No one can claim to be a horror fan without playing this masterpiece. One of my absolute favorites. Everything you said about the game was spot on! Also I have to give credit to that Patrick edit at 20:23 MENACINGLY!
Hi I am a 20-year-old who was recently able to get silent hill two and one on my old PS3. I have played both of them and I have to say they are both better than most modern horror games that I have ever played in my life. Such well crafted masterpieces that deserve more respect and recognition, also fuck Konami for butchering Silent Hill.
Also before I actually got to play silent hill I played a fairly new but PS one style graphic game called “Lost in Vivo”. Since Konami is a bunch of jerks and won’t continue silent hill or remaster it properly, I was able to play this underrated masterpiece by Akuma Kira. Lost in vivo is what I can describe as a first person silent hill game and takes heavy inspiration from the games. The plot of the game is that you lost your service dog down a storm drain and have to venture down into the sewers to find your dog, however you are going to go through absolute hell down underground as you will face demons, ghosts, psychological horrors and other nightmarish traumas through your adventure. I recommend you play the game because it is a really good scary game that actually made me feel afraid the entire time.
@Jetstream Sanic Hi I’m a fairly new silent hill fan, Unfortunately the HD collection was my very first silent hill game but I was at least happy to play any silent hill game at all. I have to say I really enjoyed silent hill two and now I’m on my way to beat the third game.
I’m 40 years old now and I can’t stop coming back to Silent Hill. It’s more than a game, more than a beautiful soundtrack. It’s healing. Seeing a world so dark, lonely and full of despair makes your own problems easier to cope with. Everyone is different but horror helps my depression. And there is nothing more horrifying than this series.
Those games are some of the best examples of a team of talented artists all coming together and creating something truly wonderful. We're blessed that when Konami decided they wanted some of that Resident Evil money, they chose to be cheap and gave the job to the weird art student nerd team, who thankfully took the opportunity to make something unique and meaningful, rather than just making a half-assed clone of RE like so many other developers.
@@nobel11 I couldn’t agree more! The whole Silent Hill series is pure brilliance and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Don’t even get my started on Akira Yamaoka. The music is legendary and will stand the test of time. I can die a happy man now that I’ve experienced this amazing work. It’s so incredibly haunting.
I spent my senior year of high school playing this game over and over. I really appreciated how the game treated the player as smart enough to put together the story while not hitting them over the head with it's messages. So few pieces of media take the subtle approach like this.
I played this game when I was 12 cause my dad got it for me after me asking for it from being into Silent Hill 4 a lot. A year later, he was dead from cancer. Needless to say, some of the themes in this game will always be linked to that for me, but even beyond that, it is truly the most immersive, beautiful piece of art i have ever experienced and I know that sounds pretentious or w.e but idc. I still keep my PS2 tucked away solely to play this game and I consider myself super lucky to own the physical copy after seeing how much people are selling them for these days. Every year or so i'll go and just play through it in the dark for a day and just soak it in. It is truly somethin else
Silent Hill 2 will always remain my favourite piece of media, I don't see how anything could ever surpass it. Yes, it's immensely depressing, but having spent every year replaying it since its release I'm always amazed at how it challenges my thoughts about its topics and characters. It's special. Loved this video on it, you really summarised it perfectly. It's not a perfect game, but there is a level of thought and passion behind it that not much else comes close to
@@andrewkrylov1501 hmm. it does have it's good parts and bad parts - puzzles that actually challenge you and give you pause like the hanged man and the hard versions of the safe codes & coin puzzles are really nice inbetweens that help you alleviate the tension of the game for a moment. and the moment-to-moment movement! never has a game made me feel so powerless (other than some really niche moments like Superhot's DLC ending sequence, Thumper's final level, some moments from the EDF games, etc.) than the cramped, awkward and utterly painstaking movement of James "Maria I'm Coming To Save You But Please Give Me Two Seconds To Turn Around Completely So I Can Reach You Before The Monster Right Behind You Murders You" Sunderland. but yeah, i will say, if the atmosphere and ambience of the game wasn't so well polished, backtracking through entire levels to sweep every container for a key, would be the most boring thing ever.
@@andrewkrylov1501 Please research 'ludonarrative harmony' Also, i presume you just wanted James to run around like Gears of War wall bouncing and pulling of no-scope headshots? The gameplay fits the narrative, period.
A small detail about the Pyramid Head fight at the end of the apartments is that he's on roughly a one minute timer which is reduced by about 5 seconds for each shot you land on him for a maximum of about 30 seconds
Even on hard the fight will end abruptly depending of the damage u land on him. I just played it few weeks ago for 10* and using the chainsaw, which is a beast of weapon, u can literally end the fight in 10 seconds.
It really is the best psychological horror game ever made! Like a poem of sadness, regrets, reconciliation, love, depression, self-search ... it's more than a game…totally and utterly special
It's probably worth pointing out that the letter doesn't really slowly fade. Parts of it immediately disappear after specific events: 1) Once James kills Eddy, the text on the letter disappears. 2) After viewing the videotape, the paper on which the letter was written disappears, leaving only the envelope. 3) After the cutscene where Maria is executed whilst hanging upside down, the envelope vanishes from the inventory.
I was 7yrs old playing SH1, kept dying / resetting my system over and over until I got so mad I just sat there… then a cutscene played and I found I was supposed to die 🤣 Never forgot that.
Great job on the review , the main reason this is so high up my list of favourite games of all time is the atmosphere , Manhunt too has great atmosphere like this .
I personally watched all the videos on youtube about this game. reviews, "explained", you name it. i can see that you took insipiration from some of them, good for you, it ended up good. Maybe someone who didn't played it yet will give it a chance, like i did after i saw a few videos about it.
