Gab Hernandez 
The ESRB has officially rated Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake for mature audiences and confirmed some crucial story details.
The Silent Hill revival has not gone as well as fans or Konami hoped. With the immediate flop of the interactive streaming series Silent Hill Ascension and a lukewarm reception to Silent Hill: The Short Message, Konami needs a strong release in the Silent Hill “renaissance” soon. The ace in the hole could be Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake, set for release sometime in 2024.
Unfortunately for Konami, the remake has drawn controversy with many fans disapproving of the focus on combat for Silent Hill 2 and Bloober Team publicly blaming Konami for this. Although Team Bloober insists the story remains unchanged, fans worried more about the gameplay between the familiar cutscenes. The ESRB shed some light on what fans can expect from the Silent Hill 2 remake.
The Silent Hill 2 remake reveals weapons, enemies, and potential story additions
The ESRB confirmed Pyramid Head, various weapons, and the return of memorable cutscenes from Silent Hill 2 in the remake.
The M rating is unsurprising, given the amount of gore and heavy topics tackled in Silent Hill 2. Fans expected most of these details, but some new additions stick out. For instance, the ESRB specifically cites “knives” as one of the weapons James can use.
While it’s likely just the Great Knife wielded by Pyramid Head, it could refer to Angela’s Knife. The weapon is not usable in the original game. Examining the item in the inventory increases the chances of a player getting the “In Water” ending, one of the bleakest endings in Silent Hill 2. If James can use the knife, it hints at subtle changes to the original story or some possible additions to the gameplay.
Another fascinating addition for fans is “characters pole-dancing in strip-club settings.” While there are vulgar posters in Silent Hill 2, no character is ever shown dancing on a strip pole.
The new cutscene could be a new interaction between James and Maria. Whether it’s a serious cutscene or an in-joke for longtime fans remains to be seen. Regardless, hardcore fans will want to keep a close eye on Silent Hill 2’s remake.
