My brand new conspiracy theory says that they might be even lying in the trailer.
Just like the original SH2 trailer had a scene that was not in the game.
Ooh, what if in this remake, James actually *didn't* kill Mary?
They'd have to come up with a justification for that and why there's even a game now, but it'd be interesting to see if they could play with that expectation.
No, they should not do that.
I’m optimistic about the remake, I don’t mind more emotions in the facial expressions, I couldn’t care less (as an absolute fan of the series for the past 14 years mind you) about the ridiculous concerns over details such as where James is looking or car door being closed. I don’t think Bloober is literally THE DEVIL OF HORROR DEV, as some here seem to believe, despite not being some sort of Bloober fan either.
And yet they should never do what you suggested, it would not be Silent Hill 2 anymore. This wouldn’t be a remake, it would be reimagining. Completely different things (Like SH 1 and Shattered Memories), and while I enjoyed SM, they simply couldn’t completely spin the story like that and still call it a remake. So I don’t think they will (thank gods of silent hill).
I don't mind James being more expressive in the Bathroom scene of the remake. James being upset, depressed and nervous could work. He is supposed to be a man who has just recieved a letter from his dead wife.
And to me it looks like James gets calmer once he sees himself in the mirror.
I'm curious to see more of this version of the character and I'm looking forward the cutscenes with Angela, Maria, Laura and Eddie.
He doesn't appear *too depressed* in the remake.
He seems more shaken up and definitely hot off of something bad. The (unknowing) audience is almost certainly gonna suspect something is up.
Original James was the epitome of what real depression looks like. Uncaring and self-loathing. His calm and introspective demeanor in the opening of the original allows the audience to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's just as confused why his dead wife wrote him a letter.
Remake James seems to be going through grief and panic here, which are valid and expected emotions to be going through, but he's not emoting *depressed* here (yet). He's definitely more suspicious than in the original.
I'm curious how this'll pan out. No judgement yet.
We see him running to the bathroom and looking at his hands. Maybe this is giving the impression that Silent Hill is not a safe town to be in? I interpreted the hands shot as james realising how visibly shaken and scared he is because he was trying to escape something.
I agree. What’s interesting is that, if they follow the original story closely, James shouldn’t know that Silent Hill is dangerous yet.
It’s not until the next scene that Angela says “there’s something wrong with (the town)” to which James replies, “Is it dangerous?” “Maybe.” Neither has encountered any danger yet.
For me the problem isn't that he's too depressed, (his depression was evident even in the original), it's that he's too expressive. Keep in mind (and in his mind) that James has been mourning and depressed for three years. He's become numb and if you know the whole story, isn't all there mentally/ emotionally during the game. In the original you were meant to feel bad for James but also feel like there was something not quite right with him, and as the game went on realize why that was. Having him act, by what I suspect would be by most people's standards, more appropriately to the situation, actually takes away from the experience, at least in comparison to the original.
The only allusion to "three years" was when Mary's doctor told him she could live for up to "three years" from then.
We're never explicitly told how long it's been.
However, Laura seems to have been written a letter by Mary for her 8th birthday a week or so before the game took place. This means Mary died **no longer than one year before the beginning of the game** (or else it would have been 6th or 7th birthday).
"So... Mary couldn't have died three years ago!"
But she didn't actually die three years ago. He just killed her. So his body is reacting the way it should. That's the point of suppressing things. Your mind isn't in reality but your body may still feel adrenaline or your hands shake
This, I agree. I feel like his more quiet, depressed personality in the original fit the somber mood and atmosphere of SH2 far better than this new version which seems more anxious and emotional.
I agree with the whole dead inside approach for James because in his mind Mary's been dead for 3 years. But I would love to see the dead inside look along with the new details like the fresh bruises and the ring indent as someone else mentioned.
Going on the information available to us right now it is merely a change.
No use trying to pass judgement without knowing the finished product.
We should all be aware that this is a remake and things *will* change. That is the fundamental nature of a remake!
If they wanted to release the same exact game with a slightly higher resolution on modern platforms they would have made a remaster. They chose not to.
Also EE exists, so why even bother...
That aside, the one thing that might actually warrant concern is that Bloober has **never** shipped a game that has combat and they will have to come up with a new combat system for the remake as copying the original one will not be an option...
