Silent Hill 2 (2024 video game)

Silent Hill 2
Development Team
Director:	Mateusz Lenart
Producer:	Motoi Okamoto Maciej Głomb
Composer:	Akira Yamaoka Arkadiusz Reikowski
Production Information
Developer:	Bloober Team
Publisher:	Konami
Platforms:	PlayStation 5 PC (Steam)
Release Date(s):	October 8th, 2024
Ratings
ESRB:	M
PEGI:	18+

Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror game developed by Bloober Team and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. It is a retelling of the 2001 video game of the same name, reinterpreted with a new script, new story threads and alternate endings, and reworked puzzles and gameplay. It is the first major installment since Silent Hill: Downpour (2012), and was released for PlayStation 5 and PC on October 8, 2024.

The plot centers on James Sunderland (Luke Roberts) receiving a letter addressed to Silent Hill, Maine, claiming to be from his deceased wife (Salóme Gunnarsdóttir). Setting course for the town to investigate its origins, he comes across the creature Pyramid Head and a cast of characters wrestling with their traumatic pasts.

Plot

In the town of Silent Hill, Maine, James Sunderland arrives after receiving a letter from his wife Mary Shepherd-Sunderland who had died three years prior due to a degenerative and incurable disease. The letter claims Mary is waiting for him in their "special place", which confuses James, as the whole town was their "special place". Despite wondering if the letter was really written by her, he sets out to look for her in the eponymous town. Leaving the observation deck and walk the hiker's path, James encounters Angela Orosco, a young and nervous woman searching for her mother, in the graveyard and asks for directions. She points the way but warns him that there's something "wrong" with the town and could be dangerous. James ignores her warnings, saying he doesn't care if it's dangerous and plans on finding his missing someone too. They wish each other luck in their endeavors before James continues on his way.

When James reaches Silent Hill, he discovers the town to not be the way it was a few years ago when they went on vacation. In addition to the bizarre, omnipresent fog, the town seems to be rotting away and abandoned. Vaguely humanoid creatures are roaming the streets and attempting to attack James whenever possible. Exploring the abandoned town, James repairs a broken jukebox which jogs his memory of the time he and Mary visited Rosewater Park. Determining the park to be their "special place", James sets out his course only to find the way blocked.

Passing through an apartment complex, James encounters a young girl who impedes his progress and Eddie Dombrowski, an obese and erratic man reeling from the sight of a corpse. James advises Eddie to leave town before continuing his journey. He finds himself regularly stalked by a pyramid-shaped figure before entering to the Otherworld for the first time. Later, James finds a despondent Angela lying in front of a large mirror, contemplating suicide with a knife in her hand. He tries to talk her out of it and tells her of another way, although she believes they both deserve to die. When James comments he is not like her, Angela asks James if he is afraid of death, but immediately apologizes after. James asks Angela if she had seen Mary after showing her photo and she becomes uncomfortable and unnerved after he informs her of Mary's passing three years prior. She tells him that she's going to resume her search. Angela asks James to take her knife away, afraid of what she might do but inadvertently threatens him with her fear response when James tries to comply before fleeing away in a panicked state.

Outside, James meets the young girl again, humming to herself on a wall. She is hostile towards James before revealing she knows Mary and he had never loved her, much to his confusion. The young girl then jumps off the other side of the wall before James can get more information from her.

Reaching Rosewater Park, James meets Maria, a woman who shares many similarities with his late wife but possesses a demeanor different than Mary. She offers to assist James in searching for places that might be their "special place". Finding their destination to be blocked by collapsed road, they pass through a night club where James asks Maria whether or not he is crazy in thinking his deceased could be in the town. Maria says that she sees it as hopeful and tempts him to drink alcohol, though he refuses. She leads him to a nearby grove but still finds no sign of Mary. James expresses frustration about his lack of progress and doubt about his state of mind, but Maria comforts him and offers to search more places with him. Suddenly, they hear a scream from a local theater. James decides to investigate while Maria waits outside. Inside, James finds Laura and Eddie, Laura gets spooked and scurries away. Eddie reveals the little girl's name is Laura and James decides to look for her. Outside, Maria sees Laura heading for Brookhaven Hospital and the pair chase after her. While exploring the hospital, Maria falls ill and temporarily rests while James tracks Laura down to the third floor but is blocked off. Eventually, James catches Laura and asks how she knows Mary. Laura reveals that she has known Mary for the past year. This angers James because this contradicts his belief that Mary has been dead for three years. Feeling hurt, Laura attempts to run off but is caught by James who is afraid for her safety. However, Laura locks James in a room filled with covered monsters stuffed in hanging cages under the pretense of having left Mary's letter in the back of the room. He kills the creature but is later kidnapped by one of them.

