#silent hill 2 remake

[stray-cat-with-internet-access]

In my restless dreams, I see that meow

[businessrocket444]

[john-ts-sh-ai]

♫ ♫ ♫

[henryhanscapon]

the way silent hill 2 remake without the fog just looks like an average day in the uk

[crimescrimson]

The Otherworld Brookhaven Hospital in Silent Hill 2 (2024)

[evilwvergil]

The mysterious "Pyramid Head" ―S I L E N T H I L L 2 REMAKE (08.10.2024)

[cleolinda]

Silent Hill 2 commentary: Western South Vale (4)

PREVIOUSLY ON: No-tell motel secrets; Baldwin Mansion and "Born from a Wish"; White Chrism and the secret dog key; a brand-new weapon and chaos in the backyards of Silent Hill.

Spoiler policy: Just about anything but That One Big Thing near the end of the game, particularly information about characters, their motives, and their dynamics. The game’s eight endings may also be discussed. Content notes are below the cut.

Content notes: The premise of the game involves mentions of terminal illness and suicidal ideation, but it's subtle and not graphic. There's no combat in this last half hour, but there is a discussion of alcoholism at a bar, with allusions to alcohol abuse throughout the game. 

Pack a lunch, because there's a lot to talk about here. 

2:24:50: So Maria has brought James... somewhere. The butterfly sticker on the red door corresponds to the butterfly tattoo near Maria's collarbone; like I said earlier, the tattoo was at the original Maria's exposed waist, above her hip. So when Remake Maria pulls out a key to open this mysterious door, she pulls it out of her... infinite bra of holding? I'm not sure. (Original Maria pulled three different keys out, including one out of her boot.) Butterflies have more of a connotation of life, rebirth, and the psyche compared to the moth, which is associated with Mary ("Like a garment that is moth-eaten") and the final boss. Notice, also, the "WISH" graffiti right beneath that sticker.

2:26:25: I love the slow reveal of where Maria's brought James. She sylphs on further into the building and locks the next door behind herself, while James bumbles around and calls out "Maria...?" Oh, we're in the kitchen of a small restaurant? No, there's a hole we can peer through; seems like we're at a bar. A cheap one, with stacks of red Solo cups, no less. Wait, now there's a "STAGE DOOR" sign? There's clothes hanging around, and a mirrored makeup counter for... actresses? And... pinup beefcake photos? And then the game hits us with the Strange Photo: 

YEAH THAT'S RIGHT SHE BROUGHT US TO A STRIP CLUB LMAO

(Side note: "Ready to kill it!" is an incredibly grim caption in light of the "Maria" ending.) 

(I would like to clarify something that gets lost a bit here in Ian's stream, where I'm in the chat: I actually do agree with Ian that Original James kind of sounds like a himbo; I'm not disagreeing with that at all. In fact, Ian instantly revised my opinion of that performance, and I kind of love it now. No, what I'm trying to say in reply is that I think the new James seems more "naive" [rather than clueless]. Because I think that Remake James shows himself to be very intelligent and perceptive through much of the game. He also falls for a grade schooler's deception. I'm just saying.)

Now, Maria will shut a second door to continue trolling James a little. But in the cursed commentary video, the timing was flawless:

I have spent a lot of time examining this dressing room, and I won't bore you pointing every single detail out; I have an entire side post for that. Just most of them:

Red lights, furniture, and robes--the color associated with Maria. 

2:27:40: Turquoise oscillating fans, forever. Repetition: James may have gone to bars or clubs like this repeatedly during Mary's illness, during his "drink the loneliness away" phase. Cycles: He may be time-looping this specific scene with Maria, over and over. 

2:28:04: Broken lights that call back a bit to the broken lightbulbs at the pier (plus a clock with Mary's time of death, always)

Broken mirrors we can't see ourselves in, ever

2:28:30: There are photos of kids, families, and pets tucked around the dancers' makeup mirrors, which is a nice, humanizing touch. In fact, if James is objectifying women's legs, you wouldn't think his subconscious would consider that--except that he and Mary had wanted to have kids, but couldn't. (There are two drawings by a child, one of which says "I love you Mom.") I mention this back at the Nathan's Avenue billboards, but this was the moment when I first thought of this: in some endings, Maria will say, "I can give you what she never could." I hadn't thought Maria, a psychical construct, might mean "a baby" until I saw this drawing. 

