In a new interview, Bloober Team’s head of production Kacper Michalski talked candidly about how being able to remake Silent Hill 2.
Kacper started off by explaining how they got the assignment from Konami in the first place:
“Konami has got many proposals from different studios. We’ve been one of them. As you can see we were very lucky and (as Konami mentioned) “very passionate” not only about the Silent Hill franchise but also about the horror genre.”
Now, you may be wondering why Bill went for the second Silent Hill game instead of the first. This is how Kacper puts it:
“Silent Hill 2 is one of the best psychological horror games of all time. We grew up on this title and it is a massive source of inspiration for all of us in the studio. We absolutely love the story from SH2. It’s an absolute timeless classic for many of the Bloober Team members.”
Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, Silent Hill 2 really does go over Silent Hill as the most influential game in the series. While their choice of platform meant Konami’s Team Silent would enjoy the technological advancements of the next generation of PlayStation, including motion capture and fog effects, the real advancement in Silent Hill 2 is in the story. Primarily taking inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, they also brought in ideas from creators as diverse as Rembrandt, David Cronenberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Tomb Raider, Jacob’s Ladder, and Junji Ito.
Unfortunately, Silent Hill 2’s reputation was also marred by the poorly produced Silent Hill HD Collection, which was supposed to be a 2012 remaster of Silent Hill 2 and 3 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Once again, this is why Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake is such a big deal. After two decades, Konami is making this seminal game experience available to a broader audience.
The 2012 remaster’s many mistakes include poor frame rate, audio sync, and somehow, issues with the same fog the game was build around originally. Here and now, Kacper explains what work Bloober Team have done for their remake.
“The town of Silent Hill has been reworked using state-of-the-art technology, and all creatures have been recreated with more eerie visuals. The creatures’ battle AI has also been enhanced to keep gamers on their toes. In addition to visuals and sound, the story experience is a focal point. We have delved into the emotional expression of every character, including the main character James, while respecting the acclaimed scenario of the original story.”
Kacper claims they cannot reveal when the game will be released, but here’s the thing. Bloober Team, via their president Piotr Babeno, have already revealed they are almost done with the game. The Silent Hill 2 Remake has already been in development for three years now, and they’re polishing it up. Don’t be surprised if it released as soon as this year.
Silent Hill 2 Remake will be releasing on PC and PlayStation 5 first. It will be console exclusive to Sony’s platform for twelve months.
Source: Lords of Gaming
