To keep it short-and-sweet as a first time Silent Hill 2 player, the game is a mixed bag in the best-of ways: >The facial animations and visuals are incredible as-of 2025. I've never been so into in-game acting. The story stays beyond engaging because of this. >The gameplay loop is almost reminiscent of a Zelda title between the puzzles, combat, and area progression. >It can feel a little *video-game-y* at times, with limited the enemy types and combat flow, but it still manages to keep it fresh and fun to the best of its ability while staying faithful to an early PS2 title. So, with an addicting loop, progression, and top-notch visuals with some archaic design choices somehow still adding to the charm and gameplay flow, it's a solid 8.5/10.0 for me! I'm definitely a new fan of the series!
