Silent Hill 2

A psychological horror remake where you sweep a flashlight through foggy streets and solve puzzles to survive Pyramid Head's pursuit.

Last reviewed: May 3, 2026

Released Oct 2024 Singleplayer / Atmospheric / Exploration

Polished horror remake that earns the 2001 comparison — Bloober Team's over-the-shoulder camera reframes Pyramid Head's chase without losing the original's dread.

8.7 /10

Strong

Previously an Editor's pick

For you if

You loved the 2001 original and want to revisit James and Mary's story rebuilt
You're new to Silent Hill and want a modern entry point to the series
You enjoy psychological horror with combat — the remake is more action-forward

Not for you if

You expect Resident Evil-tier action — Silent Hill 2 is slower and more atmospheric
Your PC has under 8GB VRAM — performance struggles above 1080p without DLSS
You want only the original 2001 fixed-camera experience preserved verbatim

What players love

The atmospheric horror and emotional depth, driven by exceptional sound design and environmental storytelling, is what long-time players consistently praise.

What frustrates them

Puzzle-heavy pacing and occasional PC stutter are the main friction points, though they rarely detract from the overall experience for veteran players.

See the reviews behind this →

What critics say

8/10IGN
Silent Hill 2 is a great way to visit – or revisit – one of the most dread-inducing destinations in survival horror history.
Tristan OgilvieOct 2024 Read review →
9/10GameSpot
Bloober Team impressively rebottles the magic of the 2001 genre landmark.
Mark DelaneyOct 2024 Read review →
5/5Eurogamer
Bloober Team has delivered a remake that both expands Silent Hill 2 and gives careful attention to preservation.
Vikki BlakeOct 2024 Read review →

Before You Play

Refreshed monthly

How does the Silent Hill 2 remake compare to the 2001 original?

The 2024 remake is a faithful expansion of the 2001 PS2 original. Major differences: full third-person over-the-shoulder camera (no fixed angles), aim-down-sights and dodge-roll combat, expanded map with new building interiors, redesigned monster encounters with new attacks, modernized voice acting, and two brand-new endings (Bliss and Stillness) on top of the original six. Story and atmosphere are largely preserved; some critics note the dream-like ambiguity is dialed back for clearer character motivations.

Source: PCGamesN: Remake vs original

How many endings does Silent Hill 2 remake have and how do you get them?

The remake has eight endings — the original six (Leave, Maria, In Water, Rebirth, Dog, UFO) plus two new ones (Bliss, Stillness). First-playthrough endings are limited to Leave, Maria, or In Water based on a hidden point system. For 'In Water': keep low health most of the run, examine Mary's photo and letter often, listen to Mary's full hallway dialogue after dual Pyramid Heads, and use Rotten/Rusted items in puzzles. For 'Leave': heal often, pick the Snake coin in the cabinet puzzle, listen to Mary in full.

Source: GamesRadar: All SH2 remake endings

How long does it take to beat Silent Hill 2 remake?

Main story takes 18-20 hours on a normal difficulty first playthrough. 100% completion (every collectible, every memo, every alternate ending route) lands around 25 hours. New Game Plus runs 10-12 hours and is required to unlock the Rebirth, Dog, UFO, Bliss, and Stillness endings. Across all eight endings, completionists can spend 50+ hours total. Hard Riddle Mode adds another bump to puzzles for veterans.

Source: GameSpot: How long is SH2 remake

What are the best PC settings for Silent Hill 2 remake?

Silent Hill 2 Remake is heavily GPU-bound, especially VRAM-bound. 8GB VRAM minimum for 1080p; 12GB+ recommended for 1440p/4K. The two biggest perf-tanking settings are ray tracing (-24% if disabled) and shadows (-17% at lowest). Recommended quick-fix settings: ray tracing OFF, shadows on Low, screen space reflections OFF (35% gain combined), DLSS Performance preset on NVIDIA cards. Five upscalers supported: TSR, FSR 1, FSR 3, DLSS 3, XeSS — DLSS performs best on NVIDIA.

Source: DSOGaming: SH2 PC performance analysis

How is Pyramid Head changed in the Silent Hill 2 remake?

Pyramid Head appears in 5+ encounters across the remake — the multi-stage fight against dual Pyramid Heads in the Hotel is the climactic battle. Key changes from 2001: he's faster, more aggressive, and equipped with both blade swings and punches. The dual fight requires surviving for a fixed time window (damage shortens the timer rather than killing him). Bloober changed the original's stairwell setting because the over-the-shoulder camera couldn't fit the cramped space — they made the room larger and gave him faster movement to compensate.

Source: Game Rant: Pyramid Head encounters