That's impressive, there are so many videos on this game lmao. Even while editing it I saw people releasing new videos, but given it's the 20 year anniversary of the game there is bound to be people talking about it. Thanks for the kind comment :)
Years after this game has came out it is still being discussed, it is a testament of it's impact on gamers, especially the survival/psychological horror fans.
I'd argue that on a purely technical level, Silent Hill 3 is better than 2. The environments and effects the team were able to pull off on the PS2 are breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying. But I'd have to agree, as an overall package, SH2 is definitely the crowning achievement of the only 4 games that exist in the Silent Hill series.
I still like origins and shatterred memories. But honestly I played them before I played the original so I had a completely open mind and Just Love akira yamaoka Music and sound desing so much @@fewpew5787
I never knew about the letter disappearing as you go through the game!!! I love the fact that there’s still small things you can find out about this game years later! Very little if any current games have the same amount of detail found in this. Hell even 1 and three have things you can find years later as well! Truly the best three horror games for the ages
Every fall and winter I can’t help but replay this game. It’s just so perfect for an early 2000’s game. Team Silent really outdone themselves with this amazing title.
This isn’t just the best horror game ever made, in my opinion it’s the greatest game ever made. I know people can talk up Zelda, Mario, or Halo, but this game took video game storytelling to a whole other level that has yet to be matched in its execution or subtlety. The way all the pieces of it’s design fit together to create a haunting, surreal nightmare about insanity, depression, and forgiveness. It is pure perfection.
Always glad to see new videos being made about a game I have so much passion for. None have come close to replicating the horror and atmosphere on offer here. Kojima was truly onto something with Silent Hills, which is why I bought a PS4 when I heard that P.T was getting taken down. To this day, it's the only reason I have it. Hoping to be able to share these experiences with my kids one day.
I REALLY wanted to play as Angela just to see in more detail what makes her tick and what kinds of creatures she had to face (besides Abstract Daddy, because James ends up having encounters with them. Maybe they could have a different appearance for Angela).
I dont think it can be remade in a way that would be faithful enough. Considering how the original staff scattered part of me thinks it should just be left alone
@@rifle2563 I think if a talented remake team like Bluepoint (who made the Shadow of the Colossus and Demon Souls remakes) got ahold of it they could do it justice.
I agree. Something similar to the first Resident Evil remake. Leave the story and everything as is but with upgraded graphics and add some more if it'll entice the story.
Silent Hill 2 isn't my favourite horror game. But I really cannot argue against it being the best horror game, because it's so good in every way. There isn't another game where every little thing is so detailed and have their own meaning.
weirdly, the thing that always scares me the most about this game is the staircase at the end. specifically, how it falls straight down so unnaturally, as if it were motion tweened, and is _completely silent_ in the process. it freaks me out so much and i have no idea why
The fog was used in the original to disguise the fact that the ps1 had very weak draw distances and pop up issues. Everyone seemed to like it so they kept it in 2, even though ps2 had no issues with draw distances and pop up, however they did eventually get rid of the fog. Hopefully they reintroduce the fog in future games because it gave the game an eeriness and unsettling feeling of insecurity not knowing what is lurking behind that fog of evil.
Oh my goodness, rowing on that lake, I didn't know you had to find the lighthouse by following it's light, so I just rowed and rowed and rowed, going no where, my fingers got tired, so I taped the button down and went to bed because I didn't want to start rowing over again thinking maybe I will get there eventually, but I woke up to find James still rowing, finally I looked up what to do, follow the light, which still took me a while to figure out. Funny that was the scariest thing that I found scary in the game, I fear being lost, and I fear being on boats, and the sound of the water was getting under my skin, I was so relieved when I finally got to the hotel.
That's insane haha, I can totally see that being really scary, perpetually lost in a foggy lake, that's funny the game would actually just row forever if you weren't headed towards the light
In the game you find a newspaper article that describes a steamboat that is lost in the lake and everybody on the steamboat goes missing, I didn't know what to expect on the lake, I didn't know if a monster would attack you or I don't know what to expect.
what can I say, I am a trend setter....except I let everyone else try the trend first to see if it works. lol. Nah, since it's the 20 year anniversary the buzz around the game is real good. Thanks for taking the time out for my video :)
PC's Enhanced Edition is one of the best possible approaches to gaming restoration while also improving it for modern monitors. I was quite impressed with what the fanbase did to improve the PC version of SH2. If only the company who owns the IP had put the same amount of effort when they worked on the HD Collection.
Funny thing about Silent Hill 2. When I first played it in october 2021 I wasn't so sure if I want to finish this game. When I managed to beat PyramidHead at my first attempt in the apartments, I died about 10 minutes later and had to reload the save before PyramidHead fight. I was so angry that I thought to myself then "Damn, I don't know if I have enough strength and mentality for this game. Maybe I should give up?". After that, I decided that I will continue and see how it goes on. I did the right thing because this game grew so much on me and I ended up loving it so much, that when I finished SH2, I went on to finish ALL Silent Hill games. Even though not every SH title was as good as SH2 (I especially dislike The Room and Origins) it was one hell of an adventure for me. It's become one of my favourite series ever. I couldn't wait anymore, so I started my second run in SH2 yesterday 😁
just beat this last week i got the in water ending then immediately beat the second scenario as maria ...... haunting how crazy james became i literally cried at the end man hearing marys letter and james drive off just struck some crazy heart strings i didnt even know i had
Hey man thanks for making this admittedly I’m not looking to really comment anything here because there was 20th anniversary analysis video uploaded just a few days before you uploaded this so I’d just be repeating things, or it would just overload my brain commenting on two Silent Hill 2, back to back. So i will say it’s crazy that this masterpiece of a game has turned 20, this to bad it’s not old enough to drink yet because it deserves some heavy whiskey, or ambrosia to properly celebrate it’s greatness.
