What does the Silent Hill 2 remake’s over-the-shoulder camera mean for the game? 

Thanks to its release date trailer, the general public has seen the Silent Hill 2 remake’s over-the-shoulder camera in action. Much like Capcom’s remake of Resident Evil 2, Bloober Team’s take on Silent Hill 2 will bring players closer to the protagonist’s perspective as they navigate a city overrun by horrors.  But how will this compare to Silent Hill 2’s original fixed camera angles and in what ways can we expect this change to affect the experience? 

The new camera angle in The Silent Hill 2 remake could mean new ways of scaring players 

A good majority of the original Silent Hill 2’s scares were the result of its fixed camera angles and loading screens. The game could easily lull players into a false sense of security by hiding enemies off-screen until the precise moments they were needed. Opening a door could trap James Sunderland in a small room full of Nurses with no other way out. Though players could leave the room by interacting with the same door, a momentary delay in reaction time could result in them taking damage from enemies. 

Scares designed in this way either won’t work or will be difficult to pull off in the remake now that players have full control of the camera. On the other hand, lighting design, which was used in the original game to limit how much the player can see, plays an even bigger role in creating a scary atmosphere. Used in conjunction with the remake’s over-the-shoulder camera, lighting design could be used to reduce vision so that off-screen elements like enemies and level design can work their horror magic. While certain scenes such as Pyramid Head’s first appearance are iconic, it will be interesting to see how they get restructured to surprise veteran players and give a fresh experience for newcomers. 

Puzzles could see a 3D overhaul as well 

For every memorable puzzle in the original Silent Hill 2, several forgettable ones have players searching for the right item to put in the proper receptacle. It would be impossible for every puzzle to be as iconic as the Rotating Cube, but using the over-the-shoulder camera to solve perspective puzzles could be one way to add some variety without stuffing James Sunderland’s inventory. 

Puzzles can also be intertwined with the game’s horror elements in such a way that players need to solve them while fending off the local monster. If done properly, these scenarios can immerse players in the game and heighten the fear they experience. 

Comparisons to the Resident Evil remakes are inevitable 

The biggest side effect of the Silent Hill 2 remake adopting an over-the-shoulder camera is that it will inevitably be compared to the Resident Evil games. Ever since it was popularized by the original Resident Evil 4, people have been comparing titles that use the over-the-shoulder perspective to Capcom’s survival horror franchise. Almost every Resident Evil game since Resident Evil 4 has used the camera angle, giving it a proven track record in the horror game genre. 

While there is nothing the Silent Hill 2 remake can do about the Resident Evil comparisons, what it can do is make sure to leverage its unique aesthetic. Silent Hill 2 is a psychological horror game, so it would benefit from placing its weirder elements at the forefront. Apart from the iconic fog-filled location of Silent Hill, indoor areas could be rife with designs that would be possible only in a person’s mind. Iconic enemies like the Nurses and Pyramid Head each represent a different aspect of the human psyche, which is why they are so iconic. By taking its strengths such as its narrative and visual design and focusing its new camera around it, the Silent Hill 2 remake could set itself apart from similar horror games.