James is transitioned to the Otherworld for a second time, where James returns to the hospital room only to find Maria missing. He later finds her in the hospital's basement. She is incensed and claims James abandoned her and doesn't care that she's still alive. She accuses him for only caring for his late wife. They continue their search for Laura and explore the basement when Maria suddenly becomes uneasy. James reassures her and they continue. Suddenly, the pyramid-shaped figure reappears and chases after the pair, James outpaces Maria and makes it to a malfunctioning elevator. Maria is unable to enter the closing elevator despite James's best effort to keep it open and is speared by the figure.

At night, outside the hospital, James goes after Laura but loses her sight. In Rosewater Park, he meets Angela who despaired over the thought that her mother wasn't in town anymore and doesn't want to see her. He asks whether she had seen a "little girl". However, Angela overcome with fear upon hearing "little girl," runs away. Finding a lead, James ventures to the town's Historical Society where he is transported to Toluca Prison and meets a more erratic Eddie who seemingly takes joy in killing before departing. Exploring further, James is transported to the Labyrinth.

Inside, James learns of Angela's father's murder, a drunken violent man who sexually and physically abused her under the complicity of her mother. He discovers Angela cowering and begging James to tell her father that she "would be good". Confused, James is confronted by Abstract Daddy, a monstrous representation of her father. He kills the creature, with Angela delivering the final blow. He attempts to calm her but she is hostile towards him, claiming men like him are only after "one thing." James clarifies he was only in town to look for his wife. Angela accuses him of not wanting his wife around anymore and finding someone else, which he angrily denies. Seeing his reaction, Angela leaves. Deeper in the labyrinth, James discovers a Maria, who is alive and locked in a prison cell. She greets him with Mary's memories of their time together at the Lakeview Hotel. Maria claims they were simply separated in the hospital basement and that she had not been killed. James promises to free her, but upon reaching on the other side of the cell, he finds Maria mysteriously dead, covered in lesions similar to Mary. Near the end, James meets Eddie who has mentally snapped from the excessive bullying and verbal abuse he received throughout his life. He accuses James of mocking him behind his back and flees to a meat locker where he gleefully admits to maiming a bully and killing his dog before arriving in town. James is forced to kill Eddie in self-defense before emerging at a port near Toluca Lake.

James rows towards Lakeview Hotel where he meets Laura who asks for his help in finding Mary. She hands him a letter that she stole from their caregiver nurse Rachel. The letter details how Mary wanted to adopt her and celebrate Laura's 8th birthday. James asks Laura how old she is and she replies she turned 8 last week. James is hopeful Mary is still alive as it contradicts with his belief that she had died three years ago. Laura then reveals Mary had left a letter to James that she kept , initially intending to hide it but decided to hold onto it per Mary's wishes. She hands him the envelope from Mary but it is empty. Fearing she might have dropped it, Laura runs off to search around the area. Meanwhile, James learns their vacation tape is in the employee section on the first floor. Recovering the tape and gaining access to their old room, James plays the tape, detailing their last blissful moments together before transitioning to the moment when James smothers Mary to death. James silently sits, realizing the truth and facing his own guilt. Shortly after, Laura finds James who admits the truth. A heartbroken Laura is furious at him for killing Mary and exits the room.

