Now that most people have had enough time to finish the gorgeous Silent Hill 2 remake, Bloober Team announced their newest foray into horror territory. I'm talking about Cronos: The New Dawn, which was just been reve?aled at t??he Xbox showcase.

The reveal con??sisted only of a cinematic trailer, but we alrea??dy know a bit of what to expect.

Cronos will be a new survival horror IP, which seems to fall in line with Bloober's previous statement on abandoning the psychological horror genre. Cronos takes place after "the change", a cataclysmic event that turned a large part of the world's population into vile monstrosities. We play as a "Traveler", an?? agent looking for time rifts that allow him to go back in time to the '80s. Once there, the Traveler will use his peculiar device, the? "harvester", to extract the essence of key people who died in the Apocalypse, and bring them to the present in some capacity.

I'm not keen on showcases featuring no gameplay, but I must admit I enjoyed the vibes on display. Cronos seems to put players in the shoes of a mysterious enforcer who has to deal with undead-like monstrosities and, apparently, old ladies in a post-apocalyptic Eastern European setting. Only?? one part of what I just mentioned sounds original �and in a weird way �but there's a neat twist. The "Traveler", this guy, or thing we play as, looks way scarier than any of the enemies shown in the trailer. The Traveler looks like a cross between a regular astronaut and the Pyramid Head, which does seem to make a ??lot of sense for Bloober �and I'm all here for it.

Will Cronos continue Bloober's hot streak? St??ay tuned to find out as it releases on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2025.

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No one is more relieved to see that the remake of Silent Hill 2 has been nothing short of a major triumph. Well, I suppose developer Bloober Team could be classed as being somewhat more reassured??, especially now the game has sold an impressive amount already.

Maybe it's not too surprising, but it certainly vindicates any doubts people may have had prior to launch to see that Silent Hill 2 has sold more than a million copies worldwide. According to a post on the game's Japanese X account, it actually exceed??s this figure, and the post itself comes with a "thank-you" message to those who've bought and played it so far.

In fact, these numbers are based on research dating October 11. Not only does this mean that SH2 sold a whopping amount in just a few days (it launched on October 8), but given we're now on ??the 17th, no doubt it's sold even more.

Take that, doubters

Bloober seemed very much up against it, particularly with its past reputation of not exactly treating themes of mental illness with great sensitivity. Now, though, any concerns about whether the studio could handle a reimagining of one of the industry's most influential psychological horror games can surely be put to rest.

Currently, the remake of Silent Hill 2 is sitting pretty on Steam, with a review score of "very positive," complete with some pretty glowing reviews from fans. Our own Zoey had some optimistic things to say about the game in her review, calling it "solid" though with some flaws.

Either way, as one user on Steam said: "SILENT HILL IS BACK BABY!" I'm just sad I have to wait until the Xbox version comes ou?t before? I can join in on all this merriment.

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The remake of Silent Hill 2 launched yesterday and judging from the current review scores on Steam, it's going down a mighty treat. Bloober Team seems to have done the original a great service with its reimagining of the iconic 2001 survival horr?or game. However, it's not perfect.

For example, the developer has ensured that the cutscenes in Silent Hill 2 are locked to 30 frames per second. In this modern era of gaming, this can be something of a bugbear. Fortunately, as noted by DSO Gaming, ??someone has already fixed that. At least on the PC version.

Nexusmods user RoseTheFlower has created "Cutsc?ene Improv??ements," a modification for the remake that unlocks the FPS during the cutscenes on PC. This means they can now be viewed in higher framerates. The mod also removes the "black bars from the cutscenes in anything other than 16:9."

Unlocking Silent Hill's full potential

According to the report from DSO, it does work pretty well, though they've only tried it on a few of the earlier cutscenes, with the writer adding that they "did not spot any framepacing or speed issues." This potentially raises the question of why the developer and/?or publisher made the decision to lock the scenes to just 30fps.

Such a small detail may not be a huge issue for some gamers. However, those who want more bang for their buck are willing to play something that makes the most of their hardware. Bethesda raised similar concerns when it turned out that Starfield would be locked to?? 30fps on a console. A??t least the PC version still has it unlocked.

It seems there may not be any one reason why a modern studio would limit frame rates in this day and age, but it is far from me to speculate Bloober or Konami's rationale. In any case, if you are playing Silent Hill 2 on PC? and you h??ave a system with decent specs, "Cutscene Improvements" seems to be one mod that's worth trying out.

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Today is officially Silent Hill 2 Launch Day. That's not an actual holiday, admittedly, but it is a day that many of us have been waiting for. As we all?? wake up on this Tuesday, Bloober Team's long-awaited remake finall?y hits storefronts.

Praise for the game has already been doing the rounds, and one person in particular seems pleased with what Bloober has given us. As noted by VGC, Masashi Tsuboyama, the director behind the original Silent Hill 2 from 2001,?? had a few things to say about the game, a??s well as remakes in general.

In?? particular, Tsuboyama has lauded the remake for changing the perspective. In a series of posts on X, the director says the "change in playable camera has a significant impact on many aspects," adding that the new "over-the-shoulder view definitely adds to the sense of realism." They also admit they weren't happy with the camera angle in the original game, saying the "depth and angle were limited by the processing load."

Breaking the silence

In general, Tsuboyama seems very pleased with the way Bloober has handled Silent Hill 2, not to me?ntion stressing the value of it as a remake.

I thi??nk the value of the remake is that a new generation can play it. As a creator, I'm very happy about it. It's been 23 years! Even if you don't know the original, you can just enjoy the remake as it is. Whether it's good or bad doesn't affect the original.

A quick look on the game's Steam page shows the reception is already pretty stellar. Okay, it's only just come ou?t, but an immediate review score of "overwhelmingly positive" is not to be sniffed ?at, even in these early stages.

There were obviously a few concerns about whether Bloober Team could successfully bring one of the most important horror games to life in the modern era. I must admit, even I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the wait. The developer has been subjected to criticism in the past for its somewhat insensitive portrayal of certain topics, such as mental health. Given that Silent Hill 2 is larg??ely about some rather deep topics, it stood to reason that the remake might not be able to hit the subtle marks as well as its predecessor.

