Silent Hill 2 Remake: How to defeat the Abstract Daddy
During your journey from Toluca Prison to the Labyrinth in Silent Hill 2, you will bump into Angela Orosco and her inner demon, the Abstract Daddy. Manifesting to James Sunderland as two humans trapped in a flesh covering, the Abstract Daddy is a prolonged boss fight that requires a lot of running, proper dodge timing, and some smashing of electronics.
Navigating the maze of Angela’s trauma is straightforward
As soon as the boss fight starts, immediately turn around and run away from the Abstract Daddy. Corridors aren’t the best place to fight this boss, so it would be best to lead it to areas with more space. You’ll soon enter a small room, which is as good a place as any to stand and fight (walking any further will just reveal the roundabout nature of the boss’s first stage).
Once you’ve dealt enough damage, the Abstract Daddy will roar, the lights will dim, and a previously locked door will now be open. Go through the door and follow the linear path. You’ll eventually cross paths with Angela, who is also running from her nightmare. At some point, Angela will go through a narrow pathway with white wood blinders on either side. Do not follow her, as doing so leads to a dead-end closet. Instead, head through the door on the left of the pathway entrance and continue forward.
You will soon hear a garbled conversation between Angela and her father through a television. Smash the television and the Abstract Daddy will burst through a nearby wall, signaling the start of round two. The Abstract Daddy always starts this phase with a short-range grab attack, so make sure to dodge and counterattack. Aside from the cheeky attempt at a sneak attack, you can fight the Abstract Daddy just as you did in the first phase. It will soon roar and disappear, leaving you to go through a narrow pathway and follow another linear path.
The next part can be a bit tricky, as it has another route that leads to a dead end and a surprise encounter with the Abstract Daddy. Avoid the narrow pathway that looks like the one Angela previously went through (it also has white wood blinders on either side) and continue through the pathway past the Abstract Daddy jump scare. You’ll hear a second conversation emanating from another television, which you must destroy to open the path forward.
The path to the final battle is much more linear. There will be another narrow pathway similar to the one Angela used, but approaching it will cause it to collapse, pushing you forward toward another television. Smashing this final television will open the final path that you need to take to finish off the Abstract Daddy for good.
Fighting the Abstract Daddy is easier than looking for it
All of the Abstract Daddy’s moves can be easily evaded and punished after a successful dodge. Its single swipes are its most common attacks and are performed with either of its stubby hands. It also performs a delayed backhand attack with its right hand, so be on the lookout for that as well.
While not an attack on its own, the Abstract Daddy will occasionally raise one of its heads and roar, stunning and opening you up for a follow-up attack. It doesn’t do this often, but before it does, try to position yourself far away or behind the Abstract Daddy. Doing so will make it harder for it to reposition itself for an attack.
The last two of the Abstract Daddy’s moves are grab attacks. The short-range grab attack is done when you’re close to the Abstract Daddy. It starts with the Abstract Daddy walking a short distance before attempting to grab you with its hands.
The Abstract Daddy’s second grab attack starts with a quick, long-distance run before it tries to grab you. This is reserved almost exclusively for the final arena, as it is much bigger than the rest of the areas in the boss fight. Getting caught in either of the grab attacks will do a lot of damage, so be ready to escape them.
Shotguns and melee attacks make short work of this boss
Despite solely dealing melee damage like the Pyramid Head, the best way to fight the Abstract Daddy is to stay close to it. You can prevent the Abstract Daddy from doing its roar and long-range grab attack, and any of its remaining moves can be dodged with the right timing. Successful dodges can be followed up with melee strikes and shotgun blasts, dealing significant damage. The same can be said if you manage to get behind the Abstract Daddy.
This encounter is longer than other Silent Hill 2 remake boss fights, mostly because of all the navigating you need to do. But when it comes down to the wire, the Abstract Daddy isn’t as strong as it looks. Defeating it will reward you with the “Unforgivable” achievement and grant you access to the Labyrinth.