James is transitioned to the Otherworld for a final time. The radio James has been carrying emits a message from Mary, urging him to find her. Later, he finds Angela on a burning staircase and she initially mistakes him for her mother. She thanks James for saving her earlier, but wishes he never did and to left her to die. Angela asks him to return her knife but James refuses. She then questions if he's saving it for himself. He doesn't answer. As Angela ascends the burning staircase, James states the room is "hot as hell." She replies that her life is "always like this." In the lobby, he finds a newly revived Maria who is executed by two pyramid heads. Realizing they have been created as a result of his desire for punishment but also that he no longer needs them, James fights the Pyramid Heads. The Pyramid Heads commit suicide after being sufficiently weakened by James.

James is led to a hallway, where he listens to a previous interaction they had when Mary was alive. James had brought her flowers, but she refused them, yelling in exasperation at James and stating she was too disgusting to deserve them. By the end, Mary desperately pleads for James to be with her. As he ascends to the rooftop, James meets a familiar face, awaiting for him.

Endings

• Leave: James reaches the hotel rooftop and sees Mary who he tearfully embraces. However, he soon realises that she is actually Maria, who attempts to get James to accept her. James sympathises with her but acknowledges that Mary is gone and no one can truly replace her. Maria makes a desperate attempt to convince him that she can be better than Mary, but James remains firm on his conviction. However, she refuses to let him go and turns into a monster similar to the hanging monsters in the hospital, becoming the final boss. Upon defeating Maria, James is granted a final meeting with Mary, where he admits that he came to deeply resent her as constantly having to deal with her sickness and her misplaced anger took over his life. Mary denies that as the reason he killed her and gives him her letter. Afterwards, James tracks down Laura and hands Mary's final letter which she tearfully reads. Together, James and Laura leave Silent Hill.
  • Choose the Snake Coin as the final component at the Coin Puzzle in Woodside Apartment.
  • Inspect Photo of Mary and Mary’s Letter three times or more.
  • At the Gallows Puzzle in the Prison, choose the innocent prisoners that represent either Eddie or Angela.
  • Choose the Rotten Apple in Lakeside Hotel's mirror puzzle.
  • After defeating Twin Pyramid Head, leave through the door with the Rust-colored Egg.
  • Listen to the entire conversation with Mary in the corridor at the end of the Lakeview Hotel.
  • Avoid spending more time with Maria than absolutely necessary.
  • Heal excessively to 600 points. One health drinks is equal to 30.
  • Do not kill more than 150 enemies.
  • Do not let Maria point out your traversal mistakes or linger around the area for more than 7 times
  • Run away from Pyramid Head during your first fight with him.
• In Water: Upon defeating Maria, James returns to his car, where he admits that he cannot forgive himself for what he has done; he acknowledges Mary had wanted him to live on, but cannot find the will to continue without her, realizing that he came to Silent Hill to commit suicide in their place of memories. James takes a final look at Mary's bedsheet covored body before proceeding to drive intoto Toluca Lake so that he and Mary can be together in death. The letter slowly descends to the bottom of the lake.
  • Choose the Man Coin as the final component at the Coin Puzzle in Woodside Apartment.
  • Inspect the message at Neely's bar after returning from Brookhaven (Otherworld).
  • Inspect Photo of Mary and Mary’s Letter three times or more.
  • Inspect Angela’s Knife two times or more.
  • At the Gallows Puzzle in the Prison, choose the answers that represent either Eddie or Angela.
  • Choose the Rotten Apple in Lakeside Hotel's mirror puzzle.
  • After defeating Twin Pyramid Head, leave through the door with the Rust-colored Egg.
  • Fight or actively engaged with Pyramid Head during its boss fights.
  • Kill the defenceless monsters in the corridors before the Twin Pyramid Head fight.
  • Listen to the entire conversation with Mary in the corridor at the end of the Lakeview Hotel.
  • Kill more than 350 enemies.
  • Stomp 30 or more enemies.
  • Leave James on low health for long periods without healing.
  • Do not let Maria point out your traversal mistakes or linger around the area for more than 7 times.
• Maria: James reaches the rooftop and sees Mary, who he continues to make excuses to regarding his actions. He attempts to reason with her, but Mary can't forgive James for killing her and transforms into a monster similar from before. Upon defeating Mary, James reunites with an inexplicably resurrected Maria in Heaven's Night, who gives him Mary's letter to Laura. Together, they both return back to the car. As they arrive, however, Maria starts to cough, with James remarking that she should so something about it, implying she is suffering from the same illness as Mary.
  • Choose the Woman coin as the final component at the Coin Puzzle in Woodside Apartment.
  • At the Gallows Puzzle in the Prison, choose one of the guilty prisoners that represents James.
  • Choose the Ripe Apple in Lakeside Hotel's mirror puzzle.
  • After defeating Twin Pyramid Head, leave through the door with the Scarlet Egg.
  • Interact with the various items scattered throughout Heaven’s Night: Posters, Nurse Outfit, Whiskey Bottle and Lost and Found bin
  • Explore the west side of South Vale with Maria, checking out the garage, motel room and the entrance to Baldwin Mansion together.
  • Respond to Maria's question about the original outfit.
  • Interact with Maria 3 times before obtaining the first patient bracelet and return to her before getting the Roof Key.
  • Re-enter Maria's cell after her second death cutscene.
  • Protect Maria in combat, ensuring she takes minimum damage from monsters.

