Silent Hill 2 remake Lead Producer Maciej Glomb recently claimed that Bloober Team, the game’s developer, “never had any intention of changing anything” when it came to the game’s original story.
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
In an interview with VG247 Glomb and creative director Mateusz Lenart were asked by Kelsey Raynor “about how they managed to achieve such an authentic portrayal of the original game while enhancing it for modern audiences, and what difficulties they may have faced.”
Glomb shared, “The biggest challenge is retaining the gameplay authenticity, since we’ve changed so much. But we knew we had to. Obviously, the change from fixed cameras to front-facing cameras impacted a lot of our decisions when it came to creating monster AI, and when it came to creating levels, and making those levels interesting for players to explore.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
READ: Konami Confirms Bloober Team’s ‘Silent Hill 2’ Remake Designed For “Modern Audiences”
As for the game’s story, Glomb said, “We were always fans of the original story, and we did not feel at any point that it needed any significant changes. We added a few things here and there, mainly to flesh out the story even more, to give a bit more exposure to some characters, which was not maybe given as much in the original.”
“We might enhance a thing or two, but we never had any intention of changing anything,” he added.
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
Despite the claim that they had no intention of changing anything, they did indeed change the game’s settings and dialogue. In a recent blog post, Lenart and Konami Producer Motoi Okamoto shared, “The setting of some events may change, but their impact on the story will remain the same. Even when new locations are introduced, we’ve sought to refer to the original whenever possible so that returning players will feel right at home when they venture out into the foggy streets of Silent Hill again.”
As for the dialogue, the duo added, “The central characters from the original story, James and Maria, are at the heart of our remake as well. Their emotional arcs have been preserved, with great care being given to showcasing their emotions with motion capture technology. This allows us to employ ‘show, don’t tell’ techniques more often, which is why some of the dialogue has been slightly altered to add an extra layer of nuance to the character dynamics.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
READ: Sweet Baby Inc. Style Consultancy Accused Of Pushing DEI Agenda On Konami’s ‘Silent Hill 2’ Remake
Lenart was asked about the change to the dialogue by VG247 and he evaded the question instead touting the game’s voice acting.
He told the outlet, “We knew from the beginning that we wanted to use professional actors to play the roles because the game is about emotions, the game is about characters, and their stories. A crucial part of it. Taking that approach, we’ve been able to expand on the very cinematic feeling of the game.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
Despite Lenart’s praise of the voice acting for the remake it has already been heavily criticized.
X user really_username wrote, “Please tell me I’m not only one who genuinely thinks the voice acting is way worse now in silent hill 2 remake. Especially for Angela… Here’s some comparisons.”
Please tell me I’m not only one who genuinely thinks the voice acting is way worse now in silent hill 2 remake.
Especially for Angela…
Here’s some comparisons pic.twitter.com/KAYM09YKTc
— a really cool username (@really_username) May 30, 2024
Furthermore, Bloober Team’s CEO Piotr Babieno heavily implied the game’s story had been altered telling Rolling Stone that the remake is a “romantic vision of the game from more than 20 years ago.”
He also admitted that the team has struggled during development, “Let’s say [development has been] a daunting journey balancing preservation and innovation.”
Nevertheless, he also added, “Because of those conversations [with Konami], we found a great balance of what we and our partner had in mind. It took us a long time to get there, with a lot of creative discussions and hard work, but we are very happy with the result.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
Babieno then asked gamers to give the game and his company a chance, “I am dreaming that gamers will trust us, but I realize that trust is earned through actions, not through words. So that’s why we have a policy of not commenting [on the specifics of the game] and raising hopes.”
“We want to show our ambitions through our work, so we can’t ask for anything more than ‘give us a chance,’” he added.
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
While he wants gamers to give his team and the game a chance, he also noted, “We tried to make all possible fans happy, but, at the same time, be very faithful to ourselves.”
“I really hope that when people play for the first time, they will understand that the choices we made were the best possible,” he said.
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
It’s unlikely many gamers will give them a chance given the game’s publisher Konami confirmed the game was adapted for “modern audiences.”
