“Don’t worry, it’s not real.” That’s the kind of line I throw out whenever the poor soul watching a horror movie with me cringes at something on the screen. I know, I’m the worst person to watch horror with. I break the illusion instantly. Terrible, really.
In general, I can separate fiction from reality without much trouble. But when it comes to horror games, that skill, or rather that immersion-breaking curse, mostly vanishes. And as annoying as it is, a part of me actually wishes someone was sitting next to me saying, “Relax, it’s just ketchup.”
Horror games are a strange phenomenon for me. On the one hand, I feel drawn to them. Deep down, I want to be scared out of my mind. Just as strong, though, is the urge to avoid putting myself through it. I want to torture myself, but…I also don’t. Every time a shiver shoots down my spine or my heart skips a beat, I can’t help but think: why am I doing this to myself?
This article does not focus on the story, but it does contain spoilers for certain locations and monsters.
When Silent Hill 2 Hit PS Plus, I Couldn’t Escape It Anymore
And so, when the remake of Silent Hill 2 was released in 2024 by Bloober Team, I stayed on the sidelines. I saw the posts from players who were scared shitless. Grim, misty screenshots where some grotesque silhouette wobbled in the distance. A protagonist, whose name I didn’t even know yet, squeezing under a narrow doorway to crawl into a house. Because why not, right? This wasn’t for me, I thought.
But what if it actually was for me? The Last of Us is one of my favorite games of all time. Isn’t that horror too? The stalkers, that basement section where you have to start up the generator? I even rated Alan Wake 2 a 9/10, despite those damned Cynthia Weaver jump scares still being burned into my retinas. I loved it all the same.
So I kept watching Silent Hill 2 from the corner of my eye. I checked now and then to see if any tempting discounts popped up. It would be a shame to pay full price, only to quit half an hour later after realizing I was way too much of a coward for it.
Whenever I saw there wasn’t a good deal, I was almost relieved. I had gotten away with it a little longer. I could still stick to games that didn’t leave me shivering or give me nightmares. Nothing wrong with that.
But then came the news that James Sunderland’s adventure (yes, by now I do know his name) would be free for PS Plus members, and my fate was sealed. I could not avoid it any longer. If I was about to play what many call one of the scariest games ever, maybe I would finally conquer my fear. From there, it could only get easier. A good stepping stone toward the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, too.
And maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Old Condemned: Criminal Origins Traumas Came Rushing Back
Jump scares are easily at the top of the list of reasons why I am not fond of horror games. Luckily, most of Silent Hill 2’s horror does not rely on jump scares, but instead on its suffocating, depressing and downright uncomfortable atmosphere. Still, it is fair to say Bloober does not completely avoid them either.
One of the most common monsters does nothing but that. Those damned mannequins. Ever since the days of Condemned: Criminal Origins, I have been traumatized by mannequins (now that I think about it, Condemned may actually be to blame for my entire resistance to horror). After playing Silent Hill 2, I am bringing a wooden plank with me the next time I go clothes shopping.
These abominations hide, and they are often well hidden too. They stand completely frozen until you get close, then suddenly lunge at you. It forces you to stay on guard at all times, scanning every single hallway and room you step into. And even then, I still sometimes missed the bastards.
Sometimes you even see them dash off, scurrying away to a new hiding spot. That means you know one is waiting for you somewhere, but you have no idea where. Pure nightmare fuel. And just when I thought they could not get any worse, I reached Toluca Prison.
Toluca Prison: Can It Get Any Scarier Than This?
I had been warned beforehand: Toluca Prison would be the scariest location in the game. And the moment I stepped into that dark hellhole, I knew every word of that warning was true.
I had already been through plenty of fear during the 10–12 hours leading up to the prison, but all of that paled in comparison. From the very first step you are plunged into absolute darkness. The weak light sources you do have are on timers. I genuinely had to summon my courage just to move forward, while in the background I could hear the vile sounds of the countless enemies that surely surrounded me.
Never before have I played a game with such suffocating darkness. Maybe my OLED TV had something to do with it, since black on that screen is truly black. I could not even see my own reflection anymore (a whole different kind of horror in itself), but instead stared straight into the void. It was terrifying, and at the same time brilliantly crafted by Bloober.
Spider Mannequins. Of Course There Are Spider Mannequins
A prison is, of course, the perfect setting for a horror game. Small, cramped cells where you constantly have to turn corners. At any moment, something could leap out at you. Step by step, as I slowly shuffled forward, the most unsettling sound effects began to creep in. Which noises belonged to an actual enemy, which ones were made by my own movement, and which were just there for atmosphere? God only knows. All I know is that the hair on my neck was standing on end.
Oh, and those awful mannequins? Now they crawl like spiders across the walls and ceilings. Just what I needed.
At least this time you can hear them. I had also been warned about the spider mannequins, but I was afraid they would be just as sneaky as their original form. Here, for better or worse, you hear their legs tapping against the surfaces. The problem is, you never know exactly where it is coming from. The ceilings are high, and the darkness is so disorienting that it is hard to place the sound.
Still, I pushed through. I told myself, if I can survive the prison, I can survive anything. Before long I could recognize the spider mannequins’ audio cues, predict exactly when they would pounce, and then stomp them into pieces. Served them right. In the end, I actually preferred the spider version to the originals.
Long story short, Silent Hill 2 is creepy as hell. I definitely felt that during the game, but sometimes even more after I turned it off. That was the moment I knew I was safe. Every time I quit, it felt like a crushing weight lifted off me. And even though that may sound negative, it is actually the highest compliment I can give a horror game.
Some Loose Scraps
- There are 8 endings; mine was “In Water.” I think I’ll skip the other 7 for now…
- This is one of those games where the story is undoubtedly brilliant, but also so abstract that I’ll be diving into the lore for a while to uncover things I definitely missed.
- That horse gallop in the Prison Yard… CREEPY! What the hell was that anyway?
- And what about that toilet scream? I needed to go to the toilet myself after that.
- I was convinced this would have a Shutter Island-style ending.
- I played this one with headphones on. In case you didn’t know, this blog is run by a certified badass. No half-measures.
- Time for a cozy game now.
