Bloober Team, the game developer behind the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake and Layers of Fear, has recently confirmed that the studio is now done with psychological horror games, and will focus on mass-market horror in the future. Bloober Team is known for making some of the best psychological horror games out there, so it’s a controversial decision, to say the least.
Last year, it was announced that Bloober Team would remake Silent Hill 2, perhaps the most beloved entry in Konami’s horror franchise. Silent Hill 2 was known for its unique take on psychological horror before it was something common, and the game stood out among similar survival horror games of its time due to its unnerving atmosphere and a focus on the protagonist’s mental state. Bloober Team seems like a great fit for the remake exactly because of the studio’s experience with creating similar horror experiences.
Now, Piotr Babieno, the CEO of the studio, revealed in an interview with Engadget that the recent release of the Layers of Fear remake was the swan song of the company’s classic style of making games. Babieno described the old style of the game as focusing on story, mood, and vibes, but not giving a lot of attention to the mechanics of the game. Now, the studio will transform into what is known as “Bloober Team 3.0” internally, and move towards a more mass-market-oriented horror design, making bigger titles that will have a lot of gameplay mechanics.
Babieno also confirmed that the upcoming remake of Konami’s horror franchise will be the first time Bloober Team will test out its new philosophy. This could mean that the Silent Hill 2 remake will prioritize gameplay over the “vibes,” or only that the company is ready to give it more polish and make the gameplay feel better than the other titles it has put out before.
While it’s impossible to say if this shift in the studio’s strategy is bad news for the Silent Hill 2 remake or a good move forward, one developer believes that it’ll be hard to develop the game anyway. In a recent interview, Sam Barlow, who worked on the remake of the first title of the franchise, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, said that the Silent Hill 2 remake is a poison chalice. After all, the job of reimagining such a classic horror game won’t be easy, and some fans will always be left unsatisfied.
Source: Engadget