Bonus Araxium anxiety medication ad

2:30:05: There are lipsticks that I believe we'll see in the next Strange Photo, with their colors and textures remixed a bit

2:30:20: The stripper pole Strange Photo, lol. Again, I think Maria's core is Mary (the brunette roots), and her blondeness signals that she's James' anima (per Max Derrat), but she's also been given the persona of someone who worked here, since she was "born from a wish" here, like, this morning. That's how she has a key, but that doesn't mean she actually has a history here. (Which I find fascinating in terms of who Maria is and what it must be like in her mind, negotiating her own wants and needs amidst--illusions?) 

2:30:50: A flowered hat and a box marked FRAGILE, half-hidden behind red curtains, that make me think of Mary (and James trying to put her out of his mind while potentially breaking his marriage vows). 

A box under that possibly labeled "[vi]deos" near a broken TV, which may hint at the late-game scene where James learns what he did. But he's not ready to "see" it yet. 

"Perfume bottle with a squeeze thing": the word I am fumbling for is "atomizer." (My last brain cell: "Aspirator?") Also, it is a bit of an understatement to say that OPI, an extremely popular nail polish brand, is "still in production." But yes, they still make Cozumelted in the Sun and Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey that I used to wear. I can't remember the name of the exact shade of purple I had that's sitting on the table, but the bottles are very OPI-reminiscent.

2:33:40: Picture of Sexy Guy With Lady Hands On Him: The first thing Maria does when she meets James is start touching him. Judging by Maria's behavior, he had been fantasizing about assertive women who would make the first move. By the second time she lays hands on him, he's kind of into it: Maria is one of the Nine Delusions, the distractions and/or enemies James has to deal with. 

2:35:10: A "God is in TV" sticker, which is incredibly loaded given James' whole issue with (avoidance of?) TV sets and the truth. 

2:35:25: Let's have a huge discussion of masculinity! It's interesting to me that James would (accurately) imagine that the women might have their own pinup posters objectifying men. I wonder if he was ever backstage at a place like this--or is the real Heaven's Night bleeding in past his psyche's interior decorating? But I also think James has a particular ideal of masculinity, which I talk about here. tl;dr: It's Pyramid Head. 

In the middle of this discussion, I realize that I didn't take you around to the hidden garage with a poster of Maria (?). 

2:38:50: There are (actual) mannequins and dress forms scattered around, which, again, makes me wonder if James ever actually went backstage at a place like this, and maybe that's where he picked up the mannequin imagery. In fact, even the mannequins have built-in stiletto heels, which makes no sense to me as a real-world detail (shoes won't fit on them!), but all the sense in the world given that even some of the monsters have high heels.

Now you see why I said the lying figures have "stripper heels" and may be "dancing."

2:40:14: A couple of arcade cabinet games that may refer to the history of Konami, the company behind the Silent Hill franchise--they started out with jukebox machines and then arcade games. 

2:41:30: I'll go into the decor of the main room elsewhere, but right as we walk in, there's two posters and the "WISH" graffiti again. One, a "Wild Wednesday" poster advertising 30% off private dances, and right next to that: the Don't Let Alcohol Shatter Your Life poster. I feel like this game could not imply any more strongly that James used to combine those two things back in the day, and now he feels deeply ashamed of it (and also the leg fixation that keeps confronting him. Violently). And I think the "WISH" graffiti gives it motive: he wished for company. Someone fun and carefree and healthy while HIS WIFE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, but yes, he was lonely. 

2:42:30: Now, a summary of Ian's discussion of the music--"The Lament of Heaven's Night"--which I beg you to watch. (I've set it to 1:45:00 for you.)

