The excitement that once surrounded my anticipation of the Silent Hill 2 remake has quickly turned into a wave of disappointment. Initial concerns about the game's direction have been confirmed, and upon closer inspection, the situation is far worse than I could have ever anticipated. It's disheartening to see how Bloober Team has managed to miss the mark on nearly every aspect that made Silent Hill 2 a masterpiece. Yes, I know the game is not out (yet), but the trailer was bad enough to destroy any hope.
The Transvestite Travesty
Let's start with the visuals...
The original Silent Hill 2, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, was renowned for its haunting atmosphere and dense fog, which not only added to the game's eerie aesthetic but also served as a clever way to mask the hardware limitations of the time. The remake, however, strips away this iconic fog, leaving an environment that feels barren and lifeless. The overall graphical style lacks the gritty, oppressive ambiance of the original, replacing it with a clean, almost sanitized look that fails to evoke any sense of dread, and tbh, it's not even good graphics, especially when compared to peak AAA games on the same level.
Character redesigns have raised a few eyebrows, or better said, Made Angela's eyebrows huge lol. Angela now looks drastically different, and not in a way that serves the story or her character development. Instead, the changes feel forced and out of place, further detracting from the game's emotional impact. One has to wonder exactly why they decided to go the route of clearly intentionally designing her to look like a transvestite when the original model was clearly a woman.
Some folks are pointing out that the head of 3rd party relations at Sony that is due to be replaced soon by an executive straight from Japan is trans, and also has ties to Sweet baby Inc. (SBI) type-DEI-related companies with "HIT".. But we'll get to that in a bit.
The Atmosphere: Missing in Action
The most egregious failure of the remake is its inability to capture the mood of the original. Silent Hill 2 is not just a horror game; it's a psychological thriller that delves deep into themes of guilt, grief, and redemption. The scariest part about the presentation here is how awful it looks. The original game's atmosphere was a perfect blend of unsettling silence, eerie sound effects, and a haunting soundtrack. The remake, however, seems to have forgotten that creating a mood is crucial. The absence of the dense, foreboding fog strips away the claustrophobic tension is a swing and a miss that defined the original experience.
Sweet Baby Inc. and the Influence of DEI-related Companies
The potential involvement of a Sweet Baby Inc.-styled company in the remake's development should come as no surprise, given their track record. HIT Detection was brought on to ensure it fits an agenda. Known for their involvement in various controversial projects, their influence is evident in the remake's sanitized approach.
Characters like Maria, who played a significant role in the original's exploration of James Sunderland's psyche, now appear overly polished and devoid of the raw, unsettling qualities that made them memorable.
According to a tweet from Learning the Law, Bloober Team has hired a sort of "Sweet Baby Inc. 2.0" called Hit Detection, a sensitivity consulting company for the Silent Hill 2 remake. This move, coupled with Konami's ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policies, seems to have steered the game supposedly toward a "modern audience" approach.
Unfortunately, this shift has resulted in a watered-down version of a classic, sacrificing depth and authenticity for the sake of, well... All that many online can only presume, an agenda to make it more socially acceptable to insert the idea of 'Trans' everywhere possible in gaming. Gamers are not having it.
I did find it peculiar that Black Girl Gamers decided to chime in and support a fellow DEI-made game. Another behind-the-scenes tie exposed for whats happening in broad daylight to games these days...
Bloober Team: The Wrong Choice?
Bloober Team's track record in the horror genre leaves much to be desired. While they have had a success (Observer), their overall portfolio is filled with mediocre attempts to emulate better games. The Medium, which aimed to tackle themes of trauma, fell flat with its shallow narrative and reliance on jump scares. Layers of Fear tried to capture the essence of Amnesia but ended up as a forgettable series of shock tactics. And Blair Witch was simply a disappointment.
Given this history, it's kinda wild that Bloober Team was entrusted with remaking Silent Hill 2, a game that is revered not just for its horror elements but for its profound psychological depth. Almost like Konami didn't give a shit. Makes a lot of folks think that they did it for an ESG payout instead of actually caring about making a fantastic game. The remake's shortcomings look like they are showing the studio's inability to grasp what made the original so special.
And this isn't anything new. It looks like there was a challenging relationship between Bloober team and Konami regarding the development of this game back in February 2024 according to ScreenRant.
So...
The Silent Hill 2 remake is a missed opportunity upon first look, a project that could have brought a classic to a new generation but instead tarnishes its legacy. From poor visual choices and a lack of atmosphere to misguided character redesigns and the overreach of sensitivity consultants, the remake fails on multiple fronts.
For fans of the original, it's a bitter pill to swallow. The game that once defined psychological horror has been reduced to a hollow shell of its former self. It's time to pack our things and move on, for the Silent Hill 2 we loved is gone.
But hey.. There's always the original.
~Smash
I would pretty much say that this company is Fucked
Precisely why you hang onto your old systems and games.
She's got a bad case of Liberal Face.