One of the most important elements of any successful survival horror game is the ability to create a persistently chilling atmosphere. The recently released Dead Space remake pulled this off effortlessly, working off the blueprint of the original while adding in some welcome tweaks and modifications to the mix. It was the first in a long line of a sparked resurgence in the genre, with Resident Evil 4 having launched in March and Silent Hill 2 in active development over at Bloober Team's studio.
The original Silent Hill 2 is considered a landmark horror title, with some of the most memorable themes, enemies and characters in the genre. Of course, being a game that is more than two decades old, there is room for some improvement to help create the best experience possible and bring the title into the modern day. As Bloober Team continues to work hard on the remake, the team should look to the aforementioned Dead Space remake for inspiration, specifically one aspect of its design that helped strengthen its palpable sense of dread.
Dead Space - The Ishimura as One Interconnected Nightmare
Dead Space takes place entirely upon the doomed space station called the Ishimura, which finds itself completely overrun by an alien species known as Necromorphs. Players control Isaac Clarke as they carefully explore the deep, dark hallways and rooms of the station in search of a way to escape. In the 2008 original, the many sections of the ship were divided by a train system, splitting these areas into chapters and smaller chunks that would be easier to explore and more technologically possible on the consoles of the time.
Now, with the blazing fast SSD's and higher performance power present in Xbox Series X and PS5 hardware, the recent Dead Space ditched the notion of breaking the Ishimura up into pieces and instead makes the entire station fully open to explore at any time. This greater sense of freedom helps sell the Ishimura as a real place, with interconnected parts that players can witness for themselves in real time. More importantly, the station being all in one makes it feel grand and heightens the sense of danger, as something menacing could be looming around any corner at any time.
Making Silent Hill 2 More Open To Explore
Silent Hill 2 was originally developed for the PS2, and while a technical marvel for its time, has naturally shown its age over the years. While the fog used to mask loading times did help create a spooky atmosphere and has become iconic for the series, the different buildings and areas being broken up into levels would break the immersion for modern players. Keeping gamers in the center of the action and suspense at all times will help keep the sense of horror and helplessness ever present throughout the journey.
This would also tie into just the general concept of the Silent Hill series, considering how the setting is one damned, lonely, and never ending nightmare of a town. Keeping the entirety of the town open at all times, while maintaining the franchise's trademark sense of loneliness, would really sell being lost in a deserted place with no clear sign of an exit. As the game's protagonist James Sunderland struggles to navigate the endless fog of Silent Hill, so too would the player, every step of the way.
It remains to be seen exactly what additions Bloober Team has planned for its remake of Silent Hill 2, but with the top tier quality of horror games lately such as Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, it will need to toss something fascinating into the mix. Making the town seen in James Sunderland's restless dreams all one sprawling, mist-covered terror to explore may be the best bet to help set this remake apart from the original.
Silent Hill 2 is currently in development for PC and PS5.