7 Things To Know Before Your Trip To Silent Hill 2

While Silent HIll 2 has changed a great deal in the last couple of decades, veterans do still have a minor advantage when wandering through town. The general layout is the same, though many of the stores and shops are now open for business, instead of just having health drinks inexplicably sitting on their doorsteps. If you remember where specific items were, try heading out that way anyway—either there’ll be something new at that location or, in a nice, understated bit of feedback, the game will actually shift to a different camera angle highlighting that location, with an audio sting and an unnerving breathing noise, just as a little nod to the old-schoolers out there.

It’s important to come to Silent Hill well-prepared and well-hydrated as you stroll through its streets and roads. You, as an eagle-eyed traveler—one whose head might actually turn and face important items in the environment, I should add—might see a local supermarket or fast food joint, but, oh no, they’re not open! Instead of friendly fast food workers serving meals with a smile, you get leggy mannequin monsters serving pain, and hopefully that’s just a vertical smile where the face should be. Thankfully, the good citizens of Silent Hill are more than happy to assist fellow travelers by leaving a goodly supply of nutritional drinks and ammunition in their cars. You may need to bust out the windows to get to your supplies, but, hey, the price is right.

That doesn’t just apply to cars, though. Don’t get too precious about storefront windows and doors, either. If it’s just a pane of glass between you and some of Silent Hill’s delicious nibbles, feel free to assume the owner won’t mind if you come on in.

The locals of Silent Hill take the problem of light and noise pollution very seriously when it’s dark out. Though city folk might call them a bit nosy when they come poking around in your business, the residents are just trying to keep things pleasant in this special little town. Though as an out-of-towner, sometimes a little noise is unavoidable—for your own safety and well-being, you should consider keeping your lights off and your radios off as much as possible to avoid one of your fleshy neighbors checking up on what’s causing all the commotion.

And as an added incentive for your cooperation, if you should pick up a radio and immediately turn it off before even encountering a local, there’s a trophy/achievement in it for you.

A job worth doing is worth doing right, and that goes for anything, from grocery shopping, to building a house, to beating down an abominable fleshbeast until you start seeing white meat. But how do you really know for sure you did that last bit right, especially in a place where things have a terrible habit of coming back to life? Well, there’s a few things.

For starters, when it comes to most enemies, you’re going to have a devil of a time getting them down to begin with. Although while every enemy has their particular quirks, virtually all of them are at death’s door if you’ve gotten them off their feet. But your job’s not done yet, heavens no. You should stroll right over and make sure that enemy’s a goner by hitting them while they’re down with a melee weapon (Right Trigger by default). You’ll actually know you’re safe when you stop hitting them with melee weapons, and start stomping instead. If you’re dealing with groups, that single stomp should be your signifier that you can move on to the next problem. It’s as simple as that!*

*—except for the ones who spit acid because when those guys are down, they vomit more acid and can kill you in seconds—please don’t try to stomp them, they suck.

Silent Hill has everything you need for some big beautiful fireworks displays launched from the various pistols, shotguns, and rifles scattered throughout the world, but a special thing just doesn’t remain special if it happens all the time. That’s why ammunition for those guns is so scarce around town.

Though it can be tricky, when faced with one of Silent Hill’s enthusiastic locals, the vast majority of conflicts can be handled with a face-to-face, hands-on conversation instead of a gun, so when a real problem presents itself with, say, the size of someone’s pyramid mask, or a pizza-loving townie decides that murder should be legal, you’ll be well-equipped to deal with it.

A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met, and Silent Hill is a great place to meet some new friends and have a great night on the town! Still, not everyone might have the same tolerance as you, and we’re not talking about tequila shots.

If you have a companion with you, it’s very possible for them to get a little too involved in your fights, and take a stray hit or two if you’re not careful. If you’re up close and personal, maybe steer the fight away from them, and be careful if they’re off to your right or left before you take a swing. If it’s a situation where a gun is involved, never fire if there’s a chance they might wind up in your way. They won’t appreciate it, we’re sure, and “one too many cocktails at Heaven’s Night” is not an excuse for poor gun safety.

Visitors come to Silent Hill for all kinds of reasons, and while most tourists have a perfectly pleasant experience, it’s very easy to ruin your good time and the good times of others. While veterans are well aware of the consequences of coming to town with the wrong mindset, newcomers should be aware that actions have consequences.

Doing things like, say, focusing too much on an attractive lady you just met instead of your spouse, or looking at a knife a little too intently one too many times, or not keeping a close enough eye on your physical or mental health, can all have an effect on how you leave—or don’t leave—our lovely little town. Of course, you’re always welcome back. Maybe you’ll have a different experience…

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