Making the Horror More Real Than Ever
Silent Hill is a franchise that thrived early on, and ironically a big part of that was the graphical limitations. Unlike its main contemporary, Resident Evil, the game includes wide open areas – and disguises loading times with the use of the ever-present fog. Silent Hill 2 kept the fog and darkness but told a new story, this time following James Sunderland – a man who journeys to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his supposedly dead wife, and soon meets her doppelganger.
Silent Hill 2 has a well-deserved reputation as one of the scariest games ever made, and one of the most beloved, but apart from a divisive return in Silent Hill: HD Collection fans haven’t had a chance to explore what is, arguably, the series’ most iconic game since the original – and even the HD collection is outdated, releasing all the way back in 2012. Silent Hill: Enhanced Edition is a fan project that aims to bring the classic experience and bring it up to date – at least, on the PC. Think of it as a fan-made patch.
Many of the fixes are small, but noticeable – enhanced and more realistic shine on certain enemies or objects, screen modes and resolution options, and the addition of a layer of grime during a certain puzzle – but Silent Hill 2 is a game that succeeds where others fail because it’s subtle, and sometimes a few small changes are enough.
Unfortunately, you’ll need a copy of the PC version of the game to play the Enhanced Edition, but if you manage to track it down you’ll get to play one of the most acclaimed horrors of all-time in the most advanced form possible – and one that will continue to improve as the game is updated – and the fact that the game is getting so much love so long after it’s release may give you the push you need to check out the HD Collection on PlayStation Now.
What’s your favorite Silent Hill game? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.