As October begins, plenty of gaming enthusiasts think back on their favorite horror franchises and select a few classic games to play to get in the mood for Halloween. The Silent Hill series is often lauded as one of gaming's scariest, with Silent Hill 2 standing out as Konami's masterpiece. Unfortunately, there isn't a great way to play the game, as physical copies are expensive to acquire and the 2012 HD remaster for it was a major let down according to most fans. Now that it's been nearly ten years since Silent Hill HD Collection and over 20 since Silent Hill 2's original release, it seems like now, more than ever, is the perfect time for the game to be remade.
Not only is Silent Hill 2 recognized as Konami's best, but it's also seen by many as one of the greatest video games ever made. With its engaging story, truly memorable monsters, and chilling atmosphere, every single aspect of the title enforces its themes, making for a cohesive experience that many argue remains unmatched to this day. While many fans of the series might prefer a remaster over a full-blown remake, it seems clear that a remake is the way to go when trying to honor Silent Hill 2's longstanding legacy.
Silent Hill 2 Can't Be Remastered
There's definitely a case to be made that a remake of such an important title would likely never reach the same heights as the original. Silent Hill 2 does so many things right that it seems like it would be impossible to capture every aspect of what made it great in the first place within a remake. That said, the unfortunate truth is that a one-to-one remaster of the game simply isn't possible.
When Silent Hill HD Collection was released in 2012, there were a lot of issues that fans had with the game. While plenty of those issues came down to personal preference such as the new voice cast, the technical problems that plagued the game made it feel unfinished. As it turns out, these choices weren't necessarily deliberate, as the studio behind the remaster wasn't given the full source code for the original games. As such, many parts of both titles needed to be created from scratch. That paired with a short deadline resulted in the team not being able to recreate the missing pieces of the game's code, which lead to the controversial release of the HD remaster.
When the truth about the development of Silent Hill HD Collection was made public, it quickly dawned on fans that this meant a proper HD remaster of Silent Hill 2 and 3 was likely never going to happen. Fans either have to play the original on PS2 or stomach the game's many problems and play the HD Collection. With remakes being so popular now in the games industry, and the fact that a remaster is impossible, it would be worth Konami's time to bite the bullet and invest in a full-blown remake of Silent Hill 2.
Making a Silent Hill 2 Remake the Definitive Version of the Game
Remaking Silent Hill 2 presents a major opportunity for Konami that, due to the game's relatively unique position, could be huge for the company. It has the chance to become the definitive way to experience the story, making Silent Hill 2 just as good as (if not better than) its fans remember it to be. Playing to nostalgia is a tricky thing, as changing too much can alienate the franchise's most diehard supporters, but changing too little might not feel like enough has been done to truly modernize the classic horror title.
Still, if it's able to truly capture all of what makes Silent Hill 2 the horror game by which every other horror game is judged, then Konami could have one of the biggest hits its ever had in its hands. There are so many different elements that can be attributed to the title's success and, hopefully, a studio remaking it would be able to pin each element down and improve upon them to meet modern standards.
While it still certainly holds up pretty well, the original Silent Hill 2 is still beginning to show its age. A remake offers Konami the chance to remind fans what makes the game so special in the first place while avoiding some of the issues that have come about due to the passage of time. A remake can also tell fans that the company values the series, which has gotten something of a cold shoulder ever since Silent Hills was canceled.
Returning to Silent Hill's Roots
While all the entries in the Silent Hill series certainly have their own merits, it does feel like each game following Silent Hill 3 took a couple of missteps that made them pale in comparison to the original three titles. A new entry in the franchise would likely go over really well with fans and newcomers alike, howeve it would need to nail a lot of things that the final few games seemed to miss. Creating a new story altogether would be ideal, but revisiting the best game in the series as a way to reintroduce Silent Hill to the world following a lengthy hiatus could be just what the series needs to get people excited again.
Silent Hill is one of the most influential horror series ever made, and if Konami can remind fans of what made it so good in the first place with a well-made remake of Silent Hill 2, then a SIlen Hill revival could begin in the next few years. Rumor has it that Konami is already working on a new Silent Hill project, so hopefully the company reveals something about the future of the series soon. With any luck, it could be a remake that truly captures the original spirit of the franchise.
Silent Hill 2 is available on PS2 and Xbox.