In our special place... (Ending) [Silent Hill 2 Remake - Part 7]

[@frinska]

front side of the note: today was a regular day. nothing out of the ordinary happened. back side of the note: kill kill kill kill kill... sincerely, evil

[@lunatikcalm721]

Hey John! Dunno if you’ll see this but I’m one of the animators that worked on the cinematics. I’ve been a big fan of your channel for a long time and seeing how much you enjoyed playing the game.. it really is a crazy feeling! Glad you enjoyed!!

[@sarahapriliana9993]

BIG W

[@wiltmostyn]

you guys did an incredible job!

[@blueberrybells]

beautiful work!!!! absolutely amazing!!!!

[@MasterDirox]

The "it's bread" achievement is a fan community meme from Silent Hill 3. It's funny that they put that in here. Something you might find interesting: In the picture you found in the prison called "Burning Man" it showed an image of a building burning down. That building was Lakeview Hotel. After the tape, when James enters "otherworld", you can see fire hoses strung about, and everything is burned. In my view, and I think a lot of people might agree, is that when you arrive at the hotel and everything is nice and pristine, you are actually already in otherworld; the nice hotel that James says hasn't changed is the lie. But after the tape, James is disillusioned and sees the true state of the hotel. It's easy to overlook, but there are different enemy variants in otherworld (the black lying figure and black nurses with knives) which are in the hotel when you arrive. However, after watching the tape, all the enemies are in their normal form, and have begun to die, because James has let go of his delusion. Pyramid remains, as his guilt has come to the forefront of his mind. Mary's Letter: The writing on her letter disappears after you kill Eddie. This is a significant turning point for James, because he associates killing Eddie with.. something else he might have done. Killing Eddie is likely why there is a second Pyramid.

[@첼체린]

Damn. The implications are TIGHT. Thank you for sharing all this. I'm so impressed.

[@aettic]

This is a very interesting point, about the hotel Otherworld. I think you might be right. Regarding Eddie, just to add for anyone else reading this who's newer to this game: In the original, once you kill Eddie, James has a profound realization and says "I killed a... a human being..." and then emphasizes, as if he's realized what he's really done: "A human being..." This is the name of the trophy in this remake for killing Eddie, but James has no dialogue. However, he does still look at his hands as a "what have I done?" moment, much like he does in the bathroom at the very beginning of the game. Subconsciously, and now consciously, he's realizing that he has killed before.

[@MasterDirox]

@@aettic Yep that's a good observation I was waiting for him to say that line after killing Eddie. They made it more subtle by tying it back to the bathroom scene instead. It's a more direct link, yet unassuming. It's a cool change.

[@theaibber]

You're right. Masahiro Ito confirmed back in 2021 that the regular-looking hotel is actually the Otherworld version, and after watching the tape, James comes back to the normal version where the hotel is burned.

[@nozomi90]

In the original game, the writing in the letter also eventually disappears over time, as James comes closer and closer to coming out of his delusion. It's always been one of my favorite parts of the game.

[@adamvancleave9200]

Even if I wasn’t checking after every item use and cut scene?

[@nozomi90]

@adamvancleave9200 whether you check it or not does affect your ending potentially, but even if you don't check it the writing and eventually the paper will vanish as you get into late game.

[@adamvancleave9200]

@@nozomi90 I only checked it for ending grind so I wasn’t sure.

[@caitlinreuterskiold5828]

"Arguing with people who don't exist" is one of the main reasons I keep coming back to this channel 😂

[@jackieinbloom]

Same

[@Lea-is-sleeping]

Same!

[@nyxofficial47]

James' actor and the facial animation team cooked way too hard. Some of the best stuff in the industry, period.

[@thefailbender]

I adore watching his face. Everything he did in the cutscene after watching the VHS… what a phenomenal performance.

[@zepp3793]

The actor really did well to portray that sadness in his face that James had

[@acrustykrab]

Love it

[@limeybonesjones7395]

100% agree

[@GrayveRoseMusic]

They baked some delicious caramel fudge brownies, absolutely.

[@ESPLTD782]

When the hotel is broken down and burned it’s actually not the other world but it’s how it really looks after the fire. When James originally get there he says. Wow this place hasn’t changed in years, when clearly it has and his mind just sees it as normal. Saying for anyone who cares

[@ziggyrsa]

I care, ESPLTD782

[@LysFlowerful]

Yeah this is a cool details !

[@JD-Media]

I care.

[@ESPLTD782]

@@JD-Media +🤠

[@Addventurawr]

yeah thinking about it its not the otherworld because it doesn't have the industrial aesthetic, its just burnt and run down which can be real

[@Olia-ch-ka]

The acting was really impressive. James actor did a great job in scenes where no words were even needed. Just conveying so much with subtle facial expressions which felt realistic to the situation. And spoilers below for near the ending (just in case)... In the last 30 mins when James met "Mary", the switch between Mary to Maria was so good. Even without the subtitles indicating it, you can tell the switch between personas just based on the way she was talking, and her facial expressions, even though it's the same face. This was an excellent remake. I'm so happy it exists.

[@sarahapriliana9993]

As someone who suffered from caregiver burnout and ended up with immense grief after my mom died three months ago, James's story hit really hard. In my darkest hours while taking care of my bedridden mom, it was often that I contemplate commiting murder-suicide. It could end up that bad.

[@newwave89]

I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm sure you did the best you could.

[@donnybuoy]

The mannequins are just brilliant enemy design! They were creepy in the original but here they’re terrifying. The way they blend into the environment is endlessly effective.

[@Goose.Mp4938]

quite literally just sat down and thought "man, I wish I was watching silent hill 2 right now." oh how special I feel now

[@ShadowElen]

Same!!!

