Before its official announcement, fans were uncertain whether to believe early leaks of a Silent Hill 2 remake developed by Bloober Team. After such a long and arduous hiatus, following multiple poorly received installments, the Silent Hill franchise 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 2 is 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 original Silent Hill on 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 first Silent Hill game includes a somewhat convoluted narrative that also connects it to Silent Hill 3, while Silent Hill 2 is able to exist on its own as a solitary, solemn experience. That said, Silent Hill 2 receiving a remake was likely decided by how well it could perform for Konami more than any other reason.
Silent Hill 2 is Much More Iconic Than Its PS1 Predecessor
It is undeniable that Silent Hill 2 is the more popular of the two games, let alone any Silent Hill games for that matter. Silent Hill 2 is widely regarded as one of the best survival-horror games ever made, and without its impact it would be difficult to perceive the Silent Hill franchise 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 around Silent Hill could 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 because Silent Hill 2’s iconography is more popular and favored already.
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. If Silent Hill: Downpour had a remake announced instead, for instance, the reception may have been much quieter and dissatisfied.
Such remakes may be greenlit in the future, but in order 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.
Silent Hill 1 Technically Had Its Chance with Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Some would argue that the original Silent Hill has already had its remake, referring to Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. This argument is valid in that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a wholesale reimagining of the original’s narrative that 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 other Silent Hill games, as well as the fact that it was not developed by Team Silent. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is such a stretch from the original Silent Hill that many fans still hope to see a modern remake that reimagines it as faithfully as Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 appears 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. If Silent Hill could have achieved something similar, perhaps fans would be satisfied with that. Still, if the Silent Hill 2 remake is as beloved as Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake, it is possible that Konami will issue multiple more remakes in the future, and Silent Hill could be a good contender for a modern installment.
Silent Hill 2 is in development for PC and PS5.