A nice detail I love is you can beat pyramid head without attacking him once. Both his boss fights are on a timer and Pyramid Head will give up and run away in the first fight, while he offs himself in the second. The second is more interesting since it ties into the themes of forgiveness and letting guilt go. Pyramid Head is beaten by James' will to forgive himself, not by how many bullets he puts in him
I had played Resident Evil before playing this title but this game is responsible for sending me down a dark rabbithole of horror games. I thought I was too chicken to play scary games but turns out… I live for this stuff. Now everyone else I know is too scared to play what I play. This one is still my favorite.
Just discovered your channel and I'm having a blast! SH2 is one of my favorite games of all time. Thanks for this excellent review. It's such a nice feeling seeing that we share a similar taste for videogames. Keep it up!
As a kid I owned the N64, but I was a huge fan of Final Fantasy so my brother would occasionally let me use his PlayStation to play FF7 and 8. Sometimes he would let me play other games and the one that always stuck out to me was Silent Hill. Resident Evil never really impressed me that much, but Silent Hill truly grabbed me. I loved it and played it so much. Then SH2 came out and it was even better. Truly one of the best games ever made
I just discovered your channel with your video on The Suffering. I have been watching more throughout the day and I'm in love with your content. Subbed!
Yes it is. I'm replaying the series right now and silent hill 1 still holds up so well. It's amazing how even though the game graphically looks like crap it's still far more scary than any modern horror game. 2 was the peak, but the first 3 are all masterfully designed in every element of game development. It would be a dream to get team silent back together and see what they're capable of today.
very cool video bro! I admit i thought i knew everything about this game somehow until i watched this video... i've started playing this game in 2016 finished it twice, and the third time was 2020. whenever i think that i finished it 3 times, i don't know how i handled the game, the horror, james's footsteps in complete silence, his perception when he knew that he killed mary, the first 2 times when maria got killed, it all made me lost at first but later i got it and it hit me hard , i feel this game is so close to me in a way that i don't understand . i find the music calming not terrifying at all, but right now i can't bring myself to play this game anymore, im very afraid of the outcome once i finish, but once i find a video about it i go watch it immediately, Overall great video!
I replayed Silent Hill 2 for the first time in over a decade this year. It'll never be as traumatizing as it was the first time but it's still poignantly haunting and beautiful.
I personally feel like all silent hill games lose those touch after the first playthrough. Yeah, they're still good, but not the same. Particularly 3, that game terrified me first time I played it, but it's not that scary at all on replay.
Recently I'm learning English because in my country doesn't have community of the silent hill so big. It's game is fantastic, I Finished this game a lots of turn and Always meet new things. Thanks for the video and thanks for subtitle, facilitates my learning
At 17:50, you said that was a random cry from a baby. I always thought it was that guy getting murdered in the chair? That guy who winds up being James himself in the chair in front of the tv. Anyways, SH has always been my absolute fav of all time. And I’ve been longing for a resurrection soooooo bad
I just finished it yesterday for the very first time basically as my first silent hill game other than Shattered Memories. One of the best stories I've ever experienced.
Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Fatal Frame are the definitive horror experiences. They set the benchmark for everyone who's looking to do horror games.
When Mr hammers right...Mr hammers right! I played silent hill 1 a bit recently to get footage and I feel what you mean. I just wish I could make sense of it better but I will get around to finishing it. So imagine the sequel would just take this unique style to a new level.
13:40 I believe that the hospital director wrote the letter guiding James to the historical society. We just don’t know how or why. We do know he wrote about his patients experiencing the other world. Maybe he saw it too, eventually?
Hey now, the Silent Hill film, while a far cry from the quality of the games, is still one of the better game movies. It is worth watching for an SH fan, and the ending of the film was great.
If anyone has seen requiem for a dream. I always thought the game show sequence was inspired by silent hill or inspired by the movie with the grandma. Whichever came first.
The words Masterpiece if often trown around these days.. but this game truely deserves the title as the best psychological horror game of all time.... Marys letter at the end of the game is just stunning.
Silent Hill 4 is also a masterpiece, the suspense that this game causes is unique. Silent Hill 2 is an unforgettable experience because of the remarkable story. Every corpse found in the Silent Hill 2 game is James himself, just pay attention to the clothes of the dead. In fact, James is trapped in that world he created.
I played the remastered version last year for the first time and despite the controls feeling very weird for me early on and getting lost with objectives a few times, the game is so scary and atmospheric and the story was so thought provoking
It's more disturbing because it's potentially-realistic. SH2 is disturbing because of its psychological underpinnings and important tied to a realistic, common, terrible situation/s
@@merces47letifer4 Okay where have you seen someone getting chocked by a bag and then punched to death. Or even where you have to stalk and prey your fellow enemy man to get a greasume kill I haven’t seen that in many video games that’s why Manhunt has been banned in foreign countries even owning a copy of it can get you in illegal trouble. and the second one almost did get banned in USA but it was reworked by rockstar too prevent that.
Manhunt is definitely scary and disturbing, no doubt about it. But it's a different kind of horror, much more visceral and immediate. It's like "The Shining" vs "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", I couldn't tell you which one is the scariest, they're just so different.
