Silent Hill 2 remake devs promise to not screw up Konami's masterpiece


silent hill 2 remake devs pyramid head in the new horror game

Despite feeling like it was only yesterday, it's been over 20 years since Konami released the now-lauded horror masterpiece Silent Hill 2. Bloober Team have been given the nerve-wracking task of remaking the game - not remastering it - but fear not spook fans, because the team behind the remake is taking their work seriously.

In an interview with Dread XP, Bloober Team's chief marketing officer Anna Jasinska explains what it's like to have control of such an important IP. "The fact that we’re developing a Silent Hill game is an honour and a dream come true," Jasinska says. Silent Hill 2 is a classic that shaped how our studio works on psychological horrors."

Talks with Konami began way back in 2019 and Bloober faced stiff competition. "But in the end, our concept was the one that stole Konami’s heart," Jasinska explains. Of course, a project like this comes with decades of baggage in the form of fan expectations. "As for apprehension, yes, the pressure is high since we’re dealing with one of the best psychological horror games ever made. We want to stick close to the original, and we will put it in the spotlight for years to come."

So, what are Bloober Team actually going to do to Silent Hill 2 then? "Longtime fans shouldn’t worry about us 'missing the point' while we’re livening up the title," Jasinska says. "We faithfully stick to the traditional story canon while remaking the gameplay and updating the graphics from the ground up."

Bloober's chief marketing officer goes on to give us further details on what kind of changes we can expect. "A big visible change is the adoption of an over-the-shoulder camera, which altered the perspective of a few iconic set pieces, but also meant an overhaul to the combat system," she says. "The latest technological achievements do wonder[s] when it comes to making the visuals pop. As you see, we are not straying away from the original concept of making this cult classic; we just have some ideas on how to make the peculiar scare factors more appealing to the contemporary audience."

Jasinska refuses to comment on story or scene changes and to what extent Bloober's rendition of this cult classic will differ from the original, only sharing that "we take a very safe approach to any changes. We remain faithful to the original title. Nonetheless, we are applying adjustments to certain areas where things need modernizing due to the passage of time."

It sounds like the Silent Hill 2 remake is in safe hands, then, and we can expect all the modern touches we need as players without drastic reshaping of the narrative.

Silent Hill here we come.

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