[@JBarG22]

The shift in tone after the tape, with the music and the collapsing building is just incredible

[@inferuseques2583]

Spoilers! Seeing what Maria turn into in the end makes one realize Pyramid Head wasn't killing some innocent thing, it was killing a monster created by James. Maria represents a comforting lie whereas PH represents brutal reality. In a weird way James only true ally was PH. He was trying to show James the truth. It's just his only method of communication was violence. Even PH's attempts on James life were more them testing James' will to live and if he passed the test he'd just leave. Judging by their erratic movements James admitting he didn't need them anymore was probably a relief. Hence, what they do. James admitting the same thing to Maria? She attacks him and she doesn't give up. That said I still feel bad for her. What a cursed existence.

[@sw33t-on-y0u]

this game has absorbed my life for the last 2 weeks and now that it's over i feel numb

[@neonlovegalaxy]

Forget. Forget and go back. Go back to that special place. To... ...Silent Hill.

[@aettic]

It's absorbed mine too, but I don't feel numb. I started New Game + last night lol

[@mariusmacsouza3615]

Play minecraft.

[@zepp3793]

That’s why I’m taking my time to play 1 hour a night because I’ll be really upset when it’s over lmao

[@naicitoahc]

I like all the VAs for the remake way more than the original. Especially James, Angela, and Mary/Maria. They all sound like real people in this. In the original it just sounded like bad theatre. And Mary's monologue in that long hallway had me tearing up. I hope the actors at the very least get nominated for some awards, bc they knocked it outta the park on this one.

[@mastermarkus5307]

I absolutely agree, especially for James and Angela. I don't understand people who are like "the original acting is weird on purpose" because either 1. It is and it just sounds like bad acting a lot of the time (which is still not great as I'm sure I'm not the only one who was taken out of a moment due to a wacky line read) or 2. The voice actors, especially James', didn't have the range that that kind of weirdness requires, so it actually IS bad acting. This kind of complaint often feels like people making excuses for a bad aspect of a game they love. It doesn't sound like David Lynch arthouse films, it sounds like actors who don't have the experience to sound like those films. (Again, my focus is especially on James, who I think had the worst voice acting, bar none, in the original). I don't want to be so bothered by people who prefer the original voice acting, but I don't like the excuse of "it's on purpose" as if that means it's wrong to think it's bad. I can go either way with Maria, Mary, and Eddie (though there are some iffy line reads here or there in the original), but I much prefer how in the remake James doesn't sound like, as you said, bad theatre, and Angela doesn't have to deal with her accent slipping.

[@S0LAVELLANHELL]

@@mastermarkus5307 this !!

[@Addventurawr]

theyre voices are all great but the one thing I still love from the original is mary's vo for the letter at the end. its just so raw and vulnerable that you can really feel the actors emotions through it

[@crizmeow8394]

I disagree, everyone in the original sounds strange and stilted and it’s perfectly fitting for the game, you never feel like James is having a conversation, everyone sounds lost in their own nightmares and James sounds like he doesn’t care about himself and it all works so well, Mary’s narration at the ends may be the best video game voice acting that has ever existed and Angela’s way of shifting her speech to sound more like a kid is heartbreaking. I think the new voice acting fits the game but the original is fantastic too.

[@Michael-im1tr]

You're looking at the OG's acting from the wrong perspective, since in the OG, they intentionally didn't want them to sound like normal people. It's a different direction from the remake.

[@AlannaSnydermeowdesu]

The scene where Laura asks James if Mary died from her illness, the look of fear, pain, and anxiety on his face before telling her that he was the one that killed her was genuinely so fucking good. Whoever animated that deserves an award.

[@lillyofthenorth8798]

That was one of my favorite moments too. His eyes SCREAM those feelings you mention in just 2 seconds. Great performance by the actor & fantastic capture by the devs

[@Maphewe]

Thank you Hereditary for teaching me to recognise Paimon’s sigil every time, without fail.

[@cupid3890]

gee im such a genshin nerd I thought you meant the character, I forget they're all based on demons loll

[@JBarG22]

"Eddie, when there's a stop sign, it is not for you. You don't even drive Eddie, it is for the cars."

[@uneasyspider]

I don’t get this reference, other than the “Eddie, just because-“ meme.

[@JBarG22]

@@uneasyspider I made it up

[@sophiag7005]

Opening the map 703 times is even more exciting to me than the 50 health drink goal, it’s so wildly John

[@TrippyTheShroom]

Silent Hill 2 Remake is one of the most pleasant surprises I've had with games, Blooper Team absolutely killed it which is something I never thought I'd say in a positive connotation. It was genuinely a joy to go back and play it with a new coat of paint while still maintaining the vibe and tone of the original. Just fantastic. That ending monologue still gets me at times too, one of the best written monologues from any game in my opinion.

[@jizzmack2287]

I like how everytime you see Eddy, his breath is frosting up in the cold but none of the characters he interacts with have icy cold breath showing that his version of silent hill is always cold as if he is in a freezing he’ll the entire time, but you just can’t see it until you encounter him in the freezer

[@MiggetyMattR]

I always thought it was very interesting that each of the three tormented characters in the game experience different versions of the otherworld. James experiences rotten and waterlogged memories of his time in the town with Mary, Eddie experiences a cold meat freezer with hanging grotesque fleshy bodies that represent how he views himself, and Angela experiences an always burning world with reminders of her past hanging up on the walls.

[@rookswoodsrok3614]

I was ready for this game to be hot garbage, but it turned out to be the best horror game of the year so far. Best surprise of the year. Congrats to Bloober for delivering.