Plus, what we've seen of the Silent Hill revival up to this point has not exactly been filling a lot of fans and critics with confidence. However, it definitely seems like we're onto a winner here with the SH2 remake. Mas?ashi Tsuboyama and others seem to think so, at least.

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The Silent Hill 2 remake is on the horizon, and I didn't know what to make of it for the longest time. Credit where credit is due, I find the dense amount of mind fog preventing me from gauging my own hype for it to be an aptly positive sign,? but it's Bloober team's latest update that really made me feel like this could be the real deal.

I’ve been following the Silent Hill series ever since Konami included a demo for the original game in the original PAL package of Metal Gear Solid. Was that a more charitable Konami from a nicer time in gaming, or had the company been evil all along and was trying to get 10-year-old me to pee his pants? I don't know, but I'm cool with either option because that demo changed my perception of what games could and should be.

I've always been skeptical of remasters and remakes. The too-polished nature of some remasters might erode the beautiful memories we have of some of our favorite classics' rough edges, a?nd remakes can completely replace them, sometimes by what many deem "soulless" elements. I don't agree with the soulless part.

I'm pretty sure everyone involved with a high-profile remake is certainly putting their heart and soul into it, but that doesn't mean that the new project's soul understands or is connected to the original ones. I was never a fan of Bloober team, and my sentiment didn't change for the better when the company showed gameplay for the Silent Hill 2 remake via a combat trailer. Things didn't need to get worse, but they did when the company announced it was done with psychological horror �while developing the quintessential psychological horror game tha?t it'd chosen to do.

Things only began to look better for me when PlayStation revealed an exploration trailer, which mostly seemed to get the tone and ambiance of a current-gen Silent Hill right.

I also liked the diegetic way in which James interacted with the items and accessed the map, but I wasn't crazy about the way ?in w??hich we'd get a social media-like notification on the left side of the screen that came accompanied by a "BWAM" sound. It felt like Bloober had the right vision, but they also had to pair every right move with a slight step back.

Then Bloober announced the "No User Interface" mode, an option tha??t basically removes all non-diegetic i??nformation the base game shows you on screen. I believe that this mode would, among many other things, fix the missed opportunity at immersion.

The fact that Bloober made the announ?cement with such joy leads me to believe that this is how the studio has always wanted you to play the game. Did Bloober have to tone it? down to avoid the ire of a bigger company? One that wants a game that is more in line with modern releases and not one that would dare to take horror in a more horrifying direction?

No UI helps Silent Hill in more ways than one

Silent Hill works great with fixed camera angles because the original trilogy featured fantastic horror direction. Even though we no longer had the hard-fixed angles of Resident Evil's pre-rendered backgrounds, we were still looking at the game in the way that the developers had wanted us to. It worked masterfully.

It also works in first person, as we saw with P.T. However, the point of view chosen for the remake doens't work as well. It worked with Resident Evil 4, which popularized the over-the-shoulder camera to great effect, but even RE4's biggest fans will tell you that it just isn't as scary as the previous games in the Resident Evil series. It gives us too much control over the camera to set the mood and give players great jump scares. Nath, the developer of '90s revivalist horror title Hollowbody, shows it pretty well in this tweet showing a modded Silent Hill 3 with an over-the-shoulder 3rd pers?on perspective:

There are things you can't help but lose by going with RE4's camera, but the removal of the UI could dramatically help ?with the immersion. It'll make you feel like there are important pieces of information you don't immediately have access to and, thus, things you're not in control of.

I’m of the mind that a remake should make bold moves �sometimes even crazy-sounding ones �like the ones seen with FFVII Remake/Rebirth. Tinkering with the gameplay in a way that would make it even scarier and seemingly less welcoming could do the game a great service. The problem? The awesomeness of these moves might take a while to realize. Silent Hill 2 didn't enjoy the commercial success of the original game, and it took people some time to realize that they were, indeed, experiencing someth??ing far better than even the first ga??me.

Team Silent suffered because of that back in 2001 because Silent Hill 2 cost much more to make and made much less money than the first one, and those were more forgiving times. The Silent Hill 2 remake might have to hit a home run on day one to avoid th??e Internet's vitriol �even if a genuinely spectacular game exists within.

That is not to say that "No UI" should be the only way to play the game. I'm not applying the same Dark Souls purist logic that rejects any idea of an easier difficulty setting �but I think this should be the base way to play the game. I'm saying that right after the brightness settings recommendations, you should see an important figure from the series canon, say, the Shiba Inu from Silent Hill 2's dog ending, recommending you to turn off the UI.

As a person who's often resorted to turning off the UI in horror games, I believe that this will likely be the best way to enjoy Silent Hill 2 by far. It would be a shame if the game fails to capture the hearts of players just because ??they unwittingly decide to engage with the most horrifying game in existence in the safest way?? possible.

The remake will also allow players to toggle a "'90s filter". I immediately thought that sounded cool, but then? I realized that the game already had the most iconic '90s filter of all time: its fog. So what's that about? We'll find out on October 8 when ??the game comes out for the PlayStation 5 and PC.

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The makers of the Silent Hill 2 remake have announced that the game will ?not only ship with a grainy '90s filter, but it also includes an option to dunk the UI completely for that sweet nostalgia factor. Granted, a toggle to drop the UI isn't exactly innovation defined. But it should increase the?? spooky immersion of the horror game.

Bloober revealed the options earlier today on its social media channels. I'll be the first to sa??y that the tiny screens on X/Twitter and Instagram don't really do the footage much justice. But take it from someone who spent the last 40 seconds with their face against the monitor, the filter does give the video an eerie quality. Or maybe that's just the poor encoder? Feel free to make the judgment yourself:

Nodding along to the horror song

Bloober Tea??m wen??t on to explain that the lack of the UI means you'll have to rely on other elements for your survival.

"Without UI, player guidance will naturally be directed by the game’s visuals, sound effects, and James's behavior," Bloober wrote in reply to the video. "He will glance tow??ards important spots and have different a?nimations and facial expressions during wounded states."

Will this all be enough to intrigue wary fans of the original? Possibly. As someone who played the game many years ago, I do feel the remake is on the right path. Others seem to agree, despite prevalent conc??erns over its development.

