The Silent Hill video game remake will freak you out

Konami is making something new out of something old since it recycles the legendary Silent Hill 2 released 23 years ago. Is this remake up to par? Answer here.

Elliott Pimousflute / jvmag

More than 20 years ago, we discovered for the first time the adventures of James Sunderland, a slightly lost thirty-year-old who embarked on a very strange quest: to find his late wife who had been carried away several years ago by a mysterious illness in the town of Silent Hill.

Second part of a cult saga, the remake that we are going to talk about today begins in the same way as its big brother, but we quickly understand that we will be entitled to much more than just a rehash.

Our dear Jimmy launches into this same refrain in these filthy public toilets at the entrance to the cursed city before diving headlong into this hell of mist in search of Mary. And as if by miracle, we are transported back in time, we have the impression of finding an old friend whom we have lost sight of and yet, the love and the emotion have remained intact.

However, everything is not exactly as it was in old memories. The protagonists have lost their Uncanny Valley and zany side of yesteryear in favor of a greater emotional richness, which makes them more human.

James is no longer as disconnected as in the past, he is in pain, out of breath, confused and terrified, just like us with our controller in our hand, a little by mimicry. And in fact, although we find ourselves confronted with the same horrors as before, what was disturbing, especially with its gloomy and gloomy atmosphere, is terrifying today.

The result of budget cuts.

Although combat has become infinitely more dynamic, it remains complicated to master. The enemies are extremely mobile and when they fall on us in groups in narrow and dark corridors, expect to let out a very piercing howl.

You will never be calm, even if that good old radio tells you the presence of enemies. The paranoia will stick to your skin.

We knock before entering.

Our hero is not a soldier or a highly trained cop, he is a regular guy. He doesn’t have a very varied range of moves, but he has some in his pants. James sweeps through the air with his studded club, like a madman fighting for his life. He crushes the creatures of the nightmare with incredible violence and there, we can only emphasize the beauty of the gamefeel and the care given to the sound and visual details. We feel every blow received or delivered, which makes the action scenes even more gripping.

The Hanouna effect.

In Silent Hill 2, when you’re not sweating, you’re thinking. The puzzles are still just as, if not tougher than in the original version. In addition to the difficulty of these, they are directly linked to the story and filled with symbolism and metaphors.

Dark, decrepit buildings are real mazes in which you will easily get lost. This feeling of confusion is largely compensated by the possibility of unlocking shortcuts, which dispels any source of frustration.

During these search phases, the map will be your best friend, but also your enemy. Because unlike many games of the genre, consulting the latter does not pause the game – and you cannot read it easily without good lighting. This results in increased immersion and a feeling of insecurity that crawls under your skin.

The game is not exempt from flaws. We could cite readability problems during sudden camera movements and small display bugs. Certain actions are not accompanied by an animation and when our character is injured, a large bloody red frame surrounds James, which tends to take us out of the game a little. There are a lot of clashes and by dint of them continue, we feel a certain form of anesthesia.

A little backup?

To conclude, Silent Hill 2 remains a survival horror classic, this dusted version is much more than an aesthetic facelift, the Bloober Team has composed a true ode to Team Silent.

This game will please both hardcore fans who will find new challenges and lots of nods to the saga as a whole, as well as people who are discovering the universe for the first time. Thrill seekers, you can go there with your eyes closed. Akira Yamaoka has enriched the collection of music present in this new opus, and the sound effects are more realistic and terrible than ever. Without being perfect, the game is a real success which breathes new life into one of the most iconic franchises of the genre. We want more!

Silent Hill 2 Remake is released on October 8 for Playstation 5 and PC.