Konami announced that the remake of Silent Hill 2 achieved the best launch in the history of the horror game saga.
The announcement of a remake of Silent Hill 2 really worried us. The first trailer seemed completely disconnected from what the original game was about, showcasing a title largely focused on raw action, rather than the sticky, uneasy atmosphere of the 2001 game. But it turned out that the communication problems came rather from the publisher Konami, and not from the development studio Bloober Team, which wanted to renovate the original title while retaining its aim of pure psychological horror.
Concern vanished when the first press notices on Silent Hill 2 Remake have fallen. Mostly very laudatory reviews, which confirmed that the developers’ desire for fidelity to the original material has indeed been respected, while offering welcome graphical and gameplay improvements.
It remained to be seen whether sales of the game would follow, and the answer is yes. Konami announced that the remake of Silent Hill 2 achieved the best launch in the history of the horror franchise.
Successful return to Silent Hill 2
With a Metacritic average of 86/100 from the press, and a score of 9.3/10 from the public, Silent Hill 2 Remake is certainly an artistic success. That said, critical success does not necessarily mean commercial success, but the title designed by Bloober Team seems to combine the two well.
Publisher Konami and development studio Bloober Team officially announced via the site PRTimes what the remake of Silent Hill 2 passed the milestone of one million copies sold in less than a week on the market. A record (and an unexpected success) for the horror saga.
Pyramid Head de Maslow
Despite its cult status, the franchise Silent Hill was never a huge financial success. According to official communications from Konami, the license, made up of eight main games (the first block Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4: The Roomand the following four Origins, Homecoming, Shattered Memorieset Downpour), several spin-offs (including the hack’n’slash Silent Hill : Book of Memories) and a few reissues, had only sold 9 million copies in total by the end of 2019.
As a result, the commercial success of the remake of Silent Hill 2 propels the saga to the milestone of 10 million units sold. The title alone achieved a tenth of the franchise’s total sales.
For comparison, the license Resident Evil totals a score of 160 million games sold. The 10 million copies of the saga Silent Hill correspond only to sales of Resident Evil Village (10 million in three years on the market). With such unappealing figures, we understand better why Konami dragged its feet so much before wanting to relaunch its horror franchise in proper form.
With its million sales in one week, Silent Hill 2 remake could be a rebirth for the saga. It would not be surprising if Konami announced a Silent Hill 1 Remake within a few months (or even Silent Hill 3 remake, Silent Hill Karting, Silent Hill in the Mountain et Silent Hill in Las Vegas). A renaissance which will take place through the cinema box, with Return to Silent Hilla film directed by Christophe Gans expected in 2025.
Silent Hill 2 Remake is available on PC and PlayStation 5 since October 8, 2024.