New Game +

• Rebirth: James reaches the hotel rooftop and sees Maria, who he admits to knowing what her role is and tells her a way to resurrect his wife. Maria is stunned by his words and James declares he needs to kill her, as to kill any remaining emotional ties with her. Maria is furious at his callous disregard of her and turns into a similar being from before. Upon defeating Maria, James gathers his four ritualistic objects and Mary's corpse, proceeding to row towards the Church of Rebirth on Toluca Lake Island, where he intends to use the collected relics to resurrect Mary with the help of the "old gods of Silent Hill".
  • Obtain Crimson Ceremony in Toluca Graveyard.
  • Obtain White Chrism in Baldwin Mansion's porch.
  • Obtain Obsidian Goblet in Silent Hill Historical Society Exhibit room.
  • Obtain Lost Memories located in Lost and Found room on Lakeview Hotel.
• Stillness: Similar to In Water ending except before James drives himself and Mary's corpse to Toluca Lake, he is comforted by her presence and breaks down at the guilt and emotions he had been carrying, following Mary's murder. He looks at the letter but can't bring himself to read its content before drowning himself.
  • Unlock the In Water on a previous run.
  • Obtain Key of Sorrow in a green car near the intersection of Wiltse Road and Nathan Avenue; break the car's right window using the Chainsaw to obtain it.
  • Obtain the Toluca Postcard in the Manager's Office located in the burned Lakeview Hotel by unlocking a safe using the key, and the code of 314.
• Bliss: After consuming a hallucinogenic, James has a vision of being transported back in time to the days before Mary's terminal illness.
  • Head over to Pete's Bowl-o-Rama and find the safe behind the counter and enter the code 1887. Pick up the Rusted Key found inside before heading to Brookhaven Hospital garden to obtain a small chest. Inside, the box contains White Claudia which must be drunk before watching the tape.

• Dog: In the Observation Room located in Lakeview Hotel, James discovers a dog, who has apparently been controlling all the events of the game from a large, cartoony computer console, beyond a locked door. In disbelief, James exclaims, "No! It's not possible" in Polish, and the dog licks him. The credits roll over a piece of silly music.
  • Obtain Broken Key Part (Paw) inside the Pet Center beside Big Jay's in Eastern South Vale.
  • Obtain Broken Key Part (Bone) is found on Katz Street in Western South Vale, locating near a white gate with a bone symbol among the abandoned houses.
  • Combine the keys and use them in the locked Observation Room.
• UFO: James uses a gem to summon a UFO, from which an alien and the original James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2 descend to meet him. The original informs him that he is a clone and believes they are meant to be together. However, the alien abducts Bloober Team's iteration of James and leaves the original behind, who begins to wander the town in search of Mary.
  • Obtain Blue Gem at the Jeweller's Store north of Big Jay's store on Neely Street.
  • Examine the gem at Saul Apartments Rooftop, Rosewater Park Pier, Lakeview Hotel Dock and Room 312.

8 different endings in Silent Hill 2.

Japanese ad.

