Silent Hill 2 Remake Review: Is It Worth the Hype?

The Silent Hill 2 Remake is out now and is a thrilling new take on this iconic horror game. But is it truly bigger than its predecessor? Let's dive in!

Silent Hill 2 Remake vs. Original

Fans were curious, and they weren't alone, as many gamers waited for this remake and expected so much! The original Silent Hill 2 was known for being intense but some felt that its design left players with little room to really appreciate the world! What did this new version deliver? A brand new game design!

One of the big visual changes is the fog! The original Silent Hill 2 made the world scary and intense by reducing the visibility. In the remake, that's been completely updated and you can see much further in this update. This small alteration makes this a much larger map to explore than before. So if you thought exploring the original Silent Hill map was challenging, wait till you explore the Silent Hill 2 remake. The expanded areas leave players exploring longer and with the added thrills. For some that meant adding up to an additional 7 hours added to game play according to HowLongToBeat which boosted play time from about 8 hours to approximately 15 hours!

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Is The Map Really Bigger?

The original and updated versions of James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2. Image

Many fans had doubts! Was this just hype or was there more to it? But developers were right about the details that make Silent Hill 2 feel like such an amazing game!

The map is bigger and includes several additions!

There are new locations!
Even older areas had additions such as hidden pathways.

What does this create? Players aren't just battling enemies or looking for loot. Instead, Silent Hill 2 includes tons of unique puzzles! That was especially compelling and added to those big game thrills. Many places in the game, that originally appeared closed off. For example those green houses or even small stores along the streets!

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Key Areas in Silent Hill 2 Remake

Silent Hill 2 Remake Tag Page Cover Art Image

The new version isn't simply better! The overall aesthetic gives gamers an experience with new challenges! The areas weren't just tweaked either.

The movie theater is much different! You may remember the bowling alley!
Western South Vale got a large expansion that helped flesh out the world.

There was an overhaul of the camera controls! The fixed cameras added a sense of fear. Gamers really felt the sense that they were stuck and always on edge. But those who have used these original cameras may be surprised! Some thought it made things more intense.

In fact, the original director, Masashi Tsuboyama liked the upgrade a lot, specifically on Twitter!

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Exploring Silent Hill 2 Remake

With more to explore, gamers also got more opportunities! That means more threats and weapons! The combat has improved!

There was some interesting updates such as more loot items, and players can collect "Glimpses of the Past" to rediscover places they saw before. This gave a great homage to those earlier releases.

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Final Thoughts

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Overall, it appears that those who created the Silent Hill 2 remake truly aimed to go above and beyond in bringing a fresh experience to this series. A more improved game than its predecessor, by expanding and enhancing its various environments, making the world far more expansive, the visuals incredible. A thrilling remake for fans.

Even those who played this before may have something new and interesting to find out!