Before its official announcement, fans were uncertain whether to believe early leaks of aSilent Hill 2remake developed by Bloober Team. After such a long and arduous hiatus, following multiple poorly received installments,theSilent Hillfranchise seemed to be shelved indefinitely. However, the news of this remake, as well as multiple new installments with emergent genres, may be the boon that Konami and fans alike needed.Silent Hill 2is easily one of the most notable psychological horror games of all time, and it makes sense why Konami chose to have it remade instead of its predecessor.
The originalSilent Hillon PS1 is still regarded as a great game, especially in comparison to some of the franchise’s later entries. But it will always be eclipsed by its sequel, which tells an original narrative independent of the first entry. Indeed, the firstSilent Hillgame includes a somewhat convoluted narrative that also connects it toSilent Hill 3, whileSilent Hill 2is able to exist on its own as a solitary, solemn experience. That said,Silent Hill 2receiving a remakewas likely decided by how well it could perform for Konami more than any other reason.
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Silent Hill 2 is Much More Iconic Than Its PS1 Predecessor
It is undeniable thatSilent Hill 2is the more popular of the two games, let alone anySilent Hillgames for that matter.Silent Hill 2is widely regarded as one of the best survival-horror games ever made, and without its impact it would be difficult to perceive theSilent Hillfranchise in the same way as fans do now.
The sequel has its setbacks as any game might, but it has far fewer issues than its counterparts in the IP. The stigma aroundSilent Hillcould potentially change, but Bloober’s remake will only be touching upon the best in the series. In that case, it seems as if the original game deserves a remake more becauseSilent Hill 2’s iconographyis more popular and favoredalready.
But that is almost assuredly why the sequel was chosen instead—by leading with its most popular entry, Konami’s audience net can be cast wider, and it therefore has more of a chance to profit. IfSilent Hill: Downpourhad a remake announced instead, for instance, the reception may have been much quieter and dissatisfied.
Such remakes may be greenlit in the future, but to have the most lucrative reception, Konami seemingly chose what could excel in terms of brand recognition and nostalgic preference, rather than what games could improve the most via a modern remake.
Some would argue that the originalSilent Hillhas already had its remake, referring toSilent Hill: Shattered Memories. This argument is valid in thatSilent Hill: Shattered Memoriesis a wholesale reimagining of the original’s narrativethat places Harry Mason in a separate canon.
But many fans were unhappy with it for that reason, such as how drastically its approach to survival-horror and gameplay is in comparison to otherSilent Hillgames, as well as the fact that it was not developed by Team Silent.Silent Hill: Shattered Memoriesis such a stretch from the originalSilent Hillthat many fans still hope to see a modern remake that reimagines it as faithfully asBloober’sSilent Hill 2appears to be.
Resident Evil’s own remake of the PS1 original, for comparison’s sake, was absolutely beloved due to its faithful reimagining and favorable additions. IfSilent Hillcould have achieved something similar, perhaps fans would be satisfied with that. Still, if theSilent Hill 2remakeis as beloved as Capcom’sResident Evil 2remake, it is possible that Konami will issue multiple more remakes in the future, andSilent Hillcould be a good contender for a modern installment.
Silent Hill 2is in development for PC and PS5.
