Bloober Team, the studio behind the Silent Hill 2 Remake, has been actively sharing new details about the remake recently. In an interview with IGN, Silent Hill producer Motoi Okamoto, concept artist Masahiro Ito, and composer Akira Yamaoka provided fresh details on the remake, touching upon its improved combat design and enemy AI that offer a ”more interesting” experience.
Ito claimed that the development team is improving the combat without changing the way monsters move and act, saying “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.”
He is also very satisfied with the atmosphere that Bloober Team has cultivated in the remake, saying: ”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.”
Motoi Okamoto provided a breakdown of the overhauled enemy AI, which takes a few cues from the original game. ”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.” Okamoto told IGN. “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.”
Okamoto also went into Konami’s reasoning for remaking Silent Hill 2 over the original, explaining that it’s due to Silent Hill 2 being the true identity of the series. Although some within Konami thought remaking the original Silent Hill first was the way to go, they decided to go with the sequel because it symbolizes the franchise’s psychological identity.
As confirmed by the studio’s president Piotr Babieno back in October 2022, Silent Hill 2 Remake is in the late development stage, coming to PlayStation 5 and PC at an undisclosed time.