Silent Hill 2 is a game that tries to push all your buttons, fire you up and harass you, disorient you and leave you feeling utterly confused. That's part of its charm. So, if you want to win the day and push your way through these foggy streets, you'll need a game plan.
There are lots of little things that will help you succeed. From tips on how to secure more items to common pitfalls we can help you avoid altogether, this guide will give you everything you need to succeed in conquering the streets of Silent Hill.
Note On Puzzle Difficulty
Our first point will start right at the beginning, actually before the beginning. Although you can freely change the difficulty of the fight, the difficulty of the puzzles will be locked. So it's important that you get it right. This setting will not change ALL puzzles, some of them will remain unchanged on all difficulties, but it will change the puzzles. Here's a breakdown of what to expect from each…
- Easy: For the puzzles affected, the easy difficulty is essentially removed no any challenge. Puzzles become simple instructions. If you hate puzzles, this is the setting for you.
- Normal: Normal has a bit more than an easy setting, but still holds the puzzles nice easy. If you're not into puzzles but don't like the idea of the game just handing you the answers, this is the setting for you.
- Hard: Hard mode contains puzzles. You will have to think about the clues. You don't think they're particularly cruel, but the puzzles can actually be confusing at times. This is probably the setting most people should choose.
Personally, I would say so Silent Hill 2 is a worse game when played on any of the easier difficulties than hard. So only choose these options if you don't like puzzles and only play the game for the vibes and combat.
The map will compile the most important information for you
One of the most important tools at your disposal is your map. If you have encountered a puzzle that you have yet to solve, your map will mark its location. If you have they met something that's important but didn't get it, your map will track it. Any locked doors you come across will be tracked by the map. If you find the passcode for the padlock, the map will even mark it!
This does not apply to the access codes that are on the images, you will have to look them up.
Because of everything the map does for you, I recommend playing with it in mind. So, as you walk down the hall, check all the doors. This way your map can track which rooms are locked. If you're ever stuck, you can just look at your map and see where you've been. It's that easy.
It
is
possible to miss some maps. They are almost always on the wall near the beginning of the stage. So make sure you search diligently for it before you go ahead. Playing Silent Hill 2 without a map would be damn hard.
Take screenshots and document things the game won't let you take with you
You can take most of the documents that are vital to completing the game with you. However, some things, such as paintings or sculptures, can be stuffed into pockets. In these cases, you will need to enter the information. Or you can take a screenshot by pressing the share button on PlayStation or the print screen button on PC.
So, if you see a statue that has data on it, maybe take a screenshot. A bunch of images that look like they might be relevant? Screenshot 'em. Again, only a handful of these things will ever be needed, but they will appear, and it's nice to be able to just flip through a few pictures and come up with an answer instead of walking through haunted halls trying to remember where you saw that random book.
I know I just talked about how a map is invaluable, and that's absolutely true, but it doesn't track paintings, sculptures, or other documents that you can't take with you.
Break every glass surface you come across
The Silent Hill 2 remake keeps a lot of things behind glass. There are lots of health potions, handgun ammo boxes, and other collectibles in cars, behind windows, in display cases, in vending machines… you get the idea. If you come across glass that is transparent and doesn't have an obvious cage around it, you'll be able to break it. And break what you should.
If I had to estimate a number, I'd say about a third of the objects in this game are behind a pane of glass. Additionally, it sometimes unlocks optional areas that contain even more items. And if not items, then at least interesting tidbits of lore.
Fighting enemies isn't always the best approach
In the combat guide, I advocate clearing areas. And I still think it makes life more enjoyable when it comes to finding a place. However, there are times when you can clear the room, but it's probably much wiser to just run there. If you're in a room, off the beaten path, and it suddenly fills with monsters after an event is triggered, it will really does it make sense to fight all the monsters?
That being said, if you're in an area full of monsters and it's a place you're likely to have to walk through multiple times, running is viable, but it means you'll have to do it every time you enter that space. . Just clean it up at that point.
Or hey, if you're being chased by a big bad guy and the game gives you multiple corridors to escape through, is it reasonable to level up and pump half the bullets into them? The game kind of strongly suggests that running is the appropriate solution, doesn't it? By the way, it will allow you to take on these big bad guys. So if you want to fight your way out, it often allows you to, but you waste a ton of bullets in the process. Sometimes it's just better to run.
Your actions have consequences
Yes, just like in the original Silent Hill 2, what you do affects things quite dramatically. If you are new to the series, the ending you get in the game will depend on how you behave in different situations.
Some of these can be as vague as trying to be at full health as often as possible, using one item instead of another when solving certain puzzles, or interacting with people when you have the chance. I don't want to give anything away here, but it's important to consider what you're doing and how it will affect your relationship with others if you're pursuing a specific end result.
If you want to see all the different endings, you can just do whatever, and in New Game Plus you'll have the opportunity to find books and notes scattered around South Vale that will teach you how to get the different endings. You can read more about this in our ending guide
here
.