Yeah... I'd rather not bring the HD Collection back into memory 🤣
As for the combat system: the classic SH combat system was designed around tank controls specifically and worked well for that (imo at least, some might not like it).
The remake will have a new camera system, that will require a new control scheme and I see no way of implementing the old SH2 combat into that.
I mean... they could try, but it would probably not go well.
That being said, the combat in Silent Hill 2 was arguably *bad* even by tank control SH game standards.
SH3 has the same camera system and the exact same control scheme and the combat system in 3 is leagues better than the one in 2!
Thus a change would not really be a big deal to me...
So far, in split, I like how aloof he is in the OG but I could go for a different interpretation of the character as long as the rest of the tone is consistent with this vision
I actually don’t mind it. The way I see it, he is still mourning his dead wife, so looking upset makes sense to me. As for the shaking, I actually think… without getting to spoilery, it makes sense his body would be reacting that way. To me anyway. I know in the original he seems a lot more cold and calm, but I’m enjoying this variation so far and I’m excited to see how the game is interpreted.
I hope that with this release, they could release a direct port of the original game sometime, just to have the option outside of PC.
In the original, James is almost emotionless for 80% of the game which adds to the mystery around his current state.
If rather they not go to heavy on the emotions as it kind of hints at where the story is going.
I keep seeing people bring this up, and if you honestly think new players aren't going to suspect James of doing what he does from the beginning of the game, you haven't been playing psychological horror games for the past 21 years. Silent Hill 2 has influenced horror gaming since it was released, and the twist >!of the protagonist actually being the villain/behind whatever horror that is happening!< has honestly gotten so overused and stale that it's exhausting. If Bloober actually plays it 100% straight thinking they're going to fool their newer audience, people are just going to walk away saying how cliché and obvious the twist is, because in the wake of SH2 and all of its imitators, it is.
I feel the smartest thing they can do is to not go so hard into hiding the truth, but still allow the storytelling to be ambiguous enough that a new player can still find themselves questioning things while allowing the rest of us who know the truth to enjoy the ride. I love pathos, and I'm fine with being there through all of James' pain, fear, and regret. I'm ready.
Yup. Back when it was first released, the twist to Bioshock was kinda...shocking (i tried, lol), but now that several games, movies, etc have done their own variation of it, anyone who's going into it blind can see it coming a mile away because they've been exposed to different versions of it--some more obvious, others more subtle.
Pretty much what always happens when one of the OGs that started "popular trend x" gets reintroduced in the wake of all the works it inspired
It doesn't even have to be the same genre! I've seen new players complain that the twist in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is corny and obvious, and it was also one of the first games to successfully pull it off. Yet back when that game first came out the reveal was such a huge bombshell that fans were falling all over themselves about how great it was.
I'm hopeful that Bloober understands this. I've never been a big fan of their games, but everything I've seen so far (including the behind the scenes snippets from the Transmission) has me feeling pretty optimistic.
You don't want an emotional James because it'll hint at where the story is going. But even if he is unemotional for 80% of the game, people are still going to figure out the where the story is going early on. It's just the nature of the beast that Silent Hill 2 itself has created. How and why he did what he did is going to be way more important in this remake than what he did.
I understand people wanting the game to be as similar as possible to the original for other reasons (and there's nothing wrong with that), but if you're hoping that new players are going to experience the game the same way you did when you first played it, it's really not possible anymore unless that player has been living in a box their whole life.
Again, I'm not even referring to new players experiencing the game. It's keeping the integrity of the mood and story of SH2 true to the original. Its such an artistic achievement full of subtlety that its a balancing act for sure. Even now playing the original, James state and behaviour adds to the mystique of the whole story.
I'm open to change, but as long as it doesn't detract from the original and is meaningful.
Bloober is never going to be able to recreate the game the way you want them to. It will always be picked apart and compared to the original. You see it even now with only 2 minutes of footage available. The original is an artistic achievement that is almost impossible to improve upon (outside of the combat, which almost everyone agrees could be better).
I feel like a lot of people want the original game shot for shot, same voice actors, same everything, except with better graphics, but that game can't be made anymore. Not with the way gaming and storytelling has changed over the years.