I won't pretend that there hasn't been a healthy amount of critique surrounding Bloober Team's upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2. Authenticity is important to fans of the horror masterpiece, and the developer is no doubt feeling the pressure. The efforts the tea???m has made to create a remake fans and Bloober can be happy with seem clear, at least as far as aesthetics is concerned.

We'll kno??w for sure if the Polish de??veloper can nail its biggest project yet when the game launches next month.

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There have been quite a few doubts about Bloober Team's ability to remake Silent Hill 2 in a way that keeps the spirit of the original while breathing new life into the legendary horror game. I've been guilty of perpetuating some of this cynicism myself, but there's a chance the game could actually? turn out to be good.

A number of journalists have been treated to a preview of the Silent Hill 2 remake lately, and feedback suggests Bloober might actually have nailed it. With the release date just a few weeks away, early opinions seem t??o be positive.

Eurogamer's Thomas Morgan says they're excited about what the full game will bring, praising the developer for daring to make a few changes. Jasmine Gould-Wilson, over on GamesRadar, said they went into the preview "cautiously," but was "pleasantly surprised," adding that they're "more than ready to give Silent Hill 2 Remake the chance it deserves," while the Metro refers to the game as "far better than w??e expected."

Silent no longer

From just these three opinions, it seems many of us may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Bloober Team has often been criticized for its mishandling of delicate subjects in its games, such as mental health. Given that the original Silent Hill 2 is wholly a psychological game, concerns were raised over whether the same studio that made The Medium could do one of the most influential survival hor?ror games any justi?ce.

Alongside these early indications of its potential, we've also been treated to a new story trailer. The teaser gives us a good look at some of the titular foggy town's inhabitants, including Eddie,? Laura, Angela, and, of course, Maria.

With a modern control scheme not too far removed from the remake of Resident Evil 2, new puzzles, fresh visuals, and, above all, respect for the source material, we could be looking at one hell of a return for Silent Hill 2.

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The long road to the launch of the anticipated Silent Hill 2 remake is coming to an end, as the official release date was finally revealed last week (with the title, probably predictably, set to come out just weeks before ??Hal??loween). But there's a bit of a stink in the air surrounding the game, and it seems like this modern take on one of the most influential horror releases ever is going to have to be pretty much perfect.

In the current era of remakes, remasters, and re-imaginings, it can be easy to feel a little bogged down by an industry that's too eager to tick the nostalgia box rather than deliver something fresh. However, a quick look at games like Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, Final Fantasy 7, and the work Nightdive Studios has been doing on classics like Quake 2 shows there?'s still room for it?? in the market, it seems.

But despite the excitement that should be surrounding Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake, there are a nu??mber of doubts that are putting the whole project under a lot of pres?sure to succeed.

Reigniting the influence

There's an argument to be made about not fixing something that isn't broken. As one of the most influential horror games of all time, remaking it is surely a tall order. Silent Hill �especially the second one �has m??ade its mark on the genre, preserved in the annals of gaming history as a staple of how to create something atmospheric with lashings of delicious psychological torment to go with it. To some, the second installment is the perfect h??orror game.

That's not to say it can't be done. You only have to look at Capcom's remake of Resident Evil 4 to see there's scope for revitalizing older games to give them another go in more modern eras. Much like Silent Hill 2, the original RE4 has been hugely influential, which?? renders a potential remake a dangerous line to tread, but we know it can be done. However, there's one thing that's probably crossed people's minds about it.

What's the connection between these remade franchises: Resident Evil, The Last of Us, and Dead Space? They were all done by the developer who created the original. Maybe not the exact same people, but certainly the studio itself. With Silent Hill 2, it's being made by a different team entirely; one that, although it has a reputation in the horror sphere �as we?ll as being influenced by Team Silent's work �was not even around when the original was released. Placing a remake of a beloved game into the hands of another is an exercise in trust.

What we've seen so far

The Silent Hill Transmission that took place in 2022 had a lot of people excited. Finally, after year??s of speculation and dormancy, Konami's horror series was getting new games, a new film, and more attention than ever before. Would this be the triumphant return many of us had been hoping for?

But the outpouring since then has left much to be desired. The interactive Ascension has not stood as a bastion of achievement in terms of rejuvenating the Silent Hill name. Metacritic is currently showing a user score of 0.8 out ??of 67 reviews, with the likes of IGN giving it just 50 out of 100.

Perhaps less tragic �though still not really noteworthy �was this year's A Short Message. Although it's done better than Ascension, with a Metacritic review score of 53 and a user score of 6.3, it leaves the Silent Hill 2 remake with a lot of slack to pick up. SH2 is not a brand-new entry in the series, but it?'s seemingly going to have to do more than coast on nostalgic reputation alone given what we've seen of the reemergence so far.

Bloober Team's track record

Whatever your thoughts on Bloober Team, the studio has managed to make a name for itself in the horror genre, despite going up against the likes of Naughty Dog, Capcom, and even Frictional Games of Amnesia fame. But this esteem is no??t without its criticism. Bloober has a knack for visual quality and a disturbing aesthetic that has pricked up a few ears, but there are some problematic things about the developer that people can't shake.

This TechRadar article from a couple of years ago laments the studio's inability to represent mental health in any agreeable way. The troubled artist from Layers of Fear, the protagonist in The Medium who was abused as a child; there's a sense that the developer uses these angles as a demonizing tactic, and it's unclear whether Bloober has learned from this. The writer of that article does not appear to be alone in such criticisms.

Given that Silent Hill 2 deals quite heavily with trauma and psychological issues, there's bound to be concern that a remake from the Layers of Fear studio could encounter similar backlash. However, if Bloober is aiming for a faithful recreation of the original, then such issues should not be a problem, right? But therein lies a further question: why remake something like-for-like (only with modern visuals and control schemes) without an injection of new sensibilities, mechanics??, techniques, the developer's own flavor, etc.? Answers on a postcard.

It's not P.T.

We all miss it. We all wonder what the final product would have been like, especially with Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro's names attached. Although it's been ten years since P.T. came and went, it still hangs in the air to some extent, and it's likely the Silent Hill 2 remake will get compared to the canceled p??roject. But? maybe I'm doing Bloober a bit of a disservice.

