Maria is so complicated when you think about her. Even before the loop theory, she was born from a wish and infused with life just to die for James. Its even more sad bc she is made of parts of Mary and she does genuinely feel for him naturally while at the same time he treats her like a real person. Say that Maria doesnt realize shes from the town, then every step she takes is written into her mind without knowing why or how she came to "be" here. In the original Born from a wish scenario, once it became clear that she wasnt a true person, Maria pondered killing herself but decided to leave the gun behind. So can we blame her for lying to James now, further into these loops? Her part is half the pleasure of being alive and half being torn apart in bloody displays to the tune of James guilt. When he meets her, she knows it will start out all the same, but maybe *this* time they'll decide on a different course of action. Sometimes James sleeps with her, when hes given more to the urges of giving up on Mary and being insane, sometimes James will see her as a stranger who is barely there, but even when suspecting her, he makes her human.
@@sylas3265 bravo 👏 👏 👏 😁, this is such an amazing comment, I’m going to pin it to the top. I think everyone should read this. I always had Angela as the “tragedy” of Silent Hill 2. But when you delve deep enough into each character, there’s a strong case for each one. I actually felt emotional to a fictional character reading your comment, thank you ❤️
@Neco42 oh? Aha don't worry about it! It's part of the idea of Maria as whole bc unlike humans and the nature vs nurture debate, she arguably never had a say in the matter of what she did. I find it very tragic and I think about it every time I play sh2 even the remaster HD collection hahaha.
Just like the original. Brilliant isn’t it. This story is just so fuckin’ good I will never get tired of it. I am however, extremely curious what comes next for the series. I don’t think Silent Hill townfall will be a 3rd person game like this one was, but Silent Hill f should be I think. Whatever happens, the series has some hope injected into it now and I’m pumped
@Neco42 I feel the same way. I was skeptical really when I even heard about the Remake . Why the hell start with part 2 when you come back from the dead and revive the series? But it was so much more than that with the Loop Theory, which I absolutely believe is Canon as well. I don't know much about Silent Hill F as of late, but I'm absolutely going to get it. My friends and I agree that we are hoping the original Silent Hill gets the remake treatment. The loop theory wouldn't work for that game, but I would love to see it redone to bring it up to the standards of today's graphical capabilities. Also, I wouldn't mind seeing Silent Hill 3 get redone as well. I'm sure we all can agree that it's freaking fantastic that Silent Hill is finally back from the dead!
absolutely love your deep dive analysis on this game. I love how you go super slowly and make sure you get every detail and point out stuff we have missed, especially the stuff we might not have context for. I can't wait for the next one. It instantly makes my day when I see an update to this series. Thanks again!
It took about a month give or take. This is the last video I’m doing of this caliber until 2025. I’m sure some reactions to whatever might be at the game awards I’ll cover but episode 3 won’t begin until the new year. It’s Christmas! 🎄 😁
@@Ata-kl3qs hey! Sorry for the delay, I took a short break from working on TH-cam stuff for the festive holidays. I still need a bit more time to work on it 😖😂it’ll be out this month though
I have been waiting eagerly for this next episode. Discovered you after I finished my first SH2 playthrough and wanted more lore. Love this series, and it earned a sub from me.
I think you don't have to be on NG+ to see the torn wallpaper in motel room 106 - I'm pretty sure I saw it when revisiting the motel post-Brookhaven on my way to the Historical Society.
I don’t understand this criticism, if you enjoy the game and it’s atmosphere, why does anyone care how long the game is? It’s like disliking a movie you’re really into because it’s 3 hours long. You’re enjoying it, who cares?
this series is incredible. i was very reluctant about this remake, but the loop theory and you showing off bloober's attention to small details really changed my mind. i still need to play it for myself, but you've done a great job in turning my opinion. the loop theory really changes everything for me. now i can accept the changes in dialogue and environment. james seems incredibly exhausted after being punished for 20+ years. i can sense he's trying hard to finally make peace with everyone else, but part of him remembers that it's not possible. and i can understand that the town would transform itself after countless loops through the years. also i completely understand that bit about silent hill being your happy place. through my nostalgia, the town changed from a place of horror to a place of serenity. the town itself is quite beautiful, and the foggy atmosphere makes me feel secure like a blanket. i love to boot up the old game and just wander around. my favorite vrchat world is the map of the town that one guy ported into the game. it's so nice to wander around in first person, getting a more personal perspective on the town
Thanks for sharing the third episode! I'll watch it tonight. I was just watching the previous one last night and wondering when you’d upload the next one. I’m a first-timer with SH2, and so far (I’ve just reached the hospital), the loop theory makes sense. To me, Silent Hill feels like a sort of purgatory-a temporary punishment.
@@mssntt glad you’re enjoying the series! I’m really pleased so many people are discovering the game and this incredible story, It’s timeless. There are so many subtle things in this remake that the community are busy working through decoding it. Very exciting stuff and the future looks bright for Silent Hill finally 🥹
The theme music when you meet Maria and in Heavens Night for the first time is so fitting for this scene. Sexy bass, emotional strings, and a vague feeling of confusion and disorientation. Outstanding ❤️
Man, this is easily the best analysis and walkthrough of the Silent Hill 2 remake out there. Not to mention the soothing vocals on you, mate! I'm so down for more of this! Amazing job! 🙌❤
Thank you so much 😌🙏🏻we have at least two more episodes to go. I’ll probably do it in three though as this one was making my editor lag like crazy being so long 🤣😅
Excellent video, , at first I thought it was going to be one to fall asleep to -and I did- but as soon as I came back home from work, I I watched it all the way to the end. I hope to see more! Happy holidays and thanks for your amazing content!
Really appreciate that mate thank you! Glad you liked it enough to watch it all the way through 💪🏻 true homie spirit that is. Happy holidays to yourself and I’ll see you for part 4 😌🤙🏻
Your content is truly amazing! I really appreciate your attention to detail and your sense of humor! I immediately subscribed and cannot wait to see more content. Keep up the AMAZING work!
In SH2 original there was a promo video and you saw Eddie and Laura sitting next to a white van where you first seen James car at the start , unsure if that's cannon though
I think in the novel of silent hill 2, they said that Eddie brought Laura into silent hill in that white van. In the remake there are fast food wrappers around that van at the start of the game on the lookout. Insinuating that it is in fact Eddie’s van.
I believe you can only find it in the Otherworld after leaving the hospital, first playthrough or not! I didn't find it during my first playthrough because I didn't go back to the motel after the hopsital, but my partner found it on their first ever playthrough because they went back to the motel before going to the historical society. Such a neat little easter egg 👏🏻
I had this playing in the background while getting ready for an 8hr shift and the artificial padding song was stuck in my head the entire time i was at work. 💀
Haha oh you are SO welcome! 😂🤣During the making of this video I was going around the house singing it and it was really pissing Anna off 😂 definitely an ear worm. Hope you liked the rest of the vid though! 💪🏻😌
To add, the shot of Eddie being ashamed, wiping the ice cream on his shirt and putting the tub down is one of my favourite additions to the remake. So tiny and gentle, but gives Eddie a huge personality boost.
Brookhaven at dusk is my favorite place in the game. There's just a gentle oddness about the quiet, empty halls with the fading light shining through them
Completely agree. I don’t think they could find a better guy for the job. 😌 he’s got a bright future in the gaming space if he chooses to go that route.
Awesome to see that view count going up, I watched your videos before silent hill 2 was even announced i believe, or right when it was announced, I always enjoyed your channel good to see it thrive even after the release, your lore videos are excellent
Ah man that’s awesome to hear! Yeah I’m really pleased with how well these lore videos have been going. It’s much more fun to make content where I’m genuinely happy with the game. There’s also so much that Bloober Team crammed in here to talk about too. Thanks for sticking by the channel mate, merry Christmas 🎄
@Neco42 merry Christmas to you too, Bloober Team surprised me beyond belief with how well they did, and all the extra endings, glimpses from the past , collectibles etc, they don't make game like that anymore unfortunately but Bloober stayed true to that ps2 style horror game
Absolutely! It went from terrifying me as a kid, to getting older now and just finding it somewhat peaceful to play. Don’t get me wrong there are still certain parts that raise the pulse. But for the most part I am happy inside that foggy town and wouldn’t have it any other way 😌🤙🏻
Watching the Maria intro after learning the truth, I noticed a good few things about it. She starts off squarely in his way, in front of what it is he's supposed to be looking at, as a distraction. I think that, because she's part of his subconscious, she's there specifically to lead him astray, because James doesn't want to/isn't ready to learn the truth yet. She ends up walking towards the exit as she's about to ask if he knows of any other special places Mary could be, so that James's eyes will be on her, but he starts to remember about the hotel, and starts looking out over the lake, so she gets all up in his face again to put the attention back on her, and starts talking about another special place. In the song, this is when the vocalisation part happens, which makes me think of a Siren (the mermaid kinda siren, not the alarm). And then the Siren part of the song _really_ kicks into high gear JUST as she starts to manipulate him. She, like a Siren to a sailor, leads James astray with her voice. The Siren stuff probably wasn't really on the devs minds, it's just what I like to think about. And the song really _does_ work with the scene in that way. I also think that the reason she doesn't mind being rejected by James is because, on some level, she's fully aware of the fact that James finds her almost irresistible (because she's a manifestation of everything he wants from a woman), but he's just rejecting her because infidelity and stuff.