[@FleshMelter]

Still so wild that Konami were the ones trying to drive their own game into the ground and not Bloober like we all expected. I hope they've taken everyone's feedback and maybe even found a new niche for themselves lol.

[@donnybuoy]

I think Bloober have definitely learned from their time creating this game. Their upcoming game, Cronos: The New Dawn, that was just announced looks sick.

[@littlekitsune1]

Konami have been driving their own games into the ground for years. They killed Silent Hill off by firing the original crew to make western devs make some really insulting attempts, then they boned Kojima and killed Metal Gear while they were at it. Bloober are just infamous for cheap scares and despicably damaging depictions of mental illness and trauma, but even they knew they'd be the ones getting the fandom rage raining down on their heads if they fucked up Silent Hill 2 to any significant degree. Konami quite frankly just don't care. They want the nostalgia cash.

[@FleshMelter]

@@littlekitsune1 yea true, I'm glad they didn't let Konami slip in a Saiyan stand off or any of the other shit they've wanted to in the past. It's so sad. Really hope this has taught Bloober a permanent financial lesson in not being lazy lol.

[@H0TR0B]

Never forget that Konami dropped the ball with P.T. Also, I think this was a real make or break for Bloober. They must've known if they messed up remaking the holy grail of horror games that they'd be finished.

[@_theindustrialpark]

(not so) fun detail: at the last save point at 2:23:22 james is no longer looking into the camera, like he usually does when you save

[@Laura_5757]

Do you know why? And why are there nine red boxes/papers instead of one? I’d love to know if anyone has thoughts on it

[@xXxJason_ToddxXx]

@@Laura_5757Konami is Japanese, and in Japanese, the word 9 sounds like 苦 (ku), meaning suffering or hardship. This negative connotation leads to its avoidance, similar to the number 4, with many buildings lacking a 9th floor. Nine represents bad luck in Japanese culture. As for why James isn’t looking at the camera, my guess is it’s out of shame. He likely knows Angela has walked off to commit suicide alone somewhere, judging by how he stumbled backwards and closed the door behind him. He’s ashamed maybe that he’s not only realized he’s a murderer, but that he can’t help anyone, not even himself. Laura thinks he’s a monster, Eddie is dead, Mary & Maria are dead, and Angela asked him if he could heal her pain? The answer is no, he can’t. He doesn’t know what to do anymore. Since the red squares are reflective, he looks away, unable to stand the sight of himself, maybe?

[@JBarG22]

Now I want to see a Silent Hill fan game of John. "He is in Silent Hill, located in Texas. Fighting against "Guys", an unknown monster that loves to talk shit in the comments, lock doors behind when John enters a room and that changed every single light in town to red, because red means scary. It turns out in the end that it was all in his mind, since there was never "Guys", only Silent Hill" Edit: and every house in Silent Hill is HQ Residential House

[@jman2856]

I thought it was very good touch to place the camera right in front of Laura’s face while she’s calling James a killer as if she’s staring directly at the player. Real “Do you feel like a hero yet?”

[@richwalk3954]

I'm really pleased with how Silent Hill 2 Remake turned out. The actors/voice actors all did a fantastic job, the level and enemy designs are incredible, and the music and ambience are phenomenal. Even with a few nitpicks and concerns, I'm satisfied with the final product. The original game will always be a classic, and this game will obviously never be 100% superior, but the remake is a step in the right direction for the Silent Hill franchise. I hope to see SH1/3/4 again someday, or even a new entry.

[@AngeliqueStP]

35:45 "There's definitely a mannequin in here..." [ *appears* ] That timing is the stuff of legends.

[@pinkyjulien]

Damn, what an amazing playthrough! This was actually my introduction to the Silent Hill universe; have to say, Angela's storyline probably got me the hardest compared to the other characters even tho Mary's story hit closer to home. That ending left me with a lot of unanswered questions, I'll have to check the *other* endings to potentially quench my curiosity. Thank you for another amazing serie :D

[@JoyBGaming]

@22:22 "How're you doin this James? He's playin with his head. Psychically. " 😂😂😂😂

[@iqbalmohamadradzi4387]

What a great game and video John! So you got the Leave Ending which is my favourite! If you're wondering, you get the Leave Ending by choosing the Snake Coin in as the final answer in the Coin Puzzle, you put the Rotten Apple instead of the Ripe Apple when opening that one room to get the Snow White Figurine and you chose to go through the Rust-coloured Egg instead of the Scarlet Egg! There are also stuff like always heal James, checking Mary's personal belonging and listen to the whole Mary's dialogue in the hallway after the double Pyramid Head boss fight!

[@JBarG22]

Ah yes, "Rotten Apple", my favorite item from Silent Hill 2, such a classic one

[@uneasyspider]

Symbolizes Mary.

[@chillcreep4926]

This was my introduction to Silent Hill. I knew a little bit about the world and the characters but not much going in. Beautiful game, really. At the climactic scene in the hotel i was still confused as to why James would do such a thing, but the follow up made it clearer. I'm not sure i fully understand who or what Maria, Laura, and Angela are supposed to be /represent, but i liked them all and the story is quite satisfying and tragic. I'm sad that smaller indie games are going to be passed over for awards this year in favor of this gorgeous game. It deserves recognition but like you said, we've already had some great ones this year. Thank you for playing! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to finally experience Silent Hill. The mannequins are my favorites.

