Silent Hill 2 Remake: Devs Aim to Redefine the Horror Genre

Bloober Team's successful Silent Hill 2 Remake has launched them into a new phase. Their next project aims to solidify their position as a major player in the horror genre, proving their recent success wasn't a fluke. This article explores their upcoming game and their future plans.

Bloober Team's Path to Redemption

Building Confidence and Exceeding Expectations

The overwhelmingly positive reception of the Silent Hill 2 Remake from both players and critics has been a significant boost for Bloober Team. Despite substantial changes from the original, the remake exceeded expectations. However, the team acknowledges the initial skepticism they faced and aims to use this success to build lasting trust and demonstrate their capabilities.

At the Xbox Partner Preview on October 16th, Bloober Team unveiled their next horror title, Cronos: The New Dawn. Game Designer Wojciech Piejko emphasized a departure from their previous work, stating in a Gamespot interview, "We don't want to make a similar game [to Silent Hill 2]." Development on Cronos began in 2021, shortly after the release of The Medium.

Director Jacek Zieba described Cronos: The New Dawn as their "second punch" in a one-two combo, with the Silent Hill 2 Remake being the "first." He highlighted the initial doubt surrounding the studio's ability to handle a project of this magnitude, given their lack of prior experience with survival horror.

Zieba commented, "Nobody believed we could deliver, and we delivered. That was a big honor, that we, as Bloober, could work with Silent Hill and Konami. As horror creators, we love Silent Hill, like, I think, most horror fans [do.]" The studio even issued a public statement urging fans for patience during development.

Ultimately, Bloober Team's efforts resulted in an 86 Metacritic score. "They made the impossible possible, and it was a bumpy road because of all the hate on the internet. The pressure was big on them, and they delivered, and for the company, it's an amazing moment," Piejko remarked.

Evolution: Bloober Team 3.0

Piejko positions Cronos: The New Dawn as a testament to their ability to create compelling original IP. Players will take on the role of "The Traveler," a time-traveling protagonist navigating the past and future to save lives and alter a dystopian future ravaged by pandemic and mutants.

Leveraging the experience gained from the Silent Hill 2 Remake, Bloober Team aims to surpass their previous titles, Layers of Fear and Observer, which featured less robust gameplay mechanics. Zieba explained that "the basis [for Cronos] when we started in pre-production was there [thanks to] the Silent Hill team."

The Silent Hill 2 Remake marks a significant turning point, representing "Bloober Team 3.0." The positive response to the Cronos reveal trailer further bolsters their optimism, suggesting a shift in public perception.

Zieba aspires for Bloober Team to be recognized as a premier horror developer, stating, "We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just--let's evolve with it. [...] And how that happens is more complex, but it also happens organically in a way, like with [2016's] Layers of Fear, people in the studio were like, 'Okay, we made some shitty games before, but we [can] evolve.'"

Piejko added, "We gathered a team that loves horror," "So I think, for us, it would not be easy to switch [to other genres], and we don't want to."