One thing I'll say though is that I think you need to be careful not to let the loop theory get to your head. I think you're a bit too taken with a theory that MIGHT be true? Sometimes when a theory comes along that sounds good to us, we start seeing it everywhere in the art, and we start using mental gymnastics to make it fit the narrative in a way that makes sense to us (I've struggled with this a lot when it comes to Lynch's work). The one thing I would suggest you do is analyse stuff _both_ ways. Once under the assumption that this IS a time loop and once under the assumption that it ISN'T. My personal theory is that the message about being here for two decades isn't for James, rather it's for the fans directly. A little acknowledgement of how people still play the OG to this day.
Omg i never noticed the first 2 times playing the remake but yeah fuck she does jump right in front of him clearly trying to redirect him after he starts thinking about whats on the other side of the lake. She knows exactley whats going on and is on a mission to sabatoge him. Way creepier now that its clear her intentions are so sinnister, even if its out of a sense of self preservation and a desire for purpose and existence
Love that mate! Good job. Yes she is fully aware of the situation and she also knows how much time she had before she dies. The part before the hospital is when she can be the most “alive” for James. She has purpose there and doesn’t want it to end. It’s all very calculated and I don’t think people gave bloober team enough credit for how well they’ve managed to deliver this game.
@@Neco42 regardless if loop theory is true or not here existence is clearly a selfish and possibly malignant one. Excited for born from a wish. I kinda expect bloober to take more liberties with that than the main game considering its much less "sacred text that is never to be disturbed" to the fanbase than the base story. Excited to see what they'll do with it
amazing video man, some real super deep insights that I really did not think about before. two things though, 1) as much as this loop theory does for sure mitigate some of the feelings I have towards her, I think Maria needs a lil break man haha. I feel she is genuinely the saddest character in SH2, the core of tragedy in the game. She's not a real person, just a construct based on a murdered woman, with a will of her own but trapped in James’ narrative, desiring love, but will only ever receive abuse. Someone solely created to suffer and then die. She is literally born from a selfish intention of someone else, left to roam the streets, wishing and hoping she gets chosen. Whilst she can definitely be manipulative, I think the copper ring scene, she is fucking scared, and manipulation sounds super harsh to me. She's just trying her best to avoid the inevitable. 2) Artificial padding will be stuck in my Christmas little mind all this festive period long haha. But do you really think the hospital was padded out this much? In contrast to the original, yes it is more but BOY I am so happy about that. I never wanted this game to end. And the way the level design just nooked and cranny-ied it’s way around with holes, ladders, doors and insulation gaps to crawl around, it really delighted me to figure out behind every connection where the fuck they were gonna take me next. Plus, one of the biggest things about this remake was to explore more of the dungeons and the town itself, no? Was the padding therefore ok in the town of SH but not ok in the hospital?? JUST some food for thought here. I’m definitely not arguing here, more debating 😊 And again, coming back to my first point, A class video here man. I can really see how much effort and time this must have taken.
I know what you mean about the copper ring scene. I think it’s also because of after the flesh lips battle, James is now ruminating on Mary’s outbursts of verbal aggro on him. So Maria then exhibits some of those traits. It’s tough cos I really like Maria, her very existence is definitely unfair and she has a tragic story. But remember she is also an apparition, and therefor I cannot feel too much sympathy towards her as she doesn’t even really exist. As for the artificial padding… well, I don’t mind it in terms of, I enjoy being in silent hill as long as possible. But if I was critiquing the game, there are way too many instances of progress being hindered because of the constant need to find three things to open one thing which lets you open another thing which has three things you need and so on 🤣
Love these. But I disagree that the town of SH is still operating in the modern day. in SH1 it is a normal town. Kaufman mentions things changing and everyone disappearing. He yells at Dahlia that he just wants things to go back to the way they were - so he can continue exploiting the drug trade for personal gain and power. SH1 involves Alessa joining the 'otherworld' (Her delusions manifested) to the town, and it is implied that's what happened to the rest of the population. In SH4 Henry mentions going to SH but not necessarily *when*. The town has been abandoned since SH1, not due to a fire like the movie claimed, but due to the disaster of Alessa's psychic apocalypse. Thus why Laura is really there with Eddie, but tired of running around an abandoned town looking for Mary. She doesn't see monsters, just the reality of the empty, run-down places.
They say children have a closer connection to the spirit world than adults and with James and Eddie being trapped souls she can see them when others can't .
Red Square, Jung's Red Book... ? :D Also: after the cutscene where Maria offers James a drink and he refuses, the glass is empty, did he drink it? is the glass empty because Maria is not really real?
This series just keeps getting better. Thank you. I've gotta disagree with your headcanon, though! My headcanon is if he is caught in a loop, then the loop repeats until he achieves the Leave ending. Call me an eternal optimist :) I feel like the loop is a slight retcon, as it didn't seem to receive such attention or official endorsement in the OG. Or... perhaps I was just too young to notice.
I find the leave ending just strange though. James leaves his car with his dead wife’s body in it at the lookout and walks away with Laura. Does that mean he’s adopting Laura? Why would Laura want to go with James after she learns he killed her?! 😂 doesn’t make sense to me. I think the ending where he commits is the most likely… maybe I’m a pessimist 😖😆
@Neco42 I know... I can't argue with the logic, but again I feel like the body in the backseat is a retcon which endorses a popular fan theory. The original game felt a bit more open-ended regarding the endings, as if there is no canonical ending aside from the one the player prefers. The remake seems to put a bit more weight or endorsement behind certain endings. So yeah my brain logically agrees with you but my heart cannot, perhaps because the OG helped me learn to understand and cope with loss, and a darker ending would have left me in a darker place.
The flesh lips boss is so similar to the final boss. In how its a body in a cage with spider limbs. I feel like this must be symbolic of a couple's first fight that they get over but always think about that will eventually bubble back up near the end.
I am fully bought in on loop theory. I’ve assumed James was caught in a loop since I played the original in high school. Some people say that the Leave ending is the one where James breaks the loop and escapes with Laura, but I don’t think so. First of all, I think Laura is about as real as Maria is. Seriously. If Mary knew Laura in the hospital and they got close enough for Mary to want to adopt her, how is it James had no idea Laura even existed? Furthermore, what was wrong with Laura that she was in that hospital with Mary, but now she’s fine and running around a deserted town? I rather doubt it. Laura isn’t real. Second, let’s pretend she is real for a second. It’s wildly implausible that she’d agree to leave with James at the end. She hates him. Even if she did, it’s established fact that Mary’s body is in the back seat of James car. What’s Laura going to go, climb in and sit next to her? No.
It quite literally explained multiple times throughout the game. James began to barely visit Mary, ever. He neglected her so much that Laura never saw him and thought he hated his wife, which made Laura hate James as well.
Someone else who uses the dot sight, nice. It looks so much better than the crosshairs, very subtle. Im doing a playthrough with sights turned off and its really fun, forces a lot of close range melee and shooting. Great video! Im looking forward to pt 4
Oh hell yeah, the dot sight is the way. It’s less clutter on screen and more immersive 😁🙏🏻 and thank you! Part 4 won’t be coming until the new year as this is a really busy time with family and the holidays. But come January, it’s back on the grind 😌🤙🏻 hope you have a good Christmas and new year dude
Really like your videos. I finished the game and wanted to return for the second round, but just don't feel the energy. Your videos give me a chance to relive it again
That’s amazing to hear! I always get bogged down when scripting/editing these that maybe I leave too much of the “busy work” in the video. But I definitely want them to be like walkthrough/playthroughs at the same time as being about the lore. Glad you enjoy them 😁❤️
Actially the devs don't consider any 1 ending canon as every ending is canon if the player chooses so. The In Water Ending was just the first one they made.
Very well presented video and analysis. I would counter that maybe Maria isn't knowingly evil, but preconsciously driven by the evil that created her. She is what she is. Born of evil gods, but driven by a desire to be safe and with James.