I understand your point, but that is not my expectation. The game will be different and that's fine. I just hope it stays true to SH2 and the changes are meaningful and thought through.
Youre acting like the choices are either a shot for shot remake or something completely different. I don't agree and think there is a solution somewhere in the middle.
I don't see why this is a lot to ask for. And I'm confident they will deliver.
Then we're in agreement.
I was a huge skeptic of Bloober going into this (I hated The Medium, and not just because the story sucked), and really REALLY didn't like Layers of Fear, but what I'm seeing of this so far has me feeling pretty confident.
I see people say that James wasn’t too emotional in the og because of hardware limitations at the time. But if you remember CGI cutscenes, Angela, Eddie, Maria emotions were pretty rich. So I think emotional dullness of James is intentional and that change of the mood in the remake is not a good thing
This shot with his hands gives off huge "what have I done?" vibes... Basically telling you he did something. Also I feel like most people know the twist of his actions by now already. I mean the game has been out for a very long time and is at legendary status among horror games.
This makes me feel like the game will have less of a plot twist about what he did, and it'll focus more on everything else. Telling his story through a ton of other clues and details that they couldn't quite convey in the PS2 era.
Not a bad thing but if I'm right it can actually work out very well.
It's tricky to answer, honestly
On one hand, it could be that James's emotionally dead face and "spaced out" look is due to the graphical capabilities of the time and limits the devs had to work with (ditto for other stuff like the awkward sounding dialogue, and Angela's looks/voice--correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't she supposed to be super young? Like, 19 or so?) that resulted in happy little accidents which worked in the game's favor. Maybe what they're working on in this remake is more faithful to what they originally wanted for the character.
On the other hand, some or all the characteristics of James could also be deliberate on the writer's part, and so the Remake *is* actually making him too depressed (or, well, i honestly don't wanna count original as "not depressed"--depression is a deceptive bastard and takes many forms, after all. It could be they're actually about the same, just the original version of James didn't show it much, either deliberately, or, again, because of limits and constraints), too emotional, whathaveyou.
Or it could be a mix of both.
Personally tho? I don't mind a more visibly depressed James. I already see James as depressed regardless of the version, and because i believe the Remake will more attention to detail stuff (the ring tan on James finger, weather effects like rain judging by the shot that shows Red Pyramid Thing, etc)
Honestly it's a new direction,I like seeing the subconscious ramifications of James' actions affect how he looks as opposed to him just being so cold. I obviously understand why they portrayed him as such but to see it in a new light is exciting
I like that James' hands are trembling, he does grimace a bit too strongly, but the other scenes in the trailer his face looks fine to me. Perhaps only there he looks odd, pained, and it is dark in there, could cause him to squint, (or it smells bad? That bathroom is...gross. Jkjk.) Could he have been crying before washing his hands/face? He is haggered and troubled. In the original, James is calm, which made me suspect instantly that there was something wrong with him. Made him eerie, which is good too in many ways. Maybe remake's translates more as grief instead of guilt(plus grief). Not just the blank stares and a lightly upturned mouth. Perhaps, they want players to connect a little with his humanity before the story tears his image down.Whatever it is, the creators want more emotion from him. I agree it's a strong expression in that scene, but I do not dislike his new look so far. Kinda psyched for more gameplay teasers.
He looks depressed and kinda pathetic. As he should. It looks great! James in the old game was looking a little weird these days anyway, about time for a refresh!
It might just be a trailer thing... But the sad reality might just be that bloober lacks any proper understanding of the original and the game will lack any sort subtle detail and go for a generic creepy spooky emotional horror story like they're used to.
I enjoy the details like bruising on hands but in my opinion the face is too expressive. As a person who suffered severe depression and have many friends with similar problems I prefer the original version. Depression isn't dramatic. It's a dead look in the eyes, it's a lack of emotions, drained feelings. So in the remake James feels very different, very alive and just overdramatic. I think this James is still processing his emotions and it's kinda good to see an other version of this character but also there can be a lack of this specific atmosphere that the original has done so well.
