The Silent Hill series has had a long history of being called the best survival horror game series of all time. Silent Hill 2, in particular is held up to the heavens as the shining example of how the genre should be. The game starts with the hero, James Sunderland, receiving a letter from his 3 year late wife. Not ten minutes into the game you discover that this town that's apparently very, very evil is actually very, very evil. The town of Silent Hill seems to be completely deserted, but James is never alone. Throughout the game he meets other tortured souls, searching through their own personal hell for the thing most precious to them. The re-done voice acting is pretty solid, but it doesn't have the same cheesy charm of survival horror days of yore.
Silent Hill is known for it's interesting way of blurring the line between the supernatural and psychological disturbance, and Silent Hill 2 is no different. Without spoiling anything, every enemy you face in the game has a significant meaning that goes beyond the fact that it's a scary monster. Pyramid Head, perhaps the single most famous survival horror character ever, and Silent Hill's representation of guilt makes his first appearance here. He evokes such a sense of power that escape can sometimes seem impossible, perfect for the hopeless nature of the game.
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The gameplay in Silent Hill 2 is a mix of some interesting puzzles and melee/ gun combat. The combat is pretty standard, it's never awful and you can run past a large majority of the creatures. The puzzles can actually mess with you, which is odd to see. For example, leaving everything you've acquired throughout the game in a locker so you can descend in an elevator, or an area of the game that's more disturbing than it has any right to be, in which James continues to jump down pit after deep pit to reach his objective. The game can take from 7 to 11 hours on your first playthrough depending on how you handle puzzles and which difficulty you're playing on.
Of course, as with the Lollipop Chainsaw review, I feel the need to gush over the Akira Yamaoka score for this game. The music in Silent Hill 2 is haunting and unforgettable, and after maybe a particularly shocking revelation in the story or surreal gameplay segment, a song can stick with you forever. While running through the city most of what you'll hear is the just-out-of-your-vision squirming of a straight jacket wearing creature as it scuttles from place to place. The sound design in the game can really bother you, from the slick sounds of one creature, to the creaking, squirming joints of another, to the scrape of Pyramid Head's sword on the floor, letting you know that death is just behind you. It's a great addition and it really goes to show how important good sound design is in such and atmospheric game as this.
Silent Hill 2 is the reason to get into the survival horror genre. Tank controls and allegedly frustrating item management that usually comes with the difficulty aren't a hindrance here. The sound, the art design, and even the getting to see one of the game's 6 endings all mix together to make a truly supreme experience. Silent Hill 2 isn't just one of the best survival horror games of all time, it's one of the most atmospheric games ever, and it'll stick with you long after you put the controller down.
9.5/10
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