"Silent Hill 2" couldn't beat the atmosphere of the original "Silent Hill", but will always be remembered for its shift to a more mature, psychological storytelling and the astonishing leap in graphics and animation. The plot is simple and straight to the point, there is not much dialogue this time, and most side characters appear pretty much for no real purpose if not to lure James to the next location. The writing is alright: it's not anywhere near, to quote another Konami title, Metal Gear Solid, but was still enough to set it aside from other similar-themed games of its generation. The dialogues are a bit awkward, but let's say that the cheesy voice acting did not help. The real thing that stood out and couldn't be found in previous horror games is the psychological twist the plot takes towards the end. It was a mind-blowing choice at the time, and totally changed the way you perceived the events up to that point.
The only problem was the stiff and clunky gameplay, which felt a generation old and not much of an upgrade from the first "Silent Hill." The combat system takes no skill or strategy, and makes you tired of fighting incredibly quickly. Harder difficulty settings are exceptionally tedious as it takes a billion bullets to kill monsters. The screen also takes a few seconds to load completely, allowing the monsters to hit you several times before you can do anything.
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I dont know why this game is flaunted as having some of the best written stories and having the deepest of symbolism, because it really doesn't. I'm not insulting the game when I say that, because really the games strength lies in its atmosphere. its a very expressionist work
Kind of see where you're coming from. I can't say it does have the best writing or symbolism, but I think (given all the limitations Team Silent had to work with) they produced something extraordinarily good.
Imo, the best thing about the game's writing and symbolism was how none of it was hamfisted/forced or felt cheesy and super obvious like most games nowadays. If you played this game now, no spoilers, you would be left surprised by the story cos how much of it was show don't tell and so much of the depth was conveyed through the symbolism and the entities/objects of Silent Hill rather than characters talking to each other. I mean, they only really start talking about the obvious once sh*t hits the fan and we're approaching towards the end of the game.
So yeah, not the "best" symbolism/writing I've ever seen but definitely some of the best in video games.
The writing itself is nothing special, in fact it can come off as monotone, weird, lifeless and robotic (thanks to the voice acting) at some times where it completely takes you out of it, but i believe the story is pretty great.
This is what i call good game direction, SH2 takes a strange and surreal story, blends it perfectly into this oppressive and unsettling atmosphere and creates a memorable experience with clever use of symbolism and art direction. Aside from old technical limitations and some weird voice acting the presentation of Silent Hill 2 is near perfect! The game only flaws are in its game design such as actual gameplay and level design, but the artistic merit is top tier, its just like Pathologic 2 in that regard but a bit less focused on the art-house and more streamlined for mass appeal.
Kind of a hot take: while still fantastic, this is probably my least favorite game in the original trilogy.
Most of this game is masterful, like the graphics/level design, the story/writing (obviously), the symbolism, and the music. However, the combat is legitimately horrendous (even 1's feels a bit snappier), and to me, I much prefer the grittier, dark red, and ultra-violent art style you find in the first and third games. The subdued, damp imagery in this one is fine, but it's just not my preference when it comes to the series. 1 and 3 are relentless, ethereal experiences, and while 2 is as well, it doesn't feel as intense to me.
though i disagree, "ultraviolent" and "relentless" are such great ways to describe 1 and 3, and are major reasons i love them both. i think a strength of this game is the fact that it's not as harsh as the other two, it's more subdued and melancholic, which fits the atmosphere and story a lot better
I would say its not even the best survival horror game ever, let alone game, but i think its special in what it does, no other game has a similar atmosphere and the soundtrack just hits different. Its a great game all things considered, i would like to read why you think its not the best...can you please write a bit to elaborate on that?
Imo, the best thing about the game's writing and symbolism was how none of it was hamfisted/forced or felt cheesy and super obvious like most games nowadays. If you played this game now, no spoilers, you would be left surprised by the story cos how much of it was show don't tell and so much of the depth was conveyed through the symbolism and the entities/objects of Silent Hill rather than characters talking to each other. I mean, they only really start talking about the obvious once sh*t hits the fan and we're approaching towards the end of the game.
So yeah, not the "best" symbolism/writing I've ever seen but definitely some of the best in video games.
This is what i call good game direction, SH2 takes a strange and surreal story, blends it perfectly into this oppressive and unsettling atmosphere and creates a memorable experience with clever use of symbolism and art direction.
Aside from old technical limitations and some weird voice acting the presentation of Silent Hill 2 is near perfect!
The game only flaws are in its game design such as actual gameplay and level design, but the artistic merit is top tier, its just like Pathologic 2 in that regard but a bit less focused on the art-house and more streamlined for mass appeal.
the story is pretty basic if you stop to think about it, and the gameplay is kinda dated.
Most of this game is masterful, like the graphics/level design, the story/writing (obviously), the symbolism, and the music. However, the combat is legitimately horrendous (even 1's feels a bit snappier), and to me, I much prefer the grittier, dark red, and ultra-violent art style you find in the first and third games. The subdued, damp imagery in this one is fine, but it's just not my preference when it comes to the series. 1 and 3 are relentless, ethereal experiences, and while 2 is as well, it doesn't feel as intense to me.
Its a great game all things considered, i would like to read why you think its not the best...can you please write a bit to elaborate on that?