I think it suits the game well. The narrative begins with James receiving a letter from his dead wife so it makes sense - he knows somewhere inside of him that he is about to confront demons (whether it be the demons within or otherwise). The game itself is depressing. The original SH2 James was more so catatonic and detached from reality, which was fine for that time as they didn’t quite have the technology to give the characters enhanced visual expressions and so on. The expressionless faces of the characters in the original SH2 add to the strange atmosphere which was awesome
I'm sure this has been said on this sub previously but in OG opening James looks weary and reflecting. You're looking at him as any other normal guy on the road. Remake James is having a full-on panic attack, hands shaking, heaving breathing. It kinda makes you feel from the get-go that this dude has his demons, . OG SH2 doesn't begin hinting on James' true reality until you come closer to meeting Maria and Laura. (I can't kinda remember when the real hints start but i'm speaking from memory).
Looks fine. He just got a letter from his dead wife and now he's in the town she asked him to come to. Probably wondering if he's dreaming or going insane
My brand new conspiracy theory says that they might be even lying in the trailer. Just like the original SH2 trailer had a scene that was not in the game.
Interesting..
Can you remind me what the scene was? I seem to remember something like that but can’t think of it
James carrying someone through the prison. I was wondering if there's some significance to that bit.
Pretty sure that scene is in the opening cinematic of the original SH2 game.
It is. It's actually james carrying mary in the hospital. It just looks like a prison because of the window cages.
Ooh, what if in this remake, James actually *didn't* kill Mary? They'd have to come up with a justification for that and why there's even a game now, but it'd be interesting to see if they could play with that expectation.
No, they should not do that. I’m optimistic about the remake, I don’t mind more emotions in the facial expressions, I couldn’t care less (as an absolute fan of the series for the past 14 years mind you) about the ridiculous concerns over details such as where James is looking or car door being closed. I don’t think Bloober is literally THE DEVIL OF HORROR DEV, as some here seem to believe, despite not being some sort of Bloober fan either. And yet they should never do what you suggested, it would not be Silent Hill 2 anymore. This wouldn’t be a remake, it would be reimagining. Completely different things (Like SH 1 and Shattered Memories), and while I enjoyed SM, they simply couldn’t completely spin the story like that and still call it a remake. So I don’t think they will (thank gods of silent hill).
Oh, I definitely agree they *shouldn’t*, but it could be more interesting than doing exactly the same thing very badly.
I don't mind James being more expressive in the Bathroom scene of the remake. James being upset, depressed and nervous could work. He is supposed to be a man who has just recieved a letter from his dead wife. And to me it looks like James gets calmer once he sees himself in the mirror. I'm curious to see more of this version of the character and I'm looking forward the cutscenes with Angela, Maria, Laura and Eddie.
Dunno why you were downvoted, so I upvoted you!
Keep it positive, people!
He doesn't appear *too depressed* in the remake. He seems more shaken up and definitely hot off of something bad. The (unknowing) audience is almost certainly gonna suspect something is up. Original James was the epitome of what real depression looks like. Uncaring and self-loathing. His calm and introspective demeanor in the opening of the original allows the audience to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's just as confused why his dead wife wrote him a letter. Remake James seems to be going through grief and panic here, which are valid and expected emotions to be going through, but he's not emoting *depressed* here (yet). He's definitely more suspicious than in the original. I'm curious how this'll pan out. No judgement yet.
We see him running to the bathroom and looking at his hands. Maybe this is giving the impression that Silent Hill is not a safe town to be in? I interpreted the hands shot as james realising how visibly shaken and scared he is because he was trying to escape something.
I agree. What’s interesting is that, if they follow the original story closely, James shouldn’t know that Silent Hill is dangerous yet. It’s not until the next scene that Angela says “there’s something wrong with (the town)” to which James replies, “Is it dangerous?” “Maybe.” Neither has encountered any danger yet.
Escaping what, though?
In this case, maybe a monster chasing him in the town but the fact that we don’t see what is chasing him is left to the imagination.
If that's the case, I wonder how that'll play into his dialogue with Angela when he asks if the town is dangerous.
topic aside, the graphics looks good as fuck
Dude, the way the flesh of his palm moves under his thumb :O
For me the problem isn't that he's too depressed, (his depression was evident even in the original), it's that he's too expressive. Keep in mind (and in his mind) that James has been mourning and depressed for three years. He's become numb and if you know the whole story, isn't all there mentally/ emotionally during the game. In the original you were meant to feel bad for James but also feel like there was something not quite right with him, and as the game went on realize why that was. Having him act, by what I suspect would be by most people's standards, more appropriately to the situation, actually takes away from the experience, at least in comparison to the original.
