Bloober's Silent Hill 2 remake is official, and a timed PS5 console exclusive
Also coming to PC.
After what feels like an eternity of leaks, Konami has officially revived its long-dormant Silent Hill series with a flurry of activity, starting with remake of horror masterpiece Silent Hill 2, which is being developed by Bloober Team for PC and PS5 as a timed console exclusive.
Bloober Team - the studio behind the likes of The Medium, Layers of Fear, and Observer - has been rumoured to be involved in a Silent Hill revival as far back as June last year, when it announced a partnership with Konami to create a new game. Rumours that the project would be a Silent Hill 2 remake began to coalesce following a series of leaks earlier this year.
Now, though, Konami and Bloober Team have made things official, revealing the remake during a busy Silent-Hill-focused livestream in a two-and-a-half minute trailer. Here, we were shown some iconic Silent Hill 2 moments given a new-gen visual overhaul - extending to a slightly dubious makeover for protagonist James Sunderland, who now looks a little like Alan Wake's unpopular brother.
Following confirmation that the Silent Hill remake will release simultaneously on PS5 and PC, with all other consoles missing out thanks to a 12-month console exclusivity period for Sony, Konami then ushered in a few key members of the new development team to discuss the project in more detail. Joining Bloober are concept artist Masahiro Ito - who served as art director on the original Silent Hill 2 - and Akira Yamaoka who returns to work on the remake's soundtrack, which he said will feature a "new musical style" this time around.
Several members of Bloober also put in an appearance during a short video sequence, explaining the studio is approaching the remake with a "great deal of respect" for the original Silent Hill 2. This will include "keeping [the] unique Silent Hill atmosphere intact", with the goal being to create a game that will "make the same strong impression today as it did 21 years ago".
However, it also detailed some of the changes it's making in order to meet what it called players' evolving expectations, including an over-the-shoulder camera. Ultimately it says it wants to "recreate everything what made the game a timeless classic, but to give it a new form which will draw players even deeper into the foggy streets of Silent Hill."
There's no release date for the Silent Hill 2 remake just yet, but it'll be coming to PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam at some unknown future time.