision of the game from more than 20 years ago.” And she thinks they may have pulled it off, too. “It was incredible,” she wrote of her hands-on time with the game. “It looks great, feels good, and the small tweaks to gameplay and narrative are smart and subtle.” Fans will get to decide for themselves when Silent Hill 2 Remake hits PS5 and PC on October 8.

Pre-order Silent Hill 2 Remake: Amazon | Best Buy