In a recent interview with IGN the Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto, Silent Hill 2 concept artist Masahiro Ito, and composer Akira Yamaoka spoke about the recent improvements players can expect in the Silent Hill 2 remake. It seems the Silent Hill team might be going down the same route as the recent Resident Evil remakes with regard to camera placement. Okamoto noted:
One thing that I can say is that unlike the original Silent Hill 2, the remake uses a more immersive camera. We really hope that players will get to experience its atmosphere, which will stir up lots of different emotions, as well as the game’s combat that’s even more fun than before.
Motoi Okamoto – Silent Hill Series Producer
Alongside this, according to Okamoto and Ito the remake has an improved combat design and required the team to completely remake the AI. Ito noted that the combat was something they had received a lot of feedback on from the original. While he’s excited for players to relive the atmosphere of Silent Hill 2 from a new perspective he also wants players to experience “the game’s combat that’s even more fun than before.” Okamoto also added that Bloober Team isn’t going to add any new enemies to the game but instead focus on the details of the original roster.
We’re remaking enemy AI from the ground up to be designed in a way that will allow players to enjoy the combat. Bloober Team’s love for the original is strong, so they’re not going to simply add new enemies. They are looking at fine details that can help make combat fun, though, which means changing AI or small design elements. It might look the same, but it’s different when you look closely. They really did a good job all throughout the game.
Motoi Okamoto – Silent Hill Series Producer
One of the elements of the Silent Hill 2 remake that will be heavily criticized by fans is the updated visuals and whether the remake will be able to capture the horror of the visuals. However, Okamoto said that Bloober Team “is excellent at recreating the atmosphere of the original” and that due to recent technology improvements and Bloober Team’s involvement the team has “embodied the atmosphere of details that players used to have to imagine.”
I think that in the original, there were places where players used their imagination to compensate for the graphical limitations at the time. I hope they take a close look at all of the remake’s completed visuals, though. Bloober Team is excellent at recreating the atmosphere of the original, so I think you’ll be able to feel its horror even more than the original once you walk through the game with a controller in your hands. Thanks to the latest technology and Bloober Team’s efforts, we’ve embodied the atmosphere of details that players used to have to imagine, and I think that should be clear once you start walking around the game’s spaces.
Motoi Okamoto – Silent Hill Series Producer