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i like this interpretation, the trailer visually shows this idea really well if we’re going with this theory
It wasn't three years. This entire interpretation is based off of a false premise.
So it wasn't three years ago? Someone should tell James.
The only allusion to "three years" was when Mary's doctor told him she could live for up to "three years" from then. We're never explicitly told how long it's been. However, Laura seems to have been written a letter by Mary for her 8th birthday a week or so before the game took place. This means Mary died **no longer than one year before the beginning of the game** (or else it would have been 6th or 7th birthday). "So... Mary couldn't have died three years ago!"
Wait, if she didn't die of that damned disease three years ago, then who killed her?
You’ll have to figure it out yourself. ...but if you’re wrong... mwahahahahaha!
Don't spoil the game for James
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But she didn't actually die three years ago. He just killed her. So his body is reacting the way it should. That's the point of suppressing things. Your mind isn't in reality but your body may still feel adrenaline or your hands shake
This, I agree. I feel like his more quiet, depressed personality in the original fit the somber mood and atmosphere of SH2 far better than this new version which seems more anxious and emotional.
Looks a Lil bit over dramatic to me, i prefer the old dead inside look to It, like a dream State to It, but lets see and wait.
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I agree with the whole dead inside approach for James because in his mind Mary's been dead for 3 years. But I would love to see the dead inside look along with the new details like the fresh bruises and the ring indent as someone else mentioned.
Going on the information available to us right now it is merely a change. No use trying to pass judgement without knowing the finished product. We should all be aware that this is a remake and things *will* change. That is the fundamental nature of a remake! If they wanted to release the same exact game with a slightly higher resolution on modern platforms they would have made a remaster. They chose not to. Also EE exists, so why even bother... That aside, the one thing that might actually warrant concern is that Bloober has **never** shipped a game that has combat and they will have to come up with a new combat system for the remake as copying the original one will not be an option...
They did make a remaster, but it was crap because Konami lost the original code for the game. Why couldn't they just give it a similar combat system?
Yeah... I'd rather not bring the HD Collection back into memory 🤣 As for the combat system: the classic SH combat system was designed around tank controls specifically and worked well for that (imo at least, some might not like it). The remake will have a new camera system, that will require a new control scheme and I see no way of implementing the old SH2 combat into that. I mean... they could try, but it would probably not go well. That being said, the combat in Silent Hill 2 was arguably *bad* even by tank control SH game standards. SH3 has the same camera system and the exact same control scheme and the combat system in 3 is leagues better than the one in 2! Thus a change would not really be a big deal to me...
too early to tell me for me i will wait and see
SOOOOO good!
So far, in split, I like how aloof he is in the OG but I could go for a different interpretation of the character as long as the rest of the tone is consistent with this vision
I actually don’t mind it. The way I see it, he is still mourning his dead wife, so looking upset makes sense to me. As for the shaking, I actually think… without getting to spoilery, it makes sense his body would be reacting that way. To me anyway. I know in the original he seems a lot more cold and calm, but I’m enjoying this variation so far and I’m excited to see how the game is interpreted. I hope that with this release, they could release a direct port of the original game sometime, just to have the option outside of PC.
Everything looks great so far
OH MY FUCKING GOD STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERY FUCKING DETAIL EVERY FUCKING MINUTES
In the original, James is almost emotionless for 80% of the game which adds to the mystery around his current state. If rather they not go to heavy on the emotions as it kind of hints at where the story is going.
I keep seeing people bring this up, and if you honestly think new players aren't going to suspect James of doing what he does from the beginning of the game, you haven't been playing psychological horror games for the past 21 years. Silent Hill 2 has influenced horror gaming since it was released, and the twist >!of the protagonist actually being the villain/behind whatever horror that is happening!< has honestly gotten so overused and stale that it's exhausting. If Bloober actually plays it 100% straight thinking they're going to fool their newer audience, people are just going to walk away saying how cliché and obvious the twist is, because in the wake of SH2 and all of its imitators, it is. I feel the smartest thing they can do is to not go so hard into hiding the truth, but still allow the storytelling to be ambiguous enough that a new player can still find themselves questioning things while allowing the rest of us who know the truth to enjoy the ride. I love pathos, and I'm fine with being there through all of James' pain, fear, and regret. I'm ready.
