TheBluejay
Silent Hill 2 2001
Log Status
Shelved
Playing
Backlog
Wishlist
Rating
Time Played
21h 37m
Days in Journal
11 days
Last played
January 9, 2021
First played
October 26, 2019
Platforms Played
Review #8 - 2019
https://www.gamingdragons.com/en/game/buy-silent-hill-2-download.html
My first experience with Silent Hill was my sophomore year of high school, 2009. A girl I was dating at the time introduced me to the series, having me start with "Silent Hill 3". I installed it onto my laptop, hid under the covers in the middle of the night, and was thrust into a terrifying world I had never experienced before.
My thoughts on that title will be saved for another time, for it was my next horror experience with "Silent Hill 2", that left me even more haunted than my first time in this disturbing town. This review is based on my 2nd playthrough, which would be my first playthrough on stream back in 2020.
Taking a step away from the narrative of the first entry, "Silent Hill 2" has you playing a whole new story. You're James Sunderland, a man who is visiting this town after receiving a strange letter from his dead wife, inviting him to find her there. It starts off somber and quiet, and not to soon after, you're pursued by the creatures of the town, with the silence drowned out by the sound of your radio as the nightmarish creatures of the town move closer toward you.
Combat isn't the strong suit of the game, but really, it doesn't need to be, for most of the time you'll find yourself running from the enemies as they deliver a serious amount of damage to James. Some battles are best left unfought, but sometimes, you'll get pinned in a corner, or stuck in a narrow hallway between two creatures, and you'll have no choice but to defend yourself. Encounters can be stress inducing, especially when you get a good look at the creature designs before you. My absolute favorite design is the Mannequin. It may look simple, but their movements are unnerving as they lurk toward you, and attack with their second pair of legs on the top half of their body. Their moans of pain/pleasure as you fight back, still make my skin crawl.
This is a series known for its well timed scares, for most of the time, there aren't any. The scares are brought on by your own mind, over thinking and hesitating as you anticipate what might happen if you open that door. And since you're spending your time letting your mind wander, when the game does decide to play a trick on you, it's startling, and highly effective, which I greatly appreciate, as it leaves you further on edge, wondering if it'll happen again somewhere else.
The story is where this game shines the most. Not only is your main character's story dark and disturbing, the characters you meet (especially for the case of Angela Orosco), are equally as disturbing, if not more so. It handles these subject matters maturely, and not just for show, giving the player pause and much to take in. I still love talking about this game, unraveling all the details and metaphors.
The game is further improved with the great work being done by the team behind the "Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition", which is a true "HD" remaster compared to the dumpster fire that was Konami's attempt. If you've played this game before and thought it looked great before (or maybe you didn't), then you haven't seen anything yet. Do yourself a favor, buy a PC copy using the link at the top, and check out their work below.
http://www.enhanced.townofsilenthill.com/SH2/
"Silent Hill 2" is a phenomenal way to get into the Silent Hill series. It's iconic for a reason, and in a time where horror titles are all about flash and no substance, games like this are great to fall back on, especially if you're looking for something that's patient, meaningful, and of course, horrifying.
https://www.gamingdragons.com/en/game/buy-silent-hill-2-download.html
My first experience with Silent Hill was my sophomore year of high school, 2009. A girl I was dating at the time introduced me to the series, having me start with "Silent Hill 3". I installed it onto my laptop, hid under the covers in the middle of the night, and was thrust into a terrifying world I had never experienced before.
My thoughts on that title will be saved for another time, for it was my next horror experience with "Silent Hill 2", that left me even more haunted than my first time in this disturbing town. This review is based on my 2nd playthrough, which would be my first playthrough on stream back in 2020.
Taking a step away from the narrative of the first entry, "Silent Hill 2" has you playing a whole new story. You're James Sunderland, a man who is visiting this town after receiving a strange letter from his dead wife, inviting him to find her there. It starts off somber and quiet, and not to soon after, you're pursued by the creatures of the town, with the silence drowned out by the sound of your radio as the nightmarish creatures of the town move closer toward you.
Combat isn't the strong suit of the game, but really, it doesn't need to be, for most of the time you'll find yourself running from the enemies as they deliver a serious amount of damage to James. Some battles are best left unfought, but sometimes, you'll get pinned in a corner, or stuck in a narrow hallway between two creatures, and you'll have no choice but to defend yourself. Encounters can be stress inducing, especially when you get a good look at the creature designs before you. My absolute favorite design is the Mannequin. It may look simple, but their movements are unnerving as they lurk toward you, and attack with their second pair of legs on the top half of their body. Their moans of pain/pleasure as you fight back, still make my skin crawl.
This is a series known for its well timed scares, for most of the time, there aren't any. The scares are brought on by your own mind, over thinking and hesitating as you anticipate what might happen if you open that door. And since you're spending your time letting your mind wander, when the game does decide to play a trick on you, it's startling, and highly effective, which I greatly appreciate, as it leaves you further on edge, wondering if it'll happen again somewhere else.
The story is where this game shines the most. Not only is your main character's story dark and disturbing, the characters you meet (especially for the case of Angela Orosco), are equally as disturbing, if not more so. It handles these subject matters maturely, and not just for show, giving the player pause and much to take in. I still love talking about this game, unraveling all the details and metaphors.
The game is further improved with the great work being done by the team behind the "Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition", which is a true "HD" remaster compared to the dumpster fire that was Konami's attempt. If you've played this game before and thought it looked great before (or maybe you didn't), then you haven't seen anything yet. Do yourself a favor, buy a PC copy using the link at the top, and check out their work below.
http://www.enhanced.townofsilenthill.com/SH2/
"Silent Hill 2" is a phenomenal way to get into the Silent Hill series. It's iconic for a reason, and in a time where horror titles are all about flash and no substance, games like this are great to fall back on, especially if you're looking for something that's patient, meaningful, and of course, horrifying.