Silent Hills 2, Shattered Memories & Homecoming have the best stories that I played. While among the three mentioned above or among all games I played, only SH2 had an ending that made me cry
I still love to play my old ps2 and I had never heard of this game until I saw some videos about it and all I hear is good things so now I’m on my way to the vintage game store down the street to buy it. I’ve never thought about playing a horror game
I pirated silent hill 2 from abandonware which surprisingly is still free. Then I applied the enhanced edition for the sounds. My vanilla copy glitched and the EE fixed all that. I didn't apply the graphics mod because I'm a purest and I want to play games as they looked. Remakes are different but the graphics never bothered me. I would like to replay SH1 with the graphics of SH2 OR 3 OR 4 though. However the graphics of SH1 only lend to the creepiness. I prefer it as it is.
Honestly, SH2 has a strong case for being the best GAME ever made, full stop. Not of course for its gameplay (which would seem to disqualify it) but because the visceral experience it offers is GOAT material, and because it's certainly the most intelligent game ever made. Perhaps since it was made not by game developers but a team of very talented fine-artists TURNED game developers, who were inspired by bonafide geniuses like Francis Bacon and David Lynch. Even compared to GOAT games like The Witcher 3, RDR2, Breath of the Wild, or The Last of Us, it towers above them- not as a game, but in terms of the complexity of its themes and narrative structure, its DENSE symbology, the way in which it deals with the darkest corners of the human soul but is never heavy-handed or maudlin in doing so, which is a nearly impossible feat. Just as a pure artistic achievement, SH2 cuts more to the core of the human experience than even the best games, and frankly transcends the medium. Which, let's be honest, compared to literature/film tends to be pretty low IQ. I think it's unlikely we'll see a game of this quality again.
The only other mainstream game I know that touches the level of insane attention to detail and backstory that SH2 has... is Bloodborne. Even the soundtrack, in how thematically intertwined with the rest of the experience it is.
Lol But yes, Bloodborne is totally comparable with Silent Hills attention to detail, I desperately wish Bloodborne would come to PC so I can play it again
I was watching and didn’t even notice the “slurring” so don’t worry.your vids are top quality so who cares if you have a few shots when doing the voiceover in post man.just do you
No one can claim to be a horror fan without playing this masterpiece. One of my absolute favorites. Everything you said about the game was spot on! Also I have to give credit to that Patrick edit at 20:23 MENACINGLY!
Hahaha thanks my dude!
Hi I am a 20-year-old who was recently able to get silent hill two and one on my old PS3. I have played both of them and I have to say they are both better than most modern horror games that I have ever played in my life. Such well crafted masterpieces that deserve more respect and recognition, also fuck Konami for butchering Silent Hill.
Also before I actually got to play silent hill I played a fairly new but PS one style graphic game called “Lost in Vivo”. Since Konami is a bunch of jerks and won’t continue silent hill or remaster it properly, I was able to play this underrated masterpiece by Akuma Kira.
Lost in vivo is what I can describe as a first person silent hill game and takes heavy inspiration from the games. The plot of the game is that you lost your service dog down a storm drain and have to venture down into the sewers to find your dog, however you are going to go through absolute hell down underground as you will face demons, ghosts, psychological horrors and other nightmarish traumas through your adventure.
I recommend you play the game because it is a really good scary game that actually made me feel afraid the entire time.
@Jetstream Sanic Hi I’m a fairly new silent hill fan, Unfortunately the HD collection was my very first silent hill game but I was at least happy to play any silent hill game at all. I have to say I really enjoyed silent hill two and now I’m on my way to beat the third game.
nah, the games are really dated
I swear, every few years I’m drawn to this game. Then, after I finish it, end up watching videos about it for days.
In my restless dreams I see that town. Silent hill.
Same its kinda of a limbo which time/space doesnt exist. Dunno how to explain
Same here, probably because it IS a masterpiece and we all know it
I was literally going to write this comment, thanks for doing it for me lol.
videos, articles, podcasts and all the things. every time, every year.
I don’t care how many Silent Hill analysis videos are made…I will watch them ALL!
Same :))))
I agree.
Agree
Word
Im the same with the Metal Gear Solid series.
I’m 40 years old now and I can’t stop coming back to Silent Hill. It’s more than a game, more than a beautiful soundtrack. It’s healing. Seeing a world so dark, lonely and full of despair makes your own problems easier to cope with. Everyone is different but horror helps my depression. And there is nothing more horrifying than this series.
Sometimes
Or you understand that you are not alone. And there are people who struggle too. Fuck Konami for not making good remasters.
@@andrewkrylov1501 I feel that way about Capcom too. F them for only caring about resident evil and not giving Dino Crisis a chance for a remake
Those games are some of the best examples of a team of talented artists all coming together and creating something truly wonderful. We're blessed that when Konami decided they wanted some of that Resident Evil money, they chose to be cheap and gave the job to the weird art student nerd team, who thankfully took the opportunity to make something unique and meaningful, rather than just making a half-assed clone of RE like so many other developers.
@@nobel11 I couldn’t agree more! The whole Silent Hill series is pure brilliance and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Don’t even get my started on Akira Yamaoka. The music is legendary and will stand the test of time. I can die a happy man now that I’ve experienced this amazing work. It’s so incredibly haunting.
You know a game is a masterpiece when people are still talking about it 20 years later.
20 years? fuck man, it cant be...
Well, people are still talking about the ET game and I wouldn't call it a masterpiece
@@JohnyParuwka Still they aren’t really talking about E.T. the game, more just the boxes and cartridges being buried in the desert
Big Rigs is still being talked about to date... Yeah, it's a masterpiece after all
Tell that to avgn
I spent my senior year of high school playing this game over and over. I really appreciated how the game treated the player as smart enough to put together the story while not hitting them over the head with it's messages. So few pieces of media take the subtle approach like this.
