We all know that Silent Hill 2 is a staple in the survival horror genre, but after all of these years, does it still hold up? Can we say that it is still a game worth revisiting, and can we say that it is a game that is ‘remake-worthy?’ I recently completed a playthrough and I’m here to breakdown my thoughts on what is considered (by many) to be the best installment in the franchise.
I’ll start off by saying that my opinion of the game is probably going to be an unpopular one, so the diehard SH fan may want to stop reading here…
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I enjoyed my playthrough of the game and I do not think that I would care to revisit it; however, I do think that Silent Hill 2 has a lot to gain from a remake. The original just did not hold up after nearly 20-something years. Sure, for its time it may have been cutting edge, but after all of this time, there just isn’t much to go back to.
About halfway through my playthrough, I found myself wishing it would end. I found it hard to become too invested in the characters (including James). The supporting cast of characters mainly annoyed me, especially Maria, and I just couldn’t bring myself to care enough about any of them.
The sound effects were very monotonous and the enemies came with very little challenge, including the boss fights. The puzzles just weren’t there. The variety of enemies was lacking. I felt like the only enemy that I had to fight were the ‘Nurse’ monsters over and over and over again…
Silent Hill 2 (and James Sunderland) could benefit from an ‘Alan Wake-Over.’ Introducing some new survival horror elements to the game would surely benefit it. There is so much to gain from a Silent Hill 2 remake, and it is surprising that we haven’t seen one sooner. There are so many games that have been remade in recent years that just did not need a remake — if anything, SH2 deserved to be on that list. I personally would’ve rather seen a Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake instead of Resident Evil 4 (although Separate Ways was a great DLC).
Would I replay the original Silent Hill 2? Probably not, but I will absolutely play a Silent Hill 2 remake!