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

Silent Hill 2 The remake takes full advantage of the technical characteristics of the PlayStation 5, but this is not always to its advantage. Originally released for PlayStation 2, Silent Hill 2 has always been tinged with restrictions. Infamously, the only reason the first game in the series introduced the now-iconic fog that shrouded Silent Hill was to compensate for poor rendering distance, which often caused objects and enemies to pop into frame suddenly. Silent Hill 2Fixed cameras were also strictly limited by the PS2 hardware, as ubiquitous as Dutch camera angles have since become.

But Video game technology has come an incredibly long way over the past 23 years. PS5 can create stunning effects, rendering near-photorealistic images at an unparalleled rendering distance and allowing the camera to move freely to boot. Silent Hill 2 The remake isn't shy about sucking up all the processing power while still taking advantage of the PS5's unique features. This creates both the coolest new feature and the biggest technical challenge.

Silent Hill 2 remake sound nail design

The ambient noise and vibration of SH2 Remake are perfect

Silent Hill 2 The remake perfectly recreates the original game's immersive sound design.and even enhances it with improved haptic feedback. Silent Hill's ambient noise is an integral part of its atmosphere. Akira Yamaoka's compositions and sound design go a long way toward explaining why the original Silent Hill 2 remains an enduring classic. Soft, hypnotic music puts the player in a trance, while dirty creaks, clanks and rumbles serve as a reminder that something lurks around every corner. With the participation of Yamaoka, they are all carefully adapted into Silent Hill 2 remake.

AND its PS5 version also leverages the unique features of the DualSense controller to further enhance immersion.. It uses the DualSense's haptic feedback not only when the player hits or fires a gun, but also to enhance the sound design. For example, before the first encounter with Pyramid Head, players will hear a dragging noise on the floor above them - the sound of a monster dragging its huge knife behind it. In the remake, the controller vibrates at these moments. This heightens the tension and anxiety of the moment, as if the ceiling itself is rumbling overhead.

This is not the only moment Silent Hill 2 The remake also uses the DualSense to increase immersion: it also vibrates while the player is walking outside in the rain, and pounds like a heartbeat when they are low on health. Besides, The DualSense's built-in speaker emits a radio interference sound when enemies are nearby.. The original used the same sound effects. Silent Hill 2but came from the same source as the rest of the game's audio.

This clever use of DualSense audio highlights the fact that the interference is coming from a separate device in James' pocket, rather than from a natural part of the game world. It's also incredibly foreboding when the controller speakers start buzzing, and when the static is at full blast and the monsters are bearing down on the player, it can be overwhelming in a thematically appropriate way.

DualSense brings a lot to the table - for the price

Silent Hill 2 will drain your controller's battery

All of the above features are great for Silent Hill 2 the feeling of being immersed in a remake. However, they also kill the PS5 controller battery. When it comes to the DualSense's unique features, it sacrifices battery life. Different games have different effects on battery life, but in general it's known for its constant low battery warnings.

Nothing disrupts immersion like suddenly having to get up and recharge your controller.which was an unfortunate constant for me during my Silent Hill 2 passage. My charging cable is too short for me to sit comfortably while using it, so running out of battery often meant the end of my gaming session. Later in the game, I found that lowering the vibration intensity helped extend the life of the DualSense, but it seemed like radio static was draining most of the battery life.

You can turn off radio static and rely solely on the visual indicator, but you won't have to deprive yourself of this essential part. Silent Hill 2sound design is simply for a comfortable gameplay. Ideally there would have been a radio volume reduction setting (which was present in the original version), but the remake is all or nothing. In the end I discovered that The best way to avoid battery drain is to use headphones - not my favorite way to play, but I couldn't argue with the results. And soon I will buy a longer charging cable.

While I eventually found a number of solutions that worked, the responsibility should never have fallen on me—the remake needs better radio volume controls to keep the DualSense's battery alive. These new features in Silent Hill 2 remakes are meant to enhance immersion, and when they work, they do, but overusing them can break immersion in the worst possible way.