A game with such recognition and high praise is going to be the subject of scrutiny when it comes to releasing an official remake of it. Taking a beloved franchise and handing the reigns over to a studio that's not without its fair share of detractors is likely going to draw a bit of ire regardless. Everyone's going to be watching Bloober Team on October 8, and I don't think? it's beyond the realms of possibility that some may be scathing by default.

Personally, I think some of the current negativity surrounding the remake is a little unfair, likely down to a frustrated audience that wants to see this new era of Silent Hill succeed. But I think �judging by some of the YouTube comments posted on the video linked above �things are in danger of bordering on nasty, maybe even verbally aggressive, from a fan base that's hun?gry for blood.

Maybe there's some legitimate criticism of what we've seen in trailers and teasers so far. This article dives a little deeper into some of the design choices of the remake, with particular reference to how changing the clothes of Maria detracts from her significance as a duplicitous femme fatale who reminds James of his dead wife. How much of this is simply the ??wailing sound of "dudebros" upset that a female character has been modernized to look less sexual, as opposed to this new look missing the point of the original's intent, is not clear.

At any rate, Bloober is under a lot of pressure to make sure Silent Hill 2 is pure and flawless; not one iota less. If it strays too far from the original, it'll displease the older fans. Similarly, if it's a 100% retelling of the 2001 release, it'll feel a little pointless (see also: the 1998 shot-for-shot remake of Psycho). If it doesn't straddle the line between freshness and nostalgia, but with a fair representation of the game's themes, the backlash could be brutal. ?Honestly, it feels lose-??lose at this point.

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Like a lot of other horror fans, I'm holding out that Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2?? won't be a major letdown. While we wait to find that out, however, we can treat ourselves to the new "combat trailer" shown at the most recent State of Play.

There are no prizes for guessing what the footage shows. While we get some of the cinematic goodness of the new Silent Hill 2, we also get to see James Sunderland and his guns making friends with?? enemies. Ha ha! Their heads ago a-splatter!

But in all seriousness, it seems the remake is doing a revamp of the combat to make it more modern. It makes sense. The original SH2 �as ma?gnificent as it was �wouldn't work in this era with its rather outdated control sch??eme.

New Silent Hill when?

?Of course, the question ??on everyone's lips is: when's it coming out? Well, we don't know that I'm afraid. The trailer doesn't give a release date or even a release window. We can "wishlist now" and it's being made exclusively for PS5.

On a personal note, I'm slightly bitter that it's only coming to PlayStation. Sure, I could get it for PC, but there's no wa?y on this �or any other �planet my laptop would be able to run it (my laptop says hi, by the way).

From what we've seen, it looks like Bloober's take on what is considered a masterpiece has potential. Unle??ss the studio deviates massively from everything that made the original so iconic, it's going to take a lot to really fumble an up-to-date reimagining of this horror classic.

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A lot of people have been quite keen to know when they can get their hands on the remake of Silent Hill 2. So much so that developer Bloober Team urged for a bit more patience, and we still have no idea when it's releasi??ng. But we're getting closer.

In a recent video on the PlayStation YouTube channel, we're treated to a brief teaser showing what we can expect to launch this year on Sony's system. Among other things (something called "Tek-en," not sure if you've heard of it), we're now told that Silent Hill 2 will be available this year.

Of course, we could probably have ascertained that 2024 was likely the re??lease window. But it's comforting to see?? PlayStation officially acknowledge this. However, we don't have an actual date yet, so that's surely the next port of call.

We must be nearly there, then

Many of us had been ho??ping to see the remake by the end of 2023 at the latest. For some time, it's been suggested that Bloober was just putting the finishing touches to the game, and this teaser sort of confirms that the team must be at the final hurdle now.

After the disappointment that was the interactive experience Silent Hill: Ascension, the legendary series could do with ?a win. Konami's horror franchise has been dormant for far too long, some might say. Me. I would say that.

However, there's a lot to live up to. Bloober Team has its critics, and bringing back Silent Hill 2 �with the original being largely considered one of the most influential horror games of all ti?me �is a tall order, indeed.

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Rumors and speculations have led many to believe that the release of the Silent Hill 2 remake is imminent??. However, we're all still dreaming, and developer Bloober Team is asking that people chill out for a little bit longer.

In a statement posted to the studio's Twitter, Bloober has said it's "diligently working to ensure the Silent Hill 2 remake attains the highest quality." Work is also said to be "progressing smoothly," and the?? team understands that fans are waiting patiently for any updates.

However, in the meanti??me, the developer is kindly asking for "a bit more patience" from the fan base. The statement ends by assuring people ??that as and when publisher Konami does share information, the "wait will be worthwhile."

Commence thumb-twiddling

Understandably, fans are keen to know what's happening with the much-anticipated remake. Silent Hill 2 is generally regarded as one of the most influential survival horror games of all time. Of course, with that? comes a small amount of uncertainty and maybe a? little pessimism.

Despite their visual quality, Bloober Team games have been criticized in the past. Most notably, 2021's The Medium drew notes of disapproval for its depictions of mental health. T?hat's not to say the game wasn't good, but some felt its representation of mental issues was lacking somewhat.

As a result, a few may be a little wary about how Bloober will handle Silent Hill 2, particularly in terms of its psychological themes. In any case, the studio is going to have ??to put a lot of?? effort in to keep new and old fans happy.

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It's been more than a hot minute since we've had a Silent Hill game. Last year's announcement that the series was making a return caused joy (and a bit of relief) in many fans' hearts. As well as brand-new interactive series, we're also getting a remake of Silent Hill 2, and some update??s on Steam suggest we may hear more about this project soon.

If you head over to SteamDB �a third-party website that chronicles all things related to the Steam client �you can see that Silent Hill 2 has been quietly (dare I say...silently?) updated recently.

On October 6, Brazilian and Ukrainian subtitles were adde??d??, while Portuguese language support was removed, for whatever reason. Perhaps the most interesting thing to note, however, is the change ID above that says Steam achievements have now been added.

What does this mean in terms of a release date?

