Silent Hill 2 Remake’s Two New Endings Explained (In Detail)

Most likely the one greatest tale exchange within the Silent Hill 2 remake is the addition of 2 new endings: Stillness and Bliss. The unique Silent Hill 2 had 4 major endings that had been achievable on a primary playthrough. Those constitute other results for its protagonist, James Sunderland, in response to the participant’s remedy of Maria, their perspective against Mary, and their obvious want to are living. It additionally contains two shaggy dog story endings: the now-infamous Canine finishing from the unique free up of the sport, and the UFO finishing presented in later re-releases.

[Warning: This aritcle contains spoilers for both of Silent Hill 2’s new endings.]

The Silent Hill 2 remake’s new endings, alternatively, are a distinct beast. Despite the fact that they undergo some similarities to ordinary endings from the bottom recreation, they are other in their very own proper, bringing new views to the arena of Silent Hill.

Silent Hill 2’s Stillness Finishing Defined

The In Water Finishing, Reimagined

Silent Hill 2‘s new Stillness finishing is, in impact, a spread of the unique recreation’s In Water finishing. That is the sport’s most standard “dangerous finishing,” by which James is so totally fed on via his grief and his guilt over Mary’s demise that he drives his automobile into Toluca Lake, drowning himself. This finishing begins in a lot the similar means: James sits in his automobile as rain kilos at the window, staring outdoor with a vacant expression. He repeats statements of be apologetic about and sorrow to himself (or extra correctly, to Mary’s frame, which is implied to be sitting within the backseat).

This time, alternatively, Mary’s hand reaches up from the again, stroking James’ cheek. She whispers calming platitudes in his ear, however James wavers. In the end, he asks, “Will you look ahead to me?” to which Mary replies, “I used to be all the time looking ahead to you.” James seems one ultimate time at Mary’s letter, mendacity in its envelope at the passenger seat, sooner than having a look forward in resolution. The scene then cuts to black, and the unmistakable sounds of an engine beginning, tires screeching, and in spite of everything, a pointy plunge into water will also be heard.

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This finishing will also be interpreted variously, however something’s for sure: it inevitably ends with James’ demise at his personal fingers, in response to his incapability to just accept Maria’s demise and his personal function in it. This model of the dangerous finishing has an additional twist, although. James receives Mary’s forgiveness without delay, as a substitute of just by studying her letter on the finish of the sport. Even if they are no longer rather as eloquently or evocatively phrased, Mary’s soothing phrases on this scene must serve the similar objective as her letter, permitting James to just accept his function in her demise and depart that bankruptcy of his lifestyles in the back of.

However as a result of James feels his guilt so totally, Mary’s phrases do not achieve him. Caught in a jail of his personal making, James has made up his thoughts. If truth be told, it sort of feels beautiful not going that Mary’s ghost is in fact chatting with James on this scene – it’ll all be in James’ head.

Past the generic not unusual theme of forgiveness, Mary truly does not sound like herself right here. Mary’s ultimate phrases to James on this scene – “I used to be all the time looking ahead to you” – extra correctly echo the false letter James’ in charge psyche desires up originally of the sport, the person who lures him again to Silent Hill within the first position. It is much more likely, then, that James is solely imagining a dialog with Mary in his ultimate moments, and believes he will have the ability to go back to her facet within the afterlife.

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After all, some other interpretation fully paints issues in a distinct colour – it would simply as simply be Maria within the backseat. Even if she’s typically implied to be long past for excellent after the overall boss combat, it would not be the primary time Maria has come again from the useless. When James asks “Will you look ahead to me,” the motion cuts to a uniquely framed shot, appearing simply the decrease part of Mary’s face within the rearview reflect as her lips curl up right into a smirk.

This interpretation would not be out of line with Silent Hill 2‘s method to symbolism, both – it steadily makes use of mirrors as visible metaphors for duality or duplicity. Mary’s eyes do not seem on this shot, both, which all the time suggests dishonesty and hidden intentions.

Silent Hill 2’s Bliss Finishing Defined

A New Starting For James?

