"I get the sense that they take their work very seriously, and that they believe videogames to be art even more than we thought."
A person wearing a giant metallic pyramid covering over their head. They are standing in a doorway as rain pours down outside behind them.

Whether we wanted it to or not, a remake of Silent Hill 2 is coming from Bloober Team. The studio known for games like Layers of Fear, The Medium, and Observer have been working on this Silent Hill 2 remake for quite some time now. They, alongside Konami, are sprucing up the classic horror title for an all new generation.

IGN recently spoke with Konami to talk about what it's been like working with Bloober Team. They also talked a bit about the legacy of Silent Hill 2 and discussed a few things related to the remake.

First, let's take a look at lwhat Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto had to say about working with Bloober Team. Okamoto was joined by Silent Hill 2 concept artist Masahiro Ito and composer Akira Yamaoka in this interview.

What's your impression of Bloober Team?

Okamoto: "I get the sense that they take their work very seriously, and that they believe videogames to be art even more than we thought. Japanese people are so shy when it comes to declaring videogames as art, you know? But I feel like they truly believe that. That's exactly why they treat Silent Hill's artistic sound and visuals with so much respect."
Okamoto and the others at Konami also had a lot of praise for Bloober Team, at least when it comes to creating environments.

Okamoto: "To begin with, Bloober Team is amazingly talented at creating environments. You can really experience what James is feeling just by walking through the foggy town. I think they're excellent at making backgrounds, environments and atmosphere. On top of that, they're putting a lot of attention into combat in order to make the gameplay that much deeper. I see them as very hard workers who are full of love for Silent Hill."

Ito: "Personally, I'm very satisfied with the quality of the town and the atmosphere of the Silent Hill 2 they're making. I really get the feeling that they respect the original while still making sure to arrange things in their own way. In particular, we had strong demands about the motif of fog when first starting on this remake, and they were sure to depict it just as we wanted. I believe from the bottom of my heart that they’re making something incredible."

Yamaoka: "I've played Bloober Team's games myself, and as game developers we can tell just how much they love Silent Hill. It's more than just love, too. I sense a strong respect for the title, and they exceed my expectations. I think that when it's done, the game will be one made with real thought about how to bring it back in this day and age."
The real saving grace with this remake is the fact that the story existed before Bloober Team got their hands on it. Let's just hope that Bloober Team doesn't try to put their own spin on things, because the way they have handled similar themes from the Silent Hill games in their own work has left a lot to be desired.

Speaking more broadly about the remake, Konami says that they made a decision to age James up a bit in this remake. Okamoto says that this was for a couple of reasons.

"After speaking with Mr. Ito, we decided to raise James's age in the game a bit. This is in part because fans from 20 years ago are older now, and because the average age of people who play videogames has risen too. We want to depict a James who is more mature and has had to suffer through more in his life, and to do that we raised his age, though only by a bit. If he looks older to you, it's not your imagination."
Furthermore, they say that the graphical limitations of the PlayStation 2 made everyone look a lot younger than they intended. A lack of detailed textures made everyone look younger, "or at least had smooth skin." They feel as though this remake shows "a more convincing sense of age."

In the Silent Hill 2 remake, the team moved to using a "more immersive camera." They hope that this will let players better experience the atmosphere, "which will stir up lots of different emotions." They also say that this camera shift will be better suited for the game's retooled combat.

How did you change your approach when it comes to monster AI and the variety of different enemies?

Ito: "First off, we're improving the combat design, something that received a lot of feedback in the original. Doing so would be difficult without changing the way the monsters move and act, so we've tried to respect the original designs while adding combat that's fun and new to the remake as we improve a number of enemies."

Okamoto: "We're remaking enemy AI from the ground up to be designed in a way that will allow players to enjoy the combat. Bloober Team's love for the original is strong, so they're not going to simply add new enemies. They are looking at fine details that can help make combat fun, though, which means changing AI or small design elements. It might look the same, but it's different when you look closely. They really did a good job all throughout the game."
The interview also has Konami weighing in on specific aspects of the original Silent Hill 2, including story, music, the iconic Theme of Laura, creature design, and more.