Silent Hill 2 - Director's Cut

Computer game ain't what they were in the past, right? :)

Today I bring forth yet another jewel of the Survival Horror genre.

Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut   - Developer: Konami


It's been almost 10 years of its release. Yet few games of the genre have managed to capture the eearieness found here.

....Mary? Is that you?

You are James Sunderland, a twenty-something fella who drives to Silent Hill with a single purpose in mind: Finding his dead wife Mary. She's been in that state for 10 years, which is why he finds receiving a letter from her rather strange.

This sets the tone for a series of rather disturbing events which unfold in a marvelous way.. hooking you up for hours.
Without giving out too much of the plot, which would honestly be a crime, you can expect to find all those things that make Silent Hill great. Sounds and an ambience that will make you shriek every time you hear a noise; Enemies both beautiful and disgusting to look at, and a fog so thick you'll never see them coming.

Your flashlight will become your new best friend

Something that in my opinion is needed to be emphazised, is just how much you can explore given the hardware limitations. While you will most definitely find 'decoy' doors and the infamous 'broken lock' ones, there's just a whole lot to see and explore. You can sidetrack quite a bit and add a good hour or two of gameplay just by paying attention to all the detail given to the city and going around town looking for ammo lying on the ground.

Cutscenes are to be highlighted too, due to the considerable amount of them available, and the surprisingly good voice acting in general.

The 4 different endings available, and the 'sidestory' event, which tells a story from the perspective of a different character, allows for great replay value and extended gameplay.

One of the only things I found lacking is the camera. It somehow finds a way to lag in certain key moments, or to have you see in the exact opposite direction where you're going; something that will lead to quite a bit of frustration.


Nonetheless, despite these minor issues stated, SH2:DC is a very solid game. One that ought to be experienced by all those who enjoy Survival Horror.

...Scratch that, if you like games, you'll love this.


Rating 9/10