Gameplay

James attacking a Lying Figure.

The game features a distinct combat system and camera perspective from Silent Hill 2 (2001). It makes use of the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback of the DualSense 5 controller, and the player can explore the entirety of the town without loading screens.

Production

Development

“

We still would like to make meaningful games, we still would like to keep our DNA to tell [stories] about things which are important to us. However, not by environmental storytelling, but by full action, to have much more mass appeal. And I think that this is the reason why we have chosen Silent Hill. — Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno, March 2023

”

Despite interest in the Silent Hill franchise within Konami, it remained dormant for years due to internal disagreement on what direction it should take. Motoi Okamoto, who left Entersphere in 2018, subsequently joined the company and became the series producer in 2019. The film Return to Silent Hill, developed by Christophe Gans, ultimately served as the catalyst for Konami's decision to revitalize the brand.

Many independent and third-party horror games had taken inspiration from Silent Hill during its absence. Konami's staff, including Okamoto, felt they needed to reaffirm the core identity of the series in order to stand apart from other titles. They concluded that what makes Silent Hill unique is how it embodies "true psychological horror" and chose to reboot Silent Hill 2 for that reason. Some of the staff disagreed with this decision and lobbied to remake the first installment instead, which had been previously reimagined as Shattered Memories in 2009.

Silent Hill 2 had been a major inspiration for Bloober Team's work as a studio, shown here by the two realities in The Medium.

Bloober Team was among the studios influenced by Silent Hill 2 and P.T., which impacted games such as Layers of Fear and The Medium. Their catalogue of psychological horror games and past collaboration with series composer Akira Yamaoka opened the door for long-term conversations with Konami, which took place both in Japan and Bloober Team's native Poland. Bloober Team started pitching Silent Hill games to them in 2015, but were turned down in their trips to Japan over the next three years. Konami invited them to another meeting around 2019, alongside several competing studios, in which they were asked to create a pitch demo for a Silent Hill 2 remake. Out of the studios, their proposal was ultimately chosen and greenlit.

Instead of remaking Silent Hill 2 faithfully, the team decided that they wanted to recreate their "perfect memory" of it. According to Piotr Babieno, this also gave them the opportunity to do certain things differently and "smuggle in some visions of ours." Within the first few months of development, the team re-played Silent Hill 2 to gather as much information as they could and looked to the internet to gauge fan criticism. They found that the plot and world-building were the most widely praised elements of the game. Other aspects, such as the A.I., indoor levels, and combat system were more controversial, which they sought to reimagine. The pre-existing story was adapted into their game, with changes to the script, dialogue, new subplots, and alternate endings implemented to bring it closer to their vision.

The game was created using Unreal Engine 5. Whereas Silent Hill 2 used a combination of static camera angles and third person perspective to reflect the mental state of its protagonist, Bloober Team opted for an over-the-shoulder perspective, which they felt was more immersive and would appeal to a wider audience. In 2021, they hired a combat programmer, marking their first horror title to include combat mechanics. After consulting Masahiro Ito, a core developer of the original Silent Hill games, it was decided that James Sunderland would be older than his traditional counterpart, who was 29-years-old. They wanted to depict a mature and weary iteration of the character, who had suffered more from his life experiences, and emphasize that this was a new interpretation of the story.

The combat was designed by Giacomo Vaccari, with oversight from Ito. Since the game includes both melee and ranged weapons, Vaccari aimed to depict realistic movements with each attack. For the Lying Figure enemy, it was not enough to create additive movement for the weapons collisions; the creature needed to move in a way that made sense for its shape and body type. Although he preferred to lean towards tension than action, the type of camera and controls meant that the game became more action-oriented than previous installments of the series. It led to more variation in enemy types, attack types, and encounters.

James Sunderland's face was altered from the initial trailer.

On April 19, 2024, the icon on the Steam page was updated with changes to James' facial design.

Art and music

Masahiro Ito's blueprints for Pyramid Head's design, used as the basis for Gecco Corp's 2023 statue.

