It might go without saying but I’m a Silent Hill 2 fan. A big one actually. Big enough where I asked if I could do this write up.
It’s hard to describe the impact Silent Hill 2 had on me. This was my introduction to the series and by proxy is my favorite in the series. Maybe if I had started with the first I’d feel differently. Luckily for me none of Silent Hill’s sequels are really a continuation of the original game. A couple a sort of retelling but that’s as close as they ever really got. You can play the game’s in any order and it’s not going to have a lot of impact honestly.
Reminiscing
What you are reading is a retrospective of the first Silent Hill I played. I’m going to get into a bit of Silent Hill 2 history, a bit of the story, and what the game means to me. Although I started with the second game I knew of the original at this point but wouldn’t play it til after.
Also the list of imagery and metaphor is long and intense. There’s no way for me to even attempt to cover that stuff and not make this article into a small book. Just know I’m aware of it and if you want to share you’re favorites that’s exactly the kind of thing that can be dropped in the comments.
A quick warning: I try to do my reviews with as little spoilers as possible while still getting my point across. That basically not possible here so I'm not even going to try. I'd suggest if you haven't played Silent Hill 2 and you want to go play it and comeback and finish reading. Okay?
The Beginning
Silent Hill 2 was released on September 24th, 2001. I remember seeing the commercials on TV and being mesmerized by it’s dark tone, chaotic monsters and the intense voice acting. Although I had played Resident Evil 3 at this point that series hadn’t prepared me for what I was in store for when I finally got this game.
I remember opening the game as I got home as impatient as I possibly could be. After the previews I couldn’t wait to get my hands and eyes into this new world. After I picked both my difficulty on both combat and puzzles (I honestly couldn’t tell you what I picked so don’t ask, it was over 20 years ago) I remember struggling with the tank controls at the beginning of the game to even get out of the bathroom. Yes kids, tank controls even annoy us old timers but we also recognizes it adds something to horror games.
Clik here to view.
After I finally managed to escape the bathroom and make it outside the atmosphere of the game immediately took hold of me. Something about the music, the wind blowing and the echoes of James’ foot steps made the hair on my neck stand up. Much like the horror movies that had consumed me at this point I enjoyed the feeling. The cut scene in the graveyard with Angela helped set the tone for Silent Hill 2. James determination to find his wife, Angela’s unsettling nature.
After the graveyard is when I began to really get a sense of how uncomfortable this game was going to make me feel. As you jog down the path you here something in the distance. Foot steps? Something smashing something else? Who knows? Also why are you jogging? You should be running.
The Town
When you make it far enough into town that you begin to see trails of blood, which is when the fun begins. The tunnel scene is probably the first time Silent Hill 2 made me uncomfortable enough that I considered shutting the game off and walking away. The static of your radio as you step through the fence, the sound of the faceless figure rising as if from nothing, the morbid sounds it makes, all of it is enough to make your blood boil out of your flesh. As the creature stands, James picks up a piece of wood. He swings, with every blow I heard blood curdling screams from whatever that thing is that sent chills through my skin until in finally took its last breath
Clik here to view.
The game would only continue to get more unsettling from here. Footsteps in the darkness, screams from the distance, walls covered in blood lettered sentences. This game seemed to be made of the things from Stephen King’s nightmares. Turns out his works among many others inspired this game, go figure.
Should you dare to go further you’ll make your way into an apartment building cloaked in darkness. Prepare to get more uncomfortable cause you’re going to run into Laura for the first time. As you’re making your way through a hallway you can barely see through you’ll see a key on the floor. The only thing separating you from this key? Why prison bars, of course. As you get on your hands an knees and reach for the keys, a blond child appears as if from nowhere, kicks the key out of reach and laughs at you as she skips away. I literally paused the game and shut it off the first time this happened.
The Characters
As you make your way through the game some of the more iconic characters will introduce themselves. Pyramid head, Eddie and the vomit, the sexy nurses. All of which are fairly iconic moments in their own right. For me what hit the hardest was Maria and Mary. Most Silent Hill fans will know that the games are kinda left up to interpretation, particularly this one.
What most fans will agree on is Silent Hill 2 is a manifestation of James guilt based on the fact that he killed his terminally ill wife. Mary is of course James wife and the reason he’s in Silent Hill to begin with. Maria isn’t real and mostly thought to be a representation of James sexual desire maybe what he would have liked Mary to be or look like while she was at the end of her life. All of this turned me mentally upside down when playing it. Think about it. You get a letter from your dead wife telling you where to find her and you run into someone who looks an sounds like her but it isn’t her? That’s the beginning of a horror movie for sure(hehehehe)
As you can tell I played the game years ago but I never actually finished it til recently, in preparation for this and the Remake actually (Spoiler kids, it was pretty common for my generation as kids and teens to not finish games) Watching James talk to his wife after she’s already dead, James taking her dead body to the car and driving off and the letter she writes him before she dies read in her voice in an emotional roller coaster that hit home. This is one of many possible endings by the way. the out come of the game will change depending on choice you make in game.
Clik here to view.
The Remake
It would be difficult for me to go in depth into Silent Hill 2 and not bring up the remake. I have my concerns as a lot of people seem to. I’ve played a few of Bloober Teams games which is the studio remaking the game. One thing I’m not that worried about the mental torture that James will go through in the remake. That will certainly be done and well might I add. Unfortunately there are two areas I’m worried about.
One is of course Maria is certainly more covered up in the remake then the original. I’m not here to start a political debate so you’ll need to go elsewhere if you want someone’s opinion on why this was done but what I will say is this has the potential to effect the story pretty hard. We also haven’t seen much of her in the trailers and game play that has been shown which is something to consider as well.
Two is Bloober Team doesn’t really do boss fights. Silent Hill 2’s boss fights are far from the most technically difficult fights in the world. They serve a story line purpose, as a manifestation of James guilt and madness. I hope that is on display in the remake.
The End
I’m going to close with this. The original Silent Hill 2 means a lot to me. It scared the living hell out of me as a child. Last year I went through a personal tragedy. It made the ending of this game hit me harder than I was prepared for, so as an adult it was an absolute emotional drain but in a way that’s helped with some closure.
What I’m saying is the game mean’s a lot to me. Enough that would be hard to put into words. I’m honestly hoping for a pretty close one to one remake as possible. I’m not sure if were going to get that based on what we’ve seen so far but there’s still way’s we could be surprised there I think. When I see the credit’s roll on the Remake I hope to have gone through an emotional whiplash as intense as the original put me through. It’s a lot to live up to but I hope Bloober Team Can do it.
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