I like that her character can be viewed through multiple lenses. I like to believe she is genuine when she shows feelings.. but something about the fact that she knows more than she lets on makes me think she is more sinister. She does feel a connection to James inherently though. 😁 thanks for watching!
Just a note, dont think anyone has thought about the fact that the photo in the box at heavens night is sticking out of the wallet. The implication of that would make the two clearly connected. Maybe its a picture of who maria in another form when she was in contact with baldwin and she cut and died her hair in preperation for james. Idk just speculation but it is definitely in the wallet sticking out and in framed shots in silent hill nothing is without meaning...
I have a feeling it’s gotta be connected to Born From A Wish somehow. Which makes me excited for what Bloober might do with that. They could certainly flesh that out much more than it was. It was a nice little bit of extra content back then, but there’s a reason it wasn’t included with the base game. It seemed incomplete or underdeveloped.
When leaving the theater James asks Maria if she saw the little girl and Maria say yes but she tried to stop her. If Laura could see James' vision, Laura would have seen Maria as well and might stop and wonder why Mary and Maria look alike.
Yeah that’s a good point. She would most certainly be interested to meet her. It’s probably best she doesn’t though as it makes James even more insane that he was essentially talking with an invisible entity the entire time.
Been enjoying these videos. It's nice to get an in depth look into Silent Hill while also somewhat watching a playthrough. It's a nice change. A bit of info for you, those symbols on the safe in the director's office are the symbols for the planets, and I think the triangle one is alchemic. While looking at the safe, left to right the symbols are: Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Moon, Sun, Alchemic, Earth, Mercury and Mars. Also, I find it interesting that the poster Maria focuses on is the one from Karl Jung, as our three non-residences are all there to face their shadows. Just an interesting take on it. Another thing, have you ever noticed that Maria only ever 'dies' in the other world? It's something I've recently picked up on while watching your videos, and think that maybe she's not as imaginary as we make her out to be. Especially given the Maria ending. Again, just food for though. Can't wait for the next one, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for when it comes out :D
So nice isn’t it! When I first saw that heavens night scene I was so giddy. I really feel like they understood the assignment with this game. It’s got a few rough edges but the most important parts are done spectacularly
11:16 I remember here I was looking at the light bulb and heard her calling him by his name I was surprised because I was sure he didn’t mention his name. 22:53 It’s not the first car we see here if you remember the key to the apartment was found inside a pocket of a jacket full of blood the note that led us to it mentioned a blue-green car if I remember correctly 39:30 the Stardewvalley music 😂 wasn't expecting that 48:33 and I thought she was looking at the two cups on the table 51:05 I was gonna mention your voice is great for storytelling and now it's perfect also for therapy 😂 54:15 and now you are singing multi-skills 1:23:43 If you play the game again stop here after you get the note and listen to the atmosphere I was surprised when I heard someone coughing 😮it really gives the feeling of being in a hospital 1:36:21 I thought it was a sprinkler 😂 1:41:48 at this scene I remember laughing and saying you were just in front of me bouncing like a little pony now you’re behind In the end I know I comment almost at every thing but I really love to share my thoughts with you especially Keep uploading your analysis is great and enjoyable and sorry if my English is broken.😅
@@strawberryndos that was a very entertaining comment to read! Haha thank you very much. And yes you are correct there a lots of “James cars” during this journey. It’s a pretty cool environmental hint that something isn’t right and everything revolves around James. Thank you for watching and I hope to catch you in the next episode! ❤️💪🏻
@1:33:27 now that I’m taking my time looking at this scene (for the 5th time) I notice something interesting and possibly deliberate. Do you know of the 180degree rule? It’s a line drawn from one character to another. As if the line divides a circle of 360degrees and one side of it would be the 180degree half circle. When filming a dialogue, you should theoretically place the camera on one side of that line. Anywhere is fine but just always on the same side. You can do over the shoulder camera shots, wide shots, … and when editing those shots together. You’ll notice that the characters are always facing each other the correct way. It’s cinematography theory and it’s a rule which can be broken deliberately. Because when you don’t follow that rule it can create a jarring effect. Hence that’s why I think it’s done on purpose. They did it 7 times in this scene.
I think breaking the general rule of thumb with cinematography could be deliberate. To make the scenes somewhat uncomfortable. Lunch style. Just make you feel weird before the characters even say anything. With how much attention that has gone into this game I don’t think it would have been an accident. Good spot though! Love this game so much. I’m actually looking forward to the next section cos we got the prison and labyrinth to do and it’s gonna get super weird 😂
Loop theory was always canon for me even back in the original it was so obvious. James starts & ends his journey always by the lake. Once Angela said " for me it's ALWAYS like this" had me realize she has always been & always will be damned in an everlasting hell, just like James.
Ooof yeah that Angela line always gets me in the feels. It’s fascinating all the things the community is discovering about the remake. It’s just like when the original dropped and the internet was still picking it apart decades later! 🥰
NECO, it seem like you are so excited about this game after all! What about the new upcoming silent hill 2 movie soon to be release? Oversea here in the US, everyone is having lottery fever as the Mega Million had rise to $1.15 Billion after nobody won on Tuesday on Christmas Eve! What is exicing over there is the UK now? How is your Christmas 🎄?
Idk if anyone has asked you this before or if anyone else pointed it out, so apologies if it's annoying, but did you notice the black cross of Lilith on Maria's bracelet? It adds a whole other layer of creepy to her with the parallel of being symbolic of dark spiritual energy, hidden taboos, and parallels to the Mesopotamian Lilith herself.
I hadn’t actually noticed that! I will look into it and as Maria will be appearing in quite a distinct scene in the next episode, I may bring it up then as it’ll be especially relevant 😌🙏🏻
the sun eating lion is actually the philosopher's stone representation, as seen in the last triangle symbol. These are alchemic planetary symbols but also represent a metal. from the most poor being mercury(Hermes) to the purest being gold(apollo)
Interesting… what do you think is the symbolism by using alchemy? Bearing in mind this is where we get access to the rooftop and meet pyramid head again… 🤔
@Neco42 alchemy is referred to everywhere in Silent Hill cosmos, metamorphosis of James maybe? Duality of things as James "created" Pyramid Head like alchemists created chimeras? James being both and executioner and deserves of it as a person committing a crime?
it dosnt have to be new game plus to see the symbol at the hotel room you just have to go there the moment you no longer have maria with you, its an achievment
So people have told me! You know what, I never thought to go back there after the hospital section! 😂 I’m the next episode I’m gonna explore everywhere before we go to the historical society/prison/labyrinth.
@@luizferrarezzi in my view, he wouldn’t be present in the actual town. Just lost in a sort of alternate reality, a bit like how you’re not ALWAYS in the fog world. When you go into the otherworld, it’s like a going deeper into a more dangerous reality of Silent Hill, where the town’s powers are most potent.
@@Neco42 I figured as such, but didn't have the chance to go through all of the comments! As a long time lingering "fan" of SH hoping to jump into the series -- with SH2R being my first game to play through and complete -- I have become absolutely obsessed in the last few weeks. I've seen many videos since, but I also wanted to applaud your style and break down of the story and characters... It's exactly the content I need for when I want to reexperience the game, but don't have the chance to sit down and play it! I'm patiently (and anxiously) looking forward to the rest of this series
There isn't any proof that the town is still active. That's just one of those things that divides the fan base. They somewhat establish in SH1 that people were disappearing which Kaufman stated. Laura just sees an abandoned town, she doesn't see anything that James sees. Masahiro Ito stated that Angela, Eddie and Laura are real people. Also side note, Ito also stated recently that anyone that has been to Silent Hill that has seen that Judgement painting with Pyramid Head in the Historical Society, the town can use to have it appear in their version of SH. He said that painting exists in the town not in the otherworld.
I guess it’s how my brain filed everything. I didn’t actually consider the town abandoned but since a few people in the comments here have mentioned the evidence for it, I guess I will have to concede on that. I just always thought it was only certain people who get ported to the fog world of Silent Hill. Otherwise why wouldn’t the army or anyone just come and destroy the town and rebuild there 😂 like if jt was known to have something off about it. I can’t remember the exact quote but it was in Silent Hill 4 when Henry mentioned he’s been shopping in Silent Hill and says it was quite nice there. It made me think “oh shit! So not everyone gets the same version of the town!”
i think you almost had it with the drink... however, I think it hinted more towards the lotuses and the lotus eaters from greek mythology.. maybe.. Since Maria wanted to 'stay'? and wanted to make James 'stay'.