[@commanderredjonkks5268]

I'm pretty sure the other human characters are meant to be just that: other people who have wandered into Silent Hill - except for Maria. Eddie and Angela are like James, surrounded by manifestations of their inner darkness, fears, grief, guilt etc. Angela's version of Silent Hill is mostly on fire, judging by her final conversation with James, and the Abstract Daddy boss fight was created from her subconscious. Eddie's Silent Hill is very cold (every time you meet him, you can see his breath in the air) and apparently filled with people he thinks are judging him. Meanwhile, Laura doesn't have much inner darkness and presumably sees Silent Hill as just an empty old town with no monsters or weirdness. Maria seems to represent James's desire to find a new, exciting replacement for Mary and move on without having to confront the reality of Mary's death. She was created by Silent Hill for James, and her sole purpose in life is to be together with James, so the ending is kinda tragic for her in that she's forced to become a monster because James has confronted reality and her sole purpose becomes impossible.

[@H0TR0B]

It still, to this day, blows my mind that Konami absolutely fumbled a sure thing with P.T./Silent Hills That demo was so popular and it reminded the world that Silent Hill existed. All Konami needed to do was give Kojima a team and funnel the pachinko money to him and they would've made back whatever they spent 10 times over. Instead they absolutely botched it, Capcom swooped in with RE7 and gave everyone the first person horror experience they were waiting for and went on to dominate the space with their critically acclaimed remakes and sequels. Imagine a world where Silent Hills came out. I bet we'd be all be watching John play the Silent Hill 4 remake instead.

[@uneasyspider]

That’s interesting. You’re right. Because of PT’s height and fall, Capcom made RE7, which had a beginning very inspired by PT. Then we got RE2R, then 3, 8, and 4. Game after game from other makers too; it was a renaissance of horror, so coming right back around to this? Chef’s kiss. I prey they make something actually new in the next decade like this.

[@cupid3890]

@@uneasyspider Now we're just waiting on RE9 to come out which is hopefully going to top previous releases

[@101Jazman]

Yeah, that was my first experience. Glad I was able to experience it with you, John. loved the playthrough! I actually cried at the end. Mary's letter really hit me hard. My mother passed away a year ago from a disease. And while I don't feel the same way James does, I can understand the grief of losing that person, and trying to let go (not entirely of course, you're never going to really let them go). But to live your life. I think that was the best horror game I've ever experienced so far lol. Maybe even better than resident evil?? 😅

[@inferuseques2583]

Fun fact I had this game spoiled for me way back but still bought the original cause I felt I had to experience it. The remake was so well done I'm happy to see. It had me in tears on more than one occasion. Anyways, I'm sorry about your mom. I know what it's like to lose somebody you love. It's never easy. I wish kind things upon you. Thanks for watching this playthrough with me!

[@101Jazman]

@@inferuseques2583 Omg thank you! I’m kinda curious about the original now that you mention it so I might watch a playthrough on that 🤔. I wish nothing but good things for you too, and I really appreciate you for leaving a comment. Glad to have been able to experience this with you as well!

[@kirkwallmage]

Man I always cry. The music, the story, no matter the ending it touches me, it brings be back to that first time I experienced this world

[@uneasyspider]

I sat here in disbelief that john didn’t tear up. If I had to guess, it’s part of keeping a strong front for the performance of streaming, which is a shame because I can ONLY guess what thinking of your wife passing and caring for a little girl would do to you.

[@aiyase]

I think Bloober team did great because they're now doing what they are inspired to create. They no longer have to make something that is like Silent Hill because they're finally doing a Siilent Hill. Konami on other hand has been lost for a while now. They don't know what they're trying to be and what they want their games to be anymore especially after the original creatives leaving(or abandoned, idk, idk the whole story). Konami has been out of their element lately while Bloober Team is in this. Bloober found their niche on doing what they have been trying to be.

[@emie2052]

This comment hits so hard when you're high

[@Mstymay]

In sickness or in health was never James strong point.

[@uneasyspider]

3 long years of caring for a terminally ill partner will make you feel thoughts you NEVER tell anyone, and when that partner tells you that they want to end it, the thoughts you have are absolutely guilt-inducing, but completely human and forgivable. People with terminal or sick pets might analogize, to have some sense of that.

[@sarahapriliana9993]

​@@uneasyspiderThank you for understanding

[@normahidup]

Never watched any silent hill games playthrough, and I'm glad to say that this is a great introductory to the Silent Hill games. Finally know what this pyramid head all about, it really is an iconic character! Thanks for playing this game, John!

[@DracoVampire786]

I hope on top of a new silent hill game, they also remake SH3/SH4 as well.

[@vivino100]

I only played 1 when it came out but I remember being a terrified little kid. I wish they would remake that now that I’m long in the tooth

[@mastermarkus5307]

I really hope that 1 gets a remake before 3. Firstly because it shows its age a lot more, secondly, because newcomers to the series deserve to understand the story properly! I'd also love to see a remake of 4, because it's got a lot of cool ideas, but was a victim of tight deadlines.

[@samfanhellyeah]

So hyped for the ending. Will John make it to 50 health drinks!?!?

[@rebeccawebber]

the rarest secret ending of the game lmao

[@managodess]

I followed this game via multiple people playing it but honestly, your playthrough was my favorite and the one I went to first. I really appreciate how you handled the themes of the story but also just your general commentary, puns, sass and all. I felt like the character models and facial animation were really good and the voice actors did a great job of portraying the characters. I think Angela remains one of my favorites in that regard. The sound design and music, the environments, both in calmer and more hectic situations really set a great stage as well. With all said and done, excited to see the coming playthroughs after this one =)

[@Laura_5757]

I’ve been doing the same thing (watching several people play it), and I agree, John’s is my favorite. His sass, treatment of the themes, and unending desire to hit 50 health drinks make his play through the best. I also liked Angela’s redesign the best out of them all. My issue with the three main female characters in the original is that they all look like they have a very similar face, like it’s the same 3D model. That makes perfect sense for Mary/Maria, but I never understood why Angela (and even Laura) had such similar facial features/bone structures. It’s nice to see Angela get a more unique look in comparison to the other characters.