Junior year for me
I played this game when I was 12 cause my dad got it for me after me asking for it from being into Silent Hill 4 a lot. A year later, he was dead from cancer. Needless to say, some of the themes in this game will always be linked to that for me, but even beyond that, it is truly the most immersive, beautiful piece of art i have ever experienced and I know that sounds pretentious or w.e but idc. I still keep my PS2 tucked away solely to play this game and I consider myself super lucky to own the physical copy after seeing how much people are selling them for these days. Every year or so i'll go and just play through it in the dark for a day and just soak it in. It is truly somethin else
I still have my PS2 copy, but, I prefer playing the modded PC version for a way better experience.
Silent Hill 2 will always remain my favourite piece of media, I don't see how anything could ever surpass it. Yes, it's immensely depressing, but having spent every year replaying it since its release I'm always amazed at how it challenges my thoughts about its topics and characters. It's special. Loved this video on it, you really summarised it perfectly. It's not a perfect game, but there is a level of thought and passion behind it that not much else comes close to
Thiers a reason none of the games after surpassed what silent hill 2 achieved.
Yes, piece of media. Because gameplay-wise its pretty bad.
@@andrewkrylov1501 hmm. it does have it's good parts and bad parts - puzzles that actually challenge you and give you pause like the hanged man and the hard versions of the safe codes & coin puzzles are really nice inbetweens that help you alleviate the tension of the game for a moment.
and the moment-to-moment movement! never has a game made me feel so powerless (other than some really niche moments like Superhot's DLC ending sequence, Thumper's final level, some moments from the EDF games, etc.) than the cramped, awkward and utterly painstaking movement of James "Maria I'm Coming To Save You But Please Give Me Two Seconds To Turn Around Completely So I Can Reach You Before The Monster Right Behind You Murders You" Sunderland.
but yeah, i will say, if the atmosphere and ambience of the game wasn't so well polished, backtracking through entire levels to sweep every container for a key, would be the most boring thing ever.
@@andrewkrylov1501 Please research 'ludonarrative harmony'
Also, i presume you just wanted James to run around like Gears of War wall bouncing and pulling of no-scope headshots? The gameplay fits the narrative, period.
@@Artesian_mirage No. I would prefer the gameplay to be close to the first game. More saturated, not so empty and nonsensical on the hard level.
A small detail about the Pyramid Head fight at the end of the apartments is that he's on roughly a one minute timer which is reduced by about 5 seconds for each shot you land on him for a maximum of about 30 seconds
You must mean on easy mode lol
@@youwatch2muchtv yeah, hard mode is around 4-5mins. With shots doing the same... but it feels even longer tbh
Even on hard the fight will end abruptly depending of the damage u land on him. I just played it few weeks ago for 10* and using the chainsaw, which is a beast of weapon, u can literally end the fight in 10 seconds.
It really is the best psychological horror game ever made! Like a poem of sadness, regrets, reconciliation, love, depression, self-search ... it's more than a game…totally and utterly special
The scariest thing about the Silent Hill games and especially 2 for me, is that you can’t run from the ghosts, because they live inside you.
It's probably worth pointing out that the letter doesn't really slowly fade. Parts of it immediately disappear after specific events:
1) Once James kills Eddy, the text on the letter disappears.
2) After viewing the videotape, the paper on which the letter was written disappears, leaving only the envelope.
3) After the cutscene where Maria is executed whilst hanging upside down, the envelope vanishes from the inventory.
I was 7yrs old playing SH1, kept dying / resetting my system over and over until I got so mad I just sat there… then a cutscene played and I found I was supposed to die 🤣 Never forgot that.
Great job on the review , the main reason this is so high up my list of favourite games of all time is the atmosphere , Manhunt too has great atmosphere like this .
Same here, love me some atmospheric games. Thanks for the kind comment
I personally watched all the videos on youtube about this game. reviews, "explained", you name it. i can see that you took insipiration from some of them, good for you, it ended up good. Maybe someone who didn't played it yet will give it a chance, like i did after i saw a few videos about it.
That's impressive, there are so many videos on this game lmao. Even while editing it I saw people releasing new videos, but given it's the 20 year anniversary of the game there is bound to be people talking about it. Thanks for the kind comment :)
It is a masterpiece. Team Silent worked magic over and over
Years after this game has came out it is still being discussed, it is a testament of it's impact on gamers, especially the survival/psychological horror fans.
I'd argue that on a purely technical level, Silent Hill 3 is better than 2. The environments and effects the team were able to pull off on the PS2 are breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying. But I'd have to agree, as an overall package, SH2 is definitely the crowning achievement of the only 4 games that exist in the Silent Hill series.
It is a shame we never got any more games after SH4, but I'm not too disappointed given we got some of the best games ever made.
@@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502 we did 😅 silent homecoming and silent hill origins, silent hill shattered memories and silent hill downpour !! 😅
@@WalidtheNoematicsguy It was a joke, they were denying the existence of any games after 4 because they all sucked, at least compared to 1-4
I still like origins and shatterred memories. But honestly I played them before I played the original so I had a completely open mind and Just Love akira yamaoka Music and sound desing so much @@fewpew5787
I never knew about the letter disappearing as you go through the game!!! I love the fact that there’s still small things you can find out about this game years later! Very little if any current games have the same amount of detail found in this. Hell even 1 and three have things you can find years later as well! Truly the best three horror games for the ages
6:15 and that was in 2001. Like you said, MANY rooms are packed with detail, but you spend maybe 1 minute in them, the effort is everywhere.
Level design truly unreal
Every fall and winter I can’t help but replay this game. It’s just so perfect for an early 2000’s game. Team Silent really outdone themselves with this amazing title.
I constantly find myself coming back to Silent Hill 2 for inspiration, especially the soundtrack for music ideas. One of your best videos yet!
