Silent Hill 2 Remake’s coolest new feature is also its biggest problem

The Silent Hill 2 Remake uses the technical specifications of the PlayStation 5, but this is not always to his benefit. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, Silent Hill 2 has always been colored by limitations. Infamously, the only reason why the first game in the series introduced the now-iconic fog that blankets Silent Hill was to compensate for its poor rendering distance, which would often cause objects and enemies to suddenly appear in frame. Silent Hill 2s fixed cameras are also severely limited by the PS2’s hardware, as ubiquitous as Dutch angles have since become.

But Video game technology has come an incredibly long way In the intervening 23 years. The PS5 can produce mind-boggling effects, rendering near-photorealistic images at an incomparable rendering distance, and with a freely movable camera to boot. The Silent Hill 2 Remake is not shy to eat every bit of the processing power, and also take advantage of the unique features of the PS5. This gives rise to its coolest new feature and its biggest technical problem.

Silent Hill 2 Remake nails sound design

SH2 Remake’s ambient noise and vibration are pitch-perfect

The Silent Hill 2 Remake perfectly recreates the immersive sound design of the original gameAnd even bolsters it with improved haptic feedback. The ambient noise of Silent Hill is an integral element of its atmosphere. Akira Yamaoka’s compositions and sound design are in no small part that of the original Silent Hill 2 remains an enduring classic. The gentle, hypnotic music lures the player into a trance, while the harsh creaks, clanks and crashes serve to remind them that there is something lurking around every corner. With Yamaoka’s participation, these are all faithfully adapted in the Silent Hill 2 Remake.

And Its PS5 version also uses the unique features of the DualSense controller to increase immersion. It uses the haptic feedback of the DualSense, not only when the player takes a hit or fires a gun, but also to support his sound design. For example, before their first encounter with Pyramid Head, players will hear a dragging noise on the floor above them – the sound of the monster lugging his oversized knife behind him. In the remake, the controller vibrates during these moments. This heightens the moment’s intensity and anxiety, as if on the very ceiling of the room above.

This is not the only moment Silent Hill 2 Remake uses the DualSense for increased immersion, either: it also vibrates in a pitter-patter pattern while the player is walking around outside in the rain, and thumps like a heartbeat when their health is low. In addition, the DualSense’s built-in speaker emits the sound of radio static when enemies are nearby. The same sound effects are used in the original Silent Hill 2But came from the same output source as the rest of the game’s audio.

The clever use of DualSense audio underscores the fact that the static is coming from a separate device in James’ pocket, not a natural part of the game world. It’s also incredibly foreboding when the controller speakers start buzzing, and when the static is in full blast and the monsters are bearing down on the player, it can be overwhelming in a thematically appropriate way.

The DualSense brings a lot to the game – at a price

Silent Hill 2 will kill your controller battery

All of the above features are excellent for the Silent Hill 2 Remake’s sense of immersion. however, They also kill the PS5 controller’s battery. What the DualSense has in unique features, it sacrifices in battery life. Different games have different effects on battery life, but in general, it’s notorious for the constant disruptive low battery warnings.

Nothing breaks immersion more than a sudden need to get up and recharge your controllerWhat was an unfortunate constant during my time Silent Hill 2 Game. My charging cable is just a little too short for me to sit comfortably while using it, so my battery dies often marking the end of a gaming session. Later in the game, I found that decreasing vibration intensity helped extend the DualSense’s life, but it seems like the radio static is doing the majority of the battery draining.

You can turn off the radio static and rely only on the visual indicator, but you shouldn’t have to deprive yourself of this essential part of Silent Hill 2s sound design just to play it comfortably. Ideally, there would be a setting to reduce the radio volume (which was present in the original version), but it’s all or nothing in the remake. Finally, I found that The best way to avoid draining the battery is to use headphones – Not my favorite way to play, but I can’t argue with the results. And I will soon invest in a longer charging cable.

Although I eventually found a set of solutions that worked, the onus should never have been on me – the remake needs better options for adjusting the radio volume in order to keep the DualSense battery alive. The new features in the Silent Hill 2 Remakes are intended to boost immersion, and when they work, they do – but their overuse has the potential to break immersion in the worst way.