@LunaRunaSeluna oooo good thinking! It would be interesting to see what the developers would say about it! This is all good speculation though I like it 😁🙏🏻
Holy crap, have I missed a lot! Great job digging this deep! But there's something that irritates me. Look at 39:42 - why do they enter the garden in such a strange way? It just doesn't make any sense, and I've never seen anyone react to it. Was the gate supposed to be designed differently, but the motion capture was already in the can and had to be used as is? In a game with so many hidden meanings you're *supposed* to be looking for, this sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Oh, and thanks for the catchy tune I've now got to get out of my head! ** hums Artificial Padding **
You know what, I hasn’t even payed attention to that! You’re so right, why the hell did they enter like that 😆🤣 she climbs needlessly under his arm and then he crouches down and follows her. What on earth is the reasoning there?! …. Hmm maybe that does have a particular meaning or yeah like you say, they could have just mo capped it that way and had to roll with it in post. Interesting find! Thank you for watching! 😁💪🏻
@@DinossaurodaAmazonia Again, look at the scene. The movements have nothing to do with weight, but with three-dimensional space. Both James and Maria avoid something that isn't there.
The director of the remake at bloober did respond to a tweet about it. Think he gave it a like. So we could be onto something here. I’m thinking October 2025
I am convinced that Maria is manifested when James enters the town and Born From A wish scenario is short enough to fit in with main scenario timeline. Just as long as the section before meeting her. Also she was manifested with all memories and "past" along with every environmental clue about it. So i see no contrdiction with her being a stripper in the club.
That’s a good way to look at it. She thinks she has memories of living in the town, but actually they just were kinda pre built into her code kinda thing. Cos basically everything that happens to and around James during his story can be taken as fabrication.
Thematically, it’s gotta be the apartments and the hotel. Both those locations to me are really well portrayed. My least favourite is probably the hospital. 😌🤙🏻 what about you?
I think the hotel is my favourite. Just when you read the map and see it says waiting for you. Like who ? Also can you explain the Labyrinth? What does it represent. Only part of the game where I'm trying to see how it's tied to James
I actually don’t mind it too much as I love silent hill. But if I was critiquing the game, yeah it’s a bit too much padding of the artificial variety 😅
lol there is no loop. It was literally a fan theory and Blooper put easter eggs throughout the game as an homage to it and to add some more mystery. Like with all things in the game, its very much open to interpretation. The loop however doesnt work with angela, eddie and laura being present. Especially with how intuitive Angela is throughout the game.
I really feel these actors should have been cast in the upcoming movie. Because the actor for Return to Silent Hill doesant seem like a James and he's dressed all wrong.
The upcoming movie is going to be an embarrassment. The early behind the scenes stuff made it look like an awful fan made movie. The costumes looked so fake and wrong. Maria’s wig is an absolute joke. James is wearing clothes like max Payne. It’s just awful.
@Neco42 lol yeah what is with those two necklaces he's wearing. He looks like sleeve bag who sleeps with strippers. But wouldn't have the guts to kill someone.
It really catched me by surprise to hear that the "Director" reading the notes had a voice of a old british gentleman. Wonder what's the lore reason for this? Who is James thinking here? Michael Caine? /sarcasm
Bit much with the focus on the loop theory. Shot down by devs, and even after the photograph puzzle was cracked the new devs replied to someone disappointed that loop was now canon with "Is it?" I think the you've been here for two decades is referencing the player
@@jamieedwards4475 if that were truly the case, how do you explain the Maria ending. Maria gives James the letter and he once again is about to start the journey all over again. I’ve read the tweets from the devs they don’t explicitly shoot it down. I think it’s one of those things you can choose to believe or just ignore
@Neco42 Yeah I think at the end of the day its up to each individual to decide. Though I do think I remember Ito was somewhat blunt in loop not being it. Corpses tied to his want of punishment and thoughts of water type endings. Lol if James does a redo with Maria, would Mary be born from a wish? Grass is always greener James, tradesque wife or flirty stripper. Fun to think about. Great game, thanks for the reply!
Subbing im an sh nerd and still came away with some new info 15 years into consuming everything i could find. Screw the haters btw the remake is great and the original is always there we have lost nothing and gained so much. Konami is investing once more because of this and that is a good thing for any sh fan.
I 💯 percent agree with you there mate. The haters really just bring up the most benign stuff too. I wasn’t a fan of bloober team before this game, but they certainly proved themselves in my eyes and did right by my favourite game of all time. Excited for Silent Hill’s future again and it feels so fuckin good!🤣🤙🏻
I haven’t seen any haters, everyone loves the new game, myself included! It’s been 25 years, I can’t wait to go back and play the original if I can figure out a way to
@@markp652 lol theyre out there. Allot of em actually but theyre mostly unsatisfied purists who cant escape seeing everything as inferior to what came before because of nostalgia. Kinda reminds me of older people never letting go of "the good ole days," lol
Maria is so complicated when you think about her. Even before the loop theory, she was born from a wish and infused with life just to die for James. Its even more sad bc she is made of parts of Mary and she does genuinely feel for him naturally while at the same time he treats her like a real person.
Say that Maria doesnt realize shes from the town, then every step she takes is written into her mind without knowing why or how she came to "be" here. In the original Born from a wish scenario, once it became clear that she wasnt a true person, Maria pondered killing herself but decided to leave the gun behind.
So can we blame her for lying to James now, further into these loops? Her part is half the pleasure of being alive and half being torn apart in bloody displays to the tune of James guilt. When he meets her, she knows it will start out all the same, but maybe *this* time they'll decide on a different course of action. Sometimes James sleeps with her, when hes given more to the urges of giving up on Mary and being insane, sometimes James will see her as a stranger who is barely there, but even when suspecting her, he makes her human.
@@sylas3265 bravo 👏 👏 👏 😁, this is such an amazing comment, I’m going to pin it to the top. I think everyone should read this. I always had Angela as the “tragedy” of Silent Hill 2. But when you delve deep enough into each character, there’s a strong case for each one. I actually felt emotional to a fictional character reading your comment, thank you ❤️
@Neco42 oh? Aha don't worry about it!
It's part of the idea of Maria as whole bc unlike humans and the nature vs nurture debate, she arguably never had a say in the matter of what she did. I find it very tragic and I think about it every time I play sh2 even the remaster HD collection hahaha.
Craziest thing about Maria is that James never tells her his name. She calls him James from the start and he doesn't even catch it.
Just like the original. Brilliant isn’t it. This story is just so fuckin’ good I will never get tired of it. I am however, extremely curious what comes next for the series. I don’t think Silent Hill townfall will be a 3rd person game like this one was, but Silent Hill f should be I think. Whatever happens, the series has some hope injected into it now and I’m pumped
@Neco42 I feel the same way. I was skeptical really when I even heard about the Remake . Why the hell start with part 2 when you come back from the dead and revive the series? But it was so much more than that with the Loop Theory, which I absolutely believe is Canon as well. I don't know much about Silent Hill F as of late, but I'm absolutely going to get it. My friends and I agree that we are hoping the original Silent Hill gets the remake treatment. The loop theory wouldn't work for that game, but I would love to see it redone to bring it up to the standards of today's graphical capabilities. Also, I wouldn't mind seeing Silent Hill 3 get redone as well. I'm sure we all can agree that it's freaking fantastic that Silent Hill is finally back from the dead!
That's because James is on cloud 200 haha.
Yes she also knows Mary died without him telling her, and he didn’t notice
That's because she learns his name in her sub scenario from Ernest.
I like how he reaches out for her to grab his hand after he put it in the toilet
😂😂 true! He didn’t wash his mittens once the whole game either
@@Neco42 James might be twice as handsome now, but the man is *exactly* as nasty. 😂
absolutely love your deep dive analysis on this game. I love how you go super slowly and make sure you get every detail and point out stuff we have missed, especially the stuff we might not have context for. I can't wait for the next one. It instantly makes my day when I see an update to this series. Thanks again!
This is amazing to read, thank you so much for watching 😁🙏🏻❤️
“Why is Silent Hill my happy place?” I felt that, definitely in the same boat.
These videos have been wonderful and so well done, thank you!
Appreciate that dude thank you for watching them 😁🤙🏻
wow man incredible video! I cant imagine how much work went into all this but we appreciate it
It took about a month give or take. This is the last video I’m doing of this caliber until 2025. I’m sure some reactions to whatever might be at the game awards I’ll cover but episode 3 won’t begin until the new year. It’s Christmas! 🎄 😁
@@Neco42 heyy when are you uploading episode 4 mann?? im watching these with my dinners :D
@@Ata-kl3qs hey! Sorry for the delay, I took a short break from working on TH-cam stuff for the festive holidays. I still need a bit more time to work on it 😖😂it’ll be out this month though
Brilliant episode, watchrd till the end!!
love the descriptive humour too! Well done!