The soundtrack is soooo good. Thanks friend
This isn’t just the best horror game ever made, in my opinion it’s the greatest game ever made. I know people can talk up Zelda, Mario, or Halo, but this game took video game storytelling to a whole other level that has yet to be matched in its execution or subtlety. The way all the pieces of it’s design fit together to create a haunting, surreal nightmare about insanity, depression, and forgiveness. It is pure perfection.
I started playing this game recently. Interesting how this game got a sudden spark in popularity again recently.
20 year anniversary probably
A buddy just gave it to me on ps2 for free with original packaging and manual disc is super clean also
Buddy just gave you gold
@@bub1mark nice !
Always glad to see new videos being made about a game I have so much passion for. None have come close to replicating the horror and atmosphere on offer here. Kojima was truly onto something with Silent Hills, which is why I bought a PS4 when I heard that P.T was getting taken down. To this day, it's the only reason I have it. Hoping to be able to share these experiences with my kids one day.
I can’t believe it, so excited about news of a remaster PS5 exclusive! I loved this video man, you really get SH2.
I REALLY wanted to play as Angela just to see in more detail what makes her tick and what kinds of creatures she had to face (besides Abstract Daddy, because James ends up having encounters with them. Maybe they could have a different appearance for Angela).
This game deserves a remake. A faithful one that doesn't cut a significant portion out, that is.
I dont think it can be remade in a way that would be faithful enough. Considering how the original staff scattered part of me thinks it should just be left alone
@@rifle2563 I think if a talented remake team like Bluepoint (who made the Shadow of the Colossus and Demon Souls remakes) got ahold of it they could do it justice.
I agree. Something similar to the first Resident Evil remake. Leave the story and everything as is but with upgraded graphics and add some more if it'll entice the story.
I disagree. I think the dated graphics add to a layer of uncanny feel to this game and taking that away would just be strange
Congrats 🎉😂
We're getting a REMAKE babyy!!!
Silent Hill 2 isn't my favourite horror game.
But I really cannot argue against it being the best horror game, because it's so good in every way. There isn't another game where every little thing is so detailed and have their own meaning.
weirdly, the thing that always scares me the most about this game is the staircase at the end. specifically, how it falls straight down so unnaturally, as if it were motion tweened, and is _completely silent_ in the process. it freaks me out so much and i have no idea why
You’re doing a really good job with your content. I appreciate the hard work!
Thank you !
The fog was used in the original to disguise the fact that the ps1 had very weak draw distances and pop up issues. Everyone seemed to like it so they kept it in 2, even though ps2 had no issues with draw distances and pop up, however they did eventually get rid of the fog. Hopefully they reintroduce the fog in future games because it gave the game an eeriness and unsettling feeling of insecurity not knowing what is lurking behind that fog of evil.
Great video. Very well put together!
One of the few games that I will never get tired of watching people dissect in their own unique way.
Oh my goodness, rowing on that lake, I didn't know you had to find the lighthouse by following it's light, so I just rowed and rowed and rowed, going no where, my fingers got tired, so I taped the button down and went to bed because I didn't want to start rowing over again thinking maybe I will get there eventually, but I woke up to find James still rowing, finally I looked up what to do, follow the light, which still took me a while to figure out. Funny that was the scariest thing that I found scary in the game, I fear being lost, and I fear being on boats, and the sound of the water was getting under my skin, I was so relieved when I finally got to the hotel.
That's insane haha, I can totally see that being really scary, perpetually lost in a foggy lake, that's funny the game would actually just row forever if you weren't headed towards the light
In the game you find a newspaper article that describes a steamboat that is lost in the lake and everybody on the steamboat goes missing, I didn't know what to expect on the lake, I didn't know if a monster would attack you or I don't know what to expect.
I didn't think it was simple enough to just follow the light, I was expecting something to happen on the lake
I would definitely put this up there with RE1 and Dead Space in terms of horror.
Are you me?
I can add Manhunt and Soma
This isn't a horror game.... it's so much more than that label. It's absolutley soul crushing.
Almost everyone of the over 100 channels I'm subscribed to made a silent hill 2 video and I watch them all.
Boulder punch?
what can I say, I am a trend setter....except I let everyone else try the trend first to see if it works. lol. Nah, since it's the 20 year anniversary the buzz around the game is real good. Thanks for taking the time out for my video :)
PC's Enhanced Edition is one of the best possible approaches to gaming restoration while also improving it for modern monitors. I was quite impressed with what the fanbase did to improve the PC version of SH2. If only the company who owns the IP had put the same amount of effort when they worked on the HD Collection.
Konami's complete lack of QA/QC for their "HD" Collection is one of the worst insults ever made.
Well done man, loved how you blended humor in there too and it didn't feel forced. You just earned a subscriber. This is my favorite game of all time
Thanks dude 😎
Funny thing about Silent Hill 2. When I first played it in october 2021 I wasn't so sure if I want to finish this game. When I managed to beat PyramidHead at my first attempt in the apartments, I died about 10 minutes later and had to reload the save before PyramidHead fight. I was so angry that I thought to myself then "Damn, I don't know if I have enough strength and mentality for this game. Maybe I should give up?". After that, I decided that I will continue and see how it goes on. I did the right thing because this game grew so much on me and I ended up loving it so much, that when I finished SH2, I went on to finish ALL Silent Hill games. Even though not every SH title was as good as SH2 (I especially dislike The Room and Origins) it was one hell of an adventure for me. It's become one of my favourite series ever. I couldn't wait anymore, so I started my second run in SH2 yesterday 😁
just beat this last week i got the in water ending then immediately beat the second scenario as maria ...... haunting how crazy james became i literally cried at the end man hearing marys letter and james drive off just struck some crazy heart strings i didnt even know i had
It's a deep game, happy you had a great experience with it
Moment that always gets me is when you look at the letter later in the game it’s blank.