[@AbbaJoe26]

......Dear god. .........The voice acting is INCREDIBLE. (especially Mary's and Angela's......damn) And the musical cues (like when you find Maria upside-down on the rack that last time, prior to the final scenes). So damn well done. (the game's narrative pacing is too infrequent for my tastes, so not my cuppa. But damn if I don't give 11 out of 10 to it for art, ambiance, music, voice acting, most everything. Damn well done.)

[@AbbaJoe26]

I know the various takes on this game (the interpretations of which chars are real, what 'real' is, is this purgatry, or a real place haunted). But I feel in my gut, that Laura is Mary. Reborn. The letter that's not in her envelope but magically is in Mary's hand at the end? This whole place is a spirit Doma (the Japanese concept, not the ugly American law) for him. His own personal purgatory. The only interesting question is how the other " " "real" " " people....intersect with his space, in space-time. A shared, or overlapping Purgatory, a "common crucible", individualized in parts and common shared in other parts? Knowing the other possible endings, I think Laura is his reborn pure Mary that his soul gets to find peace with.

[@errxrstudios976]

John, I really enjoyed your playthrough. First, this is my first time watching SH2 story; I only played three when I was younger, and that game stuck with me for a long time, but after seeing how the narrative evolved, it is undoubtedly among my top five horror game, possibly number one. cant wait to see more of your vids

[@celes42017]

The piano tune is from the original game. The song is called “Magdalene.”

[@theannap39]

That song is in the remake as well. It plays when pyramid head kills Maria outside the elevator.

[@jpvielleux]

That moment you have the reading rainbow theme stuck in your head while watching a Silent hill playthrough.

[@RealPappaKane]

Been refreshing all evening! Can't wait to watch this. Been such a great playthrough John! Thanks for the series

[@FallenPhoenix8704]

Really enjoyed this playthrough. Peace and love from Manchester, England.

[@Addventurawr]

2:24:55 these lines go so hard esp the last "Im ready" like James is determined after accepting the truth

[@reuillly]

Yayyy, it has been such a joy to watch you play through this game. Thank you so much for being my favorite, easy-going content creator. You rock!

[@blodeuwedd18]

i cried as hard as i cried when watching the original silent hill 2. from time to time i rewatch silent hill 2 let's plays (i can't play these kind of games). I think i will change my rewatches to the remake, and also to your Let's play. they really did a good job with this game and i also enjoyed watching you play it.

[@ebagentj]

I am hard pressed to think of any fictional character in any other piece of media who is as thoroughly and completely broken as Angela. Even James seems to have more of a handle on himself after he learns the truth in Silent Hill, but Angela is just completely lost and there is nothing anyone can say or do to help her at this point.

[@MultiSuperMarion]

I haven't play SH2 myself but watched a playthrough of the original for the first time last year, so it was relatively fresh in my mind for this. From a viewer's perspective, this was an incredibly well done remake! Beautiful visuals and incredible voice acting on top of a story that is already good!

[@DrZPrzy101]

I actually used to live near The Stanley Hotel but my family didn’t wanna go

[@anthexium]

learning that john tried to get into umineko is such whiplash, it doesn't feel like something he would be even slightly interested in

[@JohnTwolfe]

Did you know that I’ve played the Danganronpa and Zero Escape trilogies on this channel

[@froufroudeluxe]

Holy shit an umineko comment? Right in front of my salad? Did he get far in the story?

[@anthexium]

@@JohnTwolfe Ok, ok, that's fair, that's really fair, BUT - Umineko is a very barebones visual novel - it's pure reading and it takes like more than 100 hours to read so it's still surprising to hear you gave it a chance because I feel like most will be put off by the complete lack of gameplay and ungodly length, not necessarily the contents of the story. but maybe 'even slightly interested' was still super strong wording. if you do get around to it and stick with it i sincerely hope you enjoy it

[@Laura_5757]

@@anthexiumJohn doesn’t seem to mind a lot of reading in his games. I recently watched his Silent Hill 4 play through and he even asked the audience if they minded him reading everything. One of the reasons I love watching his play through is because he IS such an amazing reader (very much a thespian as he commented upon), and I don’t have to worry about missing story or lore because I know he’ll read everything he comes across.

[@anthexium]

@@Laura_5757 Good point, I guess I just worry that if the game itself is reading, then it becomes too much, and so I see it as a kind of niche most won't really get into

[@MakotoMajima30]

happy to see people enjoying this. I recommend buying this especially on a discount. dont worry if it seems intimidating, I played like a total coward and got thru so anyone can lol

[@sophiag7005]

I also couldn’t bring myself to invest the time in finishing Umineko and I silently apologize to Sinow every time he brings it up

[@DarkManifest]

Didn't expect making it all the way to the end of this to make me so emotional, but it really did. I feel like I got just a taste of how people must have felt first playing the original all those years ago, before countless horror games made "it was the protagonist all along" a cliche rather than a gut-punch, but this game is a lot more than just its twist. How much you enjoyed playing it was a treat, as it always is when you land on a game that's a winner for you, especially the way you took your time to walk around and explore and luxuriate in a great atmospheric experience, even in all the ways it was uncomfortable (and boy howdy was it uncomfortable). It's wild seeing what seems to be the OG psychological horror template remade and that it's still so damn rare for horror games to be this visceral. Glad I got to experience it through this channel!

[@spookynoctua]

1:42:29 "Liquor? I barely know her!" That is such a James Sunderland joke if I've ever heard one LOL

[@Je4emy18]

I'm so glad you loved it! I enjoyed hearing your thoughts.