Naturally, many people (myself included) may conclude that news about the remak??e is imminent. Obviously, there's nothing officially saying this, but these recent updates suggest we migh??t hear something soon.

We still have no idea when Silent Hill 2 will release, though a website did leak a potential date a few months back. Of course, th??e listed date was "September 29, 2023," which obviously did not pan out. Still, it's interesting?? to see activity on the Steam page only a week and a half after that date.

On top of that, it was recently revealed that Silent Hill: Ascension would begin on October 31. Ascension is the interactive SH experience th??at viewers can influence in ?real-time. We know few details about this one, so we'll learn more when it launches on Halloween night.

Will this (and the upcoming other entries) be the almighty comeback for Silent Hill many of us are hoping for? Only time will tell.

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Bloober 3.0 will move towards mass-market horror games

Bloober Team has worked on a few different psychological horror titles, like Layers of Fear, The Medium, and the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake. But now the studio has anno??unced they're moving in a somewhat different direction.

In a new Endgadget interview, Bloober's co-founder Piotr Babieno stated that 2023 is the end of Bloober's foray into ?psychological horror.

"This year is like closing the era of making psychological horror games," Babieno said. “Right now we are going into Bloober Team 3.0, making mass-market horror.�/p>

According to Engadget's piece, Bl??oober will rely on "action" and "player input", which Bloober hopes will expa??nd its audience.

"We focused on the story, we focused on the mood, we focused on the quality of? graphics and music, but we didn’t put a lot of attention on the gameplay mechanics," Babieno said. "It wasn’t our target. But we decided that there was a ceili?ng that we couldn’t break if we did not deliver something fresh, something new."

Return to Silent Hill

Babieno says that Silent Hill 2 remake will lead the charge of Bloober 3.0. Which seems like a questionable decision, considering that's the quintessential psychological horror game. If your team still doesn't have much experience in action, and has some issues with horror storytelling, why not just do a faithful remake of Silent Hill 2? All the groundwo??rk is already laid out in front o?f you!

I get that it's a big change, but there are some things we need to accept. The combat in the original Silent Hill 2 could feel a?? bit dated by now. The implementation of dodging mechanics might actually do it some favors. Now we just sit and hope Bloober manages to find the balance between adding dodging and James Sunderland RKO'ing Pyramid Head.

The newest game in the Layers of Fear series, the one that marks the ending of Bloober 2.0, came out just a few days ago. You can see our thoughts on it here. The Silent Hill 2 remake is a timed PS5 exclusive, but it still doesn't have an official release date.

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But don't mark your calendars just yet

No doubt, plenty of you horror fans have been anticipating Bloober Team's upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2. Some of you will be excited, while some of you may be holding back judgment. In any case, it's on a lot of people's lips, and the game may have its release date already.

As spotted by Twitter user ResiEvilCentral, Australian website Gaming Gorilla has made Silent Hill 2 available for pre-order, at a cost of $89 AUS (about $60 US). However, the most interesting part about this listing is that it says the "expected release date"? for the remake down as September 29, 2023.

Now, given that neither Konami nor the developer has said when it's likely to launch, where Gaming Gorilla got this information is definitely interesting. Last we heard, Bloober Team denied SH2 was ready for release. The fact that both Steam and the PlayStation Store also do not list a release date means this could well have been? in err?or.

//twitter.com/resievilcentral/status/16683114?47212785692

Either that or someone somewhere has access to information the rest of aren't privy to. As of this moment, there is no official release date for the game, so it's entirely likely that this is just a rumor or someone has made a mistake. At the time of writing, the "leaked" release date is still on? the retailer's website. However, it's best not to get your hopes up until the studio/publisher either confirm or deny these latest developments.

Silent Hill enjoys a pretty solid legacy, though it's been lying dormant for too long. The ?second installment, released in 2001, has gone down as one of the most important survival hor??ror games of all time. Given this, it's not surprising that so many are looking forward to the remake. Whether Bloober Team can pull it off remains to be seen at this stage.

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Horror Almost Unreal (5)

Bloober Team has revealed the launch date for its long-in-development release, Layers of Fear �The highly te??chnical psychological horror title will launch on PC and Gen9 platforms on June 15, with a time-limited demo available to play on PC ??from now until May 22.

Built in Unreal 5 for MAXIMUM TERROR, Layers of Fear is a remade compendium of both Layers of Fear (2016) and Layers of Fear 2 (2019), along with all previously released DLC and a brand new concluding chapter, titled The Writer. Developer Anshar Studios is hoping that the incredible technical acumen of Unreal 5 will allow for a truly immersive and unsettling experience, as players pick their way through a shifting environment �trapped, lost, and at??tacked by no less than the twisted mind of the self.

"We are thrilled to announce the release date for Layers of Fear and to bring this definitive horror experience to players," writes Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno. "With the power of Unreal? Engine 5, we’ve been able to create a game that visually surpasses our previous works, delivering an unforgettable journey into the minds of tormented artists. We are excited for both new and returning p?layers to jump in."

Bloober Team also released?? the PC requirements, which you can check out above.

The demo will give fans an opportunity to check that their rig is up to handling the high visual standards of this new edition, which utilizes 4K resolution, HDR, and Ray-Tracing, while also enhancing its lighting, reflection, and particle techniques with some of the most modern graphics tools available. Dedicated Layers of Fear fans will be able to enjoy new mechanics and twists on the original gameplay, while newcomers can experience the entire story of both titles and their ??DLC expansions seamlessly branched together.

It's too scary for me, is what I'm basically?? saying.

Layers of Fear launches June 15 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

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Lost in translation

After word got around about Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2, the studio has released a statement clarifying certain details about the game's fo??reca??st and readiness.

In the statement, Bloober says it doesn't comment on rumors, but felt the need to clarify rec?ent statements that were "taken out of context, due to inaccurate trans?lations."

This arrives after an interview with Bankier.pl was circled online, in statements that appear to have been mistranslated. Bloober says the company's messages did not contain sales forecasts of specific titles, and that figure connected to Silent Hill 2 refer to the "pot?ential success" of the type of games it will be focusing on in the future.

