The Biggest Changes In The Silent Hill 2 Remake

Silent Hill 2 was released exclusively on the PS2 in 2001 although that exclusivity didn’t last long as it later got ported to the original Xbox and PC platforms. The game then got an HD update in 2012 which was met with mixed reviews. Now, at long last, the game has been painstakingly remade from the ground up.

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Does the remake of Silent Hill 2 offer players a new perspective on the story akin to Final Fantasy 7 Remake or is it more faithful like the remake of Dead Space? Let’s find out by going over some of the biggest changes without the need to spoil anything major in the story.

6 Destructible Environments

From Believable Decay To Breaking Glass

Breaking a store window in Silent Hill 2 (2024)

Silent Hill 2 didn’t go full Red Faction, a series known for its destructible environments. However, thanks to the new engine to the original game, Bloober Team was able to add so much more detail beyond graphics to the world. Everything has an extra layer of ooze to it and the physics behave predictably.

For example, posters and flags realistically flap in the wind, and glass from store windows and cars can be broken into. Sometimes this can lead to items or brand new locations. There are also staged locations in the game wherein monsters can burst out of like Nemesis’ wall-smashing antics in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The destructibility adds to the horror.

5 New Cloth-Based Puzzles

And Other Puzzle Changes

Early in the game, players will be clued in that white cloth will show players where to go. For example, if a garage door or window is lined with white cloth, players can interact with them. One early puzzle has players wheel a cloth-covered garbage can over to a window so that they can climb onto the garbage can and then hop through the window.

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It’s a puzzle mechanic straight out of The Last of Us that uses cloth as a building mechanic. So, Silent Hill 2 remake’s contributions to the horror genre aren’t anything new, but they are different for this game at least. The puzzles overall have been strengthened, extending what were once short missions into longer quests from finding clock hands to reassembling a broken vinyl. Thankfully, those averse to puzzles can lower the difficulty settings of them in Silent Hill 2.

4 Combat Tweaks

Be Ready To Stalk The Streets

Fighting a Lying Figure in Silent Hill 2 (2024)

The combat was not as strong in the original game as celebrated as it was. The Silent Hill series has always been better about puzzles and setting the mood next to Resident Evil which became more concerned with gunplay. While the remake isn’t a Call of Duty experience, the combat in Silent Hill 2’s remake has been improved.

For example, players can now tap the D-Pad on their controller of choice, like the PS5, to switch weapons. Before, everything was menu-based and it could be cumbersome. Players can still use the menu for equipping weapons and using medicine but there are shortcuts too. A dodge was built into melee combat, giving James more wiggle room to avoid attacks, and aiming guns is now more manual. Also related, while James is still a bit heavy to control, he is a bit looser too. The dodge is an example of that.

3 The Camera Angles Are No Longer Fixed

Explore Environments Freely

Exploring an apartment in Silent Hill 2 (2024)

The camera angles have been switched to manual controls. Before, it was the more classic fixed angles like in the tank control horror games of the PS1 era. This makes exploring the streets of Silent Hill easier even if it can still be confusing thanks to the darkness.

Typically, horror games of the past implemented fixed camera angles because they wanted players to feel the threat of not being able to control their viewpoint. It was good back then, but modern horror games have proven that they can still be scary without fixed angles all of the time.

2 Expanding The World And Story

From Maria’s Antics To New Locations

Maria by a neon dream sign in Silent Hill 2 (2024)

The story template has ultimately remained unchanged. All the key characters are there to guide James along to certain doom from the antics of the little girl Laura to the thirsty throws of Maria and there are even different endings from the original Silent Hill 2. However, more was given to a few characters, Maria in particular, who is the only character to join James for a significant amount of time.

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She will have more reactions to things James does from attacking monsters to smashing windows. She can even comment in the strip club on things like players lingering around a pole. Overall, the world has been expanded too, especially in that section with Maria. Players could follow her through the motel to get on with the story or they could explore and complete some side quests. While Silent Hill 2 is not an open-world horror game, it at least doesn’t feel as claustrophobic as the PS2 original.

1 Bosses And Enemies

Prepare To Scream

Enemies have been upgraded in a few different ways. Their AI has been upscaled and some even have different animations to make them look more unhinged. For example, the Mannequins are the second type of monsters players will encounter who look like two sets of legs taped together at the torso. When they attack, they can blink around like they were filmed with stop-motion animation which is a cool effect.

It feels like there are more monsters overall and their aggression is high even on the easiest setting. There are new enemies as well to throw players off like the spider-like humanoid creatures that climb walls in the prison. Bosses have also been retooled to make the encounters more involved. Every encounter with an enemy in the game could be the player’s last and that’s frightening for a horror game.

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