Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2 landed with a bang, proving not only that the oft-maligned Polish studio has a wealth of talent and skill to draw from, but also giving hope to series fans who have spent years being disappointed by Konami's handling of the property. With more Silent Hill games on the horizon, it will be fascinating to see how they turn out, now that a new gold standard has been set for the series.
Silent Hill has suffered a string of lackluster titles and questionable directorial decisions over the years, with most considering the franchise's glory days to have ended after Silent Hill 3 or Silent Hill 4. There were high hopes for a return to form with Silent Hillsa game slated to be helmed by both visionary director Guillermo del Toro and eccentric game designer Hideo Kojima, but Konami's cancellation of that project effectively dragged fans' expectations to a subterranean level. After years in limbo, with little more than themed pachinko machines to its name, Silent Hill is back thanks to Silent Hill 2 remake – whether the series can maintain this momentum going forward, however, is another question.
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Silent Hill 2 Remake's James is almost unbelievable in battle
Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake completely overhauls the original's combat, and some changes conflict with its story.
Silent Hill 2 raises the bar for Modern Silent Hill
The Silent Hill 2 remake kicks off this new era with a bang
While it's certainly the series' most high-profile release in years, Silent Hill 2 is not alone; there are several others Silent Hill games in development, including:
- Silent Hill: Townfall
- Silent Hill b
Silent Hill 2in addition to being polished and enjoyable to play, it exemplifies the tense psychological horror and atmosphere that make Silent Hill so special. Prior to its launch, modern audiences may not have associated such strengths with the franchise, as more recent releases, including the underwhelming Silent Hill: The Short Messageare not exactly the best displays of these essential qualities. However, expectations are different now, and while similar Townfall and Silent Hill b may have previously been viewed with, at best, cautious optimism, they could very well enjoy a lot of hype in the coming months. But as anyone who follows the gaming industry already knows, hype can often be a double-edged sword.
Silent Hill's future projects may be harder to get right
The Bloober Team has shown an abundance of passion and artistry with Silent Hill 2 remake, and it should not be minimized. That said, Bloober couldn't have asked for a better starting point to work from, like the original Silent Hill 2 is still known as one of the most haunting, mature and thought-provoking games of all time. Its story, atmosphere, creature design, music and more still hold up today, and with access to Konami's wealth of resources, Bloober Team was well equipped to deliver something special with the remake, especially given how much reverence it clearly has for the original game, as evidenced by its previous projects.
More original and risky upcoming games like Silent Hill b pose a greater challenge in some way. These titles are going out and not relying on nostalgia or a proven story that could be leveraged for success. In this way, they are also much more important for the future Silent Hillbecause no franchise can subsist on remakes alone; sooner or later new ideas have to be brought to the table.
The Silent Hill 2 remake, if nothing else, indicates that Konami is willing to trust studios to be creative and sophisticated with their development approach. It is difficult to know exactly what to expect from the future Silent Hill games, but if they show at least the same level of passion and vision as Silent Hill 2 remake, then the franchise may well be on the verge of a full-scale comeback.