Additionally, Bloober clarifies the current state of the Silent Hill 2 remake's development:

"It is also not true that we have announced that Silent Hill 2 is ready for release. Regardless of the development stage, all of our activities are focused on obtaining the highest quality for the finished product—the quality that fans of Silent Hill 2 deserve. We are aware that players are waiting for more information about Silent Hill 2. As soon as such information becomes available, we are sure that Konami, the publisher for the game, will sha?re it with f??ans."

Previously, tr?anslations had alleged the game was? "technically ready", but that looks to not be the case.

Back to Silent Hill

The Silent Hill 2 remake was revealed as part of Konami's special Silent Hill broadcast last year, laying out a number of new releases for the series all at once. Bloober, known for its work on other horror games like The Medium and Layers of Fear, is taking up the task of remaking o?ne of horror gaming's most belove??d entries.

So there's a bit of pressure, is what I'm saying. I'm curious to see whether a new version of Silent Hill 2 can capture the same magic, considering how poorly received the HD Collection was. At the very least, Bloober has reaffirmed that it's aiming for a "faithful" adaptation.

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Developer looks to 'safely' modernize 2001 horror classic

When it was finally revealed that the horror-lovin' developer Bloober Team would be producing a remake of Konami's Silent Hill 2, there were some grumblings from the peanut gallery, with some fans feeling that the Layers of Fear and The Medium developer might not be up to the task in handling the belov??ed 2001 relea??se

Perhaps sensing said concern, (or simply after reading all of the complaints on social media), Bloober Team has noted its intention to present a faithful and authentic ada??ptation of the survival horror classic, one which will capture the spirit and heavy atmosphere of the original title while moderni?zing some of its more dated elements.

"We are focusing on bringing the distinct, visceral atmosphere back in the modernized Silent Hill 2. Longtime fans shouldn’t worry about us 'missing the point' while we’re livening up the title." said marketing chief Anna Jasińska in an interview with DreadXP. "We ??will faithfully stick to the traditional story canon while remaking the gameplay and updating the g?raphics from the ground up."

//www.y??outube.com/watch?v=8qPd??InnvMzg&ab_channel=Konami

Anna cites specific examples that will be tweaked in the remake inclu?de the use of the in-game camera, as well as the combat mechanics. Jasińska describes the team as taking a "very safe approach" to any of the proposed in-game changes, but is committed to ensuring that the remake will present a modern and contemporary edition of the now 20-year-old PS2 title.

If I may play Devil's Advocate, Marge, I'm willing to give Bloober Team the benefit of the doubt. I think that Layers of Fear, The Medium, and Observer offered creepy atmosphere, psychological horror, and suitably unnerving visuals, and the Polish developer has shown growth with each co?nsecutive release. While tampering with a stone??-cold classic is packed with untold risk, those are, unfortunately, the breaks that come with getting a remake at all. There is definitely a mighty, thankless task ahead.

We'll see whether Bloober Team is able to prove all of its doubters wrong when Silent Hill 2 remake finally emerges from the fog. In the meantime, check out the full interview over on DreadXP.

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The remake will be a timed PS5 console exclusive

Today's Silent Hill Transmission showcase started out with some big news. Silent Hill 2 is being remade by hor??ror game studio B?loober Team.

The remake is being made for PlayStation 5 and PC, and will be a timed console exclusi??ve for PlayStation for 12 months, according to today's trailer.

In the trailer, you can see many scenes from the original game, remade by Bloober in collaboration?????????????????????????? with Konami.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qPdInnvMzg

Bloober is working with ori??ginal creature designer Masahiro Ito and composer Akira Yamaoka on the project.

What's old, what's new

While it's retaining a similar vibe and working with the original creators, Bloober is also trying to make a strong impression, the sa?me as the original had on PS2.

"While we want to achieve the same end result, players expectations evolve over time, and certain things need to be modernized to have the same or similar ef??fect," said creative director and lead designer Mateusz Lenart.

One change Bloober highlights is moving ??the camera to over-the-shoulder. The team is also doing some new motion capture, as shown in today's showcase.

Konami and Bloober haven't locked a release date or window yet for the Silent Hill 2 remake.

You can find the rest of today's Silent Hill Transmission stream here.

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"Insanity runs in our family"

After Blair Witch and The Medium, Bloober Team is returning to the world of Layers of Fear with a "psychedelic" horror game, Layers of Fears, that's being developed in Unreal Engine 5 alongside? Anshar Studios. A trailer debuted at Summer Game Fest 2022 with familiar characters and scenes from the wider series, albeit looking better than e?ver.

//youtu.be/AwEXJ3T1EJM

It really feels like history is repeating itself, both in terms of the tortured artist storyline and the gameplay of Layers of Fear 1 and 2 (and Inheritance, the game with the painter's daughter, which is easily forgotten about and will likely end up feeling the freshest here). We've seen tons of remasters and even full-on remakes in recent years, but this is blurring the lines in a way that I wasn't expecting after Bloober Team's recent teases.

"Layers of Fears will be the complete, definitive, and at the same time unpredictable way to discover the stories of artists enslaved by their obsessions," according to Bloober Team. "Prepare for an exquisite horror experience thanks to the expanded plot lines that will cast a new light on the overarching narrative." You can see some screenshots on Steam.

The developers say they're "focused on te??nse exploration and immersive storytelling," though that's going to be a hard sell for some people based on the series so far.

I personally have had my fun with Layers of Fear (and to a lesser extent its direct sequel), so I'm curious if Layers of Fears will end up feeling fresh enough, conceptually, to justify itself. The visual fidelity is clearly a step up from? the original games, but that can only take me so far. In general, this spooky (?) series has a lot of fans �and a lot of haters.

Layers of Fears is heading to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through?? Steam and the Epic Games Store.

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Jigsaw not quite falling into place

Bloober Team almost ended up tackling a very different horror franchise than Blair Witch. In a new interview, Bloober CEO Piotr Babieno says the studio was offered the chance to take on several horror IPs including Saw, but passed on them for Blair Witch.

Speaking to IGN during the Digital Dragons games conference in Poland, Babieno described how the Blair Witch deal came to be. Bloober was in talks with multiple major movie studios??, but passed on offers. Then came Lionsgate.

