Interview with the developer of "SILENT HILL 2" at the Tokyo Media Premiere!

Konami Digital Entertainment held the "SILENT HILL 2" Tokyo Media Premiere on August 8, 2024, the world's fastest media preview of the remake of "SILENT HILL 2.

In addition to the test play, a Q&A session with the development staff and an interview were also held on the day. The session was attended by Motoi Okamoto, producer of the "SILENT HILL" series from Konami Digital Entertainment, composer Akira Yamaoka and concept artist Nobutatsu Ito, creative director Mateusz Lenart of Bloober Team, the developer of the game, and lead producer Maciej Głomb, producer of "SILENT HILL 2. Mateusz Lenart, Creative Director of Bloober Team and Maciej Głomb, Lead Producer of Bloober Team, answered questions from the Japanese and international media.

--What are the main points of interest for you as a remake?

Lenart: This remake is the result of our love and devotion to the original, as well as a reworking of everything from the overall gameplay to the level design. From fighting creatures to exploration, we made the gameplay feel integrated.

--How was it working with Yamaoka-san and Ito-san, who were involved in the original game?

Okamoto: "SILENT HILL 2" has been loved for a very long time, and it is a title that fans have been considering for a long time. It was very good to be able to work with Yamaoka-san and Ito-san and delve deeper into the setting.

--I would like to ask Mr. Yamaoka and Mr. Ito, what was it like to work on "SILENT HILL 2" again?

Yamaoka: Rather than making music, I took on the remake from the point of questioning the way we lived 25 years ago. It would be easy to do it as it was, but I thought about what I had to do to make it acceptable as a new work to those who loved the work for 25 years and to new players. At that time, I couldn't afford a bass guitar, so I had to lower the tuning of my guitar and substitute it for the bass guitar. It was painful every day to question myself about how I had created the music for "SILENT HILL 2.

Ito: When I received the offer to participate in the remake, I was going to decline the offer because there was no need to tamper with the original "SILENT HILL 2" ....... Nevertheless, I decided to participate because I thought that if the remake was going ahead, I could have the core of "SILENT HILL 2" carried over and convey the impact of the original version to people who had never played it in a brushed-up version.

--Is there any new music in the remake of "SILENT HILL 2"?

YamaokaAll of the music has been rewritten. I am glad that the songs from the original version have been loved for 25 years, but as this is a new "SILENT HILL 2," we are creating songs with a new feel. There are about 9 hours (of music) in total, so we are trying to figure out how to make the soundtrack work.

--What were your reasons for choosing the Bloober Team?

Okamoto: When it came to rebooting "SILENT HILL 2," we had a number of studios from around the world in mind, but we wanted to choose a team that had a strong love for "SILENT HILL 2. I actually visited the Bloober Team and found them to be very loving, so we asked them to develop it for us.

--I heard that facial capture was used in this game. How did the Bloober Team, which specializes in first-person games, achieve such high quality, and what was your intention in changing the character design? What was your intention in changing the design of the characters?

Okamoto: We knew that Bloober Team did not have much experience with third-person games, but we left it to them because they are a passionate team and we thought they would give it a try, including outsourcing.

We were also prepared for the fact that the expectations from Lenart fans would be quite high. We discussed this with Mr. Okamoto and made no compromises, keeping in mind that the characters' expressions would have to be nothing but perfect.

Okamoto: The reason for the change in character design was that we used real actors for the facial capture in order to create a sense of reality. We made our selections based on their acting ability, so we believe that the charm of the characters can be expressed even if the modeling has been changed.

--In the development process, I heard that Okamoto-san and his team wanted to make changes from the original work, while the Bloober Team wanted to keep the original work as it was, so they fought over their opinions. Were there any memorable exchanges?

Okamoto: Yamaoka-san and Ito-san, who were involved in the original project, were highly creative, and they told us that they wanted to make the game as if it were a completely new work, even though it was a remake. Mr. Ito gave us the idea of completely changing the design of the creatures, and we also discussed the possibility of creating a new work from scratch.

Lenart: On the other hand, there was also the idea of not changing anything from the original work. There were many different opinions, but in the end we settled on the current form.

--Lenart: I was impressed by how the tempo at the beginning of the game has been improved.

Lenart: The beginning of the original version had a slow pace, and we certainly considered adding more action and excitement. In the end, we changed the pace of the film while keeping it as close to the original as possible. This was a difficult decision.

-I understand that you added a map in the remake, what was the reason for this?

