James first encounters Pyramid Head within the Wooden Facet Residences the place it brutalizes two model monsters in a touch at its psychological connection to James by way of its pent-up sexual frustration. James hides in a closet to initially keep away from detection and learns the laborious means that Pyramid Head is bulletproof when he repeatedly shoots the monster level clean along with his pistol when the hulking swordsman approaches the closet. Nevertheless, it’s when James reaches the adjoining Blue Creek Residences that he finds himself in a struggle to the dying with Pyramid Head, with no hope of bodily overpowering his opponent.
It’s right here the place the standard of life enhancements and all-around modernized technical presentation for Silent Hill 2 remake in comparison with the unique model actually shines. Even with the improved motion and digital camera controls, this can be a tense showdown; simply one of the intense within the recreation and essentially the most harrowing the participant has endured at this level within the story. Pyramid Head comes barrelling at James, smashing by way of metallic cages strewn across the room, not simply counting on his signature blade however punching James if he will get too shut. And this model of Pyramid Head is fast, marching steadily in direction of James and bursting by way of the twisted cages round him, filling the air with the sound of shrieking metallic as James tries to remain one step forward simply to remain alive.
Comparatively, the primary showdown with Pyramid Head within the unique Silent Hill 2 passed off in a comparatively naked room, making it simpler for gamers to navigate across the enemy and simpler to anticipate his actions. Benefiting from the PlayStation 5’s technical capabilities, the confrontation within the remake is in a darkened room the place the participant has to depend on James’ very dim flashlight, the noise Pyramid Head makes dragging his sword, and the sparks it emits scraping the bottom to maintain monitor of the place the villain is, retaining the participant nailed to the motion in the event that they hope to outlive. Plug within the headphones for this one and keep frosty, as a result of you must actually listen for this struggle.
In each variations of Silent Hill 2, the objective isn’t a lot to defeat Pyramid Head as it’s to remain alive lengthy sufficient for the helmeted henchman to surrender the struggle, at the very least for now. The extra harm James inflicts on Pyramid Head, the shorter period of time the encounter lasts, concluding with Pyramid Head listening to an air raid siren and departing from the room, taking one final glare at James earlier than resurfacing later within the recreation.
Pyramid Head is the idea of self-flagellation made tangible within the purgatory that’s Silent Hill, the ephemeral given a terrifying bodily type. Proper from that introductory second, when James catches a glimpse of the villain from between the wood slats of a musty house closet to the duel towards the 2 Pyramid Heads within the foyer of the Lakeview Resort, Pyramid Head is essentially the most putting antagonist in any model of Silent Hill 2. And although Pyramid Head’s core position stays comparatively the identical in each variations, the remake does make the executioner extra consultant of the 2024 recreation’s wider ethos.
The Silent Hill 2 remake is an elevation of the unique supply materials; the whole lot feels heightened. The expertise is scarier, extra atmospheric, extra tense, and extra bold given the technical potentialities on the PS5 {hardware} and the advantage of hindsight in seeing how the unique Silent Hill 2 was acquired and reevaluated within the 23 years since its launch. Pyramid Head is an enormous a part of that, designed and rendered in an instantly recognizable means however much less of the plodding baddie and extra of a legitimately horrifying and overwhelming foe. The Silent Hill 2 remake by no means fairly will get as intense as that first struggle towards Pyramid Head, although the reminiscence of it would have you ever on the sting of your seat everytime you encounter him once more. And relaxation assured, you will note loads of Pyramid Head. Punishment is right here to remain in Silent Hill and James Sunderland is about to be taught all about it.
