The player is cast in the character of James Sunderland, who at first glance appears to be an average person. However, when he received a letter from his wife requesting him to come to Silent Hill, the couple’s particular spot, James became perplexed, just as anybody else would have been. The only issue is that his wife passed away three years ago, and he has kept the secrets that revolved around her passing to himself. James makes the decision to comply with the request made in the letter, even if he is unsure whether this is a cruel joke or whether there is more to the story. James learns that the road is blocked just as he approaches the outskirts of the town, so he parks his car in a toilet that has been abandoned. He has no idea that he is just taking the first step into solving the riddle of Silent Hill as well as his own past at this point.
Survival horror is the genre that Silent Hill 2 belongs to. The gameplay is very similar to what was offered in the previous iteration. The player takes control of James as he explores the village of Silent Hill and is tasked with amassing a limitless arsenal full of weaponry, health-restoring supplies, and other items necessary to complete puzzles. James receives a warning through radio whenever there are hostiles in the area. James, much like the protagonist of the original game, is not particularly skilled in combat. He is able to fight with simple melee weapons or firearms with a limited supply of ammunition. Although the majority of the challenges are centered on logic and frequently take the form of riddles, there are also a few straightforward inventory-based activities included in the game.
Although the game’s premise is identical to that of the prior installment, it is played in a region of the city that was not visited in the prior game, and the majority of the game’s weaponry and foes are also brand new. Additionally new is the capability to switch from the traditional “survival horror” controls, which are based on the character, to the more widespread 3D navigation, which is dependent on the camera. Both the fighting and puzzle difficulty levels can be changed independently of one another.