[@RenalucentVT]

I've been playing through Silent Hill 2 with a friend of mine that is ENTIRELY blind to the whole SH series, which has been a delightful experience hearing her theory craft as we go! It's also my first horror game that I'm playing myself rather than watching someone else play after being a Silent Hill fan for years! The combat as a new horror game player has felt pretty smooth (minus the Prison which... wasn't a fan of) and the atmosphere and scares have been on point. Congratulations to Bloober team for this wonderful remake, and thank you so much for the great playthrough and commentary John!

[@jacobbio]

Watched the ending a few times and it always gets me a little teary eyed.

[@emilyweaver]

I haven’t watched to the end of the playthrough yet to hear John’s full thoughts, but its seems (spoiler) (and maybe this is obvious) that James watching the tape is him confronting/remembering what he did, and the video is edited the way it is because it helps it to resemble the way you might recall a traumatic memory. Love the way they framed him at the end of it so you cant tell if you’re looking at him in the video with his hands still holding the pillow down or if it’s just his reflection on the screen

[@lixore]

God, so happy(?) the Angela scene still hit. That one has stuck with me for years and years, maybe more than the reveal itself.

[@CrystalMorningdove]

This has been a great journey

[@bronamicode89]

That music box music is so haunting and it has been one of my favorite scores in this and the original.

[@KitsuBrie]

thanks for another great series John!

[@TheCornDavis]

The funny thing about those wooden tissue boxes is that they are just a cover. The cardboard one is underneath lol unless they buy the tissue in bulk and fill it.

[@DarkAttackYT]

I am about to platinum this game in a few minutes but gotta say. This game was a big surprise. I was skeptical of it, not only because of Konami but also Bloober Team because neither of their previous games are impressive. Layers of Fear is the worst horror game I have ever played. But I am happy to say this is easily the best game they made. I hope this is their beginning of switching from walking sim/hide-n-seek horror to survival horror.

[@AshChiCupcak]

You know Bloober team are massive Silent Hill fans, their games use a lot of similar tropes as silent Hill and other older horror games, that's always been their inspiration, even if they tend to get carried away sometimes lol. But they've never really been able to get down a good story. They get so close but that's always been their main weakness. Working with the original silent devs and others in the industry over the years has probably taught them so much. Probably spent a lot of time with the writers too. I cannot even fathom the honor of working alongside Team Silent, they are so lucky. I imagine this experience was life changing for them and they will carry that newfound knowledge with them into their new games. Hopefully 😅

[@cupid3890]

ugh I was obsessed with Layers of Fear, my favorite bits were in the basement with the piano and various floating objects, and the child's bedroom with the music box. Not just the ambiance but the soundtrack is one of my favorite aspects of the game. maybe bloober can remake or "remaster" LoF loll

[@DarkAttackYT]

@@cupid3890 They kinda did, just last year.

[@cupid3890]

@@DarkAttackYT oh yeah i heard about that, i guess i forgot they actually did a remake. I only found out by doing a search about what BT has been up to lately. Nobody that I follow has played the remake so to me it flew under the radar.

[@DarkAttackYT]

@@cupid3890 It also used to be called Layers of Fears but for some reason, they made it share the same name with the first game.

[@xabanevt]

I don’t have it in me to play horror games (my heart can’t take it) so I watch playthroughs instead and I have to say that I really enjoyed watching you play SH2 Remake and seeing the game/story unfold. As someone who’s never played the games and watching John play as my first real exposure to them, I loved it and can see why it’s on a high pedestal in the horror genre. I really liked how unique and diverse the puzzles were throughout. I thought I’d get bored watching each puzzle but it was actually fun to watch you put everything together as the game went on. I think out of all the characters, Angela is my favorite one. I thought her VAs voice and acting was amazing in portraying such a tragic character that I empathize with. It actually saddens me to hear how some folks didn’t like her in the remake or her redesign. I also really appreciated the trigger warnings you voiced before her boss scene(?) and I’m sure others did, too. Laura felt probably annoying imo, lmao. All she did the entire time was run away and I found it frustrating as a viewer in the sense that I wanted to hear Laura’s story and know more about her character 😂 Eddie was…interesting. He was kind of hard to follow(?), up until his fight. I’m surprised he didn’t come for Laura the way she teased him if that was what set him off previously 😭 Now for Maria, I assumed that she was a figment the moment James said she looked like Mary. I’m not entirely sure about her. I originally thought that Maria is what he wanted Mary to be, or expected or something(?) or maybe she was just there to be some kind of test (?) 😭 I couldn’t tell. I think what I would’ve liked to see more of is James making more idle comments about things he’d interact with, just experienced or after completing a puzzle. I wanted to see more verbal reactions from him going through the entire town 😭 I also wanted more interactions between James and the other characters but maybe that’s something we see by playing again? I can see why this game could be folks’ HGOTY, but for me, it’s Still Wakes the Deep… Overall, SH2R was fun to watch throughout! This is one of my new favorite games to watch! Thanks for playing John!✨

[@muhasabahtafakur]

Some may wonder why Laura doesn't see or face monsters. That's because she is still without sin-an innocent child. What she sees aren't terrifying monsters, but the cute creatures she usually draws on the walls. This is different from James, Angela, or Eddie. They have their own issues and carry guilt, so Silent Hill manifests their inner guilt into frightening monsters. These monsters are visible only to them, as no one else can see them.

[@vivino100]

But why is Laura there in the first place? Is no one looking for a missing child? I think Laura is just another manifestation of James’ subconscious

[@muhasabahtafakur]

@@vivino100 I think no. Laura isn't Jame's subconscious, because she has letter from Mary.