Lionsgate expressed admiration for Layers of Fear and Observer. The s??tudio offered a list of horror IPs and, according to Babieno, offered Bloober its choice of one.

"We could [have chosen] Saw, which is more popular than Blair Witch, but we decided to take Blair Witch because the universe has many opportunities to bu??????????????????????????ild something new," said Babieno. "Th??at was the reason why we chose this project."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhaDPDf-xsM

He goes on to say that being offered these licenses wasn't a one-off, and the studio has received more offers since Blair Witch. Bloober Te?am turned them down though, du??e to other projects in the pipeline.

"Unfortunately, for almost one year, we have [had to say] 'pass' to almost everything, because we don't have capacity to do any m??ore titles at one time," said Babieno.

Time to play a game

It's an interesting game of what-if to play, imagining Bloober's version of a Saw video game. The team went on to tackle Blair Witch instead though, a?nd has seemingly kept busy since.

Currently, Bloober is working with Konami, though the product of that partnership hasn't been announced. That hasn't stopped the studio from being the subject of Silent Hill speculation, though.

The team is also working on another project with Take-Two publishing arm Private Division, and another that Babieno tease????s is in pre-production.

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Meeting of the mind-rippers

Here's an interesting date night. The horror aficionados at Bloober Team will be partnering with the colorful creators of Rogue Games in order to design and develop a mystery new title for PC and next-generation console platforms. As announced in a press statement, the two studios have already begun work on the "crazy, cool concept," the detai?ls of which remain tightly under wraps for now.

"We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with Rogue on this incredible project," said Bloober Team C?EO Piotr Babieno of the partnership. "We pride ourselves on making games that push the boundaries of originality and immersion, and we’re delighted to be working alongside a company that shares our vision."

"We’ve admired Bloober’s dark and gorgeous games for years, so we knew right away they were the? only team to do this crazy cool concept justice," adds Rogue Games CEO Matt Casamassina "Today’s not the day �unforgettable, original, kickass games take time and care to make �but we can’t wait to fully announce details on this project at a later date."

The intrigue here comes from the fact that both Rogue Games and Bloober Team are typical "outside-of-the-box" thinkers when it comes to story, narrative, and concepts �both teams being drawn to the macabre, the silly, the terrifying, and the fantastical. Poland-based Bloober Team is renowned for its gallery of horror titles including Observer, Layers of Fear, and the technically fascinating 2020 release The Medium, while Rogue Games' releases are just a tad less horrifyi??ng, but still often adhere to the strange and surreal side of storytelling.

With this creative alliance powered by ne??xt-gen tech, it will be interesting to see what comes down the pipe.

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Whether it's Layers of Fear 3, a remake, or something else remains to be seen

Bloober Team is playing around in the twisted world of Layers of Fear again following its dual-reality psychological horror game The Medium. In a new Unreal Engine 5 tea??ser, we're shown an uneasy p??ainter swirling around some pretty paint while voices fill his head.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA9s3_yW1cI

This looks and sounds like the "insane painter" protagonist from Layers of Fear, and there's also a nod to Layers of Fear 2 with that admission ticket on the table �for those of you who skipped it, the game took place on a ship. Tony Todd even (Candyman) narrated!

"I'm really glad we're coming back to this world, wiser and more experienced," Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babiebo told IGN. "For me, it’s important that we make this announcement during the Tokyo Games Show, as for many of us Japan is the cradle of psychological horror games. As a studio, we also have two other projects in the works, one in production and one in pre-production."

We heard a similar comment just a few months ago, in relation to Silent Hill speculation. I'm waiting for that saga to come to a definitive conclusion either way, but for now, more Layers of Fear make??s sense. These games aren't always crowd favorites, but the??y sell.

With the way this teaser is being framed, I could envision the game being a remake �the tech looks so much better �or a numbered sequel. I'd ??be down for either route.

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The Medium going Large on PS5

PlayStation fans can get a double-dose of psychological horror today, as Koch Media's strange and ethereal nightmare The Medium is now available to purchase on PS5, follow??ing on from its January release on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgvKa6CaG4E

The third-person thriller tells the twisted tale of young hero Marianne, a spirit medium who finds herself pulled into the aftermath of a horrible cold-case murder that plagues her dreams. Utilizing next-gen technology, The Medium?? features a unique, plane-shifting narrative that sees Marianne pulled back and forth through both reality and the spirit r??ealm, while gathering evidence, solving puzzles, and uncovering the truth behind her terrifying and mysterious visions.

Very ambitious in scope and helmed by the horror aficionados at Bloober Team, The Medium is heralded for its creepy �if not quite "frightening" �nature and its strange and unique double-sided universe. Though it features an interesting backdrop and solid characters, players found the adventure to be a little low-key, lacking in stakes and tension, and more of a psychological experience, rather than an antagonistic, challenging adventure. As long as you aren't expecting a Resident Evil, or a Silent Hill, there is still much to enjoy in The Medium's bleak and unsettling world.

The Medium launches today on PS5, and is already available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our own Jordan Devore's review of the PC edition right here.

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The horror studio clarifies the history behind some uncovered filings

Since Konami announced its strategic partnership with horror game stu??dio Bloober Team, fans have been speculating what that could mean for a ce?rtain slumbering series. Today, though, the studio is denying speculation around several uncovered concepts.

Filings discovered on the EU's Creative Europe website, which has details on video game projects that have applied for EU funding, included three Bloober Team projects under code names. "H2O" is what appears to be Layers of Fear 2, while "Black" is a first-person game that blends the Middle Ages and "alien species," and "Dum Spiro" is a game set in a World War II-era ghetto.

While fans speculated the latter two could be settings or concepts for a new Silent Hill game, IGN spoke to Bloober Team CMO Tomasz Gawlikowski and discovered that neither of these games are in active development. He confirmed that "H2O" did result in 2019's Layers of Fear 2. "Dum Spiro" is no longer in active development and "Black" has been shelved, with Galikowski saying that "while we're still developing a game under this codename, it's now a much different project than what you could read on the w??eb in the past? few days."

Galikowski didn't talk about Silent Hill or what it's working ?on with Konami, but did confirm?? that they have several projects in the works.

