While 2023 is full of classic games coming back, the Silent Hill 2 remake is easily among the most anticipated of this particular bunch. Following several years where the beloved survival horror franchise stayed idle, Konami has announced a series of projects, among which Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake easily stands out.
The Polish studio known for Layers of Fear, The Medium, The Blair Witch, and Observer is working alongside developers who worked on the original title, like composer Akira Yamaoka and concept artist Masahiro Ito, who were interviewed alongside Silent Hill producer Motoi Okamoto by IGN. Ito and Okamoto explained that the combat design has been improved and the enemy AI fully remade from the ground up, making for a more interesting experience.
Ito: First off, we’re improving the combat design, something that received a lot of feedback in the original. Doing so would be difficult without changing the way the monsters move and act, so we’ve tried to respect the original designs while adding combat that’s fun and new to the remake as we improve a number of enemies.
Okamoto: We’re remaking enemy AI from the ground up to be designed in a way that will allow players to enjoy the combat. Bloober Team’s love for the original is strong, so they’re not going to simply add new enemies. They are looking at fine details that can help make combat fun, though, which means changing AI or small design elements. It might look the same, but it’s different when you look closely. They really did a good job all throughout the game.
Ito: I think that the Silent Hill 2 remake has ended up as a more interesting experience than the original.
The Silent Hill 2 remake, powered by Unreal Engine 5, will be released for PlayStation 5 and PC. There’s no date yet; however, Bloober Team president Piotr Babieno said last October that the project was in the late development stage, providing a glimmer of hope for a potential release this year.
