{InfoGame
|name= Silent Hill 2
|image= 
|genre= Survival horror, Psychological horror
|dev= Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo/Team Silent (PS2, Xbox)
Creature Labs (Windows)
|pub= Konami
|comp= Akira Yamaoka
|series= Silent Hill
|plat= PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
|release= PlayStation 2
NA September 24, 2001
JP September 27, 2001
EU November 23, 2001
Director's Cut
JP July 2, 2002
EU February 28, 2003
Xbox
NA December 20, 2001
JP February 22, 2002
EU October 14, 2002
Windows
NA December 2, 2002
EU February 28, 2003
|mode= Single-player
|rating=
| ESRB: |  - Mature |
| PEGI: |  - 16 and older |
| CERO: |  - 15 and older |
| ACB: |  - 15 and older |
| BBFC: |  - 15 and older |
|plat1=PS2
|nabox=
|jpbox= 
|eubox= 
|plat2=Xbox
|nabox2= 
|eubox2= 
|jpbox2= 
}}
Silent Hill 2 is a survival and psychological horror game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo's Team Silent group for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox while Creature Labs ported it over to Microsoft Windows. The game was published by Konami. It has saw many re-releases including as apart of the PlayStation 2's Greatest Hits and in the upcoming Silent Hill Collection, remastered in HD. The game's Xbox port was released under the title Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams in North America, Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears in Europe and Silent Hill 2: The Final Song in Japan. The Japanese PS2 re-release version also uses the Final Song name, the European re-release uses Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut for PS2 and PC, and the PS2 North American version was re-released under the Greatest Hits brand. While the game is a sequel to the original Silent Hill game, it is not a direct sequel to characters and events from original.
Silent Hill 2 was positively received by the audience and critics. Within the month of its release in North America, Japan and Europe, over one million copies were sold, with the greatest sales in North America. English-language critics praised the atmosphere, graphics, story and monster designs of Silent Hill 2, but criticized the controls as difficult to use. Silent Hill 2 appeared on several critics' top lists for its story and use of metaphors, psychological horror and taboo topics.
Plot[]
James Sunderland, one day receives a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, who passed away three years ago. The letter tells him to come to Silent Hill to their "special place". As he explores the seemingly abandoned and monster-infested town of Silent Hill, he meets other characters who have also been drawn into Silent Hill. Angela Orosco is a gloomy and cynical 19-year old runaway who came to the town to search for her mother; Eddie Dombrowski harbors a darker side to his easy-going personality; Laura is a 8-year old girl who befriended Mary during her time in the hospital and seems to be oblivious to the dangers of the town; Maria strongly resembles James's wife except for some minor differences. As the game proceeds, James finds himself questioning his sanity and how Mary really died.
Born from a Wish[]
Born from a Wish is a side-story scenario in the special editions and re-releases of the game in which the player takes control of Maria shortly before she and James meet at Toluca Lake. After waking up in the Heaven's Night Club with a gun and contemplating suicide, she resolves to go out and find someone. Her wandering eventually brings her to the seemingly deserted Baldwin mansion, where she hears the voice of its owner, Ernest Baldwin. At first Maria is relieved to have found another living human, but Ernest refuses to let Maria into the room where he is and will only talk to her through the closed door. After Maria completes a few tasks for him, including passing him a birthday card from his daughter Amy, Ernest warns her about James, whom he describes as a "bad man". Maria open the door to Ernest's room, and finds it empty. Leaving, she again contemplates suicide. After pointing the gun at her head, she abruptly tosses it over a nearby wall, and after whispering James' name, walks into the fog to await his arrival.
Gameplay[]
The objective of Silent Hill 2 is to guide the player character, James Sunderland, through the monster-filled town of Silent Hill as he searches for his deceased wife. The game features a third-person perspective, with various camera angles for different areas of the map in contrast to simply always having the player view the game from behind the back of James. There is no heads-up display; to check their health, location, and items, the player must enter the pause-game menu to review their status. Maps are collected throughout the game, and can only be read if there is sufficient light or when James' flashlight is on. James will update relevant maps to reflect locked doors, clues and obstructions. James will also write down the content of all documents for future reference.
Much of the gameplay consists of navigating the town and finding keys or other items to bypass doors or other obstructions, with less focus on killing enemies. Occasionally puzzles will be presented, often with riddles left for the player to interpret. The difficulty levels of the enemies and the puzzles are determined independently by the player before starting the game. James keeps a radio with him which alerts him to the presence of creatures by emitting static, allowing him to detect them even through the thick fog. He will also tilt his head in the direction of a nearby item or monster. The default control for Silent Hill 2 has James moving in the direction that he is facing when the player tilts the analog stick upwards. Additionally, there are a total of six weapons available: three melee weapons and three firearms, with another two melee weapons (a chainsaw and hyper sprays) unlocked during replays. Throughout the game, James can find health restoratives such as first-aid kits, health drinks and ammunition.
| v · d · e Silent Hill series
| |
|---|---|
| Main games | Silent Hill - Silent Hill 2 (Restless Dreams) - Silent Hill 3 - Silent Hill 4: The Room - Silent Hill: Origins - Silent Hill: Homecoming - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - Silent Hill: Downpour - Silent Hill: Book of Memories |
| Spinoffs | Silent Hill: Play Novel - Silent Hill: The Arcade - Silent Hill: The Escape - Silent Hill: Orphan - Silent Hill: Orphan 2 - Silent Hill: Mobile 3 |
| Other | The Silent Hill Collection - Silent Hill Collection |