In a time when Resident Evil was the big undisputed name in survival horror, an unsuspecting contender showed up from out of nowhere. Silent Hill surprised players with its bleak, hopeless atmosphere and the critical and commercial success paved the way for a bigger, better sequel. In 2001, Silent Hill 2 was released, and survival horror was never seen as before.
What is it?
Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror game with emphasis on exploration and a deep, intriguing story that blurs the line between what is real and what is fantasy.
The story is enigmatic and chilling from the start. Your character, James Sunderland, receives a letter from his deceased wife Mary, who died of an illness three years before. Obviously puzzled, James sets off to the town of Silent Hill, where he tries to discover leads that solve the mystery of the letter from his dead wife. Along the way, he encounters Maria, who looks just like his wife apart from the brash personality and provocative clothing.
This is just one of the several surprises and twists that Silent Hill 2 has in store. In terms of plot evolution, this game is the perfect example of how to escalate fear and anxiety among the players, helped by a handful of memorable characters, both friend and foe. However, in Silent Hill 2, you’re never certain of who is there to help you and who is just trying to trick you.
The atmosphere is something that helped make the game memorable. The thick fog is used as a clever trick to save machine resources, and at the same time provides a sense of claustrophobia and helplessness, as you can’t see that much in front of you. The radio static, which is used to detect approaching monsters, is a remarkable gimmick, capable of ramping up tension by means of a simple sound effect.
Silent Hill 2 is an extremely violent game, but also one that touches upon many sensible topics grounded in reality. It isn’t afraid to dip its feet on things such as suicidal tendencies, repressed guilt, different kinds of abuse, mental illness, euthanasia and more. Some of these are subtle, while others are clearly expressed through imagery or alluded to in the story.
Deliberately ambiguous, Silent Hill 2 is one of the first psychological horror games that doesn’t try to spell everything to the player. There is a lot of rationalizing to do among all the pain and despair that the game shows you during your descent into a very particular kind of hell.
Who made it?
Team Silent, a division of Konami, is responsible for the first four Silent Hill games. There’s a fun fact behind this team: it was comprised of a bunch of Konami outcasts who were intended to leave the company based on their previous failures, but the unexpected success of Silent Hill gave them a well-deserved break and a bigger role inside the company.
After the fourth Silent Hill game, The Room, Konami decided to disband Team Silent as the management wanted further Silent Hill games to be developed by western companies. Homecoming was created by Climax Studios and Downpour by Double Helix Games. We all know how that turned out…
Sadly, the extremely hyped Silent Hills (P.T.) was canceled by Konami due to internal conflicts. Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid fame, Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead and Guillermo Del Toro, acclaimed director of Pan’s Labyrinth and the new The Shape of Water, were all attached to the project. Kojima left Konami and is now working on Death Stranding with Reedus and Del Toro, as well as Mads Mikkelsen.
Since then, Konami haven’t mentioned Silent Hill again, which is a shame, as Silent Hills seemed like a wonderful and terrifying reinvention of the franchise. I’m willing to bet that Capcom took some inspiration from it to create its first-person Resident Evil VII.
What makes it a true classic?
Silent Hill 2 was a game ahead of its time. More than just survival horror, it was psychological horror, the kind that messed with your mind. It was excruciating, almost intolerably dark and controversial, unsettling in just the right measure. It was a twisted love story with a background of mental illness and deep regrets.
Maria is mesmerizing, a deeply broken reflection of a woman, and she is a large part of what makes Silent Hill 2 what it is. Of course, there’s the constant fear from the knowledge that Pyramid Head could pop up in front of you at any time.
Silent Hill 2 is an endless chill down your spine, and the skilful, unforgettable soundtrack contributes to this classic entry in the horror genre.
Platforms: PC, PS2, Xbox
Release date: 2001
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Team Silent
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