Ito provided Bloober Team with the creature designs and concept art for some of the in-game locations. It was decided early in production that the game would reinterpret existing monsters from Silent Hill 2, rather than designing new ones from scratch. Ito's concept art for Pyramid Head was based on his sketches for a statue he supervised for Gecco Corp. The Bubble Head Nurse was given colored stockings because he thought the original exposed too much flesh, and because of a gameplay design.

Longtime series composer Akira Yamaoka provided the musical score alongside Bloober Team's Arkadiusz Reikowski, whom he had worked with on The Medium. Yamaoka challenged himself to create a new style that would have the same impact as his original Silent Hill 2 soundtrack. His goal was to maintain the parts of the score that resonated with players, while heightening those feelings in a modern format. He contributed to the sound design, which makes use of a three-dimensional audio system allowing players to pinpoint the direction of in-game noises.

Ito and Yamaoka played an active role in the game's development. According to lead producer Maciej Głomb, they were consulted throughout the creative process and provided "much needed" explanations for some of Silent Hill 2's dialogue and innuendos. Ito was responsible for the combat aspect of the game. A new combat system meant changing the way certain monsters move and behave, which influenced the designs.

Soundtrack

Silent Hill 2 Original Soundtrack - 2024 -

Main article: Silent Hill 2 Original Soundtrack - 2024 -

Silent Hill 2 Original Soundtrack - 2024 - is the soundtrack album for Bloober Team's rendition of SH2, composed by Akira Yamaoka and distributed by Konami. It is scheduled for release in Japan on November 20, 2024.

Reception

A promotional image from Bloober Team showcasing some of the most positive review scores.

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic, with a score of 87/100 (PlayStation 5) and 86/100 (PC). OpenCritic reported that 94% of critics recommended the game based on a total of 54 reviews.

Marketing and release

In June 2022, Christophe Gans told a French publication that Konami was planning launch a Silent Hill multimedia initiative and felt "galvanized" by the success of Capcom's Resident Evil 2 and 3 reboots. In October 2022, Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 was announced in a livestream hosted by Konami, alongside Townfall, Ascension, and ƒ. It was confirmed to be in the final stages of development, and a timed exclusive on PlayStation 5 and PC because of a marketing deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Since Return to Silent Hill and Bloober Team's game both adapt Silent Hill 2, the producers hoped to create brand synergy that would lead to a theatrical buy-in from the gaming community. In January 2024, the latter was listed by Sony among PlayStation titles releasing in 2024.

Future

“

We still would like to make meaningful games, we still would like to keep our DNA to tell [stories] about things which are important to us. However, not by environmental storytelling, but by full action, to have much more mass appeal. And I think that this is the reason why we have chosen Silent Hill. — Piotr Babieno

”

Silent Hill 2 is intended to launch the next phase of Bloober Team's company initiative: "Bloober Team 3.0", which will transition them away from environmental storytelling and psychological horror into action-oriented projects with intricate gameplay and mass market appeal. Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno explained, "We want to be in the same place as Naughty Dog or Bungie in five years, but without their problems."

In May 2022, Babieno stated that Bloober Team would not develop licensed games for other companies unless they can tell an original story with creative freedom: "I would say that it's hard to work with someone who [owns an IP you're working on], but we are always talking with those licensors, [saying] 'Guys we would like to use your license, but we would like to tell our own story.' If we are not able to tell our own story, if we will not have creative freedom, it doesn't make sense, because Bloober Team will not make a great game. If you are in a prison, you will not be able to fly." When asked if Bloober Team would work on another Silent Hill title after Silent Hill 2, he responded "I'm not going to say never."

Misconceptions

• The trailer showed James to be more emotionally volatile than his traditional counterpart, including shots of him crying, screaming, pounding his fists, and beating the monsters in anger. This led to a misconception among newcomers that he was "emotionless" in Silent Hill 2 (2001) because of technical limitations and was not intended to be characterized that way.
  • Takayoshi Sato debunks the technical limitations myth in a 2001 interview.
  • In October 2022, Masahiro Ito stated on Twitter that he worried about the lack of subtlety in James' facial expressions.
  • James' dissociation from reality and trauma repression were a prominent plot point in Silent Hill 2 (2001).
  • Despite having a different temperament than his Bloober Team counterpart, James did express emotions throughout the game.
  • Motoi Okamoto added, "Though the trailer does go out of its way to feature many bombastic scenes, the game as a whole is also full of moments with more subtle performances."

