There’s no denying that Bloober’s completed and expansive Silent Hill 2 remake exceeded expectations, although I nonetheless want the 2001 traditional’s terror-inducing, mind-warping creativity. Silent Hill 2 remake is technically a more adept videogame than Staff Silent’s unique. It appears higher, performs higher, meets the expectations of the day, and builds out the city of Silent Hill in formidable methods. But the unique’s technical limitations and the artistry holding it collectively as a result of and despite these doable pitfalls assist to make it particular.
In truth, Silent Hill 2 is a greater sport as a result of it’s a ‘worse’ sport.
First, let’s concentrate on the plain. It’s no secret that Silent Hill 2 was full of fog to ease the rendering load. However the setting’s most iconic characteristic isn’t the one {hardware} limitation that leaves you unsettled. The jerky motion of characters in a scene – from the intentionally jarring monsters to figures meant to maneuver in a extra acquainted manner – is so in contrast to fluid human motion that they create a base stage of uncanniness.
The facial expressions of the core forged weren’t motion-captured (and even when they’d been, the expertise definitely wasn’t as much as right now’s normal). Which means that 2001’s James and Maria really feel off in contrast with their 2024 counterparts. The Uncanny Valley is alive and current in Silent Hill.
The voice appearing is equally uncanny. Silent Hill 2’s unique voices are sometimes criticized for his or her stilted awkwardness, however they’re a necessary a part of the sport’s ambiance. The shortage of realism within the supply creates a nightmarish high quality within the model of David Lynch. An illogical script that’s full of traces no human would fairly say contributes right here, too.
In 2024, everybody appears and behaves like an actual individual. This realism diminishes the dream-like ambiance, and it additionally leaves much less room for nuance. Take Angela, for instance. Within the unique, you find out about her traumatic previous by way of ambiguous traces of dialogue and the character design of her personal private monster, Summary Daddy. Within the remake, she explains her plight outright.
James, too, feels much less open to interpretation. His dialogue was way more minimal within the unique sport, and its supply not often conveyed the form of emotion you’d count on. This made it extra obscure his ‘true’ motives and character. Like a mind struggling to interpret shapes within the darkness, you’re left to create your personal thought of the individual James actually is. And which means that Silent Hill 2’s a number of endings all really feel legitimate, as James is equal components hero and villain, relying on the way you see him.
The remake provides out extra data to evaluate the characters on, which means I not have the liberty to interpret them otherwise. I spend extra time in James’ interior world, and a extra easy, spelled-out portrayal leads me to extra logical conclusions. I discover I sympathize with him much less, and one ending feels extra definitively ‘true’ than the others for me. With the remake, it’s like admiring a portray in a gallery, however there’s a big plaque telling you precisely what it’s alleged to imply.
Past the characters, the surroundings is much less outlined within the unique sport, which means that your thoughts struggles to interpret what it’s seeing – even in well-lit areas. When a mind doesn’t get good data from the eyes, it creates one thing to fill within the gaps. That’s why you’ll begin to see horrendous faces in the event you stare at a mirror at the hours of darkness – and why the dearth of element within the city of Silent Hill provides to its dread.
In distinction, the remade Silent Hill is extra ‘knowable’ than it’s ever been. You continue to can’t see three toes in entrance of your face, however when you’re up shut, you may look at each constructing and patch of avenue in unimaginable element. You may smash home windows to acquire gadgets and move by way of doorways that have been as soon as impenetrable partitions.
After I performed the remake, I believed that I spent far longer exploring Silent Hill within the unique PS2 sport. I’ve since returned to stated unique, and on a repeat play, I’ve found this was unfaithful. I merely obtained misplaced extra usually. The remake does a much better job of telegraphing the place to go subsequent and the best way to resolve an issue. Nevertheless, that ‘misplaced’ feeling is as a lot part of Silent Hill 2’s ambiance because the graphics and appearing. With out it, exploration feels a lot safer.
Talking of security, you’ll really feel way more in charge of the scenario in Silent Hill 2 remake. That is partially due to the shift from mounted digital camera angles to an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. The unique takes away a few of your company, leaving you feeling susceptible. It’s way more scary to show a darkish nook when you may’t see what’s forward of you – and you’ll’t resolve when your view will shift. The fixed fog and darkness, mixed with these unforgiving digital camera angles, hold Silent Hill feeling claustrophobic.
2024’s Silent Hill 2 additionally feels way more combat-focused than its 2001 counterpart. You’ll face off towards dozens – doubtless tons of – of enemies within the remake, and you’ve got a lot, a lot smoother controls with which to smack or shoot them. Once more, this makes you’re feeling extra in charge of the scenario. Enemies turn out to be overly acquainted after repeated publicity, and combating them turns into a secular job somewhat than a real second of terror. 2024’s James is a monster in melee, in a position to rack up tons of of kills, whereas his unique self felt far more squishy and unsafe.
A lot of this sport is communicated by way of imagery and metaphor, so let’s discuss it metaphorically for a second. Silent Hill 2 must be extra like poetry than fiction. Contemplate, for a second, the normal Japanese haiku.
These have to be composed of a five-syllable line, adopted by a seven-syllable line, adopted by one other five-syllable line. The unique poetic type additionally restricted the imagery and intent, inserting additional limitations on how you possibly can create artwork inside these margins.
Whereas such inflexible guidelines might sound like they make the act of creation tougher, the alternative is true. You should turn out to be extra inventive to surpass these obstacles, and the ultimate result’s satisfying and delightful in a manner that free-form writing struggles to attain.
The Silent Hill 2 remake is completely unrestricted by the expertise and expertise accessible to its creators. Nevertheless, it’s much less inventive – and spectacular – for its lack of limitations. The unique is a extra flawed telling of the identical story, nevertheless it’s additionally way more significant for it.
