Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2 has received a rating from the ESRB.
The ESRB page shows a rating of M for Mature 17+. The M rating is for Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, and Violence.
They also provide this rating summary:
“This is a horror adventure game in which players assume the role of a man returning to a mysterious town while being tormented by his past.
From a third-person perspective, players explore the town of Silent Hill, interact with characters, and battle humans and creatures (e.g., Pyramid Head, mannequins, monsters). Players use pistols, shotguns, rifles, and knives to kill enemies. Combat is highlighted by realistic gunfire, cries of pain, and blood-splatter effects.
Some environments depict large bloodstains and/or intestines/organs on walls, floors, and surrounding bodies. Cutscenes and illustrations depict further instances of violence and/or blood and gore: characters impaled; a character suffocated to death with a pillow; enemies with body parts sewn together.
The game contains some suggestive/sexual material: characters pole-dancing in strip-club settings; posters of women in revealing outfits (e.g., bra and thong, deep cleavage); dialogue alluding to sexuality and/or sexual abuse/misconduct (e.g., “Remember that time in the hotel? You said you took everything. But you forgot that videotape we made”; “Don’t touch me…You’re only after one thing…Or you could just force me, like he always did.”). The word “sh*t” appears in the game.”
Not that there was any worry that Konami or Bloober Team was making any changes to sanitize this title. But this rating summary should address any questions on whether this will be the same Silent Hill 2 that received critical acclaim as one of the most important video games of all time.
But as we know, the questions surrounding this remake is really more about the quality control issues, as some gamers who love this title aren’t also fans of Bloober Team. On the flip side, there was a recent issue about Konami promotion when Bloober Team shared a statement that their latest marketing materials did not accurately represent the game that Bloober was making.
In any case, this rating may or may not move the needle on whether this title is really coming all the way in September, as was rumored, or if it’s arriving far sooner than that. It would certainly be better for Sony, that is facing a dearth of first party titles this year, to get it out sooner rather than later.
Silent Hill 2 is planned for release in 2024, on PlayStation 5 as a timed exclusive, and on PC, via Steam.