So many insights and pointers. 😊
❤️🙏🏻
I have been waiting eagerly for this next episode. Discovered you after I finished my first SH2 playthrough and wanted more lore. Love this series, and it earned a sub from me.
That makes me happy, thank you 😁🙏🏻
What a brilliant analysis. Again! Great work! Thank you! 👏😊👍
😁🙏🏻 thank you for watching
I wish this was 3x longer
Think about my mental health man…. 😂😖
I think you don't have to be on NG+ to see the torn wallpaper in motel room 106 - I'm pretty sure I saw it when revisiting the motel post-Brookhaven on my way to the Historical Society.
Oh shit! Really!? I actually never thought to go back there after Brookhaven. Good shout my man 💪🏻
🎶 it’s art, it’s art, it’s artificial padding🎶
I need the full version...
I agree,we need a full version 😅
I don’t understand this criticism, if you enjoy the game and it’s atmosphere, why does anyone care how long the game is? It’s like disliking a movie you’re really into because it’s 3 hours long. You’re enjoying it, who cares?
this series is incredible. i was very reluctant about this remake, but the loop theory and you showing off bloober's attention to small details really changed my mind. i still need to play it for myself, but you've done a great job in turning my opinion. the loop theory really changes everything for me. now i can accept the changes in dialogue and environment. james seems incredibly exhausted after being punished for 20+ years. i can sense he's trying hard to finally make peace with everyone else, but part of him remembers that it's not possible. and i can understand that the town would transform itself after countless loops through the years. also i completely understand that bit about silent hill being your happy place. through my nostalgia, the town changed from a place of horror to a place of serenity. the town itself is quite beautiful, and the foggy atmosphere makes me feel secure like a blanket. i love to boot up the old game and just wander around. my favorite vrchat world is the map of the town that one guy ported into the game. it's so nice to wander around in first person, getting a more personal perspective on the town
Thanks for sharing the third episode! I'll watch it tonight. I was just watching the previous one last night and wondering when you’d upload the next one. I’m a first-timer with SH2, and so far (I’ve just reached the hospital), the loop theory makes sense. To me, Silent Hill feels like a sort of purgatory-a temporary punishment.
@@mssntt glad you’re enjoying the series! I’m really pleased so many people are discovering the game and this incredible story, It’s timeless. There are so many subtle things in this remake that the community are busy working through decoding it. Very exciting stuff and the future looks bright for Silent Hill finally 🥹
The theme music when you meet Maria and in Heavens Night for the first time is so fitting for this scene. Sexy bass, emotional strings, and a vague feeling of confusion and disorientation. Outstanding ❤️
It’s got that dreamy atmosphere on lock. Absolutely love it. The way Maria sways about and has that look in her eye, it’s just so bloody good! ❤️
Man, this is easily the best analysis and walkthrough of the Silent Hill 2 remake out there. Not to mention the soothing vocals on you, mate! I'm so down for more of this! Amazing job! 🙌❤
Thank you so much 😌🙏🏻we have at least two more episodes to go. I’ll probably do it in three though as this one was making my editor lag like crazy being so long 🤣😅
>> Not to mention the soothing vocals on you, mate!
Excellent video, , at first I thought it was going to be one to fall asleep to -and I did- but as soon as I came back home from work, I I watched it all the way to the end. I hope to see more! Happy holidays and thanks for your amazing content!
Really appreciate that mate thank you! Glad you liked it enough to watch it all the way through 💪🏻 true homie spirit that is. Happy holidays to yourself and I’ll see you for part 4 😌🤙🏻
Your content is truly amazing! I really appreciate your attention to detail and your sense of humor! I immediately subscribed and cannot wait to see more content. Keep up the AMAZING work!
Thank you so much! 😁🙏🏻 I’ve taken a short break over the festive season, but episode 4 will be out this month so stay tuned! ❤️
In SH2 original there was a promo video and you saw Eddie and Laura sitting next to a white van where you first seen James car at the start , unsure if that's cannon though
I think in the novel of silent hill 2, they said that Eddie brought Laura into silent hill in that white van. In the remake there are fast food wrappers around that van at the start of the game on the lookout. Insinuating that it is in fact Eddie’s van.
@@Neco42 i wonder how Angela got to silent hill. She was from another town, but we don't know how she came to Silent Hill
I love the use of FF7 Turk theme! Brilliant video thank you for making this series ❤
Haha yeah the Turk music lends so well to “investigating” scenes 😂 thanks for watching! 🙏🏻
Underrated video, stupendous
Why thank you Chucky! 💪🏻😌
At 24:53 you mention that's New Game+ only but I encountered this myself on a fresh New Game. It's cool you get an achievement for it
I believe you can only find it in the Otherworld after leaving the hospital, first playthrough or not! I didn't find it during my first playthrough because I didn't go back to the motel after the hopsital, but my partner found it on their first ever playthrough because they went back to the motel before going to the historical society. Such a neat little easter egg 👏🏻
I had this playing in the background while getting ready for an 8hr shift and the artificial padding song was stuck in my head the entire time i was at work. 💀
Haha oh you are SO welcome! 😂🤣During the making of this video I was going around the house singing it and it was really pissing Anna off 😂 definitely an ear worm. Hope you liked the rest of the vid though! 💪🏻😌
To add, the shot of Eddie being ashamed, wiping the ice cream on his shirt and putting the tub down is one of my favourite additions to the remake.
So tiny and gentle, but gives Eddie a huge personality boost.
Brookhaven at dusk is my favorite place in the game. There's just a gentle oddness about the quiet, empty halls with the fading light shining through them
Seconded on the Luke Roberts shoutout. I wasn’t sure how such a different tone would work for James but he delivered a heart-wrenching performance
Completely agree. I don’t think they could find a better guy for the job. 😌 he’s got a bright future in the gaming space if he chooses to go that route.
Awesome to see that view count going up, I watched your videos before silent hill 2 was even announced i believe, or right when it was announced, I always enjoyed your channel good to see it thrive even after the release, your lore videos are excellent
Ah man that’s awesome to hear! Yeah I’m really pleased with how well these lore videos have been going. It’s much more fun to make content where I’m genuinely happy with the game. There’s also so much that Bloober Team crammed in here to talk about too. Thanks for sticking by the channel mate, merry Christmas 🎄
@Neco42 merry Christmas to you too, Bloober Team surprised me beyond belief with how well they did, and all the extra endings, glimpses from the past , collectibles etc, they don't make game like that anymore unfortunately but Bloober stayed true to that ps2 style horror game
1:11:50 This image of the Sun Devouring Lion also appears in Silent Hill 1, in the Dahlia's Antiques store
I think it has something to do with Alchemy
I love Silent Hill. I actually know a lot of people that this game has helped them when they're feeling down. It's literally our special place ; )
Absolutely! It went from terrifying me as a kid, to getting older now and just finding it somewhat peaceful to play. Don’t get me wrong there are still certain parts that raise the pulse. But for the most part I am happy inside that foggy town and wouldn’t have it any other way 😌🤙🏻
nah this deserves WAY more views
Appreciate that thank you man 🙏🏻
Absolutely killed it again Neco. How am I still wishing for more after 1hour and 45 minutes???
Thank you Nox 🥹🙏🏻❤️
Watching the Maria intro after learning the truth, I noticed a good few things about it. She starts off squarely in his way, in front of what it is he's supposed to be looking at, as a distraction. I think that, because she's part of his subconscious, she's there specifically to lead him astray, because James doesn't want to/isn't ready to learn the truth yet. She ends up walking towards the exit as she's about to ask if he knows of any other special places Mary could be, so that James's eyes will be on her, but he starts to remember about the hotel, and starts looking out over the lake, so she gets all up in his face again to put the attention back on her, and starts talking about another special place. In the song, this is when the vocalisation part happens, which makes me think of a Siren (the mermaid kinda siren, not the alarm). And then the Siren part of the song _really_ kicks into high gear JUST as she starts to manipulate him. She, like a Siren to a sailor, leads James astray with her voice. The Siren stuff probably wasn't really on the devs minds, it's just what I like to think about. And the song really _does_ work with the scene in that way. I also think that the reason she doesn't mind being rejected by James is because, on some level, she's fully aware of the fact that James finds her almost irresistible (because she's a manifestation of everything he wants from a woman), but he's just rejecting her because infidelity and stuff.
One thing I'll say though is that I think you need to be careful not to let the loop theory get to your head. I think you're a bit too taken with a theory that MIGHT be true? Sometimes when a theory comes along that sounds good to us, we start seeing it everywhere in the art, and we start using mental gymnastics to make it fit the narrative in a way that makes sense to us (I've struggled with this a lot when it comes to Lynch's work). The one thing I would suggest you do is analyse stuff _both_ ways. Once under the assumption that this IS a time loop and once under the assumption that it ISN'T. My personal theory is that the message about being here for two decades isn't for James, rather it's for the fans directly. A little acknowledgement of how people still play the OG to this day.
