Silent Hill 2 Remake Xbox Series X/S Review
Is the Silent Hill 2 Remake on Xbox nothing but a port that’s an afterthought releasing a year after the PlayStation 5 version? Or, is the Xbox version just as good, or even better, than the PS5 version that hauled in such critical acclaim?
I’m gonna dive into how the Xbox version holds up, then tell you if the game itself is worth playing… and something I’ll tell you upfront, even as someone that’s a horror fan: the Silent Hill 2 Remake is scary as balls.
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Does the Xbox Version Keep Up With the PS5 Version?
Good grief, what a rollercoaster ride Silent Hill 2 has been. Before I get to why, I know you’re firstly wondering if the Xbox Series X version goes toe to toe with the PS5 version, or if Xbox gamers got the short end of the stick, and while I didn’t play it directly on Series S myself, I can at least answer that for you as well.
So I’ll start off with the good news. The Silent Hill 2 Remake on Xbox Series X not only keeps up with the PS5 version, but according to my personal experience, as well as some comparison videos, it’s not only as good but possibly even better, with some cases showing it locked to a smooth 60fps in performance mode, where the PS5 version was chugging. The bad, but honestly not-that-bad news, is that it’s not been a perfect Xbox experience either, as I had my fair share of visual issues over the course of the game, many of which were familiar Unreal Engine 5 issues that I’ve experienced in other UE5-powered games. I mostly played in Performance mode for the smoother gameplay, and it still looked really good and sharp, but if you’re willing to drop to quality mode at 30fps, the visual atmosphere and immersion is unbelievable, but at the cost of input responsiveness and smoother gameplay, so at times I found it tough to settle on one or the other.
If you’re a Series S owner, you don’t have a choice, with only a 30fps mode that does what it can to run, but honestly, if you go watch some comparison videos, it actually looks pretty good and it’s totally playable.
I honestly still think that the Series S is a fantastic little budget gaming machine.
Is the Silent Hill 2 Remake Good?
Right, so as for the Silent Hill 2 Remake itself. Despite playing games since the days of the NES and being a big fan of horror films, and games like Resident Evil and Dead Space, the Silent Hill 2 Remake is actually my first ever proper, numbered Silent Hill game, and let me tell you that while the horror aspects likely took a few years off of my estimated life span, it totally lived up to the hype.
During the story that runs around 16 hours, compared to the original game’s 6, the gameplay provides solid exploration, combat and puzzle solving, while the art and sound design are a masterful duo, constantly teamed up against you, to make sure that your buttcheeks remain adequately clenched at all times. It is a proper, harrowing horror experience, so really, if you struggle with that sort of thing, you’re gonna struggle with Silent Hill 2.
So Then, Should YOU Play It?
Silent Hill 2 had me completely immersed from start to finish, with its deep characters and performances, and a devastating story wrapped in a fascinating and mysterious setting. It really touches on some tough subjects, and if you’re someone who has experienced loss or grief, be warned that the story might hit you like a freight train, but its ability to make you feel that is one of the reasons that the Silent Hill 2 Remake is as good as it is. If you’re wondering about value and replayability, there’s also a New Game Plus mode and multiple endings to keep you busy.
It’s really hard to find much wrong with the Silent Hill 2 Remake, both as its own game and even as the remake of a beloved game that should have been pretty much impossible to pull off.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably someone who loves great horror experiences, and as far as the Silent Hill 2 Remake is concerned, aside from some small issues, it almost doesn’t get better than this, and I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.
