(Story/Art Spoilers) Thoughts on the Otherworld?

[NanayaShiki]

So one interesting change in this remake is the visual design of the Otherworld. It's not that it's entirely different but it felt to me like they absolutely added visual aspects of the SH1/SH3 Otherworlds in there. We've got our chains, rust, and blood. That stuff wasn't entirely absent from SH2 originally but it was definitely not the main aesthetic. I always felt that decay was more James' central theme. Water damaged, old, moldy, rotten. Decay. But now we have some more of the classic nightmare hellscape added. How do we feel about it?

I want to also briefly ponder the use of fans. They are EVERYWHERE. Even Pyramid Head has a giant old fan in his room now. In Book of Lost Memories they describe how circular objects like fans often represent circular time. Life, death, and rebirth. Or, more bluntly, loops. Do you think this is another hint at the idea of this being a James that has already gone through the events of SH2 being reset and forced through it again? Or is this just an unintended side effect of them borrowing visual aesthetics of the other games without carrying forward their original meaning?

[leftshoe18]

I've always been more of a fan of Silent Hill 1's Otherworld so I welcome the aesthetic similarities here. I think there's enough of the decay theme still shining through that the Otherworld still serves its thematic purpose.

I also think the more visceral Otherworld appearance also helps drive home that the final burnt out husk of the hotel isn't the Otherworld which is something that Ito mentioned that doesn't really show through in the original game.

[Jonipoon]

I absolutely loved the inclusion of more "red rust" as I usually refer to the Otherworlds seen in SH1/SH3. To me it always made sense that Alessa's influence had a big impact on the Otherworld as a whole after the events of the first game. The original developers even said so themselves that after Alessa, the town gained the power to call out to people "with darkness in their hearts".

And it's not like there wasn't a lot of murky, wet stuff either. I loved the inclusion of heavy rain in the remake, since it was missing from the original.

Regarding the fans, I think it's just part of the Silent Hill aesthetic at this point. I also don't like the idea of time loops.

[screwymoony]

As a vehement remake disliker, I hated the new otherworld. You can hardly see unless you stop to look around (which you won't because of the relentless enemies) and I deeply appreciated the originals more subdued, isolated and almost hopeless otherworld. 3 Is grungy, grotesque, fleshy and squirmy, the story is about birth. 2 is more desperate, hopeless and depressing. Let's make it like the third games' because it's SCARIER! AAH!!!

Sorry, but I really despised that decision. I'm not about to say that it 'missed the point' because anyone can say that about anything, but it lost a really fantastic atmosphere which was unique and worlds more fitting to the second one, and in many ways I prefer to the other games.

Now, is the remake scarier? Yes. But out of the original 4, the second game is the last one I'd go to when I want to be scared. I go to 2 when I want something more surreal and emotional, not when I want to get scared.

[Vixx]

The two things aren't exclusive, though. Remake is both scary and emotional, and that's a good thing. I don't think it takes much from SH3 at all.

The only red/rusty bits that stand out for me is the Labyrinth, and that's when the walls of the Orosco home disintegrate into rusty prison bars to symbolise how Angela felt trapped. Otherwise, I thought it portrayed the spirit of the OG's OW pretty well.

I agree there are a <em>lot</em> of enemies. I'd love a no death/no monster unlockable NG+ mode to enable use to explore.

[AuraTwilight]

I disliked how they upped the rusty/red factor and how (admittedly, for gameplay purposes) things were a lot more run down with broken walls and shit. It reminded me too much of Homecoming's Otherworld, which is NOT a plus. I REALLY felt the absence of some of the original game's aesthetic and charm in the hospital specifically. Most of the other areas were alright. Hotel's Otherworld was too orange and not enough wet.

[Vixx]

...The Hotel's Otherworld is when James arrives, though! The run-down/wet version he sees after the tape is reality and shows the hotel after it caught fire.

https://x.com/adsk4/status/1849109176112550057

I genuinely thought the SH2R's OW is superb. Yeah, it's redder, at parts, but the overwhelming colour in the hospital for me is grey/beige/colourless.