Gab Hernandez 
Silent Hill 2 remake’s latest trailer focused heavily on the combat of the game and Bloober Team directed frustration toward Konami for that decision, the latest display of tension between the two companies.
Konami’s recent push for a Silent Hill revival has fallen short of fan hopes. The revival started on the wrong foot with Silent Hill Ascension, an interactive streaming series plagued by predatory monetization and cheap production. A free-to-play PlayStation 5 exclusive, Silent Hill: The Short Message, received mixed reviews among casual fans and critics.
Now two projects into the series revival and fans are wondering if the Silent Hill 2 remake can meet expectations. The combat-focused trailer for Silent Hill 2 did not relieve those worries.
Will the Silent Hill 2 remake be an action game?
The upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake will be a survival horror game, not a pure action game. Bloober Team stated that the Silent Hill 2 combat trailer “does not reflect the spirit of the game.”
In a now-deleted interview with Bloober Team president Piotr Babieno for the Polish news channel Inwestorzy.tv, per Eurogamer Poland, Babieno states that Bloober Team “are not responsible for the marketing side” and shifted responsibility to Konami.
“When players see the real gameplay, the real game, they will judge it in a completely different way,” Babieno said.
This is the second time there has been publicly discussed discord between the two companies. In November, Bloober Team made an odd post on Twitter that pointed questions regarding the game’s release to Konami.
The action-oriented trailer might be an attempt by Konami’s marketing team to capitalize on the Resident Evil 4 Remake’s success. It’s not yet entirely clear how much Bloober Team may have altered Silent Hill 2’s gameplay relative to the original. The original game had stiff tank controls and fixed camera angles, which were normal for the time. Bloober Team’s remake may have a slower and more methodical combat system, which Konami may feel doesn’t make for a compelling trailer.
Bloober Team is also in something of a defensive stance due to negative fan reaction surrounding its involvement. The studio’s previous game, The Medium, received mixed reviews, with some citing the insensitive portrayal of the trauma experienced by domestic abuse victims. Given the heavy themes of Silent Hill 2, its own themes of domestic abuse, and middling reviews to most of its original games, fans questioned whether the Polish studio could be trusted with a remake of a classic.
This may have had Babieno looking to head off concerns from fans regarding what liberties Bloober Team takes with the game.
Konami tried to make Silent Hill more action-packed in the past
Konami tried to make Silent Hill a more action-focused franchise in the past, before its 2015 business overhaul that saw the company mostly stop video game development.
Silent Hill: Origins was the first entry to have a more in-depth combat system, such as unarmed fighting and weapon durability. Silent Hill: Homecoming also focused on combat, with a combo system rooted in the main character’s history as a soldier, despite not being appropriate to the game’s story. Reviewers generally agreed that combat felt out of place for the Silent Hill franchise, and was ultimately an awkward addition to the game’s existing style.
Unlike Resident Evil, Silent Hill never relied on combat for its gameplay loop. Instead, Silent Hill focused on atmosphere, psychological horror, puzzles, and a slower pace. Konami disbanded Team Silent in 2004, the development team behind the first four Silent Hill games, which marked a critical downturn for the series. Konami hopes the Silent Hill 2 remake brings the franchise back from the dead.
