Without question, Silent Hill 2 is one of the most iconic and notable psychological horror games of all time. In 2001, it revolutionised the way horror games were made; while others were hitting high notes with jump scares and zombies, Silent Hill 2 brought an overwhelming sense of dread. There’s a reason that so many modern horror games cite it as their inspiration. That’s why so many gamers were hesitant, worried, concerned, and also just a little bit hopeful when a remake of Silent Hill 2 was announced by seasoned horror developer, Bloober Team.

I was concerned, as well. While I don’t usually wax lyrical about my personal history at the top of reviews, I think it’s worth calling out that the original Silent Hill 2 is my favourite video game of all time. As a teenager, it completely warped and evolved my perception of what a video game could be, with a chilling atmosphere, emotional storytelling and a darkness I’d never seen before. My playthrough of this remake, and the words that now follow, come from a superfan; someone who knows and loves Silent Hill 2 intimately. As a completely conflicting emotion to the vibes of the game itself, it brings me great joy to say that this Silent Hill 2 remake is excellent. Not only a faithful recreation, it also manages to refine and revitalise what is, in my opinion, the greatest horror game of all time. With such a rock-solid foundation and a sleek new makeover, it’s difficult to find fault.

A history lesson in Horror

Given it’s been 23 years since the original, I won’t assume you know everything about James Sunderland and his mysterious journey to a dark, twisted and horrifically dirty town that is in dire need of a good scrub. During its opening, James receives a letter from his wife, Mary, telling him to meet her in the eerie town, in their special place where she is waiting. A lovely gesture, if she hadn’t already been dead for three years. Still, driven by confusion and hope, James enters the fog-covered town to search for answers.

Silent Hill isn’t just any town; it’s full of strange and grotesque creatures, a cast of emotionally battered characters all searching for their own sense of closure, and a healthy dose of nightmarish locations to explore, filled with doors to unlock, puzzles to solve and mysteries to uncover, should you survive. It was a fantastic setting in 2001, and it holds up incredibly well here. Silent Hill, as a location, is one of the most iconic in video game history, and Bloober Team have done an impressive job at reimagining it. The fog, in particular, was once a sort of cover-up for the behind-the-scenes rendering of the PS2. Now, the fog moves and breathes like a character in and of itself, swirling around James and his environment in an ominous, foreboding manner. It feels like it has its own personality, making the creatures lurking within it even more threatening.

Every core location you’ll trudge through is kind of how I remember them, but with differences that again, expand on them to make for a bigger task at hand. The Wood Side Apartments, Brookhaven Hospital, Toluca Prison, the Lake View Hotel and others gave me chills as I entered them in the remake for the first time, my PS2 flashbacks kicking in as I remembered how they made me feel more than twenty years ago. This is nostalgia fuel at its best for hardcore fans like me, and seeing these memorable areas recreated with stunning visuals today highlights every disgusting detail. The Nightmare versions in particular are just gross to look at, once again giving me a sense of claustrophobia as I just wanted to get out of there as soon as humanly possible. Every time I had to stick my hand inside something fleshy or leap down deep into an unknown darkness, it made me wince.

As you’re exploring, James is quick to update his trusty map, crossing out permanently unavailable doors, circling those that are locked, but openable, and writing quick notes about puzzles and their requirements. As you find notes and clues, they’ll mention certain rooms or areas, which James will find and mark with a question mark. When you complete a puzzle, he’ll cross it out or give the room a checkmark, noting that you won’t need to go there again to progress the story. The map was a useful tool in the original, but it’s even more satisfying and handy in Silent Hill 2 today, making the methodical exploration of dark spaces feel interconnected, and minimising the need for backtracking. If you take the clues, the map, and the items in your possession, you should be able to piece everything together in a gratifying manner, and it feels right.

He also will move his head to look at key items or objects as you’re exploring, which can be incredibly handy if it’s something you may have missed, or if you’re too busy avoiding enemies. Healing items and bullets are all over the place, in drawers and cabinets, and while the constant searching for supplies somewhat distracts from the otherwise consistently creepy atmosphere, it gives good reason to be thorough whenever you enter a new room, as you’ll need whatever you can get your hands on to survive.

Same same, but different

One of the best surprises in the remake is how well Bloober Team has preserved the series’ cryptic, unsettling puzzle mechanics while adding a fresh layer. Veterans of the original will find familiar puzzles, but with new twists that force you to think differently. The subtle changes make the puzzles feel engaging even for those who know the original game inside and out. Some of the newer puzzles are clever, adding a necessary challenge that doesn’t feel forced. Some fit so well within the world that I had to go back and check to see if they were old or new, and was impressed to see how the new additions fit in so well with the style and challenge of the original.