"At Bloober Team we have two active internal projects, one in the production phase and one in the pre-production phase," Galikowski told IGN. "Both are going to be bigger in scope than The Medium, however, neither of them is based on themes or premises that have been circul?ating online in the last few days.??"

Silent Hill fans have been speculating over potential partnerships and rumors of a revival for some time now. It's not really a surprise that horror aficionados are eager to know why, exactly, Konami would partner with a well-known horror studio. That said?, neither of these concepts are it just yet, so a little patience is probably for the best.

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Horror studio to work on 'existing and new IPs'

Konami has officially announced that it has entered into a working relationship with Bloober Team. The "strategic co-operation agreement" will see publisher and developer work together on a series of upcoming new titles, adding further weight to the ongoing rumor that Bloober Team is in line to resurrect the Silent Hill franchise.

"It is a historic day for me and the culmination of several years of our work," said B??loober CEO Piotr Babieno in a joint press release. "The fact that such a renowned company as Konami has decided to strategically cooperate with the Bloober Team means that w??e also joined the world leaders in gaming and became an equal partner for the leading players in this market."

Konami also noted its excitement. "In the digital entertainment industry, significant changes in the business environment are expected in the future," said company president Hideki Hayakawa. "We look forward to combining Bloober ??Team’s and our respective characteristics and strengths to create high-quality contents." Bloober is expected to work alongside Konami on various releases from new and established IPs.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MblQtLXL1to

It has been full steam ahead for Bloober Team in recent years, with the studio carving out a niche for itself within the horror genre. Having beavered away on the indie scene since the mid-'00s, Bloober came into its own with creepy Layers of Fear titles, which would lead to the 2019 development of Blair Witch for Lionsgate Games and the studio's biggest and most ambitious release to date, The Medium, which launched ??on PC and Xbox Series X back in January.

This new partnership with Konami, (which for full clarification is not a merger, nor an acquisition), should allow Bloober Team to retain its independence and identity while offering it new avenues with which to create its nightmarish adventures on the main?? stage.

While Silent Hill has remained frustratingly dormant for many moons, Konami's partnership with Bloober offers the best opportunity yet for the respected survival horror series to make a comeback. Given Bloober's love of psychological horror, it would be ridiculous for Konami to squander the opportunity... again.

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It might go without saying at this point, but The Medium will have "full DualSense support"

The launch-window slate of games for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 feels like a total blur to me at this point, but I know I played a whole lot of Demon's Souls, and I managed to sneak in The Medium, too. The latter game was an Xbox Series X/S and PC exclusive when it dropped in January, but later this year, it'll jump to PS5. You in? Maybe hold that thou??ght.

The PS5 version of The Medium launches on September 3 for $50. There will be a digital and physical release (with ?an assist from Koch Media), and a physical Xbox Series X/S edition will be out the same day. This trailer is pretty respectful of spoilers, so watch away.

//youtu.be/9yHMfjBtDnk

My r??eview for Destructoid didn't make it into the buzzing accolades montage, but uh, I gave the game a six out of ten. Not surprised! A choice quote: "I wanted a whole lot more from the split-reality premise, though. I wanted higher stakes. Tension. If this game felt threatening, I'd have a very different outlook. As is, I think it's decent."

In other words, I really didn't find The Medium to be scary, at all �but it still spoke to me on a basic level as an adventure game with some cool fixed camera angles and a somewhat interesting world that will likely be better capitalized on in a potential sequel. Even if you love to see it, Akira Yamaoka's involvement could only go so far.

While I feel like this is a bigger and better step for Bloober Team, which is otherwise known for the Layers of Fear series, there's room for improv?ement. I'd recommend checking o??ut the critical reviews and folks' Game Pass assessments from January beforehand. Know exactly what you're getting into, and you may dig it.

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Bloober Team's The Medium is going Large on PS5

There's whispers in the wind that Bloober Team's psychological horror title The Medium is getting set to make its grand debut on PlayStation 5 soon. The Medium PS5 port just received a brand new rating, posted by ??the gaming industry's own future-seers, The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

The Medium, the tale of a young woman beset by voices that push her into frightening, unknown realms, originally launched on PC and Xbox Series X back in January and was - at that time - an exclusive. Clearly, the crystal balls are no longer reflecting this, as it seems that Marianne's creepy journey into the spirit realm will lead her onto Sony's new hardware. The ESRB afforded The Medium an "M" rati?ng, warning players that "The words ??“f**k�and “sh*t�are heard in the game."

Outrageous.

While Bloober Team has not confirmed a release date for the PS5 port, we will be sure to keep you informed when this inevitable news is forthcoming. The M.O. of most recent exclusivity deals has been one year, but that's not necessarily in the cards. The Medium is available now on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass. You can check out our own Jordan Devore's review of the reality-bending mystery title right here.

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Candyman himself offers you an invitation to terror

The horror aficionados at Bloober Team are at it again, having announced a release date for the Switch port of spooky sequel Layers of Fear 2. The nightmarish first-person adventure will arrive on the Nintend??o platform on May 20, following on from i?ts 2019 release on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

A new trailer, narrated by genre veteran Tony Todd, (Candyman, Night of the Living Dead, Final Destination), offers a glimpse at the sinister atmosphere that awaits players, as they step into a miserable and murky movie set aboard an abandoned ocean liner. Much like the Twitch-friendly original, Layers of Fear 2 puts an?? emphasis on exploration, with a persistent sense of dread and the occasional wel??l-timed shock to keep players on their toes.

While the Layers of Fear titles are favorites of the streaming community, the sequel seems a little more divisive among fans. Some players praise the technological advancements over the original, as well as its oppressive atmosphere and mood, while others think it plays its jump-scare card a little often, and lacks the well-balanced pacing of the original. Either way, Layers of Fear 2 might be worth a look for fans of horror-adventure title. Just be sure to tether your Switch to your wrist, lest you end up dropping it out of fright &md??ash; an occupational hazard for horror-loving Switch owners I'm sure.

Layers of Fear 2 launches on Ninten?do Switch May 20. Pre-ordering the title will earn?? a 10% discount.

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