With the Silent Hill 2 remake coming out in just a few months, Konami has finally shared information about the game’s special Deluxe Editions and pre-order bonuses. Silent Hill 2 Remake will be released on October 8 for PC and PS5. Let’s see what exciting extras Silent Hill fans can look forward to.
Right after Sony’s State of Play on May 30, 2024, Konami held a digital event to talk about its new Silent Hill projects.
During this event, called the Silent Hill Transmission, they showed 13 minutes of gameplay from Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake, gave a behind-the-scenes look at Christophe Gans’ Return to Silent Hill, and announced the Deluxe Edition and pre-order bonuses for the Silent Hill 2 Remake.
Silent Hill 2 Remake’s Pre-Order
Silent Hill 2 Remake’s bonus content is available in four different editions. If you buy the standard edition at launch, you won’t get any bonus content.
However, if you pre-order the standard edition, you will get a digital Mira the Dog mask for James Sunderland to wear in the game. PlayStation 5 pre-orders will also get an extra digital mask based on Robbie the Rabbit. The standard edition costs $69.99.
The Deluxe Edition costs $79.99 and comes with a digital artbook, digital soundtrack, and a digital Pyramid Head pizza box mask for James to wear in the game. If you pre-order the Deluxe Edition, you will also get all the standard edition bonuses, plus a 48-hour early access pass to start playing before the official release on October 8.
Explanation of the Masks:
- Robbie the Rabbit Mask: Robbie the Rabbit first appeared in Silent Hill 3 as the mascot of Lakeside Amusement Park. Known for having blood around his mouth, Robbie is a mysterious and popular character in the series.
- Mira the Dog Mask: Mira the Dog appears in Silent Hill 2’s funny ‘Dog’ ending, which players can see after completing the game three times. Mira is a fan favorite and has a mysterious connection to other joke endings in the series.
- Pyramid Head Pizza Box Mask: Unlike the other two masks, this one is not directly from previous games. It’s a fun tribute to fan creativity, inspired by a popular cosplay of Pyramid Head with a pizza box.
Fans still have time to decide which edition and pre-order bonuses they want before the game’s release on October 8. The Deluxe Edition offers a lot of extra content, including a soundtrack and artbook that will appeal to hardcore fans.
Silent Hill 2 Remake Suffers from Poor Marketing
Shortly after last week’s State of Play, Konami released a 13-minute trailer for Silent Hill 2. This is the first time we’ve seen how the remake will play. The trailer starts by saying Silent Hill 2 redefined psychological horror in video games.
A new trailer for SILENT HILL 2 Remake just released and it looks BEAUTIFUL. 🥲 And to top things off, we now have a release date of OCTOBER 8th! 🗓️
We can’t wait to play this beloved game all over again!! 😁https://t.co/yjym0YM3Iq
— Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition (@WhereAllBegins) May 30, 2024
It shows some scenes of the abandoned town with narration from the main character, James Sunderland. The atmosphere is subdued, mysterious, and filled with the sad feeling Silent Hill 2 is known for. Then, we see the gameplay, and it looks impressive.
The HUD (Heads-Up Display) is minimal, the music is subtle, and the player can freely explore parts of the town, just like in the original PS2 game.
The perspective is now over-the-shoulder, similar to newer survival horror games, making gunplay and melee combat easier. James still has to be resourceful, using things like decaying wood with rusted nails to defend himself from unknown horrors.
You start injured in a foggy, cramped part of town where James can break windows of nearby cars and shops to gather resources. It’s simple compared to the original but fits with modern survival horror expectations. There’s also a map that updates with new icons and clues as you explore the town.
The trailer shows cutscenes introducing key characters, but I wish it had included a longer, uninterrupted look at exploring the town to understand Bloober Team’s approach to the game. I hope they allow for free exploration like in the original because mapping out the town was a big part of its charm.
Since its reveal, I’ve criticized Silent Hill 2 for focusing too much on combat, making weird aesthetic choices, and not trusting the Bloober Team to handle the deep themes of trauma and consequences. I don’t think they are mature enough to do it right.
Konami hasn’t helped with trailers focusing on strange aesthetics and weak combat. While this new gameplay trailer might ease some fans’ worries, I fear it might be too late to change minds.