Hello, I’m the producer of Konami Motoi Okamoto. When it came to bringing Silent Hill back to life, what we considered most important was to do so with those who love the series. Silent Hill had been, if you will, “silent” for many years. Yet even during this silence, we had received proposals for new entries and remakes. It truly is a franchise that is loved by so many fans.
Bloober Team was one of those teams with the most passionate proposals. It’s a studio that really loves and specializes in horror games. Together with creators who love Silent Hill, for fans who have a special place in their hearts for Silent Hill, we decided to remake Silent Hill 2. For more on that, I’ll hand over to Mateusz Lenart, Creative Director & Lead Designer at The Bloober team.
The classic returns again
Silent Hill 2 is a beloved, timeless classic – it’s almost a cliché to say it out loud, but it’s so true for many on the Bloober team. It’s also why we approach the work on the remake with such care and respect for the original game.
With that in mind, one of our main goals is to preserve the atmosphere that made Silent Hill 2 so great, while modernizing many aspects of the game’s overall gameplay. We’re working closely with the original creators, including Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito, to make sure we keep that unique Silent Hill feel intact.
One of the new elements you may have spotted in the reveal trailer is the adoption of a shoulder camera. With this change, we want to immerse players even deeper into the game, make them feel like part of this unreal world, and provide them with a more visceral experience across the board.
One change often leads to another. With a fresh perspective, we’re rebuilding the combat system and some set pieces, among other things. Now that you’re basically seeing what James can see, we might find new ways to keep the player nervous.
Twenty-one years have passed since the release of Silent Hill 2 for PlayStation 2 and the big leap in technology allows us to be even closer – at least in some respects – to how Team Silent would have liked its game to be. back to 2001. Using state-of-the-art motion capture sessions, we can deliver the best facial expressions in series history and show a wide range of emotions even before a character utters a only word.
Built with Unreal Engine 5
We’re completely updating the Silent Hill 2 experience. With the possibilities of Unreal Engine 5, we’re bringing the misty, eerie town to life in a way that was impossible until now. The game will delight PlayStation 5 gamers visually, aurally and sensorially.
Some of the Unreal Engine 5 features that really shine are Lumen and Nanite. With them, we elevate the graphics to new, highly detailed and realistic levels, while transforming the nerve-racking atmosphere of the eleven-player game.
Lumen is a fully dynamic global illumination solution that reacts immediately to scene and light changes. This means that light interacts with the environment realistically, just like in the real world. The whole gaming environment is lit more naturally this way. Nanite technology, on the other hand, is an incredible tool for level designers. With it, they can create incredibly detailed worlds and more realistic environments that look and feel almost realistic.
New PS5 Features
It’s not just graphics, however. Much of Silent Hill’s eerie atmosphere comes from the music and sound design. Thanks to the PS5’s 3D audio capabilities, players will be able to determine the exact direction the sound is coming from. The WWise sound engine creates a realistic and believable soundscape that helps players feel truly inside the game.
Of course, we don’t forget the DualSense controller. We’ve already shown with our previous title, The Medium, that we can be quite creative when it comes to haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. We’re bringing even more new ideas for Silent Hill 2, but saving one surprise for now.
One last big improvement I want to mention is SSD storage technology. Lightning-fast data streaming means players won’t see any loading screens when seamlessly exploring the entire city of Silent Hill.
Armed with these technologies, we hope to make Silent Hill 2 an even more poignant and unforgettable experience for fans old and new. We’re confident we can do this cult classic justice and breathe new life into its gameplay. The end result will be a Silent Hill game that looks and sounds better than anything that has come before it. Although development is not yet complete, we are already looking forward to fans experiencing it.
A new chapter begins
The revival of the Silent Hill series doesn’t end with Silent Hill 2. We announced not only the remake of a past classic, but also several titles with brand new stories. Creating new games is what really brings the franchise back.
We will be creating new games for the series with those who were part of Silent Hill, but also with creators who love the franchise. We will expand our partnerships and expand the world of Silent Hill with teams that love the series from around the world.
Above all, together with longtime Silent Hill fans and future fans, we will elevate the Silent Hill series to new heights.
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