Quick warning, to start off this review of Silent Hill 2 remake, I am going to ramble on a little bit. I have a lot to say when it comes to Silent Hill and Konami.
This is going to be some form of therapy for me…
The Silent Hill 2 remake had a lot on the line. Any gamers who have seen how the Silent Hill franchise has been treated over the past decade, combined with the less-than-positive reputation that Konami as a company has had in that same period, can see why this was going to be a hard sell for a lot of people. Factor in the team tasked with remaking one of the most beloved games of the 5th generation being Bloober Team, a company with a patchy creative track record, and you can see why expectations were mixed. I am writing all these obvious talking points now to get them out of the way and say that these concerns are not an issue for this remake. Konami allowed Bloober Team to take full control of the project, and they were faithful to the source material while also making tweaks where necessary. And most importantly:
This game is fantastic.
Silent Hill 2 Remake is the same story, but with a fresh coat of paint
I am one of those people who was holding Konami and Bloober Team to a high standard because of these factors. I usually wait to consume a form of media before delving into reviews, as I find that a healthier way to enjoy it. But with Konami, I wasn’t going to let my guard down. This is a company that has held some of the greatest IPs hostage for years—Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Castlevania, to name a few. They seemed determined to destroy their video game legacy by making baffling decisions like a god-awful MGS spin-off and turning Silent Hill into a pachinko machine after canceling the highly anticipated Silent Hills. So with that, I waited for the reviews. When I saw the game getting high praise across the board, that was all I needed to justify purchasing a copy. I am a huge fan of Silent Hill, and the second game is a personal favorite. I am so glad this remake turned out as well as it did.
So why is this game so good? For starters, it is a faithful one-to-one remake, narrative-wise, with a whole new technical coat of paint. The clear inspiration from the recent Resident Evil remakes is evident in the gameplay. It’s almost poetic to see these two all-time great franchises thriving in modern gaming. Bloober Team has taken the original game and made it bigger, more detailed, and a lot scarier.
The visuals are stunning. This is a fantastic use of Unreal Engine 5, keeping in line with the artistic stylings of Silent Hill while adding incredible detail. The fog is the MVP of this game, perfectly used to obscure vision and create tension as enemies lurk within it. It makes the town feel ten times more oppressive and even more unnerving when exploring the buildings that the remake now allows you to enter. Silent Hill 2 is a little more open, with abandoned buildings to explore, whether for story purposes or to scavenge supplies. While the game still follows a linear path, this added bit of exploration is a welcome touch.
The character models look and sound great. Some hardcore fans may be disappointed that the voice acting is played more straight this time, but honestly, that shouldn’t be an issue. The dialogue is virtually identical to the original, but with superb voice acting to support it. James Sunderland’s voice actor is a standout, adding real gravitas to his performance, especially as the game’s revelations unfold. Sure, the hammy voice acting from the original holds a special place in the fandom’s heart, but the quality of voice acting here elevates the psychological horror Silent Hill is known for.
Horror is where Silent Hill 2 Remake truly shines. It is genuinely terrifying, not in an over-reliance on jump scares but through masterful sound design, lighting, and a few well-placed scares that make this the scariest game of the year for me. The use of the PS5’s controller speakers and haptic feedback adds a level of immersion that is genuinely overwhelming at times. There were moments I had to turn the game off just to compose myself. The way the haptics create subtle, eerie vibrations adds an extra layer of dread that few horror games have managed to achieve. It is easily my favorite use of haptics in any PS5 game so far, making this one of my top gaming experiences of this console generation.
Are are some issues though…
So are there any issues with this game? Yes, a few are definitely worth mentioning. The graphics are incredible, but they come at the cost of performance. Even on performance mode, the game can stutter at times. It’s not game-breaking, but it can be jarring, especially in enemy-heavy areas.
Combat is another aspect worth discussing. With the shift to an over-the-shoulder system, the combat has been modernised. The updated controls work well, particularly for gunplay. Shooting is responsive, with firearms like the shotgun and rifle feeling weighty and impactful. Running low on ammo brings back that classic survival horror tension, and Bloober Team nailed that aspect.
But melee combat? That’s where things get a little iffy. While functional, it gets repetitive fast. It’s essentially the same as classic Silent Hill; ready your stance and mash the attack button. There’s not much strategy, especially when facing multiple enemies. Instead of methodically targeting weak points, you’re just swinging a plank or a pipe and hoping for the best. The dodge mechanic is a welcome addition but can be unreliable in tight spaces.
That said, these combat quirks don’t take away from how incredible this remake is. The melee system could use more variety, but the gunplay works well, and the overall experience is just too strong for this to be a deal-breaker. Silent Hill 2 was always about the atmosphere, psychological horror, and storytelling, and in those areas, this remake absolutely delivers.
Opposably Verdict: Thumbs Up!
