Remakes are hard to do. While it might seem easy to update the graphics and visuals, maybe add some voice acting if it wasn’t there, remakes don’t come without their fair share of risks. By revitalizing an older, often beloved IP, developers can either recreate the magic of the original, create a companion piece to the original that tells a complementary story, or fumble it. This last one is easy to do, especially since the oversaturation of remakes in recent years have left remakes feeling like cash grabs as people look for something new. That doesn’t mean they don’t sell. Hype is a power force after all. With another survival horror classic remake set to be released on October 8th, 2024, fans are excited and nervous to return to the foggy streets of Silent Hill.
The Silent Hill 2 Remake is being handled by Bloober Team, and has already faced some debate amongst fans for its combat trailer, and the redesign of James Sunderland, the game’s protagonist. CEO Piotr Babieno commented on the debate in an interview with Eurogamer, that he is hoping to earn players trust, through a show of the game’s work as opposed to just words.
Babieno understands the trials and pitfalls of trying to remake Silent Hill 2, and thanks fans for their constructive criticism and feedback received over the game’s rollout cycle. However, even then he also acknowledges that sometimes the needs of the project required developers to focus on their “creative work with peace of mind” without worrying too much about fan response. Instead, he asks that fans try to understand the decisions that went into the remake.
Silent Hill 2 is a beast of a game to remake, having been released in 2001, the game has a legacy that has kept it close to the center of survival horror for more than 20 years. As such any remake will come with some trepidation and excitement behind it, especially as its publicity possibly encourages new players to give it a try. Time will tell if Babieno’s claims come to fruition, as the official release date of October 8th, 2024.