[@vivino100]

@@muhasabahtafakur that’s true. I wish we knew more about her. Or what happened to her after these events.

[@muhasabahtafakur]

​@@vivino100 I assumed she leaves Silent Hill unharmed because the town was never dangerous to her. And yeah, she never showed up in any Silent Hill games anymore.

[@MadameChouette800]

Angela never deserved her fate. She was a victim.

[@myriellachance]

Exactly. I'm not even sure why Silent Hill "called for her". Did she kill her father? If yes - good! She's nothing like Eddie or James.

[@hypnos9336]

@@myriellachance she feels guilty for what she did so she's punishing herself

[@aettic]

The tune James plays on the piano is called Magdalene. In general this remake has done a lot to bring elements of the soundtrack into the diegetic space, with James actually hearing the music. I think it's a really nice touch. The Jukebox, the radio in Blue Creek, Maria humming, Laura on the piano and James playing Magdalene, the music box, etc. In the original game there was some, but less of it.

[@aettic]

2:02:35 - "everything's wet!" - it's true, soggy and gross. The Hotel appears burned (we can refer back to that plaque "Special places spark fires that warm our hearts forever" as foreshadowing, or the encounter with Angela). But something I just noticed because you pointed out that everything's wet: Fire and water came together here. Perhaps the fire started, and then the sprinkler system tried to put it out, causing everything to become burned and wet. The unio oppositorum, or conjunction of Fire and Water (as essences / philosophical ideas), is referred to as the Alchemical Marriage, and is a huge part of Alchemical transmutation. This is a theme we've seen poked at throughout the game, including the Bookshelf puzzle in the first half of Brookhaven. Transmutation is the notion of breaking something down and reforming it from its base parts to become more perfect: transmuting lead into gold, for example, but the idea can be applied to a wide range of topics, and is also generally seen as a philosophical allegory for dialectic synthesis. In other words, Bloober (and Team Silent) are playing with ideas here to hint at what's happening in James' world. His real self is re-integrating the part of him he has forgotten, his Shadow to borrow a Jungian term. He's coming to terms with what he has done. His journey (his transmutation) is nearly complete. Where it lands, i.e. what substance he becomes, depends on which ending you get. But the game is an alchemical story of James' psyche.

[@blackmiIk]

👋🏼 This is kinda my first time full experiencing the game and it gave me chills. I usually say that you and gab are my consoles and i watched an old playthroug of hers which i loved but wasnt able to imerse myself, probably bc she was too excited even tho trying to be spoiler free. All the models looked amazing, and i think that this remake made clear a lot of misunderstanding that ppl always said as truth about james like he was a selfish pervet, so im never sympathizewith him untill now. I knew the story but never wanted to know all bc i still wanted to play. One of the most, if not the most remarkable fights for me was Angela's dad, i think that anyone who was SA can read the details in that fight, the house shaking with his voice, the holes with breathing mouths, how she cant trust man or expect the worst, really got me, i wish she had a bit of reconfort but there never is. Im from 00 and my video game was polystation and after that i got wii but didn't had money to buy games bc in brazilits waaay more expensive. I got interested in horror a bit before PT so i always felt that i missed a big thing that everyone knew. I dont know if i can play this game until I have someone to play with me but i have to say how much your channel was important to introduce horror to me, u are a mazing person to watch and i know that i wouldn't keep the pace with the stories if it wasnt for you beeing very attentive to details and not rushing things and not yelling, my adhd brain cant handle

[@emilyweaver]

I’ve been to the Stanley hotel. Didnt stay there, but just visited. I grew up about an hour from there. Cool place but…it’s just a big old hotel. I love Estes Park though, good place to crack open a geode

[@emilyweaver]

that was well before i ever saw The Shining though so it might be more interesting to me now

[@coffee8599]

Same! Just an old hotel. Nice place, though.

[@chocoais6601]

This was really great, glad to watch John's gameplay as my first experience to the whole story.

[@lullaby8056]

Now I totally need a remake of Silent Hill 1 and a John playthrough 😂❤

[@typefeisu]

I've said it in the comments before but I can't understand remake fatigue because I'm so grateful to be living through this remake era and feeling like a kid again 😢 I'm so happy this game turned out well!! HORROR GOTY

[@urielgrey]

Thank you John! I'm at the start of the vid and excited to hewr your thoughts on this.

[@Rain8915]

I remember reading something about when this game was being remade. Bloober team wanted to stay faithful to the original game while KONAMI wanted to try stuff out so Bloober put their foot down, which I'm glad they did cause this was an amazing remake.

[@weholdparties]

This may come out of left field, but it relates to the game so I figure I might as well bring it up. There's a phenomenon where husbands are almost guaranteed to leave their wives if they get chronically ill. It's such a regular occurrence that medical professionals will warn women about it so they can protect themselves. And although it can be the other way around it is *far* less likely.

[@char1211]

Do you have a source for that? I could find a couple of studies and while they do show that when couples divorce because of illness it's the man who leaves, they also show that the vast majority of couples stay together; one study from 2009 said 11% got a divorce and another from 2015 said only 6% did. Am I missing something?

[@elilass8410]

Hey, so the study this tidbit was based on has been retracted a few years back due to bad methodology.

[@joseblua6566]

How it feels to spread misinfofmation: 🎉🎊👏🏼🎈

[@remixmars]

been in some pain these past few weeks, physically and mentally. this playthrough has been soothing. thanks, john!

[@srushtiprabhu1934]

Just as I was about to sit for lunch!!! THANK YOU JOHNNNN

[@wolfinpants5085]

The ending of this game, still can make me cry after years.

