I love Silent Hill 2, but remakes would be better as a second life for games that really need it

Remakes and remasters have become a constant in the release schedule. It’s easy to understand why. Reliable name recognition, a pre-established fan base, and an already designed game make for a smart investment. Yet at the same time, it’s a paradoxical approach that does a disservice to what makes gaming unique as a medium. Simply put, games that to need to be revisited and given a second chance, near misses are never those who have the opportunity.

Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite games of the last few years have been remakes. I think Resident Evil 4 genuinely evolves the series’ zombie-slaying combat cycle with its impressive new knife. And the recent Silent Hill 2 is legitimately addictive, with overhauls of its iconic monsters inspiring true dread and its shaken level designs giving new opportunities to feel lost in the fog. But even when I’m touching them and loving them, I’m haunted by the feeling that we’re missing out.

The reason Silent Hill 2 was chosen to be the first full remake in the series, skipping the first game, seems easy to guess – it’s the most popular. It also deserves this label. But as someone who recently played every game in a row, it’s also the easiest to return to (if only it were actually available on modern storefronts). The original Silent Hill 2 remains a great game, warts and all. Remaking him cashes in on that rep rather than putting him in the spotlight he never left.

Oh hi, Henry

Silent Hill 4: The Fourth

(Image credit: Konami)

Silent Hill 4: The Room, on the other hand, feels much more tragic. The final game developed by what was left of Konami’s Team Silent, it’s packed with incredible ideas that move the series in an entirely new direction.

Trapped in a single apartment with the front door mysteriously locked, regular guy Henry Townshend discovers a small tunnel in his bathroom that leads him to a nightmarish maze of twisted everyday locations filled with horrible monsters, wandering ghosts, and oozing despair. As he progresses, the horrors within spread throughout his apartment, and he can only watch the tightening knot of a supernatural serial killer conspiracy that invades the world outside through his window and peepholes.

Silent Hill 4: The Room

(Image credit: Konami)

Tempting, yes? Would I recommend this? Uh, not really, no. Henry’s apartment is the scene of strange and delightfully disturbing events, but in practice it quickly turns into a complicated level hub and place to dump equipment. If that wasn’t enough, the second half of the game is a long backtracking sequence mixed with an often horribly buggy escort mission as you travel with your neighbor, Eileen.

As elegant as the Silent Hill 2 remake is, you could easily dust off a version of the old game, put it on digital storefronts, and it would still be one of the best horror games already done. Silent Hill 4: The Room will never have that honor, no matter how much fan patches over the years have sought to resolve these issues. It’s easy to see how technical improvements could better realize the game’s flaws, from how SSD support could allow for less complicated travel back to the titular room, or allowing Eileen to simply navigate an environment without being distracted by counting the teeth in a person’s mouth. Sniffer dog. Even the game’s lead designer told us the game could be a “pain in the ass.”

Dawn of the ‘do

Resident Evil: Code Veronica XHD

(Image credit: Capcom)

It’s not just a problem facing Silent Hill. At the very least, the many Resident Evil remakes seem to have cornered Capcom, where it looks like it will have to remake one of its deeply flawed side games, Resident Evil 0 (on a train!) or Resident Evil: Code Veronica. X (where to start…).

Likewise, the recent Until Dawn remake feels largely pointless as a game already playable on modern consoles, especially since the visual direction also looks worse. It’s always been a great game to spend a relaxing evening with friends. But its narrative choices are born out of a legacy of overly ambitious, story-driven games that didn’t get a chance to shine.

Indigo Prophecy

(Image credit: Quantic Dream)

I’d be hard-pressed to say I’m a fan of Quantic Dream’s Fahrenheit – or Indigo Prophecy to my friends across the pond – but I, like many, was fascinated and obsessed by the promise of its opening chapters, where intricate choices suggested wildly divergent paths. . And also playing Simon-Says type sequences where you are chased by strange insects. I would love to see the old dream revisited. I challenge you to start that introduction to the restaurant and not get hooked.

Although that’s another point entirely. I’m not sure I can really suggest that Fahrenheit is a remake. But I’d love to see something more refining that ambition, as I don’t think Quantic Dream’s later games were able to match it either. Likewise, as divergent as the Silent Hill 2 remake sometimes is in its moment-to-moment design, the plot beats are very familiar.

When I play Silent Hill 2 or the remakes of Resident Evil 4 I think: ‘I would love to play something of this quality, but genuinely new’. If publishers can’t revisit the near-greatness of their flawed releases like Silent Hill 4, at least start suffering some of the wobbles that created them in the first place.

Want to play more Silent Hill? Our list of the best Silent Hill games can help you decide where to start. Playing Silent Hill 2? Take a look at our tips and tricks!