Silent Hill 2 remake will not use “yellow paint and the like,” producer assures

In a recent interview with Famitsu, Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto addressed the infamous “yellow paint” debate, reassuring fans that the Silent Hill 2 remake will not feature yellow paint or other immersion-breaking forms of player guidance. On the other hand, Okamoto also gave insights into what the game will include accessibility-wise.

In the original Silent Hill 2, players were assisted in searching for items through a mechanic that had the character’s head turn in the direction of a nearby item. Okamoto says that the remake will stick to this approach, while adopting a more natural animation for the gesture. In addition, item placement and lighting will be designed to help the player guess where an item may be located.

However, Okamoto notes that due to in-game environments becoming more detailed, as well as the switch to a TPS camera angle, it has generally become more difficult to spot items in the Silent Hill 2 remake. To counter this, the developers have implemented icons that display on-screen when picking up items, as well as several other types of icons that show up while you play. On the other hand, as keeping the original game’s immersive atmosphere was one of the team’s primary goals, Okamoto stresses that all such icons can be disabled/enabled according to your preferences. “If you’re the kind of player that gets put off by the slightest bit of UI, please make full use of these settings.”

Silent Hill 2’s developers are also making sure not to accidentally create what Okamoto calls a “shelf searching game,” by making sure to balance out-of-sight items with obviously placed ones. Other forms of guidance will include visual cues, such as knocked over trash cans, leading the players to explore where it’s necessary.