The first Silent Hill movie is brilliant. I agree with everything in this video except that.
Hey man thanks for making this admittedly I’m not looking to really comment anything here because there was 20th anniversary analysis video uploaded just a few days before you uploaded this so I’d just be repeating things, or it would just overload my brain commenting on two Silent Hill 2, back to back. So i will say it’s crazy that this masterpiece of a game has turned 20, this to bad it’s not old enough to drink yet because it deserves some heavy whiskey, or ambrosia to properly celebrate it’s greatness.
Thanks for the comment! It truly is a fantastic game, we can still slide it some red wine at dinner with the fam tho. Cheers
A nice detail I love is you can beat pyramid head without attacking him once. Both his boss fights are on a timer and Pyramid Head will give up and run away in the first fight, while he offs himself in the second. The second is more interesting since it ties into the themes of forgiveness and letting guilt go. Pyramid Head is beaten by James' will to forgive himself, not by how many bullets he puts in him
I had played Resident Evil before playing this title but this game is responsible for sending me down a dark rabbithole of horror games. I thought I was too chicken to play scary games but turns out… I live for this stuff. Now everyone else I know is too scared to play what I play. This one is still my favorite.
Amazing video! Waiting your analysis about Silent Hill 2 Remake.
And now we have the remake who would have thought 2 years ago
Just discovered your channel and I'm having a blast! SH2 is one of my favorite games of all time. Thanks for this excellent review. It's such a nice feeling seeing that we share a similar taste for videogames. Keep it up!
As a kid I owned the N64, but I was a huge fan of Final Fantasy so my brother would occasionally let me use his PlayStation to play FF7 and 8. Sometimes he would let me play other games and the one that always stuck out to me was Silent Hill. Resident Evil never really impressed me that much, but Silent Hill truly grabbed me. I loved it and played it so much. Then SH2 came out and it was even better. Truly one of the best games ever made
I just discovered your channel with your video on The Suffering. I have been watching more throughout the day and I'm in love with your content. Subbed!
Thank you!
I love watching these breakdowns, because on my original run throughs of the 1st 4 games over 20yrs ago I didnt notice all the nuances..
when you've spent more hours watching SH content than actually playing SH games, you know it's a great game.
I've been waiting for this one
Great work as always man
Thanks homie :')
Great video, loved how funny and informative, looking forward to your take on the new silent hill 2 remake!
I'm here after the remake & i just wanna say
Its a banger!
Yes it is. I'm replaying the series right now and silent hill 1 still holds up so well. It's amazing how even though the game graphically looks like crap it's still far more scary than any modern horror game. 2 was the peak, but the first 3 are all masterfully designed in every element of game development. It would be a dream to get team silent back together and see what they're capable of today.
Dude your post-video music is chill as fuck. I think I’m going to subscribe for the quality of this video and your post video music alone. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks! KEKURA makes dope stuff
very cool video bro! I admit i thought i knew everything about this game somehow until i watched this video... i've started playing this game in 2016 finished it twice, and the third time was 2020. whenever i think that i finished it 3 times, i don't know how i handled the game, the horror, james's footsteps in complete silence, his perception when he knew that he killed mary, the first 2 times when maria got killed, it all made me lost at first but later i got it and it hit me hard , i feel this game is so close to me in a way that i don't understand . i find the music calming not terrifying at all, but right now i can't bring myself to play this game anymore, im very afraid of the outcome once i finish, but once i find a video about it i go watch it immediately,
Overall great video!
I replayed Silent Hill 2 for the first time in over a decade this year. It'll never be as traumatizing as it was the first time but it's still poignantly haunting and beautiful.
I personally feel like all silent hill games lose those touch after the first playthrough. Yeah, they're still good, but not the same. Particularly 3, that game terrified me first time I played it, but it's not that scary at all on replay.
Thank you. Love your videos. Keep them coming! 🔥🔥
Recently I'm learning English because in my country doesn't have community of the silent hill so big. It's game is fantastic, I Finished this game a lots of turn and Always meet new things. Thanks for the video and thanks for subtitle, facilitates my learning
At 17:50, you said that was a random cry from a baby. I always thought it was that guy getting murdered in the chair? That guy who winds up being James himself in the chair in front of the tv.
Anyways, SH has always been my absolute fav of all time. And I’ve been longing for a resurrection soooooo bad
this was the first Lets Play I EVER WATCHED on youtube and since that day ive been hooked on this site
I thought you had 116.000 subs. I hope the channel will explode soon!
Thanks my friend! Much love
It makes me smile everytime I see a video about Silent Hill 2 ❤
So enjoyable that I was disappointed when it ends. Can't wait for the next, dude
Thanks Dude ❤️
I'm so glad I found your channel. All your videos are so good please don't stop making vids man you're great at this 👍☺️
❤️❤️
I just finished it yesterday for the very first time basically as my first silent hill game other than Shattered Memories. One of the best stories I've ever experienced.
The title of your video has earned a thumbs up from me.
Another fun fact: Irish painter Francis Bacon's work was also one of the inspirations for Christopher Nolan's and Heather Ledger's Joker.
Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Fatal Frame are the definitive horror experiences. They set the benchmark for everyone who's looking to do horror games.
When Mr hammers right...Mr hammers right! I played silent hill 1 a bit recently to get footage and I feel what you mean. I just wish I could make sense of it better but I will get around to finishing it. So imagine the sequel would just take this unique style to a new level.