Not to be outdone, the enemy A.I. stands out as impressive, again showing a strong evolution from the original. The Lying Figures (the weirdos with their hands permanently tucked in) the faceless Nurses and the Mannequins (a torso with four legs) are more terrifying than ever, but much smarter in combat. They dodge, strike back with a thud and keep you on edge. Even after I’d encountered plenty of them, their erratic and unpredictable behaviour kept me off guard, especially as the Mannequins crawled up the walls and hid around corners, waiting to pounce on you with a punch (kick?) to the face. The enemies feel more threatening, giving the remake a tangible sense of danger. Even though James feels more capable of fighting back, the balance between threat and power is well-maintained, with bullets in limited supply and most taking several melee hits to take down effectively. Stomping them with a grunt and a squish was always cathartic, too.

Combat does sometimes get in the way of itself, though, especially when multiple enemies are coming at you at once. The downside to tight corridors, small apartments and patient rooms in hospitals is that you often don’t have a lot of room to move around. While the over-the-shoulder camera does a great job of making encounters feel more intense, it struggles when you’re backed into a literal corner and can’t see which direction you’re facing. Add in that healing items take a moment or two to take effect, and some unfair deaths came my way where I was trapped and without the vision to help get me out. This can make some of the faster boss encounters tough, too, as my attempts to dodge out of the way and secure ammunition were thwarted by an attack I couldn’t see. As with any horror game, an encounter is scary the first time, but frustrating the third or fourth time you need to repeat it.

Of course, Silent Hill 2 wouldn’t be Silent Hill 2 without the return of Pyramid Head, one of the most blood-chilling and legendary video game horror villains of all time. He still looms large over proceedings, and Bloober Team has wisely retained his enigmatic, dread-inducing presence. His role is even more haunting this time around, with the atmosphere leading up to his first appearance filled with tension, as heavy footsteps echo through the halls and the sound of a dragging giant sword reminds you that he’s never that far away. I screamed whenever I came across him, even though I knew full well that our encounters were inevitable. This remake cements his place as an icon, and I can’t wait for newcomers to Silent Hill 2 to confront him for the very first time. I hate him. I love him. I never want to see him again. I can’t wait for my next playthrough.

White Noiz

For my money, Akira Yamaoka is an all-time great video game music composer, and he’s back in a big way with this version of Silent Hill 2. It maintains the good bones of what made it so everlasting on a first listen but has been remixed and reimagined to make it feel more modern and updated, instead of a pure copy and paste. As a purist, it manages to stay true to the haunting, industrial sounds we’ve come to associate with the series, in my opinion. Retouched with higher quality audio and more dynamic effects deepens the immersion, and when it’s layered with the scary bumps and ever-present radio static when an enemy is nearby (that, cleverly, comes through the DualSense, adding to the tension), it all combines in a way that truly keeps you on edge as James stumbles through his mental and physical torment.

I also enjoyed the performances of the new cast; Luke J. Roberts does an excellent job as the leading man James, reacting appropriately to the strange situation he finds himself in, while stubbornly staying on his path to find his wife. Salóme Gunnarsdóttir also shines as Maria. The doppelganger for James’ wife Mary, she brings a playfulness to the role and her delivery darts between sexy and strange as required. Evie Templeton (Laura), Gianna Kiehl (Angela) and Scott Haining (Eddie) all do a brilliant job of bringing the script to life, and along with the visual prowess on display, it’s a slick production overall that’s more than capable of delivering the source material, and its additions, with gusto.

Even with the changes, and a game that runs almost double the length of the original, that time honestly flew by, never feeling bloated. Bloober Team hasn’t lost sight of the core that made Silent Hill 2 so effective: fear. The fear of the unknown as you walk through thick fog, or as you open a creaking door for the first time, not knowing what lurks within. The fear that James is forced to face as he uncovers the truth behind his journey, a narrative that is just as twisted and shocking today as it was in the original. Fear is what that game so impactful, and this version captures that same creeping dread.

This isn’t a 1:1 remake; it’s more of a loving reimagining, made by a team that loves the source material just as much as I do. Playing it felt like a timewarp, except everything looks crisper and more terrifying than I remember it. Those foggy streets that were hiding technical blemishes are now intentionally obscuring my vision, making the situation feel downright glum in the best possible way. And those brain-teasing puzzles are just as clever now as they were back then, incredibly pleasing for old-school horror lovers; just obscure enough, but not to the point of nonsensical.

There was a hole here. A hole in gaming history, with a groundbreaking game just waiting for the right time to fill us with fear all over again. It’s gone now.