Silent Hill 2: Everything We Know

Silent Hill 2 is often regarded as one of the greatest survival-horror games ever made--many would even rank it as the very best. To remake such a classic is no small feat, but that's exactly what's happening. 2024 appears to be the year we get to see how it all turns out, too. For everything we know about the Silent Hill 2 remake, keep reading.

Release date

Konami has not yet announced a release date for the Silent Hill 2 remake. However, a January 2024 video from PlayStation suggests it's coming this year, as the game is featured alongside games like Tekken 8, Helldivers 2, and another Konami game not yet dated, the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

But that's the only window we have for now. Though many horror games are targeted for the fall, ahead of Halloween, many others seem to totally ignore the spooky season.

However, at the end of 2023, the team behind the game addressed fans and said the game is "progressing smoothly and in accordance with our schedule." When paired with the PlayStation video that soon followed that statement, it would seem like 2024 is a safe bet even in an industry where delays are commonplace.

Platforms

Silent Hill 2 will be a PS5 console exclusive. The game will only be available on PS5 and PC (via Steam). Because it is being made in Unreal Engine 5, last-generation systems are out of the question, and it should be able to take better advantage of the newer system's specs. Though these things aren't usually confirmed publicly, it appears PlayStation paid Konami for console exclusivity--a practice often called "moneyhatting."

Development team

Though a select few members of the original Konami Silent Hill 2 team are working on the remake, the primary development studio is Bloober Team. The Polish studio has specialized in horror games over the last several years, having released games like Layers of Fear, The Medium, and Blair Witch. Silent Hill 2 will still be, by far, the highest-profile game Bloober Team has created to date.

Story

Silent Hill 2's remake will be a retelling of the story from the first version, which released back in 2001. Set in the titular town, Silent Hill 2 sees the writer James Sunderland searching for his long-dead wife after receiving a letter--ostensibly from her. There, James finds a number of ghastly horrors awaiting him, including famous enemies like Pyramid Head as well as the unhinged Eddie Dombrowski. Could there be some darker force at play here? Could a cult of Shiba Inu dogs actually be behind it all? You'll have to play to find out.

Gameplay

Silent Hill 2 will remain a survival-horror game, with the development team consulting original developers Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito throughout the process to ensure its essence is kept intact. However, it's also being modernized to better fit modern expectations. Like the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, Silent Hill 2 will utilize an over-the-shoulder perspective rather than the zoomed-out, fixed-camera view more common in horror games at the turn of the century.

The combat system, naturally, is getting a full overhaul as a result of the change, as are "certain set-pieces," according to producer Motoi Okamoto and director Mateusz Lenart.

On PS5, you'll be able to make use of 3D audio technology to determine where a sound came from, and there will be no loading screens due to the NVMe SSD. Haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support are included, as well, though the team is keeping their exact implementation a secret for now.

Trailers

Thus far, only the announcement trailer is available for Silent Hill 2. It shows James Sunderland staring into a mirror--an iconic shot also in the original game--and features some brief glimpses of the town itself as well as a few enemies. The trailer doesn't include any combat, so we'll have to wait to see how the over-the-shoulder perspective is implemented.