While it isn't exactly the triple-A franchise it was in the early 00's, the first three Silent Hill games are still considered the high water mark for whole horror genre. And after playing Silent Hill 2, I don't see that changing anytime soon.
Setup
The game is technically a sequel to the original Silent Hill game from '99, retaining the titular setting and trademark fog while telling an entirely new and unrelated story. You play as James Sunderland, a guy who returns to Silent Hill after getting a letter from his wife saying that she's "waiting for you... in our 'special place'" - problem is, she's been dead for three years. So now you're here to find her!
It doesn't really make sense, and you know that even as you play it, but it's such a powerful "what if?" that it really pulls you in - and the more you play, the more compelling it gets. It's also a nice treat after enduring so many modern horror games that feature your character waking up in a castle/creepy manor/hospital with amnesia. Ugh.
Graphics/Art Design
Like the other "main" SH games, the art direction here is absolutely top-notch, and frankly repulsive in areas (in a good way). The fog-swept town is as forlorn and desolate as ever, and the various locations are all put together beautifully without ever feeling over-done - the environments are definitely scary, but in a kind of subdued way - there are a lot of dilapidated buildings and decayed rooms and stuff, but you won't find any mutilated body parts or anything like that. The atmosphere is more of a quiet, slowly building tension than a "spooky prison" or something stupid like that. Think Penumbra, not Dead Space.
The monster designs are little more blatant. Silent Hill in general is known for having some pretty fucked-up looking monsters (Pyramid Head), and Silent Hill 2 is no different -this game has some of the most creative, bizarre, and just-plain-gross monster designs in the whole genre. Pyramid Head looks downright normal when you compare it the Mannequin, Abstract Daddy, and the Nurses.
Soundtrack/Sound Design
Even more important than the environment and enemies is the soundtrack, and whadda ya know - Silent Hill 2's is brilliant. It's difficult to get across how much work the soundtrack does here, but I'll try.
The standard walking-around tracks are all great - they accentuate the tension and general "this doesn't feel right" vibe of the whole game real well, but it's the smaller touches that really seal the deal. The static burst your radio emits when monsters are nearby consistently made me anxious despite the relatively low danger (a classic Pavlov's Dog situation). The air-raid siren after the first fight with Pyramid Head is deeply unsettling, as is the oppressively loud machine noises in the clock room in the apartment building. The guttural mutterings in the prison, and the weird dirges in the labyrinth -- all of these lesser elements combine to create an almost dream-like collage of sonic oppression that consistently kept me on the edge of my seat.
Gameplay & Story
Since Silent Hill is (very much so) a Japanese game, it controls a little differently than you might expect. It's a relic of the single-control-stick era, as Japanese gamers were resistant to the idea of dual analog sticks. As such, the game controls in a very unique and weird fashion, with fixed camera angles and a two-button combat system. Oh yeah, there's combat in this game - and a lot of it. It's awkward and clunky, but also pretty grisly and cathartic - there's perverse fun to be had by beating the various nasties to death with a pipe, especially when your nerves have been frayed bare by the rest of the game.
What you actually do in the game is a mix of puzzle-solving and combat, with a heavier emphasis on the former. The puzzles are kind of an odd bunch, with most of them being satisfyingly-tough riddles that make some amount of sense. Some of the other ones are a bit more esoteric and will probably take you a while. Honestly, this is the only area of this game that hasn't aged super well.
The story, on the other hand, is very impressive. The pacing is slow (maybe a little too slow - don't worry, it's worth it!) and methodical, and the dialogue is frequently nonsensical. The plot is set up so that its basically impossible to figure out everything that happens, and it's never really clear whats real and whats not. Multiple playthroughs are encouraged by the game and there are a whopping six different endings available - three of them only attainable on your second time through.
In terms of length, there were three distinct moments where I thought "Oh shit, this is definitely the end" and was completely wrong, so don't worry about that - there's plenty of meat to chew on here.
Bottom Line
This game is considered the greatest horror game ever made, and after playing it I'm inclined to agree. From the sound design to the characters to the story - everything about Silent Hill 2 oozes polish, superior craftsmanship, and slow-burning tension and fear. It's more interesting than Amnesia and Slender, and more varied and twisty than Dead Space and Resident Evil - honestly, it's perfect.
(Note: I played it as part of the Silent Hill HD Collection on Xbox 360, which I later discovered is a pretty awful port. If you can find a copy for PS2, get that instead. The PS3 version of the HD collection is also preferable to the 360 one apparently.)
