Recent reviews by GlitchyReal

Creepypasta: The Game (+Memes)

I posted 'No' based on it being a remake.
Is it a good contemporary horror game? Yes.
Is it a good remake of Silent Hill 2? Not really.

Some performance and level design issues. Story additions (and subtractions) change intentions and meaning which includes clarifying what were fan suspicions or misreadings of the original story. Previously missable text or scenes are now mandatory and unmissable. Subtlety or the more uncomfortable elements have been a bit sanitized (PH scenes no longer have a sexually-suggestive element.) The noises and jumpscares won't slow down and true silence (defined as no background audio at all) is never used. Pyramid Head's introduction is possibly missable, I had to go back for it. Levels introduce a singular goal, then break into subsections of going forward, getting an item, maybe the way back suddenly closes, then guided to where you need that item. Puzzles are almost all pattern recognition or getting a numeric code. The gameplay loop of new areas is predictable and much longer without adding much of substance which drags out the pacing of the story.

The game is VERY loud and doesn't understand or respect the concept of silence (see: Flesh Lips boss, Labyrinth elevator.) Eddie is phenomenal, both his actor's performance and his newer story elements, boss fight too surprisingly. The Hotel being a destination isn't put into James' mind until the Labyrinth and is never established as the final goal. Angela has a new scene that's pretty alright. The new Abstract Daddy boss fight is also well done and strangely thrilling(?) to go through as an action segment, so I'm not sure if that's really tonally appropriate. Fan service hits like a sack of bricks and, while a crowd-pleaser, does little for the story except remind me what's been cut. Speaking of cuts, Hyper Spray and the Great Knife are no longer obtainable weapons, nor is there a 10 Star challenge to encourage replays and upgrade said Hyper Spray.

I got very annoyed with enemy placement for being predictable (what I've been calling the "item ambush") on the second half of the Apartments and it never gets better. The new 'Bliss' ending is very good. The other new ending, 'Stillness' is just 'In Water' but slightly different.

Note: I generally don't care for current contemporary popular horror games from the AAA space, but love the classic SH1-4 and the occasional indie. Homogenizing SH2 into this new contemporary form doesn't work nearly as well. Ironically, it plays like the much derided Silent Hill: Homecoming, and in a confident replay especially feels more like RE4 than SH2. The issues in this remake are more fundamental while the surface level elements really shine.

If you like the contemporary version of what horror games are today, you'll like it a lot. It's got high highs and low lows. If you like SH2 as it was for being what it was, your mileage will vary but likely on the lower end of the scale. Depends on how much of a purist you are.

"It's not perfect. But if always she's perfect, I guess you won't love her. You are in love with her because she's human. She has, y'know, character. That character has bad points. Of course bad points! And, y'know, good points." - Takayoshi Sato (on Maria's design; Making of Silent Hill 2)

SH2's remake may be "perfect." I think that's why I don't love her.


(For those asking why my play time is so high if I "don't like it", which I never said, I'm playing to see all the content available in the game and comparing and contrasting between this and the original. I see no other way to write a thorough and accurate review. I'm still adding more as I go.)

Brilliant game and as good as a sequel gets.

Controller support is absolutely busted though.

This is the better version.

Why can't I play Golden Light of Rose? Delisting for no reason is a stupid idea.

something-something take my money

The greatest fan fiction ever written.

How have I gone so long without this...?

Using the Fixed Camera mod. Wouldn't play without it.

Bad time to pick this game back up again, huh?

Why is it every time I wanna play a Bethesda game, not only do I have to install a heck-ton of community fixes, but Bethesda then updates just to break those fixes without addressing them themselves?

The first of the series to throw all lore rules out the window.
Went from Japanese-flavored Lynchian horror to B-movie splatterhouse horror.
Action focus with bad action.
Joke ending can be received on first playthrough.
This port doesn't even work without UnknownProject's patch.

There are some redeeming qualities like the OST, but not many.