The opening scene of Silent Hill 2. Ito clarified James is not breaking the fourth wall, but rather staring at himself.

• The announcement trailer for the game drew some criticism because of a fan theory that James looks at the player in the opening scene of Silent Hill 2 (2001). This was debunked by Ito.

Trivia

• Silent Hill 2 is the second remake of a previous installment, following the release of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (a reimagining of Silent Hill) in 2009.
  • A more faithful remake was planned by Climax Studios at one point, but it evolved into Silent Hill: Origins.
• It is the second game in the series to release on Steam, following Silent Hill: Homecoming.
• Masahiro Ito's redesign of the Bubble Head Nurse is similar to the design he painted for a Gecco Corp statue in 2013, which depicted it in red boots.
  • Despite the similarity, Ito clarified that they are distinct designs: "I painted a few concept arts for the Bubble Head nurse in SH2 remake, which was little bit different from the original."
  • When designing the monsters in the original game, he took inspiration from bondage fashion and pictures of women in stockings. Many of his characters since then have worn colored boots or stockings.

Ito's 2013 design for the Bubble Head Nurse, used as the basis for a commercial statue produced by Gecco Corp.

Concept art for the Lying Figure from the original Silent Hill 2.

Acid Bubble Head Nurse, a painting by Masahiro Ito depicting a creature in purple boots.

A character from Acid Bufferzone wearing stockings.

A woman in a gas mask wearing stockings.

• The outline of James Sunderland's wedding ring is visible on his finger.
• Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 is one of the first games in the series to be dubbed in Japanese.

Response from other developers

• Masahiro Ito was initially against the idea of a remake, stating in January 2019: "In my opinion, how do the creaters remake Silent Hill 2, it's more important than graphic quality. Also it will need some challenges to express something beyond what people expect. Don't Get Me Wrong. THAT'S. THE THING. I DON'T WANT."
• Ito was satisfied with Bloober Team's graphics and atmosphere, adding "we had strong demands about the motif of fog when first starting on this remake, and they were sure to depict it just as we wanted." He clarified that he did not model the creatures or build the in-game assets himself.
• Series co-creator Keiichiro Toyama opined that remaking Silent Hill would be more difficult than other video games, stating "It's not an action game where you can just refine the action as in Biohazard. To bring Silent Hill up to current standards or to polish up the graphics, the fans wouldn't be satisfied. That's not what it was about – how beautiful it was. I think you'd have to rethink the concept to make it interesting to fans."
• Toyama complimented Bloober Team's work on The Medium, which he described as a "stimulating experience" that paid homage to other developers of the horror genre.
• Sam Barlow, director of Silent Hill: Origins and Shattered Memories, believed that Silent Hill remakes would be difficult to pull off and referred to Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 as a "poisoned chalice," stating "good luck to them because I don’t know how you can do that without upsetting people."

Gallery

Trailers and marketing

SILENT HILL 2 Teaser Trailer (4K-EN) - KONAMI

Announcement trailer.

SILENT HILL 2 - Developed by Bloober Team

Featurette.

Silent Hill 2 Remake Gameplay

Combat development.

T-shirt art worn by the development team.

Artwork presented at Game Invest Forum in 2023 (sponsored by Bloober Team).

Silent Hill 2 - Combat Reveal Trailer - PS5 Games

SILENT HILL 2 - Release Date Trailer (4K-EN-ESRB) - KONAMI

SILENT HILL 2 - Gameplay Trailer (4K-EN-ESRB) - KONAMI

SILENT HILL 2 - Bloober Team Dev Diaries - KONAMI

SILENT HILL 2 - Cast Interview - KONAMI

SH2R Japanese box art promo in a shopping mall.

Silent Hill 2 (Bloober Team) - Story Trailer

Silent Hill 2 Remake PS5 4K Gameplay

SILENT HILL 2 - ストーリートレーラー 日本語ボイス版 (4K-JP-CERO) - KONAMI

【リメイク版を世界最速配信!?】弟者,おついちの「サイレントヒル２(2024) - SILENT HILL 2 (2024)」【2BRO.】

SH2R showing at Tokyo Game Show 2024.

