Silent Hill 2 is a bizarre game. The game is dreamlike sometimes, and other times it is like a nightmare. In the game, you encounter twisted creations of the main character James Sunderland’s perception, or sin. Without divulging too much of the plot, the game begins with James returning to the eerie and fog-covered Silent Hill. His motivation stems from the fact that his now supposedly deceased wife has sent a letter, seemingly from beyond the grave, inviting him to their original quiet place. Make no mistake, this is not a classic but a horror tale by the books. This is a psychological horror story that seldom gives you the answers to questions you seek, even after its closing hours. Your sense of comfort will be challenged; I know mine certainly was. In fact, upon completing the game, I had some difficulty resting. Everything here is heavily handed and for an adult audience.

The performances between characters are phenomenal and a true highlight. The motion capture technology emphasizes their earnest facial expressions and dialogue, such as when James meets Angela and the young woman searching for her mama in the fog-covered Silent Hill. You can sense the tensions between characters and the deep well of emotions. There are characters who deal with complex emotions like suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, loss, grief, and paranoia, just to name a few.

You will advance through the city and the fog and happen upon hospitals, apartments, a hotel, and even a prison. Each location features a labyrinth navigation style and many challenging mind games and puzzles. They will test your patience; I know they did mine. There were multiple instances where I had to consult a guide because some puzzles were rather complex. For example, one puzzle involved being trapped in a room and deciphering cryptic code on a wall to determine the numbers on safe lock.

While puzzles may not be your strong suit, you need not worry. You’ll be hunted. Regularly. By horrific and grotesque monstrosities that roam the halls and streets of Silent Hill. Some include armless creatures that crawl the floors and vomit a volatile liquid all over you; this one is particularly nasty. You’ll fight creatures that crawl the walls on all fours on nothing but legs, and they pack a mean punch. You’ll fight knife-wielding nurses. Some of the boss fights were particularly challenging, my favorite being Flesh Lips, a sack of flesh controlled by mechanical legs that took me several tries to defeat. Fortunately, you are not without protection. As you progress through the game, you will pick up defensive items, including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and a special item on New Game+.

There are eight alternate endings in Silent Hill 2. The ending I received was a rather depressing conclusion to a rather depressing, dark, obscure, artistic, horrific and fantastic game. I would say that I’ve enjoyed my time with this game. The boss fights were genuinely amazing. The puzzles were challenging for me, but I got through them. The performances made this a stellar game. I’m already on my way to a second play-through on New Game+.