Silent Hill 2 Remake Devs Want to Prove That They've Evolved

Bloober Team, riding high on the success of their Silent Hill 2 remake, is determined to prove their capabilities extend beyond a single triumph. This article explores their next project and their vision for the future.

Bloober Team's Continued Ascent

Building on Success, Defying Doubts

The overwhelmingly positive critical and fan response to Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake has been a significant boost. Despite substantial changes from the original, the remake exceeded expectations. However, the team acknowledges the initial skepticism they faced and aims to solidify their reputation with future projects.

At the Xbox Partner Preview on October 16th, Bloober Team unveiled their upcoming horror title, Cronos: The New Dawn. Game Designer Wojciech Piejko emphasized a departure from their previous work, stating in a Gamespot interview, "We don't want to make a similar game [to Silent Hill 2]." Development on Cronos began in 2021, shortly after The Medium's release.

Director Jacek Zieba described Cronos: The New Dawn as their "second punch" in a two-hit combo, with the Silent Hill 2 remake being the "first." He highlighted the initial doubts surrounding their ability to handle such a significant project, given their lack of prior experience in the survival horror genre.

Zieba commented, "Nobody believed we could deliver, and we delivered. That was a big honor, that we, as Bloober, could work with Silent Hill and Konami. As horror creators, we love Silent Hill, like, I think, most horror fans [do]." The studio even publicly requested patience from fans during development.

Ultimately, Bloober Team's efforts paid off, achieving an 86 Metacritic score. Piejko remarked, "They made the impossible possible, and it was a bumpy road because of all the hate on the internet. The pressure was big on them, and they delivered, and for the company, it's an amazing moment."

Evolution: Bloober Team 3.0

Piejko positions Cronos: The New Dawn, a game featuring a time-traveling protagonist navigating a pandemic-ravaged future, as a testament to their ability to succeed with original IPs. Building on the lessons learned from the Silent Hill 2 remake, Bloober Team aims to surpass their earlier titles like Layers of Fear and Observer, which had comparatively less gameplay depth. Zieba stated that "the basis [for Cronos] when we started in pre-production was there [thanks to] the Silent Hill team."

The Silent Hill 2 remake marks a pivotal moment, representing "Bloober Team 3.0." The positive reception to the Cronos reveal trailer further bolsters their confidence. Piejko expressed encouragement from the success of both Cronos and the Silent Hill 2 remake, believing it has significantly improved their studio's reputation.

Zieba's ambition is clear: to establish Bloober Team as a leading horror developer. He stated, "We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just--let's evolve with it. [...] And how that happens is more complex, but it also happens organically in a way, like with [2016's] Layers of Fear, people in the studio were like, 'Okay, we made some shitty games before, but we [can] evolve.'"

Piejko added, "We gathered a team that loves horror," Piejko adds. "So I think, for us, it would not be easy to switch [to other genres], and we don't want to."