The release of Silent Hill 2 is just around the corner on October 8. We’re honored to be able to share detailed information about Silent Hill 2 with PlayStation players. Konami and Bloober Team have focused on respecting the original 2001 Silent Hill 2’s storyline, emphasizing the emotional expressions of each character through the highly skilled performances of their respective actors, and modernizing the overall gameplay. We hope that this very clear comparison will show you which aspects of the original the production team has respected and emphasized, as well as which aspects have been improved upon.
Spoiler Alert: This article and video reveal some narrative and gameplay surprises within Silent Hill 2.
For this episode of PlayStation Underground, Bloober Team partnered up with the SIE crew to bring you an exclusive look at James’ confrontation with Flesh Lip inside Brookhaven Hospital, presented in a head-to-head comparison with the same boss battle as it appears in the original game.
Caption: Join Bloober Team’s Mateusz Lenart, Creative Director, and Andrzej Mądrzak, Lead Writer, for a look inside Brookhaven Hospital.
In many ways, this boss fight, alongside its accompanying cutscene, exemplifies the approach we took when reimagining Silent Hill 2. It shows our reverence for the original game by staying true to its original design, while also expanding upon it using modern technology that allows players to feel more in control of James.
As you can see, the general set-up for Laura’s cutscene that predates the battle and the Flesh Lip encounter itself are quite faithful to the original game, but with a few key changes that enable us to take full advantage of current storytelling and combat design techniques.
Caption: Comparison between 2001 Silent Hill 2 and the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake
Familiar characters come alive
For Laura’s cutscene, the interaction between her and James maintains the same story beats as in the original. Both James’ and Laura’s personalities have been preserved, with the most significant changes coming in the form of more involved camera work and top-notch voice acting.
Caption: The full cutscene between James and Laura from the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake, without commentary.
Full-body motion capture, used in conjunction with detailed animation, has allowed us to make these characters come alive through subtle facial expressions and gestures. The performances of the actors were key in this respect, with both Evie Templeton and Luke Roberts really embodying the characters of Laura and James, respectively.
When it comes to the script itself, we wanted to avoid changing things for the sake of changing them. While minor deviations from the original game’s script can be expected, our main objective with this cutscene and all others was to capture the complex character dynamics that made the original Silent Hill 2 such a landmark in the history of interactive storytelling.
Caption: Comparison between 2001 Silent Hill 2 and the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake
A boss battle for the ages
The encounter with Flesh Lip is one of Silent Hill 2’s most startling moments. With its unique and unnerving look, Flesh Lip was groundbreaking in terms of integrating symbolism into the design of a monster. Doing this boss battle justice in the new game was a challenging but ultimately rewarding task.
Unlike the fixed camera system in the original Silent Hill 2, adopting an over-the-shoulder perspective brought with it a series of changes to the encounter’s design. For instance, the scale of the room where the fight occurs has been expanded to allow players more space to roam.
Caption: Comparison between 2001 Silent Hill 2 and the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake
But the biggest change in the design of the boss fight has to do with Flesh Lip himself. Instead of facing two of them right from the start, the battle now begins with a single foe, but one who can dynamically move through the ceiling, ready to pounce on James at any point.
Caption: The Flesh Lip battle takes on a new shape in the Silent Hill 2 remake
Moreover, once players manage to bring Flesh Lip down to the ground, he unveils his second phase, adopting a menacing spider-like pose that greatly enhances his speed and range of attack. To counteract this, players will have to use a combination of melee and ranged attacks, while also dealing with Flesh Lip’s terrifying scream, which can temporarily stun them during the fight.
Once Flesh Lip is defeated, players will likely breathe a sigh of relief. But that’s when the battle’s final surprise arrives. A second Flesh Lip appears and instantly grabs James by the neck, dragging him further into the underbelly of Brookhaven Hospital. This functions as both a jump scare in its own right, and also as a kind of easter egg for fans of the original game. They will likely be taken aback by the appearance of a second Flesh Lip just as the battle wraps up.
Caption: Comparison between 2001 Silent Hill 2 and the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake
Final thoughts
As the new Silent Hill 2 remake inches ever closer to release on October 8, we wanted to take the time to present a head-to-head comparison depicting one of the game’s defining moments. We hope this manages to convey our approach towards the whole game, which emphasizes the original’s strengths and seeks to expand upon them while staying true to the game’s spirit.