Full disclosure: I knew the twist going into this, I had it spoiled for me years ago. Given that, I thought some of the impact of the game's storytelling would be lost on me, but I think it's a testament to the genuinely solid writing of Silent Hill 2 that knowing that going in absolutely did not ruin the emotional weight the story carried for me. There are just so many wonderful little moments of surreal, disturbing tension; almost every scene with Eddie and Angela demonstrates this, but that scene with Maria in the prison? "You were always so forgetful! Remember that time in the hotel?... You said you took everything, but you forgot that videotape we made!" Just, ugh, chills. It understands what can be done with its setting perfectly, and I think it manages to make the town a much more interesting, sinisterly alive creature than it was in 1.

Edit: That last part was wrong as fuck. Wrote this over a year ago and 1 understands how to use the setting so well that even though I don't think 1 is strictly better at this than 2 I do think it has a very different but entirely strong appeal.