He sits through this looping music with his keyboard overlay and starts noodling over it, the various notes and tones and chords that I don't really understand, and then he gets to the tritones (~the devil's chord), and some actual Phantom of the Opera shit comes out. My fucking FACE when I was sitting in a dimly lit room watching this on Twitch. Composer Akira Yamaoka has genuinely hidden this gothic-ass horror music, suggesting Maria's ulterior motives, using soft synthesizer notes. And that's why I mentioned the Corinthians license-plate verse about partnering with demons. 

The main version of the song plays during this cutscene, which is entirely new for the remake, and adds some really lovely dimensions to Maria as a character: 

First, of course, Maria has to slink out onto the stage. (Again, I think the remake outfit suits Maria's agenda better, because a navel is utterly wasted on James. There is a neon foot pointed at his head. L E G.)

The short version of this scene is that Maria hits him with the "lol jk... unless" flirting...

(2:45:10: Note the very obvious "Dream" in neon by Maria's head: she is James' "dream girl," but also, Silent Hill is reminding us again that it's "FAKE." )

...and James loses his shit when Maria suggests that they just, you know, hang out at the abandoned club and chill for a while. "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE A BREAK! MARY COULD BE OUT THERE, WAITING FOR ME!!!" At which point Maria breaks out the tears, sobbing that she just wanted to get away for one moment from the nightmare of me letting monsters vomit all over her. (If you enjoy watching other people play this game, another fun thing is seeing who catches that Maria is manipulating James right here.) And of course he gives in and apologizes and sits right down at that bar he didn't want to take a break at. 

1) This is not the face of a woman who was "crying" 0.00025 seconds ago.

2) You know Maria has to be down bad when you look over and see that James' right sleeve is still stained from reaching down that toilet. If that doesn't kill her mood, nothing will. 

But yes: Maria's all smiles and liquor now! 

Story first: This is actually a lovely scene--entirely new--where Maria tells James that she doesn't think he's "crazy," but rather "hopeful," and raises her glass to "hope undying." And I think she's also speaking of herself here, in the very act of hoping she can win James over. IMO, Salóme Gunnarsdóttir plays it sincerely, even admiringly, and it adds a lot to Maria's depth as a character compared to the original version, I think. 

Details second: My first thought was the old thing about not taking food or drink from the fairies, or else you might not be leaving any time soon. But if you check out the whiskey bottle under the counter (2:53:50), you'll see references to Greek mythology, rather: the "fifth river" is Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, and the lotus logo may allude to the lotus-eaters in the Odyssey. James is right to turn that drink down. 

But the game has put in further subtext as well. It's literal text in the original game: 

Liquor bottles. I don't need that right now. It's not that I don't drink. In fact, I drink a fair bit. To get away from the pain, the loneliness… But the drinking never changes anything. Anyway, I don't need it now. There's something that I have to do.

The remake gets across the idea that James has a problem with alcohol through two signs, primarily. One: a literal sign, that ever-present "Don't let alcohol shatter your life" poster. The second is a very long moment here (2:47:40) where James has a hard time pulling his eyes away from that glass of whiskey:

What's in that look? Temptation? Regret? Need? Shame? And it's a long moment; the look is subtle, but the game doesn't let you miss it. I have yet to see a player who didn't pick up that James really, really has to fight himself not to pick up that drink. 

2:49:10: Okay, I genuinely will not walk you through the entire side post this time, but I do go through all the posters on the walls and other sundry decor. Summary: lots of abstract lips and legs on many posters. Also, a stag because reasons. Interacting with a poster of a blonde (2:51:32) triggers some dialogue: 

JAMES: Is that... you? MARIA: Would you like it to be? JAMES: [No answer]

As Ian pointed out, that may be a genuine question, in line with Maria asking James what Mary was like: what does he want? She'll do it or be it (and she'll say as much later), if only he would tell her. 

2:52:30: Several stickers around the bar, including one from the amusement park, two different Twin Peaks-themed stickers, and a pair of lips. A few minutes later, I actually discover a "Jacob's Lager" sticker--a reference to the movie Jacob's Ladder, a major influence on the game. The remake has also added butterflies to the Heaven's Night logo, to give context to Maria's butterfly tattoo. I KNOW THIS IS AN EGREGIOUS AMOUNT OF DETAIL TO POINT OUT BUT IT'S THERE AND I'M HERE. 