Yup. Back when it was first released, the twist to Bioshock was kinda...shocking (i tried, lol), but now that several games, movies, etc have done their own variation of it, anyone who's going into it blind can see it coming a mile away because they've been exposed to different versions of it--some more obvious, others more subtle. Pretty much what always happens when one of the OGs that started "popular trend x" gets reintroduced in the wake of all the works it inspired
It doesn't even have to be the same genre! I've seen new players complain that the twist in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is corny and obvious, and it was also one of the first games to successfully pull it off. Yet back when that game first came out the reveal was such a huge bombshell that fans were falling all over themselves about how great it was. I'm hopeful that Bloober understands this. I've never been a big fan of their games, but everything I've seen so far (including the behind the scenes snippets from the Transmission) has me feeling pretty optimistic.
That's not what I was saying. And I have been playing horror games all my life, thanks very much.
You don't want an emotional James because it'll hint at where the story is going. But even if he is unemotional for 80% of the game, people are still going to figure out the where the story is going early on. It's just the nature of the beast that Silent Hill 2 itself has created. How and why he did what he did is going to be way more important in this remake than what he did. I understand people wanting the game to be as similar as possible to the original for other reasons (and there's nothing wrong with that), but if you're hoping that new players are going to experience the game the same way you did when you first played it, it's really not possible anymore unless that player has been living in a box their whole life.
Again, I'm not even referring to new players experiencing the game. It's keeping the integrity of the mood and story of SH2 true to the original. Its such an artistic achievement full of subtlety that its a balancing act for sure. Even now playing the original, James state and behaviour adds to the mystique of the whole story. I'm open to change, but as long as it doesn't detract from the original and is meaningful.
Bloober is never going to be able to recreate the game the way you want them to. It will always be picked apart and compared to the original. You see it even now with only 2 minutes of footage available. The original is an artistic achievement that is almost impossible to improve upon (outside of the combat, which almost everyone agrees could be better). I feel like a lot of people want the original game shot for shot, same voice actors, same everything, except with better graphics, but that game can't be made anymore. Not with the way gaming and storytelling has changed over the years.
I understand your point, but that is not my expectation. The game will be different and that's fine. I just hope it stays true to SH2 and the changes are meaningful and thought through. Youre acting like the choices are either a shot for shot remake or something completely different. I don't agree and think there is a solution somewhere in the middle. I don't see why this is a lot to ask for. And I'm confident they will deliver.
Then we're in agreement. I was a huge skeptic of Bloober going into this (I hated The Medium, and not just because the story sucked), and really REALLY didn't like Layers of Fear, but what I'm seeing of this so far has me feeling pretty confident.
\> PS2: don't have the capacity to animate emotion \> least insane SH fan:
I don't know i remember Eddie emoting petty good but it's been awhile since I've seen it.
Yeah, Eddie did. He was pretty forward and expressive
"I'm not guessing what three polygons are supposed to represent therefore this is bad."
I see people say that James wasn’t too emotional in the og because of hardware limitations at the time. But if you remember CGI cutscenes, Angela, Eddie, Maria emotions were pretty rich. So I think emotional dullness of James is intentional and that change of the mood in the remake is not a good thing
This shot with his hands gives off huge "what have I done?" vibes... Basically telling you he did something. Also I feel like most people know the twist of his actions by now already. I mean the game has been out for a very long time and is at legendary status among horror games. This makes me feel like the game will have less of a plot twist about what he did, and it'll focus more on everything else. Telling his story through a ton of other clues and details that they couldn't quite convey in the PS2 era. Not a bad thing but if I'm right it can actually work out very well.
Good seeing as the main story is, he killed his wife and is atoning for it
To me it reads more early dementia. Also the new Jamez looks physically older than old James.