[@softlymeowgical7609]

Potentially cool Indie horrors coming in the rest of 2024: - Fear The Spotlight: Oct 22 - Post Trauma full release: Oct 29 - Slitterhead: Nov 8 - Sorry, We're Closed full release: Nov 14 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 - Heart of Chernobyl: Nov 20

[@mencantatodo]

this has been an amazing experience, thank you John! Games like this need the great commentary. Thank you

[@alyakra]

It's my first time watching a Silent Hill 2 playthrough and I really enjoyed this. I didn't see the end coming so I was shocked. Now I want to learn more about the monsters and characters.

[@H3rmon861]

Yeah, I completely agree with that this game is better than the original and other Silent Hill in general though I doubt most fans will agree. The SH community has this weird thing where they seem incapable to recognize criticism and always find a way to spin them into something positive. Chief among that phenomenon is when they use the justification that the bad combat is fine because James isn’t a fighter so it’s okay if fighting in the OG SH2 is a slog or when they say that the voice acting was bad on purpose to give a sense of eeriness. While I can somewhat agree with the second point, it always felt to me like the biggest cope imaginable. Like, I’m being told what I’m’supposed to feel when instead of actually feeling it. Because when I hear the OG voice acting, it doesn’t give me a sense that the people are odd on purpose and it adds tension, it just makes me feel like I’m hearing some B-movie voiceover that takes me out of the experience. Here, in this remake, It finally executes on the idea. I actually feel what the eeriness was about without it breaking my immersion.

[@mastermarkus5307]

That's exactly what I'm saying when it comes to the original voice acting! People saying that it's "odd because it's supposed to be dreamy" feels a lot like coping when a lot of the weirdness sounds like bad acting, not dissociation, or something. I didn't mind the combat too much in the original, because it felt pretty simple, and enemies were absolute pushovers, but I much prefer the way the remake plays. I'm sure there are a lot of SH2 purists who won't give the remake it's dues, but I was happy to see a fair amount of SH fans really like it. The first playthrough I saw was from Phisnom, who was super into gushing about Silent Hill 2 when he played the original, but he ended the remake thinking it was superior.

[@S0LAVELLANHELL]

@@mastermarkus5307 i loved phisnom's playthrough !! as someone who's first experience was the remake (and then i went and watched someone play the OG)

[@Hydplant]

Wasn't expecting two PH's, I always assumed it was one singular entity. The more you know! The way they moved during the fight reminded me of the Little Nightmares nomes though, it was hilariously similar, the waddle with the big head. XD

[@TheRealLetharos]

Wow. Just wow. The original SH2 game is my 2nd favorite game of all time with it being knocked out of first place by Bloodborne. I had major doubts when it came to this remake and while I can't play it myself (no ps5 / PC) I was happy to be able to catch it here. Bloober did so goddamn good. Holy shit. I am floored. Thanks for uploading this. It gives the poor xbox owners like myself the chance to view the magic. I did feel that the prison and labyrinth were a little long and sloggy looking. The mannequins were turned up to 10. It does look like this one was more tuned for action (that's not bad) while still having the rich environmental story telling that we expected from the original. Idk man, this game is baller of the year. Can't wait to get to play it myself someday. Thanks for the uploads!

[@maxwelltolstedt]

This game made me experience deeply uncomfortable emotions as I empathized with the position James and Mary were in. I figured James had done something nefarious, but I was not prepared for the level of nuance given to their perspectives and motivations. Definitely one of the best stories I’ve experienced in a while. Thank you for playing!

[@Deform-2024]

Definitely best of the year, It was a fun ride to watch!

[@HAZRE.]

Interesting details: The game's menu background is the VHS tape showing what James did. If you scroll through your items very quickly you can see the blurred contents of the tape. Secondly, in the movie theater when you enter the room while chasing Laura, she trips the projector above which shows frames of the VHS on the big screen, particularly James' action. If you stand around you can see 4 or so different frames.

[@alinajustme11]

This was the first Silent Hill game I ever played. I knew about the series, of course, and had some info about them like the atmosphere etc, but not much of the story. I usually avoid older games due to their outdated controls and gameplay. However, I did watch the first Silent Hill movie, which I really liked. Don't know if that counts 😛 As I mentioned before, the game really impressed me. Even though I usually don’t enjoy psychological horror (I couldn’t finish games like Layers of Fear for example), this one was very well done. To me, this is how psychological horror should be made. The story stuck with me so much that I started watching analysis videos to better understand it. In one video, they mentioned the game was inspired by Crime and Punishment, which I can definitely see. I really hope they remake the other Silent Hill games honestly, that's probably the only way I’ll get to experience them.

[@CCC-ml8xh]

This is my first time viewing a Silent Hill playthrough and now I'm just glad that I have context for when you/other gamers compare games to it. I prefer atmosphere/creeping dread over jump scares so it resonated with me.

[@aettic]

15:50 - The drawings on the back of the note are symbols from the Halo of the Sun, which also makes a couple other appearances throughout the game. Fun tidbit: the police cards in down have a Silent Hill Police seal on the hood, and it has a few of the symbols on it as well. You can also find the whole Halo of the Sun in room 106 in Jack's Inn at night (after the hospital). An early version of it is in the "Ritual" prison cell too.

[@doomednarrative]

the face james makes when he tells laura the truth was so unsettling they did it SO well

[@boo5860]

I remember getting the water ending in the original and just crying for like 30mins man but i still rly love that ending

[@aettic]

2:59:00 - I will back you up, in my opinion, SH2 Remake is the best Silent Hill game ever made. Certainly, they had a huge leg up with the story and the work Team Silent already did, but on paper and in practice, it's incredible, *especially* in the modern day.