The survival horror genre has transformed a niche interest into one of the most popular genres in gaming. Many games have made strong impressions, but Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2 are largely viewed as the crown jewels of the genre. Both titles come from two of the most popular survival horror series and they’re the distillations of what those franchises can accomplish.
The debate still rages on between these titles and they’re both impressive in different ways, both for their respective series and the survival horror genre as a whole. Accordingly, here’s a look at which game is better between Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2.
10 Resident Evil 2: The Enemies
There are many different elements that make a survival horror game frightening, but a lot of the time it's the monsters on the loose that cause the scares. Resident Evil 2 excels with its creatures and even the standard enemies like Lickers are a lot to take in.
Add to that rabid dogs, poisonous spiders, murderous plant creatures, & the mutated undead and all of these enemies have not only become survival horror classics, but are also far more memorable than any enemy in Silent Hill 2.
9 Silent Hill 2: The Multiple Endings
The Resident Evil series features plenty of unlockables, but Silent Hill goes a whole lot further in terms of multiple endings and how to trigger them. Silent Hill 2 contains six different endings, which are legitimate challenges.
Furthermore, the conditions behind these endings are more about getting into James’ mental state as an attempt to craft a stronger narrative. There are also two joke endings, one with a UFO & aliens and another that reveals a mischievous dog is actually behind the whole nightmare experience. It’s much sillier than Resident Evil ever gets.
8 Resident Evil 2: The Two-Scenario Story
It's been fascinating to see how the Resident Evil series has changed over the years, especially when it comes to its approach to storytelling and playable characters. Resident Evil 2 is notorious for how it perfects the two-scenario system where there are two branching narratives that overlap and tell one big story. Other Resident Evil games have adopted similar approaches, but it's just so smooth here. Silent Hill 2 has an incredibly mature story, but it's not layered to the same degree as Resident Evil 2's narrative.
7 Silent Hill 2: Its Use Of Psychological Horror
Horror comes from many different places and while the idea of a zombie apocalypse like Resident Evil 2 posits is obviously terrifying, Silent Hill 2 is more about getting inside the characters’ heads. James Sunderland is a far more tortured protagonist than anyone in Resident Evil and the monsters and obstacles that he faces are constant reminders of the sins from his life. The game broaches topics like suicide, death cults, and mental breakdowns that are incredibly deep for a survival horror title and are still impressive to this day.
6 Resident Evil 2: The Jump Scares
Jump scares are sometimes attacked for being cheap ways to frighten people, but there is definitely an art to them and a way to do them right. They're also more effective in video games since players are immersed even deeper into the horror experience. Resident Evil 2 is a masterpiece that creates tension around every corner and plays into the game's fixed camera angles. The infamous two-way mirror scene and any time Mr. X, the Tyrant, appears are pure nightmare fuel and likely to make gamers hurl their controllers in fear.
5 Silent Hill 2: The Music
Music is so integral to creating the proper atmosphere. Even if there are terrifying visuals on screen and tense gameplay, all of that can become irrelevant if the music isn’t appropriate. Akira Yamaoka is the main composer for the Silent Hill series, but his work in this sequel is really fantastic stuff. It’s moody and frightening in a way that amplifies the game’s unnerving environments. On top of all of that, the music finds a way to reflect James’ fragmented mental state and his fluctuating hold on reality.
4 Resident Evil 2: The Weapons
All of the Resident Evil games introduce a progressively intense arsenal of weapons, but Resident Evil 2 hits a real sweet spot. There are some truly crazy ways for players to defend themselves in the game, whether it's the various kinds of grenades or the deadly magnum. Resident Evil 2 offers up lots of variety and actually has weapons that feel powerful against these zombie hordes. Silent Hill 2 is scary, but it lacks in the combat department. As a result, the weapons in the game are also much less exciting.
3 Silent Hill 2: Pyramid Head
The Silent Hill series does a better job with its eerie environments and disturbing storytelling than it does with its combat and enemies, but there are definitely contributions that do something right. Silent Hill 2’s Pyramid Head is absolutely horrifying and is such an effective monster that it’s practically become an unofficial mascot for the series. Everything about the Pyramid Head is upsetting and every second it’s on frame is stressful. Resident Evil 2’s monsters are all fantastic, but Pyramid Head feels like a Clive Barker or Takashi Miike creation.
2 Resident Evil 2: The Bosses
Resident Evil 2 works very hard to have all of its creatures stand out and as strong as the standard enemies are, the bosses are disturbing on a whole other level. Resident Evil 2 features gigantic foes that are truly intimidating and test players in unique ways. Bosses like William Birkin's transformations, the giant alligator, and the final subway showdown are all highly memorable fights from the franchise. Silent Hill 2 features a few intense fights, but none are at the same scale as Resident Evil 2.
1 Silent Hill 2: Its Emotional Story
Every Silent Hill game features a protagonist who’s in pain, but Silent Hill 2’s is especially heartbreaking. James Sunderland ventures to Silent Hill after he gets a letter from his wife, who’s dead. James’ journey to figure out what’s going on begins to trigger intense trauma and reveal a story that’s legitimately shocking & profound for its time. Nearly two decades after the game’s release, Silent Hill 2 still features one of the most powerful and nuanced stories to ever be told in a video game, horror or otherwise.