Konami finally revealed its upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2, developed by Bloober Team. It’s 12-month exclusive for PS5 while also launching for PC. In a new PlayStation Blog post, creative director and lead designer Mateusz Lenart provided new details on what to expect.
First, Lenart confirmed that the remake was being developed on Unreal Engine 5, utilizing tech like Lumen and Nanite. The former provides a dynamic global illumination system that “immediately reacts to scene and light changes. It means that the light interacts with the environment realistically, just like in the real world.” The result is more naturally lit game environments.
Nanite serves to create “incredibly detailed worlds and more realistic environments that look and feel almost lifelike.” Despite the goal of bringing the town to life in “ways that were impossible up to this point,” Bloober Team is working to preserve Silent Hill 2’s atmosphere while modernizing several aspects of the gameplay.
“We are working closely with the original creators, including Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito, to ensure we’re keeping that unique Silent Hill feel intact,” said Lenart. An over-the-shoulder camera is one of the new features which helps immerse players “even deeper.” As a result of this perspective change, the combat system is being rebuilt along with certain set-pieces and “other things.”
“Now that you see basically what James can see, we could find new ways to keep the player on edge.”
In addition, Lenart promises the “best facial expressions” in the series’ history thanks to state-of-the-art motion capture, with a “wide range of emotions” showcased before any dialogue is spoken.
Silent Hill 2 doesn’t have a release date, so stay tuned for further details. You can check out the PC version’s requirements here. Other titles that have been announced include Silent Hill f, which has Ryukishi07 of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni fame involved, Annapurna Interactive’s Silent Hill: Townfall, and the real-time horror series Silent Hill: Ascension.