Omg i never noticed the first 2 times playing the remake but yeah fuck she does jump right in front of him clearly trying to redirect him after he starts thinking about whats on the other side of the lake. She knows exactley whats going on and is on a mission to sabatoge him. Way creepier now that its clear her intentions are so sinnister, even if its out of a sense of self preservation and a desire for purpose and existence
Love that mate! Good job. Yes she is fully aware of the situation and she also knows how much time she had before she dies. The part before the hospital is when she can be the most “alive” for James. She has purpose there and doesn’t want it to end. It’s all very calculated and I don’t think people gave bloober team enough credit for how well they’ve managed to deliver this game.
@@Neco42 regardless if loop theory is true or not here existence is clearly a selfish and possibly malignant one. Excited for born from a wish. I kinda expect bloober to take more liberties with that than the main game considering its much less "sacred text that is never to be disturbed" to the fanbase than the base story. Excited to see what they'll do with it
amazing video man, some real super deep insights that I really did not think about before. two things though, 1) as much as this loop theory does for sure mitigate some of the feelings I have towards her, I think Maria needs a lil break man haha. I feel she is genuinely the saddest character in SH2, the core of tragedy in the game. She's not a real person, just a construct based on a murdered woman, with a will of her own but trapped in James’ narrative, desiring love, but will only ever receive abuse. Someone solely created to suffer and then die. She is literally born from a selfish intention of someone else, left to roam the streets, wishing and hoping she gets chosen. Whilst she can definitely be manipulative, I think the copper ring scene, she is fucking scared, and manipulation sounds super harsh to me. She's just trying her best to avoid the inevitable. 2) Artificial padding will be stuck in my Christmas little mind all this festive period long haha. But do you really think the hospital was padded out this much? In contrast to the original, yes it is more but BOY I am so happy about that. I never wanted this game to end. And the way the level design just nooked and cranny-ied it’s way around with holes, ladders, doors and insulation gaps to crawl around, it really delighted me to figure out behind every connection where the fuck they were gonna take me next. Plus, one of the biggest things about this remake was to explore more of the dungeons and the town itself, no? Was the padding therefore ok in the town of SH but not ok in the hospital?? JUST some food for thought here. I’m definitely not arguing here, more debating 😊 And again, coming back to my first point, A class video here man. I can really see how much effort and time this must have taken.
I know what you mean about the copper ring scene. I think it’s also because of after the flesh lips battle, James is now ruminating on Mary’s outbursts of verbal aggro on him. So Maria then exhibits some of those traits. It’s tough cos I really like Maria, her very existence is definitely unfair and she has a tragic story. But remember she is also an apparition, and therefor I cannot feel too much sympathy towards her as she doesn’t even really exist. As for the artificial padding… well, I don’t mind it in terms of, I enjoy being in silent hill as long as possible. But if I was critiquing the game, there are way too many instances of progress being hindered because of the constant need to find three things to open one thing which lets you open another thing which has three things you need and so on 🤣
I'm really excited to see your video about the Toluca Prison
Great music choice! 13:57 💚
@@christianmaiorino8649 hell yeah!
1:05:11
Laura: Go away!
James: Don't be afraid! I Just want to talk!
*Proceeds to pull out his firearm, with his finger on the trigger.* 💀
😂😂 it’s even worse when we know how unstable James actually is too
Love these. But I disagree that the town of SH is still operating in the modern day. in SH1 it is a normal town. Kaufman mentions things changing and everyone disappearing. He yells at Dahlia that he just wants things to go back to the way they were - so he can continue exploiting the drug trade for personal gain and power. SH1 involves Alessa joining the 'otherworld' (Her delusions manifested) to the town, and it is implied that's what happened to the rest of the population. In SH4 Henry mentions going to SH but not necessarily *when*. The town has been abandoned since SH1, not due to a fire like the movie claimed, but due to the disaster of Alessa's psychic apocalypse. Thus why Laura is really there with Eddie, but tired of running around an abandoned town looking for Mary. She doesn't see monsters, just the reality of the empty, run-down places.
They say children have a closer connection to the spirit world than adults and with James and Eddie being trapped souls she can see them when others can't .
Red Square, Jung's Red Book... ? :D
Also: after the cutscene where Maria offers James a drink and he refuses, the glass is empty, did he drink it? is the glass empty because Maria is not really real?
This series just keeps getting better. Thank you.
I've gotta disagree with your headcanon, though! My headcanon is if he is caught in a loop, then the loop repeats until he achieves the Leave ending. Call me an eternal optimist :)
I feel like the loop is a slight retcon, as it didn't seem to receive such attention or official endorsement in the OG. Or... perhaps I was just too young to notice.
I find the leave ending just strange though. James leaves his car with his dead wife’s body in it at the lookout and walks away with Laura. Does that mean he’s adopting Laura? Why would Laura want to go with James after she learns he killed her?! 😂 doesn’t make sense to me. I think the ending where he commits is the most likely… maybe I’m a pessimist 😖😆
@Neco42 I know... I can't argue with the logic, but again I feel like the body in the backseat is a retcon which endorses a popular fan theory. The original game felt a bit more open-ended regarding the endings, as if there is no canonical ending aside from the one the player prefers. The remake seems to put a bit more weight or endorsement behind certain endings.
So yeah my brain logically agrees with you but my heart cannot, perhaps because the OG helped me learn to understand and cope with loss, and a darker ending would have left me in a darker place.
fantastic videos, subbed.
Appreciate that mate thank you 🙏🏻
im loving these vids i beat the game and picked up on alot of these but not near as many as you have nice work
Thank you 😁🙏🏻
The flesh lips boss is so similar to the final boss. In how its a body in a cage with spider limbs. I feel like this must be symbolic of a couple's first fight that they get over but always think about that will eventually bubble back up near the end.
I am fully bought in on loop theory. I’ve assumed James was caught in a loop since I played the original in high school. Some people say that the Leave ending is the one where James breaks the loop and escapes with Laura, but I don’t think so.
First of all, I think Laura is about as real as Maria is. Seriously. If Mary knew Laura in the hospital and they got close enough for Mary to want to adopt her, how is it James had no idea Laura even existed? Furthermore, what was wrong with Laura that she was in that hospital with Mary, but now she’s fine and running around a deserted town? I rather doubt it. Laura isn’t real.
Second, let’s pretend she is real for a second. It’s wildly implausible that she’d agree to leave with James at the end. She hates him. Even if she did, it’s established fact that Mary’s body is in the back seat of James car. What’s Laura going to go, climb in and sit next to her? No.
It quite literally explained multiple times throughout the game. James began to barely visit Mary, ever. He neglected her so much that Laura never saw him and thought he hated his wife, which made Laura hate James as well.
NECO, we need Bloober Team to release the Maria scenario DLC now and more unlockable outfits for Silent Hill 2!
That track that plays when Pyramid Head is chasing is so terrifying
Right?! Assault on the senses or what 🫣
I'm obsessed. When are we getting part 4?
@@elizabethgrylls978 I took a tiny break for the holiday season, but part 4 will be out this month 😌🙌
@Neco42 🙌 I'll just go back and rewatch parts 1 - 3 then 😂 I've just finished my first play through, looking forward to going back and doing Game+
Someone else who uses the dot sight, nice. It looks so much better than the crosshairs, very subtle. Im doing a playthrough with sights turned off and its really fun, forces a lot of close range melee and shooting. Great video! Im looking forward to pt 4
Oh hell yeah, the dot sight is the way. It’s less clutter on screen and more immersive 😁🙏🏻 and thank you! Part 4 won’t be coming until the new year as this is a really busy time with family and the holidays. But come January, it’s back on the grind 😌🤙🏻 hope you have a good Christmas and new year dude
Really like your videos. I finished the game and wanted to return for the second round, but just don't feel the energy. Your videos give me a chance to relive it again
That’s amazing to hear! I always get bogged down when scripting/editing these that maybe I leave too much of the “busy work” in the video.
But I definitely want them to be like walkthrough/playthroughs at the same time as being about the lore. Glad you enjoy them 😁❤️
Hall of fame series you’ve got going here my friend.
Thanks Jim, appreciate the encouragement! I’ve been working all day on part 4 😌🤙🏻 gonna take me a little while cos once again it’s a huge project 😩😅
Fantastic video
Thanks man 😁🙏🏻
I think Mary had contracted the same plague that ravaged Silent Hill during the 1800s
Actially the devs don't consider any 1 ending canon as every ending is canon if the player chooses so. The In Water Ending was just the first one they made.