The Bliss finishing is decidedly extra cryptic, and ends sooner than the overall boss, with James staring at the tape he believes Mary left for him in Silent Hill. Then again, as a substitute of unveiling that James smothered Mary, the tape as a substitute displays James’ authentic photos of his and Mary’s non violent holiday in Silent Hill. The principle center of attention of the shot is Mary status in entrance of a vivid window, having a look out and musing on her inexplicable love for town. She explains that it was a sacred position, which she says she will perceive after having spent a while there.

Echoing her letter, Mary makes James promise her that they’re going to go back to Silent Hill, to which he is of the same opinion. The 2 include sooner than Mary reminds James they want to get again to packing. The shot turns to James as he alternatives up his camcorder. He pauses, gaining a vacant expression for a second. Mary asks him if one thing came about, to which James replies, “Oh, no. It is not anything.” The scene returns to the Lakeview Resort room the place James started viewing the tape, the place his armchair lies empty.

The implication right here appears to be that James has inserted himself into the pleased international of his personal satisfied reminiscences, reuniting with Mary simply sooner than her sickness started. His far-off gaze seems to indicate that he maintains some reminiscence of his future-past grief, however he brushes it off on the first likelihood he will get. That is, in some way, rather very similar to the Maria finishing, in that it implies the occasions of Silent Hill 2 repeatedly repeat themselves in a breakable cycle.

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In mild of this finishing, Silent Hill 2 takes on a Buddhist tone. There is a Buddhist thought via the title of samsara, which holds that each one people are matter to struggling in an unending cycle of lifestyles, demise, and reincarnation. Most effective via ridding oneself of want can nirvana be accomplished, breaking from the depressing cycle, without equal objective of Buddhism’s Eightfold Trail. In some way, that is precisely what James is doing, simply on a way smaller degree.

James is caught in a cycle of struggling: if it follows the similar continuity, starting with the occasions proven at the tape, Mary will fall unwell in a while after she and James go back from their commute to Silent Hill. The cycle will then repeat itself infinitely – Mary gets unwell, James will homicide her, and he will go back to Silent Hill wracked via guilt to do it far and wide once more. He can best destroy the cycle via liberating himself of the unrealistic want to go back to Mary’s facet, which he can best do within the Depart finishing.

Which Finishing Is Canon?

Silent Hill’s Canon Is Foggy By way of Design

In the long run, it is exhausting to mention which of Silent Hill 2‘s endings is canon, even after the remake. James scarcely seems in the remainder of the sequence, aside from in shaggy dog story endings the place he groups up with extraterrestrial beings to abduct later protagonists. His father, Frank Sunderland, seems in Silent Hill 4: The Room, however all he unearths about James is that he “disappeared.” This may seek advice from any of the endings from the unique recreation: James’ demise on the backside of Toluca Lake, his ongoing cycle of struggling, or his beginning a brand new lifestyles after leaving Silent Hill.

Possibly essentially the most enjoyable conceivable technique to view Silent Hill 2, although, is to believe two other endings canon on the identical time: James is going via a repetitive loop of the Maria or Bliss endings, till he in spite of everything learns to just accept his function in Mary’s demise and achieves salvation during the Depart finishing. This charts personality building over more than one playthroughs, bringing James from a state of all-consuming grief to one in every of acceptance. It additionally ends on a hopeful be aware as he in spite of everything escapes Silent Hill.

Nonetheless, the meanings and canonicity of Silent Hill 2‘s endings has all the time been up for debate; that is why there is by no means been an instantaneous sequel, and why later video games within the sequence stay issues deliberately imprecise. In the long run, it is as much as gamers to interpret the endings and make a decision which makes essentially the most sense within the Silent Hill 2 remake, simply because it was once within the authentic.

Supply: GamersPrey/YouTube

The Silent Hill 2 Remake is an upcoming Survival Horror free up from Bloober Staff, the similar inventive squad in the back of Layers of Concern and Observer. Builders are reimagining James Sunderland’s journey via Silent Hill, with up to date graphics and gameplay.

Launched

October 8, 2024

Developer(s)

Bloober Staff

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Subject matters, Violence

OpenCritic Score

Mighty

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