2:54:30: The one thing you HAVE TO see is the ring in the lost & found box. Remember how the game went out of its way to show that James isn't wearing his wedding ring in the opening scene? Well, here's why: 

I'm not saying James lost it at Heaven's Night; I'm saying that Heaven's Night stands in for places he may have been back in the normal world, and he sure isn't wearing his ring now. It's a very suggestive idea—what was James doing as a lonely, frustrated, but married man during his wife's illness, exactly? Going out and drinking? Watching women dance? Blondes like Maria, like the photo in the box? Doing more than watching? Fantasizing, or actually cheating? There's a lot of mouth imagery in the posters here, and once we get to the hospital and encounter the Flesh Lip (trust me, it's even worse than it sounds), all the monsters have mouths. They roar in a way that makes me think it represents verbal abuse from Mary towards James (which I talked about here). And yet, they all have beautiful lips, not toothy maws. Do with this information what you will. 

As a side note, the sunglasses are (like) Cybil Bennett's in the first Silent Hill game. 

2:57:52: Getting up on the stage will trigger Maria laughing and asking if James is going to dance for her. 

2:58:54: If you poke around the tables and booths, you can find a discarded Sexy Nurse costume. While I think this does allude to the nurses we're about to fight in Brookhaven Hospital, it seems that it also references a secret item/alternate outfit that Eileen can wear in Silent Hill 4. Per the fan wiki, "This costume also features 'Jiggle Physics.'" When I said that I believe the lying figures and mannequins are sexualized for story reasons but they're not sexy, this is the kind of "sexy" I was talking about. (Y'all, come on now.)

Again, I'll spare you the full decor rundown, but it's over at @beneath-the-null-moon. Eventually, it's time to go. "Let me know when you're ready to move on," says Maria in her infinite subtlety. (She also offers to bring James back to Heaven's Night if he ever needs another break. "Any port in a storm, right?" Remember that she said that.) ⁠

Here's James' psyche in a nutshell, the front desk as we leave: a Cycles & Repetition fan, two high-heeled shoes (a leg fixation includes feet, after all), a clock with Mary's time of death, and a poster tube at a suggestive angle. I'll stop reading too much into things when Bloober Team stops putting things in. 

Since I'm at a place in my life where I cannot help but point out all clocks and all mirrors, all the time: once again, James cannot see himself in the mirrored walls leading out of Heaven's Night, due to whatever substance is smeared over them. However... we can see the reflection of Maria's arm fairly well. My whole theory was, beyond James not being able to "look himself in the eye," was that this version of Silent Hill isn't real, and so it can't reflect a real person. Well... Maria isn't real, so...

Also, as Ian pointed out, the neon "Kiss" sign is warped in such a way that its reflection looks like the word "Sick." The duality of Maria and Mary, I guess—or perhaps foreshadowing what happens to Maria in the "Maria" ending. 

Now, due to OBS issues, I decided to make a clean break and wind the commentary up here. At the time, I had thought I'd post Moonlight Grove and the Reverie Theater as an hour-long addition, but I've now decided to start Commentary 6 there and keep going through the first hour of Brookhaven Hospital. I am now having shaky picture issues again, but fiddling with the game settings fixed it last time, so I'll see what I can do. For now, we're going to call it at three hours. 

Next post, next time: Story time at (FINALLY) "a place two lovers might call special."

(SH2R commentary master post)

[glowing-starlight]

Stillness Ending (Silent Hill 2 Remake - 2024)

[wr0wn]

"Confess. Repent. Suffer"

[condohavenoking]

[livfordoodles]

[lemonspades]

She's so helpful in the remake isn't she?

[john-ts-sh-ai]

♫ ♫ ♫

[voyaage1969]

Will you wait for me?

source: x

[mamamoira]

The nude James and Pyramid Head mods are already out- god moves fast, but modders will always move faster.

[necrotyan]

I'm here for you, James