LenartThis was to take full advantage of the change in camera perspective. By making the camera look over our shoulder, we had to reconfigure all the existing maps. We didn't change much of the outdoors from the original, but we did change the indoors from the original to make it more interesting to explore from the over-the-shoulder perspective.

--How did you evolve the CG expression of "SILENT HILL 2" from the original?

LenartAnyway, we had to put more effort into the fog effects. We also made sure not to add blood and gore that were not in the original version, just because the graphics had been improved. You tried to create an atmosphere that emphasized fog and other atmospheric elements.

Ito: Regarding the direction of the fog, I had to give a lot of orders. The point of "SILENT HILL 2" was to graphically express the emotional aspects of the city, not just the fog floating over it. I think the most successful part of the remake was the representation of this fog.

-The camera in the original version had a cinematic feel to it, but for a change, the camera in the remake is immersive. What were some of the challenges and highlights of the production?

LenartThe camera in the original version was fixed, so we could control what to show and what not to show. This time, since the player can move the camera freely, we couldn't use the same technique, but we adjusted the behavior of the creatures to give the same impression as in the original. For example, the mannequin hides when out of the player's view, giving the player a feeling of being close to the original. Also, in the original version, the game loaded every time a door was opened, but this time there is no such thing, and you can move seamlessly. We also reconstructed the map so that constant movement would lead to a sense of fear.

--Is there any difference between the original and the creatures that appear in the remake?

ITOH: There are differences in the game design of the combat between the original and the remake, so we made minor changes to the creatures. There are no completely new creatures, but there are creatures that reflect what we would have liked at the time. One of the fun parts of the game this time around may be to consider the differences from the original.

--LenartWhen you were fighting the creatures, what kind of scares were you trying to create in the action part of the game?

Lenart:We changed the camera's perspective from the original version, so some of the scares will change accordingly. Also, since the player has more freedom to move, it was necessary to change the design and behavior of the creatures as well. In the remake, the creatures have multiple behaviors and elements that can be linked to fear. For example, the Laing figures sometimes crawl on the ground and sometimes release a poisonous mist. We also made the mannequins jump at you, evade attacks, and move to hide. The instability of not knowing what the mannequin will do next is a frightening effect.

--I know that some people may be experiencing "SILENT HILL 2" for the first time with the remake, but were there any points that you paid attention to?

Okamoto: We introduced a difficulty level selection in the remake as well. You can set it separately for combat and puzzles, so that a wide range of players can enjoy the game. Changing the puzzle difficulty level changes the quality and quantity of hints that can be obtained from notes and the surrounding environment during exploration. This is a tradition of the "SILENT HILL" series, so the Bloober Team did their best. We have also included a Japanese voice-over, so those who are not used to playing games with subtitles will have no problem playing the game.

--What is the appeal of "SILENT HILL 2" to you?

LenartThis is a story that will be directly engraved in the player's mind. The atmosphere of the game is like no other.

GłombI think it's the characters. In general, the plot of a story can be forgotten over time, but the characters never fade away. This is especially true for the people in "Silent Hill 2," who are so well-developed that they seem to have existed in real life.

Okamoto:I think the fact that "SILENT HILL 2" does not have an easy happy ending is what makes it a special work.

YamaokaI think the "SILENT HILL" series, especially "SILENT HILL 2," is an experience. I think it is because the people who played the game back then felt that it was an experience rather than how they played it, and that is why it is still loved even after 25 years. The members of the team at that time wanted to create something original and unique, and I think it was that kind of multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction that made "SILENT HILL 2" an experience.

ItoAt the time, there were only a few designers on the team, including myself. We had to create "SILENT HILL 2," but with a set development period and budget, all we could do was discuss. We decided to focus on the story and the path players would take rather than the battle design. We then devised various ways to differentiate it from other games, but we had no idea that it would be a game that would be loved for 25 years.

--What does the future hold for the "SILENT HILL" franchise? What role will the remake of "SILENT HILL2" play in that?

Okamoto: "SILENT HILL 2" sets the standard for quality in the series. Through the remake of "SILENT HILL 2", we want to convey that KONAMI is confident in releasing this work and that we guarantee the quality of "SILENT HILL".

--Thank you very much.

(Text by Shinichi Yanamoto)

• Title information
• SILENT HILL 2
• Maker：KONAMI
• Compatibility: PlayStation5, Steam
• Release date: October 8, 2024
• Suggested retail price
• Standard Edition: 8,580 yen (including tax) *Package version only for PlayStation5
• Deluxe Edition: 9,790 yen (tax included) *Downloadable version only
• Genre: Psychological horror
• CERO rating C (15 and up)

©Konami Digital Entertainment

*Screenshots are from the development stage.