If you think about it, the in water ending started the loop .
Still watching the video but had to comment on how much the wilting dandelion made me laugh 😂
Also divine bloodlines?? Hell yeah, love Castlevania
Did we just become best friends?! 😁😂
Very well presented video and analysis.
I would counter that maybe Maria isn't knowingly evil, but preconsciously driven by the evil that created her. She is what she is. Born of evil gods, but driven by a desire to be safe and with James.
I like that her character can be viewed through multiple lenses. I like to believe she is genuine when she shows feelings.. but something about the fact that she knows more than she lets on makes me think she is more sinister. She does feel a connection to James inherently though. 😁 thanks for watching!
I wouldn't say the Town is evil, just corrupted
Just a note, dont think anyone has thought about the fact that the photo in the box at heavens night is sticking out of the wallet. The implication of that would make the two clearly connected. Maybe its a picture of who maria in another form when she was in contact with baldwin and she cut and died her hair in preperation for james. Idk just speculation but it is definitely in the wallet sticking out and in framed shots in silent hill nothing is without meaning...
I have a feeling it’s gotta be connected to Born From A Wish somehow. Which makes me excited for what Bloober might do with that. They could certainly flesh that out much more than it was. It was a nice little bit of extra content back then, but there’s a reason it wasn’t included with the base game. It seemed incomplete or underdeveloped.
When leaving the theater James asks Maria if she saw the little girl and Maria say yes but she tried to stop her. If Laura could see James' vision, Laura would have seen Maria as well and might stop and wonder why Mary and Maria look alike.
Yeah that’s a good point. She would most certainly be interested to meet her. It’s probably best she doesn’t though as it makes James even more insane that he was essentially talking with an invisible entity the entire time.
Been enjoying these videos. It's nice to get an in depth look into Silent Hill while also somewhat watching a playthrough. It's a nice change.
A bit of info for you, those symbols on the safe in the director's office are the symbols for the planets, and I think the triangle one is alchemic. While looking at the safe, left to right the symbols are: Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Moon, Sun, Alchemic, Earth, Mercury and Mars. Also, I find it interesting that the poster Maria focuses on is the one from Karl Jung, as our three non-residences are all there to face their shadows. Just an interesting take on it.
Another thing, have you ever noticed that Maria only ever 'dies' in the other world? It's something I've recently picked up on while watching your videos, and think that maybe she's not as imaginary as we make her out to be. Especially given the Maria ending. Again, just food for though.
Can't wait for the next one, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for when it comes out :D
🤯 good points my dude! 😁🙏🏻thank you for watching and giving your insights. By the halo of the sun, I salute you 😌
top tier accent and yes, Silent Hill is also my happy place. am I ok?
We feel at home here don’t we 🤣 fog, cool music, monsters to kill and mysteries to solve. Goddamn, what a banger combo of ingredients
32:31 Yes James, Unfortunately..
34:09 He did a fantastic job playing James..
Time to finish this beast, sh is definitely my happy place, you've seen the collection 😂
Look at that lovely purple badge you’ve got there 🥹💪🏻 appreciate your support and your time bro
@Neco42 we got you!
Knowing James is an alcoholic the heavens night scene is masterfully done!
So nice isn’t it! When I first saw that heavens night scene I was so giddy. I really feel like they understood the assignment with this game. It’s got a few rough edges but the most important parts are done spectacularly
11:16 I remember here I was looking at the light bulb and heard her calling him by his name I was surprised because I was sure he didn’t mention his name.
22:53 It’s not the first car we see here if you remember the key to the apartment was found inside a pocket of a jacket full of blood the note that led us to it mentioned a blue-green car if I remember correctly
39:30 the Stardewvalley music 😂 wasn't expecting that
48:33 and I thought she was looking at the two cups on the table
51:05 I was gonna mention your voice is great for storytelling and now it's perfect also for therapy 😂
54:15 and now you are singing multi-skills
1:23:43 If you play the game again stop here after you get the note and listen to the atmosphere I was surprised when I heard someone coughing 😮it really gives the feeling of being in a hospital
1:36:21 I thought it was a sprinkler 😂
1:41:48 at this scene I remember laughing and saying you were just in front of me bouncing like a little pony now you’re behind
In the end I know I comment almost at every thing but I really love to share my thoughts with you especially
Keep uploading your analysis is great and enjoyable and sorry if my English is broken.😅
@@strawberryndos that was a very entertaining comment to read! Haha thank you very much. And yes you are correct there a lots of “James cars” during this journey. It’s a pretty cool environmental hint that something isn’t right and everything revolves around James. Thank you for watching and I hope to catch you in the next episode! ❤️💪🏻
@1:33:27 now that I’m taking my time looking at this scene (for the 5th time) I notice something interesting and possibly deliberate. Do you know of the 180degree rule? It’s a line drawn from one character to another. As if the line divides a circle of 360degrees and one side of it would be the 180degree half circle. When filming a dialogue, you should theoretically place the camera on one side of that line. Anywhere is fine but just always on the same side. You can do over the shoulder camera shots, wide shots, … and when editing those shots together. You’ll notice that the characters are always facing each other the correct way. It’s cinematography theory and it’s a rule which can be broken deliberately. Because when you don’t follow that rule it can create a jarring effect. Hence that’s why I think it’s done on purpose. They did it 7 times in this scene.
I think breaking the general rule of thumb with cinematography could be deliberate. To make the scenes somewhat uncomfortable. Lunch style. Just make you feel weird before the characters even say anything. With how much attention that has gone into this game I don’t think it would have been an accident. Good spot though! Love this game so much. I’m actually looking forward to the next section cos we got the prison and labyrinth to do and it’s gonna get super weird 😂
"Smashing a window on the right lets us forget about using doors for a moment ..." 🤣
Just got to "Artificial Padding" and officially lost it.
Subscribed.
🤣🤙🏻
That was the product of long nights and not enough sleep 😂😂😅 glad you enjoyed it!
Loop theory was always canon for me even back in the original it was so obvious. James starts & ends his journey always by the lake. Once Angela said " for me it's ALWAYS like this" had me realize she has always been & always will be damned in an everlasting hell, just like James.
Ooof yeah that Angela line always gets me in the feels. It’s fascinating all the things the community is discovering about the remake. It’s just like when the original dropped and the internet was still picking it apart decades later! 🥰
NECO, it seem like you are so excited about this game after all! What about the new upcoming silent hill 2 movie soon to be release? Oversea here in the US, everyone is having lottery fever as the Mega Million had rise to $1.15 Billion after nobody won on Tuesday on Christmas Eve! What is exicing over there is the UK now? How is your Christmas 🎄?
Idk if anyone has asked you this before or if anyone else pointed it out, so apologies if it's annoying, but did you notice the black cross of Lilith on Maria's bracelet? It adds a whole other layer of creepy to her with the parallel of being symbolic of dark spiritual energy, hidden taboos, and parallels to the Mesopotamian Lilith herself.
I hadn’t actually noticed that! I will look into it and as Maria will be appearing in quite a distinct scene in the next episode, I may bring it up then as it’ll be especially relevant 😌🙏🏻
the sun eating lion is actually the philosopher's stone representation, as seen in the last triangle symbol. These are alchemic planetary symbols but also represent a metal. from the most poor being mercury(Hermes) to the purest being gold(apollo)
Interesting… what do you think is the symbolism by using alchemy? Bearing in mind this is where we get access to the rooftop and meet pyramid head again… 🤔
@Neco42 alchemy is referred to everywhere in Silent Hill cosmos, metamorphosis of James maybe? Duality of things as James "created" Pyramid Head like alchemists created chimeras? James being both and executioner and deserves of it as a person committing a crime?
it dosnt have to be new game plus to see the symbol at the hotel room you just have to go there the moment you no longer have maria with you, its an achievment
So people have told me! You know what, I never thought to go back there after the hospital section! 😂 I’m the next episode I’m gonna explore everywhere before we go to the historical society/prison/labyrinth.
@ i bet, when i got the achievement on steam it said only 8% of players got it so far. so most people must have not revisited the room 👍🏻
if silent hill is having a normal life with its population when James is fighting monsters and breaking glass someone would have stopped him
@@luizferrarezzi in my view, he wouldn’t be present in the actual town. Just lost in a sort of alternate reality, a bit like how you’re not ALWAYS in the fog world. When you go into the otherworld, it’s like a going deeper into a more dangerous reality of Silent Hill, where the town’s powers are most potent.
1:01:36
Bathing required
Checks out with James lol
He does take a bath in one of the endings though.
A nice salty cold dip yes. Bless him. No wonder his Silent Hill is so wet.
Artificial padding song is stuck in my head 😭
You’re welcome 😌🤙🏻
i need the next ep!
