Fear is objective, but it is also measurable. Does that oxymoron make this article arbitrary? Probably.

But it’s still fun to try!

As I said, horror is subjective, like all media genres. Something someone like me (the horror fanatic) may not find scary may be absolutely terrifying to others. Case in point: SILENT HILL 2.

If you missed my earlier article, “5 Triple-A Horror Games to Scare Yourself with this Halloween,” SILENT HILL 2 (2024) is a remake of Silent Hill 2 (2001), often considered one of the best, most influential psychological horror games of its time. Developed by Blooper Team, SILENT HILL 2 takes place in the titular town of Silent Hill, a gloomy, haunted town with the otherworldly ability to reflect the inhabitant’s psychology and twist it into something dark and disturbing. Players take the role of James Sunderland, a recently widowed man searching for his deceased wife within the town.

I love this game, and, while I would be remiss to acknowledge its scary moments, the truth is, I’m utterly numb to most horror. The downside of being a horror super-fan is that nothing scares you anymore.

Rather than running and screaming in terror like most players would, I find myself oddly entranced by the surreal atmosphere of Silent Hill.

A haunting town blanketed in a thick, impenetrable fog, washed-out buildings erected between a derelict street cracking and falling apart. Apartments and stores are drenched in dreary shades of white, gray, green, and blue, all coated in a layer of maroon rust that gives Silent Hill the appearance of a melting oil painting.

So, I invited a dear friend, Kayla “Roe” Diee, to bear witness to the beautiful nightmares SILENT HILL 2 has to offer. A self-proclaimed scaredy-cat, Roe has only ever experienced games like Animal Crossing and Mario Kart, far cries from anything in the SILENT HILL franchise. With minimal coaxing involving bribes of snacks and coffee, she played up to the first boss fight, Pyramid Head, which was roughly three hours into the game.

Have you ever played a SILENT HILL game before?

This was my first time playing a SILENT HILL game! I had seen promotional materials and found them intriguing, but other than those snippets, I went in completely blind.

How familiar are you with the series?

I was not familiar at all! I knew it was a horror game with several screen adaptations, but I did not even know the basic premise of the plot.

What did you think of Angela or Eddie?

I’m fascinated by both of them. If I could reach through the screen to hug Angela, I would. She seems to be harboring feelings of shame, which manifests in her spurts of regression.

I’m curious if her view of the town has themes of childhood integrated, such as teddy bears strewn through the apartments or lighter-toned colors. I know she said she came to Silent Hill in search of her family, but it seems like her true purpose there is to reconcile her wounded inner child with the woman she wants to be.

Eddie, on the other hand, made me uneasy from the moment he was introduced. Maybe that can be blamed on his younger age or the less-than-welcoming atmosphere of the room he is found in, but I am curious about his character. From where we left off, we got a lot more context for Angela than Eddie, so I am excited to keep playing and learn more!

What did you think of the town and atmosphere of Silent Hill?

The town of Silent Hill scared the absolute life out of me. I love a foggy atmosphere, but once eroding buildings and ravenous monsters are thrown into the mix, I’d rather sit it out. While I was playing the game, I leaped out of the chair I was sitting in at least thrice and screamed a dozen more times.

I have to admit, the developers are geniuses. As I progressed in the game, I picked up on so many minute details that all eventually wove together. However, I think the most intriguing aspect of this was the soundscape. The thrumming, foreboding music, accentuated by the occasional click of creeping creatures and radio static, ensnared my attention and gave me a few heart attacks.

What did you think of Pyramid Head?

Hate him.

Hate.

Absolutely not.

Mortifying.

Looking at him makes my skin crawl. I think he was conjured from nightmares and crude oil. Props to the game designers, but I hope to never see him again.

Is James crazy, or is his wife really here?

James is bonkers. Even if you follow the game’s (assumed) logic that the town is magical, everything I have seen thus far is an amalgamation of his guilt and grief. It’s too intricately personal for me to pass off as the work of a mastermind outside force.

My gut feeling is that the entire game is a hallucination. I don’t think James is traveling at all. And, if he is wandering throughout a town while his twisted self-reflection plays out, then he might be the subject of the notes left throughout Silent Hill about a disturbed man terrorizing its residents.

What scared you the most?

Pyramid Head, especially when he was manhandling some of the mannequin monsters. I’m shivering right now, just thinking about it.

Would you finish the game?

I would love to finish the game! I think I’ll need lots of coffee and emotional support from fluffy animals to get it done, but I have thought about the game constantly since I started it. I need to see how it ends!