Silent Hill 2 Remake (PS5 Review)-
"Silent Hill certainly has become something of an enigma in the world of vidoegames. Being several years since any new entry or spin-off in the series has actually been developed fully, (Silent Hill PT still remains atop many players wishlist to see a green light and be realized.) As that game was sadly canceled, this ground up remake of quite possibly the greatest Silent Hill game in the whole series, being developed by Bloober Team is a huge undertaking. Hoping to build interest in the series by giving players who may not have been around for the PS2 version of Silent Hill 2 another chance to experience what many fans call the scariest and best one. I would be among those people, as Silent Hill 2 creates tension like no other Silent Hill game has since. Silent Hill 3 comes close and is an outstanding game in it's own right but Bloober Team has not only redefined what made the original son great, but somehow made things even scarier and more dread-inducing."
"For those who never played the PS2 great, Silent Hill 2 follows a man, James who lost his wife Mary 3 years prior to a "disease". Despite knowing this, James receives a mysterious letter addressed to him that looks identical to Mary's handwriting telling him to come to Silent Hill & meet her at their favorite spot. James arrives in Silent Hill & and it doesn't take long for him to notice that something was amiss. A thick fog sweeps the area and James can't help but notice the lack of civilians he has yet to see. Not only that, but before long, he encounters a very distorted humanoid figure who can only be described as a monster lurking in the thick fog. Something very wrong is taking place in his and his wives favorite getaway vacation town."
"I should note this game is not for the weak of the heart or for sensitive people to certain topics such as mental abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse & other disturbing themes targeted at mature audiences, this remake has somehow made the already creepy original look like a comedy compared to this nightmare. James soon comes across a radio that somehow emits a static sound when approaching anything unnatural. He also locates a flashlight which you will be very thankful for as the game goes on, and he finds a board to protect himself with. Although, there are many creepy monsters roaming around, James continues his search for his wife who has been dead for 3 years. There are many areas to explore, alot of the areas are completely optional and I would advise players to search as much as they can of this very well realized nightmare of a world, as exploring nets players great items and weapon upgrades, but also collectibles and bits of lore scattered here and there that may help you piece together the many mysteries surrounding the town. Over time, James will lose the luxury of daylight and the game will go into Nightmare Mode, where the terror really starts to sink in. Everything becomes dark and dirty and dingy, and the worst creeps come out. I love the nod to the first Silent Hill film by including the alarm that goes off in the film and all the characters start freaking out yelling "The Darkness Is coming!" "Run!"
"I don't know if it is because of the fresh and beautiful graphics this remaster boasts or the eerie wave of static rumbling through your Dualsense controller, it is very hard to not be on your guard while playing. Some of the areas can be extremely dark and enemies looking to ambush you are most certainly looking for opportunities to jumpscare the hell out of you, so this one is not for the feint of heart. But what you don't see can be just as scary as what you do end up seeing. Silent Hill 2's corridors have never been so dread-inducing, sometimes pitch black hallways and rooms that will reveal what lurks there only when you are standing directly in front of it. The score is another key factor that makes this experience all the more disturbing. Sometimes the static from the radio (which can be toggled off if you prefer) will have you on the edge of your seat trying to find whatever anomaly it is detecting within your close proximity. And yes, everyone's favorite enemies are back. The psycho nurses are back and just as creepy, Pyramidhead, who has become a Silent Hill icon, makes several appearances, and yes he is just as deadly and hard to kill. Bloober Team clearly knew what worked the most in the original and I am very pleased they did not choose to leave any of these elements or characters out. Don't worry though, if you thought puzzles didn't get included, because they did and are just as thought provoking as before. Some will have you scouring and backtracking to make sure you didn't miss anything important, and while there is one late game area that has you stealthily going from room to room picking up items needed to solve puzzles, I was glad to see this section did not last long. I felt this area was inexplorable and unenjoyable due to the enemies who stalk you and who you must avoid at all costs and remain hidden from, I could not soak in the atmosphere here as I could in other areas of the game."
"There are several NPC's James will encounter in his search for Mary and they all seem to have some sort of mental deficiency. Silent Hill is a special place after all, and not just anyone can wander into it's streets, meaning that there clearly must be something deeply wrong with James as well. And there is, and you may even be able to uncover the whole truth by finding enough of the many collectibles and journals and whatnot scattered everywhere. The combat is simple and fun. James swings his bat with force and the impact of it cracking into the heads or upper torsos of the deformed beings he comes across has never felt so hefty. You can even bust almost any window or car mirror you see, sometimes revealing healing items or ammo. I was personally enjoying the tidbits into the backstory and history of the town of Silent Hill and this game does bring to light some facts about some bizarre happenings and dark religious executions that took place in the past. One day, maybe we will get the full scoop on what happened here, but its clear that whatever took place cursed the town and any unlucky soul who finds themselves trapped in it."
"The game has several endings depending on certain things you do during the game. Picking up certain items can steer you in new endings for you to unlock, and once you do beat the game, a NEW Game+ mode is available. I was able to start that new game + with a chainsaw in my inventory already so its nice to see little surprises like these do still get rewarded to players in this day and age. Silent Hill 2 is the nightmare we all remember it was, it is still the innovative journey into the worst of humanity's dark warped psyche, and it will scare the hell out of anyone. I hope Bloober Team considers remaking the 3rd Silent Hill title next because they completely shocked me and blew my expectations out of the water with this one!! Amazing example of how to make the perfect classic modern and upgrade it without watering the experience down or taking away from the horror side of things. No compromises were made, this is just a much better-looking retelling of the Silent Hill 2 we all have always loved."