Silent Hill 2’s brilliant remake surprise-launches on Xbox Series X/S with a massive discount ahead of tonight’s showcase

We already knew the Xbox Series X/S version of last year’s stupendous Silent Hill 2 remake was likely imminent thanks to recent ratings board sightings, but it turns out the wait is already over – for Australian players at least. It’s available to download right now via the Australian Xbox Store, suggesting a global launch announcement will feature during tonight’s Xbox showcase.

Developed by Bloober Team (the studio behind the likes of Layers of Fear and this year’s Cronos: The New Dawn), the Silent Hill 2 remake initially launched as PlayStation 5 console exclusive in October last year, arriving on PC at the same time. It was a good ‘un too, successfully managing to modernise the 2001 survival horror classic without losing any of the qualities that helped make the affecting original one of the most beloved games of all time.

Both the original and Bloober’s remake follow protagonist James Sunderland as he journeys to the titular town after receiving a message from his dead wife. Soon the fog closes in and all manner of horrors begin to reveal themselves. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve never played Silent Hill 2 before,” Eurogamer contributor (and Silent Hill super-fan) Vikki Blake wrote in her five-star review of the remake last year. “It also doesn’t matter if you have. [The] heady blend of old and new delivers the best horror I’ve played for years… How it looks, how it sounds, how it plays, how it iterates and modernises whilst honouring its cherished source material. Silent Hill 2 Remake is as close to perfect as I could have ever hoped. And my hopes were high, my friend.”

Which is to say Xbox Series X/S owners have been missing out on a stellar horror experience. But if today’s perhaps unintentionally early Australian release is any indication, that wait will soon be over for all players. Better still, the Australian release (which comes in both standard and deluxe edition forms) is listed with a massive 50 percent discount, meaning Xbox players can get a brilliant game at a fantastic price. Presumably, the remake was initially set to shadow-drop during tonight’s third-party focused Xbox Partner Showcase, but scheduling mishaps with the Australian release has spoiled the surprise.

All this does at least mean Xbox Series X/S owners will get to enjoy the Silent Hill 2 remake ahead of next year’s movie adaptation, Return to Silent Hill, which is being directed by Christophe Gans, who helmed the original Silent Hill movie back in 2006. Will it be any good? I’m apprehensive, but after Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 remake and this year’s brilliant Silent Hill f, the series is clearly on a bit of a roll. Speaking of Silent Hill f, it’s great stuff despite some big changes, and its fascinating approach to story telling even sold me on New Game Plus – something no other game has managed in 40 years.