Things The Silent Hill 2 Remake Needs To Get Right
It's been years since "Silent Hill" fans have had anything to be excited about. While the series was due for a huge reboot directed by the famed Hideo Kojima, he and publisher Konami later had a falling out which destroyed the project and led to the recall of the game's highly lauded teaser, "P.T." Since 2012's "Silent Hill: Downpour" — which was a mixed bag in the eyes of critics — the series has been left dormant by Konami, leaving fans with only rumors and innuendo about the series' future. However, that all changed during a recent "Silent Hill" presentation that confirmed both the existence of a new "Silent Hill" game in the works, and a remake of one of the series' best games: "Silent Hill 2."
Originally released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2 before later being ported over to Xbox and the PC, "Silent Hill 2" followed the story of James Sunderland, a widower wandering the haunted town of Silent Hill in search of his deceased wife. The game earned massive amounts of acclaim upon its release for its story, psychological horror elements, and creature design, and to this day is considered one of the greatest horror games ever made.
Remaking what some consider to be the series' magnum opus is a bold move by Konami. And if the game is to be a success, there are certain things that developer Bloober Team must get right.
Better voice acting
The early 2000s were hardly a time period filled with exceptional voice acting in video games. "Silent Hill 2" was no different in this regard. Though the game's story and design were universally acclaimed, many fans say the cheesy voice acting in "Silent Hill 2" is one of the game's weak points. Though Konami attempted to rectify this in the 2012 "Silent Hill HD Collection" remasters by re-recording the dialogue, the end result fell short in the eyes of many fans (via Eurogamer).
Of course, not every fan is deterred by the original game's wooden dialogue. In fact, some even seem to like it. But if Konami wishes to make an effective remake of "Silent Hill 2" that captures modern audiences the same way the original did, the in-game speech will likely have to conform to the modern standard of voice acting. Of course, voice acting is an issue the "Silent Hill" series as a whole has had problems with. But judging by the reveal trailer for the remake, things look promising on this front.
The inclusion of a modern control scheme
Much like the voice acting of the time period, conventional control schemes were quite different than the modern standard. For instance, in games where driving was a primary component, console players regularly had to use the face buttons to drive as opposed to the shoulder buttons, which is standard today. The same can be said about shooting. According to fans, "Silent Hill 2" and many of its contemporaries had an infamously clunky control scheme that limited players in how they could move, look around, and fight against their enemies. And if you were on PC, things were even worse.
If the "Silent Hill 2" remake wishes to replicate the success of the original game, it must do away with this archaic layout and adapt to contemporary expectations when it comes to controls. This means that camera movement should solely be initiated by using the right stick without the need to press a shoulder button simultaneously. It also means that combat should be easier to get a handle on. Yes, some may believe combat being tough is true to James Sunderland's character. However, if Konami wishes for "Silent Hill 2" to be successful, things will have to get less janky.
Creature design
While its story beats and atmosphere are what made "Silent Hill 2" successful in the eyes of both critics and gamers alike, it's in the creature design where the game truly shined when compared to rival series such as "Resident Evil." Characters such as Pyramid Head and Abstract Daddy continue to live on in the nightmares of gamers for their terrifying and unconventional design (via GameDeveloper). More than anything, if "Silent Hill 2" is going to be a success, it must nail this part of the game.
As far as this aspect is concerned, things couldn't possibly get off to a better start. During the "Silent Hill" presentation, artist Masahiro Ito — the original artist behind the creature designs in "Silent Hill 2" — made an appearance, confirming his involvement in the remake after being uninvolved with the IP since 2006. Obviously, this bodes well for the remake as the mind behind the original designs will once again be at the helm. However, given that "Silent Hill 2" is a refresh of a two-decade-old game, there are still areas where the developers can take missteps in terms of design. If this game is going to be a hit, character design should be the highest priority.