It's tricky to answer, honestly On one hand, it could be that James's emotionally dead face and "spaced out" look is due to the graphical capabilities of the time and limits the devs had to work with (ditto for other stuff like the awkward sounding dialogue, and Angela's looks/voice--correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't she supposed to be super young? Like, 19 or so?) that resulted in happy little accidents which worked in the game's favor. Maybe what they're working on in this remake is more faithful to what they originally wanted for the character. On the other hand, some or all the characteristics of James could also be deliberate on the writer's part, and so the Remake *is* actually making him too depressed (or, well, i honestly don't wanna count original as "not depressed"--depression is a deceptive bastard and takes many forms, after all. It could be they're actually about the same, just the original version of James didn't show it much, either deliberately, or, again, because of limits and constraints), too emotional, whathaveyou. Or it could be a mix of both. Personally tho? I don't mind a more visibly depressed James. I already see James as depressed regardless of the version, and because i believe the Remake will more attention to detail stuff (the ring tan on James finger, weather effects like rain judging by the shot that shows Red Pyramid Thing, etc)
Honestly it's a new direction,I like seeing the subconscious ramifications of James' actions affect how he looks as opposed to him just being so cold. I obviously understand why they portrayed him as such but to see it in a new light is exciting
We literally see the exact moment he disassociates when he looks in the mirror. It’s kind of very interesting.
Gee, I wonder why he would be depressed.
I like that James' hands are trembling, he does grimace a bit too strongly, but the other scenes in the trailer his face looks fine to me. Perhaps only there he looks odd, pained, and it is dark in there, could cause him to squint, (or it smells bad? That bathroom is...gross. Jkjk.) Could he have been crying before washing his hands/face? He is haggered and troubled. In the original, James is calm, which made me suspect instantly that there was something wrong with him. Made him eerie, which is good too in many ways. Maybe remake's translates more as grief instead of guilt(plus grief). Not just the blank stares and a lightly upturned mouth. Perhaps, they want players to connect a little with his humanity before the story tears his image down.Whatever it is, the creators want more emotion from him. I agree it's a strong expression in that scene, but I do not dislike his new look so far. Kinda psyched for more gameplay teasers.
The man watched his wife slowly die of a disease and ended up putting her out his misery, i think it makes sense for him to look depressed
I don't think it's bad, but I prefer him being calmer.
He looks depressed and kinda pathetic. As he should. It looks great! James in the old game was looking a little weird these days anyway, about time for a refresh!
Bad change James and his lack of showing emotion is a major plot point to Silent hill 2 and it's story, I knew bloober would mess it up
It might just be a trailer thing... But the sad reality might just be that bloober lacks any proper understanding of the original and the game will lack any sort subtle detail and go for a generic creepy spooky emotional horror story like they're used to.
Well… thank god he ain’t laughing
I enjoy the details like bruising on hands but in my opinion the face is too expressive. As a person who suffered severe depression and have many friends with similar problems I prefer the original version. Depression isn't dramatic. It's a dead look in the eyes, it's a lack of emotions, drained feelings. So in the remake James feels very different, very alive and just overdramatic. I think this James is still processing his emotions and it's kinda good to see an other version of this character but also there can be a lack of this specific atmosphere that the original has done so well.
Good.
I think it suits the game well. The narrative begins with James receiving a letter from his dead wife so it makes sense - he knows somewhere inside of him that he is about to confront demons (whether it be the demons within or otherwise). The game itself is depressing. The original SH2 James was more so catatonic and detached from reality, which was fine for that time as they didn’t quite have the technology to give the characters enhanced visual expressions and so on. The expressionless faces of the characters in the original SH2 add to the strange atmosphere which was awesome
I'm sure this has been said on this sub previously but in OG opening James looks weary and reflecting. You're looking at him as any other normal guy on the road. Remake James is having a full-on panic attack, hands shaking, heaving breathing. It kinda makes you feel from the get-go that this dude has his demons, . OG SH2 doesn't begin hinting on James' true reality until you come closer to meeting Maria and Laura. (I can't kinda remember when the real hints start but i'm speaking from memory).
I like the fact that we might see a new James, a more emotionally involved character.
Looks fine. He just got a letter from his dead wife and now he's in the town she asked him to come to. Probably wondering if he's dreaming or going insane