The company wrote on X at the end of May, “See how the Bloober Team devs working on Silent Hill 2 preserved authenticity while adapting a horror classic for modern audiences.”
See how the @BlooberTeam devs working on SILENT HILL 2 preserved authenticity while adapting a horror classic for modern audiences.#SILENTHILL pic.twitter.com/NlujUVldWf
— Konami (@Konami) May 31, 2024
Bloober Team’s Chief Marketing Officer Anna Jasińska also informed Dread XP that the company would be modernizing the game.
She was asked, “Was the team given free rein to put their own spin on things? Bloober Team is amazing at its ability to transform the environment around the player, and I’m really hoping we get to see that put to use here for the ‘Otherworld’?”
Jasińska responded, “As aforementioned, we take a very safe approach to any changes. We remain faithful to the original title. Nonetheless, we are applying adjustments to certain areas where things need modernizing due to the passage of time.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
Jasińska also informed DreadXP, “We are focusing on bringing the distinct, visceral atmosphere back in the modernized SILENT HILL 2. Longtime fans shouldn’t worry about us “missing the point” while we’re livening up the title. We faithfully stick to the traditional story canon while remaking the gameplay and updating the graphics from the ground up. These are the reasons why Konami entrusted us with the remake in the first place.
She added, “A big visible change is the adoption of an over-the-shoulder camera, which altered the perspective of a few iconic set pieces, but also meant an overhaul to the combat system. The latest technological achievements do wonder when it comes to making the visuals pop. As you see, we are not straying away from the original concept of making this cult classic; we just have some ideas on how to make the peculiar scare factors more appealing to the contemporary audience.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
Gamers have also expressed concerns with the game’s redesign of various characters. X user Mangalawyer pointed out the change in character designs for Angela from the original to the remake.
He wrote, “In my restless dreams, I see that town… Silent Hill 2: Modern Cheeseburger Remake. You promised me you’d take me there again someday, with a side of fries and a milkshake. But that day never came- The Crimson Chin.”
In my restless dreams, I see that town… Silent Hill 2: Modern Cheeseburger Remake.
You promised me you’d take me there again someday, with a side of fries and a milkshake. But that day never came- The Crimson Chin pic.twitter.com/5FsZsxy3Pz
— LearningTheLaw (@Mangalawyer) May 30, 2024
In fact, Mangalawyer speculated the character was redesigned due to the influence of game consultancy Hit Detection.
He posted on X, “Bloober Team has hired Sweet Baby Inc 2.0 (Hit detection) a sensitive consulting company, for Silent Hill 2 Remake + ESG Konami. Ever wonder why Maria looks so sanitized? Not spoiling the game, but it’s over, bros. Pack your things. When they said modern audience, they mean it.”
Bloober Team has hired Sweet Baby Inc 2.0 (Hit detection) a sensitive consulting company, for Silent Hill 2 Remake + ESG Konami
Ever wonder why Maria looks so sanitized? Not spoiling the game, but it’s over, bros. Pack your things. When they said modern audience, they mean it💀 pic.twitter.com/E1g3wCQ9ph
— LearningTheLaw (@Mangalawyer) May 31, 2024
As shown in the above post, Hit Detection does list Bloober Team as one of its clients on its website. In fact, the company’s home page states, “Hit Detection is a video game consulting firm with a global presence. We bring decades of experience in games media, consumer electronics, and interactive entertainment to deliver the most comprehensive and accurate insights to clients who have trusted us for many years. Among the esteemed clientele that we are able to publicly reveal, we have provided services to the likes of Bloober Team, Remedy, and Sega.”
The company also notes, “Our commitment to building a team from a variety of backgrounds—including underrepresented groups—is a superpower that allows us to provide unique and varied perspectives, setting us apart from other firms. This diversity is a strength that fortifies our insights and gives us a natural advantage within the consulting landscape.”
Not only is Hit Detection promoting itself using this language, but as noted by Mangalawyer one of the company’s services is “Sensitive Issues Assessment: Our team assesses the risk factors for depictions of character[s] from underrepresented groups, themes, and potential community reactions.”
A screenshot from Silent Hill 2 remake (2024), Bloober Team
What do you make of Glomb’s comments?
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