Patience is a virtue my friend 😌🙏🏻
You can also see the Halo of the Sun on a first playthrough under the wallpaper if you return when it’s nighttime after leaving Brookhaven!!
Yeah a few people have let me know that, I had no idea! 😂 pretty neat detail though isn’t it. Bloober Team absolutely cooked with this game 🙏🏻😌
@@Neco42 I figured as such, but didn't have the chance to go through all of the comments!
As a long time lingering "fan" of SH hoping to jump into the series -- with SH2R being my first game to play through and complete -- I have become absolutely obsessed in the last few weeks. I've seen many videos since, but I also wanted to applaud your style and break down of the story and characters... It's exactly the content I need for when I want to reexperience the game, but don't have the chance to sit down and play it!
I'm patiently (and anxiously) looking forward to the rest of this series
There isn't any proof that the town is still active. That's just one of those things that divides the fan base. They somewhat establish in SH1 that people were disappearing which Kaufman stated. Laura just sees an abandoned town, she doesn't see anything that James sees. Masahiro Ito stated that Angela, Eddie and Laura are real people. Also side note, Ito also stated recently that anyone that has been to Silent Hill that has seen that Judgement painting with Pyramid Head in the Historical Society, the town can use to have it appear in their version of SH. He said that painting exists in the town not in the otherworld.
I guess it’s how my brain filed everything. I didn’t actually consider the town abandoned but since a few people in the comments here have mentioned the evidence for it, I guess I will have to concede on that. I just always thought it was only certain people who get ported to the fog world of Silent Hill. Otherwise why wouldn’t the army or anyone just come and destroy the town and rebuild there 😂 like if jt was known to have something off about it. I can’t remember the exact quote but it was in Silent Hill 4 when Henry mentioned he’s been shopping in Silent Hill and says it was quite nice there. It made me think “oh shit! So not everyone gets the same version of the town!”
I'm not finding part 1 at all! Only finding the apartment walkthrough and this one 🤷🏾♀️
Here you go! th-cam.com/video/JdDqNq1UGYo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DuggtL-gaBqgDmZd
@@Neco42 YaaaaaaaaaY! Laundrymat time just got better 😜
Your channel art is very Dog Ending and I love that.
😂 and I love this comment! 💪🏻
Hellooo where is episode 4 its been 3 weeks :(
i think you almost had it with the drink... however, I think it hinted more towards the lotuses and the lotus eaters from greek mythology.. maybe.. Since Maria wanted to 'stay'? and wanted to make James 'stay'.
@LunaRunaSeluna oooo good thinking! It would be interesting to see what the developers would say about it! This is all good speculation though I like it 😁🙏🏻
Holy crap, have I missed a lot! Great job digging this deep!
But there's something that irritates me. Look at 39:42 - why do they enter the garden in such a strange way? It just doesn't make any sense, and I've never seen anyone react to it. Was the gate supposed to be designed differently, but the motion capture was already in the can and had to be used as is? In a game with so many hidden meanings you're *supposed* to be looking for, this sticks out like a sore thumb to me.
Oh, and thanks for the catchy tune I've now got to get out of my head! ** hums Artificial Padding **
You know what, I hasn’t even payed attention to that! You’re so right, why the hell did they enter like that 😆🤣 she climbs needlessly under his arm and then he crouches down and follows her. What on earth is the reasoning there?! …. Hmm maybe that does have a particular meaning or yeah like you say, they could have just mo capped it that way and had to roll with it in post. Interesting find! Thank you for watching! 😁💪🏻
Because the gate is heavy and possibly broken, so it couldn't fully open
@@DinossaurodaAmazonia Again, look at the scene. The movements have nothing to do with weight, but with three-dimensional space. Both James and Maria avoid something that isn't there.
The Stardew valley town theme cracked me up so much 😂😂😂
😂😂 I thought it would be nice interlude before more depressing shit happens
LETSSSSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yusssss 🙂↔️
Part of me really feels sorry for Maria. Hope we get born from a wish sometime next year
I have all fingers and toes crossed for that too. So far there’s no news on it though 😓
The director of the remake at bloober did respond to a tweet about it. Think he gave it a like. So we could be onto something here. I’m thinking October 2025
37:22 the photo is just a stock image, another TH-camr found the original
🤯 really?! Why the hell would they use a stock image?!? 😖😩
I am convinced that Maria is manifested when James enters the town and Born From A wish scenario is short enough to fit in with main scenario timeline. Just as long as the section before meeting her. Also she was manifested with all memories and "past" along with every environmental clue about it. So i see no contrdiction with her being a stripper in the club.
That’s a good way to look at it. She thinks she has memories of living in the town, but actually they just were kinda pre built into her code kinda thing. Cos basically everything that happens to and around James during his story can be taken as fabrication.
Neco what is your favourite area in sh2?
Thematically, it’s gotta be the apartments and the hotel. Both those locations to me are really well portrayed. My least favourite is probably the hospital. 😌🤙🏻 what about you?
I think the hotel is my favourite. Just when you read the map and see it says waiting for you. Like who ?
Also can you explain the Labyrinth? What does it represent. Only part of the game where I'm trying to see how it's tied to James
Jacobs Ladder came out in 1990 not 99
Did I say 1999?! Oh man that was a mistake if I did 😖 I know the film came out in 1990, it was the year I was born.
Does the artificial padding bother you a lot? Or it just for the meme?
I actually don’t mind it too much as I love silent hill. But if I was critiquing the game, yeah it’s a bit too much padding of the artificial variety 😅
lol there is no loop. It was literally a fan theory and Blooper put easter eggs throughout the game as an homage to it and to add some more mystery. Like with all things in the game, its very much open to interpretation.
The loop however doesnt work with angela, eddie and laura being present. Especially with how intuitive Angela is throughout the game.
I've been waiting for your next video 👏
Ask and you shall receive 😌🙏🏻
The loop theory was for the fans. Not james.
Even the creator denied the loop theory
Where did he say that?
What do you mean by creator? BLOOBERTEAM OR TEAMSILENT ?
Team silent
DARN!... It's over...
It’s not the end though ☺️🤙🏻
I really want to know more about Miriam k
31:26 Dream is behind her hmm
I really feel these actors should have been cast in the upcoming movie. Because the actor for Return to Silent Hill doesant seem like a James and he's dressed all wrong.
The upcoming movie is going to be an embarrassment. The early behind the scenes stuff made it look like an awful fan made movie. The costumes looked so fake and wrong. Maria’s wig is an absolute joke. James is wearing clothes like max Payne. It’s just awful.
@Neco42 lol yeah what is with those two necklaces he's wearing. He looks like sleeve bag who sleeps with strippers. But wouldn't have the guts to kill someone.
@@Neco42agreed
It really catched me by surprise to hear that the "Director" reading the notes had a voice of a old british gentleman. Wonder what's the lore reason for this? Who is James thinking here? Michael Caine? /sarcasm
😂😂🤙🏻
I have never heard 10p 50p before 😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤙🏻 you’re welcome to use it going forward
Bit much with the focus on the loop theory. Shot down by devs, and even after the photograph puzzle was cracked the new devs replied to someone disappointed that loop was now canon with "Is it?" I think the you've been here for two decades is referencing the player
@@jamieedwards4475 if that were truly the case, how do you explain the Maria ending. Maria gives James the letter and he once again is about to start the journey all over again. I’ve read the tweets from the devs they don’t explicitly shoot it down. I think it’s one of those things you can choose to believe or just ignore
@Neco42 Yeah I think at the end of the day its up to each individual to decide. Though I do think I remember Ito was somewhat blunt in loop not being it. Corpses tied to his want of punishment and thoughts of water type endings. Lol if James does a redo with Maria, would Mary be born from a wish? Grass is always greener James, tradesque wife or flirty stripper. Fun to think about. Great game, thanks for the reply!
Subbing im an sh nerd and still came away with some new info 15 years into consuming everything i could find. Screw the haters btw the remake is great and the original is always there we have lost nothing and gained so much. Konami is investing once more because of this and that is a good thing for any sh fan.
I 💯 percent agree with you there mate. The haters really just bring up the most benign stuff too. I wasn’t a fan of bloober team before this game, but they certainly proved themselves in my eyes and did right by my favourite game of all time. Excited for Silent Hill’s future again and it feels so fuckin good!🤣🤙🏻
I haven’t seen any haters, everyone loves the new game, myself included! It’s been 25 years, I can’t wait to go back and play the original if I can figure out a way to
@@markp652 lol theyre out there. Allot of em actually but theyre mostly unsatisfied purists who cant escape seeing everything as inferior to what came before because of nostalgia. Kinda reminds me of older people never letting go of "the good ole days," lol