Konami’s Silent Hill launched for the PlayStation in 1999 as a moodier alternative to Capcom’s Resident Evil. Created by a team of outcasts within the company known as Team Silent, the game’s potent mix of otherworldly visuals and atmospheric audio rewrote all the rules of the burgeoning “survival horror” genre.
And just two years later, the team did it again on the PS2 with a sequel.
Comedian Mike Drucker (who has credits on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Bill Nye Saves the World, and Adam Ruins Everything) might seem like an odd choice to explore the foggy corners of the titular town for Boss Fight Books, but that’s exactly who the publishing label turned to for their 27th book, Silent Hill 2:
A troubled man travels to a mysterious town from his past after receiving a letter from his wife… who’s been dead for years. And while our “hero” explores dark corridors and battles countless disturbing enemies, his journey offers more psychological horror than survival horror. Welcome to Silent Hill, where the monster is you.
Silent Hill 2 doubles down on what made the first game so compelling: The feeling of being lost in a foggy, upside-down town as unsettling as it is familiar. Nearly two decades after first experiencing Silent Hill 2, writer and comedian Mike Drucker returns to its dark depths to explore how this bold video game delivers an experience that is tense, nightmarish, and anything but fun.
With an in-depth and highly personal study of its tragic cast of characters, and a critical examination of developer Konami’s world design and uneven marketing strategy, Drucker examines how Silent Hill 2 forces its players to grapple with the fact that very real-world terrors of trauma, abuse, shame, and guilt are far more threatening than any pyramid-headed monster could ever be.
Silent Hill 2 is now available to purchase directly from Boss Fight Books, as well as through other online retailers.