The father of the psychological horror genre is about to make his comeback!
We are finally nearing the end of this long and exhausting wait for the remake of the father of the psychological horror genre: Silent Hill 2. Bloober team’s project has always been in the spotlight due to various criticism, primarily stemming from the lack of trust in the team, which many believe may not be up to the task of meeting expectations and, more importantly, of recreating the same feelings as the original.
After various ups and downs between Blooder Team and Konami, and issues related to marketing, it seems that the Polish team, after the release of the latest trailer, has managed to redeem itself and demonstrate the dedication and passion required to offer both new players and nostalgic fans an unforgettable experience.
The trailer opens with one of the most important scenes in the entire game, the dialogue between James and Maria, both locked in a cell, where Maria begins to reveal her true personality and intentions. We finally get a clearer view of the new design for the seductress, and although she is not wearing her iconic outfit beloved by fans, she still manages to maintain her role and exude sensuality, albeit in a less provocative attire. However, as for the voice acting, the actress voicing Maria did not quite manage to portray the character effectively, coming across as robotic, cold and emotionless. On the other hand, I found the portrayal of Mary to be sweeter and purer, as she should be.
We had the pleasure of seeing the first appearances of Eddie, the third sinner; a detailed and perfect design for the character he represents, even, in my opinion, superior to the original. His icy blue eyes, imperfect teeth, and his physique are more emphasized compared to his original design, highlighting the importance of his condition and the reason he finds himself in Silent Hill.
I couldn’t fail to mention one of the most intense and emotional scenes from Silent Hill 2 shown in this trailer: Angela Orosco, so deep and human, with her famous dramatic line, “Do you see it too? For me, it’s always like this.” Unfortunately, as already mentioned with Maria, in this new interpretation, I can’t perceive the same pain and resignation conveyed by her previous voice actress.
As for the protagonist, James Sunderland, one of the most enigmatic and complex characters, he had already convinced most of the public, but with this trailer, he only reconfirmed that. His design is well-crafted, and his voice line matches his character; personally, I appreciated the lighting in the frame shown below:
The settings already proposed in previous trailers and shown again in this one are very faithful to the original and recreate what the city of Silent Hill should evoke: darkness, anguish, loneliness, anxiety, and ambiguity. However, due to the modernity and more realistic representation, the surprise and fear effect of not being able to see what lurks in the shadows and beyond the fog is somewhat lost.
There will surely still be criticisms today, and there will be many more even when the game is completed, mainly regarding the gameplay, as it seems to still give the impression of being as mechanical and clunky as its previous chapters. I, too, share this opinion. I’m unsure if it was a deliberate choice, as all the Silent Hill chapters have always focused more on the storyline than the gameplay, or if it’s simply a lack of competence on the part of the Polish team.
In conclusion, I have high hopes for this work. I really hope that with this remake, the Silent Hill saga will achieve the success it deserves, that it will leave an indelible mark on new players, and rekindle the same emotions for older fans.