SH2R at Tokyo Game Show 2024.

Bubble Head Nurses in TGS 2024.

ARG brochure.

SH2R T-shirt in Tokyo Game Show 2024.

SH2R Five strickers in Tokyo Game Show 2024.

Silent Hill 2 - Immersion Trailer - PS5 Games

Immersion Trailer.

Silent Hill 2 Remake outdoor ad in Shibuya.

その恐怖は、 あなたの 世界までも 蝕む。 ("That fear erodes even your world.")

Pyramid Head and James Sunderland.

Silent Hill 2: PSX Extreme magazine cover.

Silent Hill 2: CD-Action magazine cover.

『SILENT HILL 2』PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! TGS2024 SPECIAL STAGE

『SILENT HILL 2』スペシャルステージ【TGS2024】

Silent Hill 2: Famitsu magazine cover.

SILENT HILL 2 - Launch Trailer (4K- EN-ESRB) - KONAMI

Launch Trailer (EN)

SILENT HILL 2 - ローンチトレーラー (4K-JP-CERO) - KONAMI

Launch Trailer (JP)

SILENT HILL 2 - 弟者さん・おついちさん世界最速配信ダイジェスト - KONAMI

SILENT HILL 2 - MEET JAMES SUNDERLAND - Bloober Team Dev Diaries - KONAMI

SILENT HILL 2 - HOW SILENCE TURNS FOG INTO FEAR - Bloober Team Dev Diaries - KONAMI

SILENT HILL 2 - THE TOWN OF SILENT HILL - Bloober Team Dev Diaries - KONAMI

Silent Hill 2 reached 1 million sales in three days.

SILENT HILL 2 - サイレントヒル錆広告 メイキングムービー - KONAMI

Creating Silent Hill 2's Commemorative Artwork by Bloober Team

SILENT HILL 2 - Accolades Trailer (4K-EN-ESRB) - KONAMI

Art

Logo.

Key art.

Steam icon.

Characters Artwork

Costume Design.

James Sunderland render.

James full art.

James cover art.

Maria render.

Maria full artwork.

Maria cover art.

Eddie Dombrowski render.

Eddie full artwork.

Eddie cover art.

Laura render.

Laura full artwork.

Laura cover art.

Angela Orosco render.

Angela full artwork.

Angela cover art.

Monsters Artwork

Mannequin‎ full artwork.

Cover art.

Lying Figure full artwork.

Cover art.

Bubble Head Nurse‎ full artwork.

Cover art.

Pyramid Head art.

Pitch demo

Stills

"Could she really be here... Waiting for me?"

Hospital scans.

James encounters the Bubble Head Nurse.

Streets of Silent Hill.

The dilapidated hallways of Brookhaven Hospital.

Observation deck.

Enter Red Pyramid Thing.

Silent Hill 2 Remake developer interview - respecting a classic. (Promotional stills by Gaming Bible)

Historical Society.

Groovy Music.

Toluca Prison.

Woods.

Heaven's Night.

Labyrinth.

Lakeview Hotel.

Screenshots

Title screen.

Textures quality change during 1.06 update.

Editions

Bubble Head Nurse in The art of Silent Hill 2 (Bloober Team).

Concept art by Masahiro Ito for Bloober Team's rendition of Silent Hill 2.

Observation Deck.

Pyramid Head.

Otherworld.

Edition comparison.

Standard Deluxe Edition release.

Deluxe Edition.

Preorder bonuses.

Pyramid Head Mask.

Mira the Dog Mask.

Robbie the Rabbit Mask.

Merchandise

Exclusive Steelbook by GAME UK.

The Great Knife style Ball Pen.

Portfolio

Due to a high amount of images (200+), this article has a gallery for Silent Hill 2 (2024 video game).

External links

• Official site
• Silent Hill 2 at Bloober Team
• Silent Hill 2 on PlayStation Store
• Silent Hill 2 on Steam