5/5 ★ – Visionary_Gamer's review of SILENT HILL 2.

Truly one of the most profound and unique experiences I’ve had as a gamer. This game made me feel things no other game has before. I wanted to start by saying that I’ve never played the original SH2, as I was too young when that first came out, so there will be no comments as to how faithful a remake this is and it will be judged on its own merits. I played Silent Hill 2, in its entirety, with headphones on in the dark which really enhanced my experience and immersion. SH2 is NOT a comfort game. I did not enjoy being in its world. Removing my headphones after every session was like pulling myself back into reality as I breathed a sigh of relief, it is THAT immersive. I’ve never been so happy to take a break after a play session, and I mean that in the best possible way. Most of the immersion comes from the incredible sound design and score. This is hands down the best sound design I have heard in a game. Traversing through silent hill is unnerving enough, but then you’ll hear bizarre, unsettling noises. People screaming, metal creaking, someone’s footsteps upstairs, loud unexplained bangs. The music is the right amount of comforting and bizarre, and perfectly fits the moments when the tracks are used. But the game also uses silence perfectly, completely changing the mood when everything stops. The guns all sound incredible, especially the shotgun. The voice acting and performances in SH2 are truly astonishing. The voice actors have managed to capture the emotion perfectly. Coupled with tremendous motion capture makes for some great performances. Especially from the main character, James. He managed to stay interesting without having a lot to say, and conveys the emotions of love, loss, desperation, dread, guilt and acceptance perfectly. Visuals, graphics and aesthetics are all terrific. Silent Hill looks amazing outdoors and even better within the buildings and sections. Enemy design, whilst a little repetitive by the end, is excellent. Boss design, even more so. Each section is as interesting as the last, with incredible level design. The otherworld is excellently done and is genuinely frightening. The combat isn’t the best I’ve ever seen in a game, but you don’t play this game for the combat. It really is secondary to the experience in my opinion. It is still fun, with good movement and realistic motion, and does a good job of reminding the player that James is no warrior. Where the game really shines is its story and how it leaves everything open to the players interpretation. I was enthralled from start to finish. There are a few jump scares here and there, but the horror of “not knowing” rang more true than any jump scare. “Why is James here?” “What does all this mean?” “How do the extraordinary things I’m seeing relate to James state of mind?”. There are some genuinely disturbing and grotesque themes on display here that aren’t for players that are easily upset. Silent Hill 2 doesn’t tell you what’s going on, even at the end. It leaves everything open to the player to peace together. I know how I interpret the story and where I think James actually is and what he did, and I love my version. Silent Hill 2 is a masterpiece of survival horror. It doesn’t need to rely on jump scares to convey true horror and instead utilises tension, psychological trauma and depressing themes to put its message across. The best games are the ones that have you thinking about them for days and weeks after playing. Silent Hill 2 does just that.