Summary
Silent Hill 2 Remakedelivered a fantastic new version of the 2001 psychological horror classic last October. Although there were some concerns expressed prior to its launch due to it seemingly veering away from its central focus, developer Bloober Team’s reworking of the seminal second entry in the franchise ended up staying true to its essence to the satisfaction of audiences. Along with keeping the core narrative and its impact intact,Silent Hill 2 Remakealso updated and remixed various aspects, keeping even longtime fans on their toes with a few of its expansions and changes.
One notable element that was largely maintained, though, wasSilent Hill 2 Remake’s puzzle difficulty options. The original title also contained variable puzzle settings, something that set it apart from many of its contemporaries, likeResident Evil. As the two series are often seen as benchmarks within their genre, and withSH2Remake’s success, it may be time for the next mainlineRE(presumablyResident Evil 9)to in turn seriously consider adapting a similar array of options for its puzzles.
Silent Hill 2 Remake’s Puzzle Setting Options Should Be a Shoo-in for Resident Evil 9
Many games from theoriginalSilent Hill 2’s era were intrinsically more challenging, as the medium was still experimenting with and testing the best ways to balance difficulties without comprising other core components. This could be a double-edged sword in some cases, however, and put off players who weren’t particularly proficient at puzzles, especially some of those seen inSHandResident Eviltitles, which could sometimes be obtuse even for players who were adept at them.
Silent Hill 2having variable puzzle settings that allowed fans to tweak their level of complexity was an innovation for the time, extending a welcoming hand to players who wished them to be either easier or harder. Bloober Team keeping this in place was a laudable choice, and madeSilent Hill 2 Remake’s puzzlesmanageable again for players of all preferences. With the expectations surroundingResident Evil 9and how it will advance the series, it provides a good opportunity for developer Capcom to include adjustable puzzle difficulties in the next entry.
Silent Hill 2 Remakeoffered three tiers of increasing puzzle difficulties, while the original title had a fourth bonus tier unlocked after completing a playthrough on the previous hardest one.
Resident Evil 9 Can Make Great Use of Silent Hill 2 Remake’s Puzzle Options
Resident Evilis, of course, no stranger to oddly elaborate and bizarrely themed puzzles to progress or obtain hidden items, and these have been a part of its DNA since the beginning. With persistentrumors that Capcom might be takingREinto open-world territoryin the next outing, this could pave the path for the franchise to take a cue fromSilent Hill 2and the remake regarding its puzzle design and settings.
An open-worldResident Evilwould create many interesting ways to iterate on puzzlesby taking the recognizable formula and expanding on it to fit a larger and more free-form level design. Capcom could include more of them in general, and vary their challenge factor across the experience. At the same time, the puzzles should still feel like authenticREones, and including a difficulty setting would allow more creativity while also giving fans the freedom to tailor the experience to their liking.
Even if it won’t be completely open world, there are still good reasons forResident Evil 9to include puzzle setting options likeSilent Hill 2’s. It would cater both to fans who prefer them to be trickier and those who want to focus more on story and combat without being frustrated by getting stuck on figuring out the solution to particularly demanding ones. As the industry has begun to incorporate moreinclusive accessibility options,Resident Evilcould capitalize and improve upon its already solid base in this area by followingSH2 Remake’s lead, and including a puzzle difficulty slider in the next installment.
