Silent Hill 2: Is the classic still worth playing in 2024? – Retro Analysis

Se Doom practically created the FPS formula and Resident Evil consolidated the Survival Horror genre in the industry, Silent Hill did the same with psychological horror games and to this day is one of the biggest references in the niche.

At the height of the 2000s, many fans were skeptical that the second game in the franchise would be able to surpass the first — but what Konami delivered with Silent Hill 2 It was simply one of the greatest games of all time.. In fact, the quality standard was so high that very few experiences managed to compete head-on with its sovereignty.

Released for PS2 in 2001, Silent Hill 2 is often remembered and revered as one of the greatest and best horror games of all time.. Unlike the first game, which focused on more occult themes, the sequel takes a more introspective and psychological approach, exploring the inner torments of protagonist James Sunderland.

Silent Hill 2in fact, was one of the biggest pending items on my personal list. Belatedly, I recently eliminated it, in order to prepare for the remake. arriving on October 8th on PS5 and PC.

So, there’s nothing better than a brief analysis from the perspective of a newcomer to the franchise, who has already had the opportunity to review several games in the industry — many of them horror games, by the way. Things get even more interesting if we consider that we’re talking about a game that’s over 20 years old.

Will it be that It’s still worth playing Silent Hill 2 original in 2024? Has Konami’s classic aged well? That’s what you’ll find out in the “new” review of Voxel!

In many ways, Silent Hill 2 has aged like wine.

I’ve always heard very good things about Silent Hill 2 — and, unsurprisingly, at least for me, the game is actually very good. In a generation that is stagnant with games that are too generic, too long or with too many shootouts, experiencing a horror classic that is over 20 years old for the first time is certainly an opportunity that few have.

Silent Hill 2 is a deep dive into the troubled psyche of protagonist James Sunderland.Source: Konami

The first few minutes controlling James were more than enough to completely capture my attention. It all starts with a letter that the protagonist receives from his wife, Mary, who invites him to meet her in the city of Silent Hill. However, she has supposedly been dead for three years.

This was the first trigger that caught my attention and made me stay glued to the screen (which unfortunately wasn’t a tube) as I walked with James through the dark, foggy streets of the cursed city. The way you are welcomed there is simply fantastic.

A simple starting point unfolds into a subtle yet deeply complex and emotional narrative, where Silent Hill acts as a twisted reflection of James’s psyche. His journey through the town is a descent into his own personal hell, where grotesque monsters symbolize his deepest fears and guilt.

James must face a series of monsters in Silent Hill, which are grotesque representations that symbolize his fears and guilt.Source: Konami

Silent Hill 2 invites you to explore every corner, open every door and brave every dark alley scattered throughout the city. Even having already experienced great horror games of today, such as the remakes of Resident Evil 2 e Dead Spacewhich are graphically frightening, I hardly felt that feeling of fear that takes over the body — but with Konami’s classic, which is more than 20 years old, I had chills down my spine from start to finish.

The atmosphere is intimidating, resources are scarce, and you constantly need to be careful when exploring. In addition to the incredible game design that encourages you to constantly search for solutions, the story that accompanies the journey is fascinating — not to mention the impeccable soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka, which perfectly complements the atmosphere and mixes industrial sounds with melancholic melodies that evoke a desolate feeling in the player.

Silent Hill 2 has an oppressive atmosphere that evokes a feeling of vulnerability in the player.Source: Konami

The game is clearly open to interpretation and, from my perspective, I conclude that many of the characters actually only exist in James’s disturbed mind — with the exception of Angela, who is actually there and going through her own psychological hell in Silent Hill, just like the protagonist.

Silent Hill 2 gameplay has aged like milk left out of the fridge

Even though we’re talking about a game that’s over 20 years old, Silent Hill 2 does very well in many aspects — especially those mentioned in this analysis so far. But not everything is rosy here.

Silent Hill 2 is technically impressive for its time.Source: Konami

The game was technically impressive for its time, and its graphics are still praised for their ability to create a dense and oppressive atmosphere. Fog, one of the series’ most iconic elements, is used masterfully to heighten the sense of mystery and create a constant feeling of unease.

In terms of gameplay, Silent Hill 2 stays true to the conventions of survival horror games, with limited resources and clumsy combat that heightens the tension. However, the gameplay has naturally aged like milk left out of the fridge. Both James and the camera move in an unconventional way that easily makes you lose your way wherever you go.

Even though it was a great game for its time, Silent Hill 2’s rigid gameplay has aged very poorly.Source: Konami

Furthermore, the fights against enemies are rigid and James is extremely slow, both when it comes to loading weapons and simply shooting them. I struggled a bit with this during the game, but the overall package was so good that I decided to stick around until the end credits.

Well, if you’re willing to pay the price for the game’s rigid gameplay, Silent Hill 2you’ll certainly be surprised by the rest of the package if you haven’t played the classic. With that in mind, it’s definitely worth giving the game a chance in 2024 — especially if you want to prepare yourself mentally for the remake.

And speaking of remakes…

The remake of Silent Hill 2which will be released for PS5 and PC on October 8thwithout a doubt, has been awaited by fans of the work for a long time. Well, Konami heard the community’s prayers and decided to embark on this endeavor with Bloober Team, a studio The Medium who was responsible for giving new perspectives to the sad story of James Sunderland.

The first previews of the remake of Silent Hill 2 were recently released. Several outlets around the world had the opportunity to play the first three hours of the remake — and, fortunately, the biggest surprise is that most of the reviews are really positive.

It was possible to see in the recent gameplays released by Konami that one of the aspects that improved the most in the remake of the classic was the gameplay — and, at least for me, that’s enough to give Bloober Team’s reimagining a chance!

Looking forward to remake the Silent Hill 2? Comment on your expectations on social media. Voxel!