Silent Hill 2 is one the best follow-ups to a masterpiece there is, it does everything SH1 did but better in a way. Highly recommend it. Thanks homie
I just recently bought a PS2 solely to experience this game
13:40 I believe that the hospital director wrote the letter guiding James to the historical society. We just don’t know how or why. We do know he wrote about his patients experiencing the other world. Maybe he saw it too, eventually?
Hey now, the Silent Hill film, while a far cry from the quality of the games, is still one of the better game movies. It is worth watching for an SH fan, and the ending of the film was great.
Yup the first silent hill film was pretty darn good, highly underrated. The second one now is an abomination, doesn't exist in my Canon
So, are you saying that as a game movie, "it just works"?
If anyone has seen requiem for a dream. I always thought the game show sequence was inspired by silent hill or inspired by the movie with the grandma. Whichever came first.
It definitely gives off the same deep emotions
Brilliant and very funny video. Liked and subscribed. Gonna watch more of your vids....manhunt warriors the suffering...
Thank you!
The words Masterpiece if often trown around these days.. but this game truely deserves the title as the best psychological horror game of all time.... Marys letter at the end of the game is just stunning.
I’m glad to see that the remake finally happened in 2024
Silent Hill 4 is also a masterpiece, the suspense that this game causes is unique.
Silent Hill 2 is an unforgettable experience because of the remarkable story.
Every corpse found in the Silent Hill 2 game is James himself, just pay attention to the clothes of the dead. In fact, James is trapped in that world he created.
Another fantastic video hammers, commenting for algorithm 🙏
Thanks my dude
It's beautiful when something can be created And it weirdly finds a way to coupe with trauma, insecurities, grief, sadness, confusion...
I come from the future to say that they Remade it and it is TOP NOTCH
I played the remastered version last year for the first time and despite the controls feeling very weird for me early on and getting lost with objectives a few times, the game is so scary and atmospheric and the story was so thought provoking
Has everyone forgot the horror atmosphere in “Manhunt” I personally think that horror game is much more disturbing
It's more disturbing because it's potentially-realistic. SH2 is disturbing because of its psychological underpinnings and important tied to a realistic, common, terrible situation/s
@@merces47letifer4 Okay where have you seen someone getting chocked by a bag and then punched to death. Or even where you have to stalk and prey your fellow enemy man to get a greasume kill I haven’t seen that in many video games that’s why Manhunt has been banned in foreign countries even owning a copy of it can get you in illegal trouble. and the second one almost did get banned in USA but it was reworked by rockstar too prevent that.
Manhunt is definitely scary and disturbing, no doubt about it. But it's a different kind of horror, much more visceral and immediate. It's like "The Shining" vs "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", I couldn't tell you which one is the scariest, they're just so different.
Nice channel. Solid content.
"And that movie is honestly the Silent Hill movie we all wanted when they announced this piece of garbage."
THANK YOU
Jacob's Ladder is the Silent Hill movie before Silent Hill itself was even a thing.
The Atmosphere in this Silent Hill game its so unique, a truly Masterpiece horror game in my opinion.. ☯️✌
Silent Hills 2, Shattered Memories & Homecoming have the best stories that I played. While among the three mentioned above or among all games I played, only SH2 had an ending that made me cry
This game hits right in the feels. Real masterpiece!
I still love to play my old ps2 and I had never heard of this game until I saw some videos about it and all I hear is good things so now I’m on my way to the vintage game store down the street to buy it. I’ve never thought about playing a horror game
Love these games! Hopefully soon we get 1 for the ps5 / Xbox. The first one remastered would be dope
I pirated silent hill 2 from abandonware which surprisingly is still free. Then I applied the enhanced edition for the sounds. My vanilla copy glitched and the EE fixed all that. I didn't apply the graphics mod because I'm a purest and I want to play games as they looked. Remakes are different but the graphics never bothered me. I would like to replay SH1 with the graphics of SH2 OR 3 OR 4 though. However the graphics of SH1 only lend to the creepiness. I prefer it as it is.
Honestly, SH2 has a strong case for being the best GAME ever made, full stop. Not of course for its gameplay (which would seem to disqualify it) but because the visceral experience it offers is GOAT material, and because it's certainly the most intelligent game ever made. Perhaps since it was made not by game developers but a team of very talented fine-artists TURNED game developers, who were inspired by bonafide geniuses like Francis Bacon and David Lynch.
Even compared to GOAT games like The Witcher 3, RDR2, Breath of the Wild, or The Last of Us, it towers above them- not as a game, but in terms of the complexity of its themes and narrative structure, its DENSE symbology, the way in which it deals with the darkest corners of the human soul but is never heavy-handed or maudlin in doing so, which is a nearly impossible feat. Just as a pure artistic achievement, SH2 cuts more to the core of the human experience than even the best games, and frankly transcends the medium. Which, let's be honest, compared to literature/film tends to be pretty low IQ.
I think it's unlikely we'll see a game of this quality again.
And that soundtrack.
@@A_UA-cam_Commenter Dear god that soundtrack! I got it on CD (!) when I was like 13, Im 33 now and I probably listen to a song from it every day.
I just beat this game finally a week ago. It's a hard journey, but is one of the best collection of story and character design I've ever played.
The only other mainstream game I know that touches the level of insane attention to detail and backstory that SH2 has... is Bloodborne. Even the soundtrack, in how thematically intertwined with the rest of the experience it is.
Todd Howard.... I am sorry for the video that is coming out in 3 days. I will be leaking our DMs, this is your warning
Lol But yes, Bloodborne is totally comparable with Silent Hills attention to detail, I desperately wish Bloodborne would come to PC so I can play it again
I was watching and didn’t even notice the “slurring” so don’t worry.your vids are top quality so who cares if you have a few shots when doing the voiceover in post man.just do you