When it comes to remakes of classic games, there are bound to be changes to a lot of aspects of the game. Whether it be character designs, gameplay mechanics or even just a few texture changes, there are differences to be expected. Whether these changes go down well with fans is another story entirely. However, many keen-eyed fans noticed that the protagonist of Silent Hill 2, James Sunderland, has gotten a bold new look after the game’s SteamDB page has gotten an update. To the surprise of many, fans have actually taken to the changes positively.
From what we can see from the new icon, James’s new appearance seems to more closely resemble his 2001 incarnation, rather than the version that was previously shown off in the remake’s trailers. As of writing, neither Blooper Team or Konami have commented on the change but it should be noted that the new appearance can only be found in the game’s SteamBD page and that its Steam page still features the old design.
A Reddit post was made on the r/silenthill subreddit discussing the new appearance, and so far it seems to have been quite well received by fans. Many users praised the change and with many more suggesting that the changes show that Blooper Team has listened to the criticisms that fans had with James’ initial remake appearance. The biggest issue fans had with Blooper Team’s version of James Sunderland is that in the trailer the character appears to look a lot older than his actual age.
With such a small change, this seems to have reignited many fans’ hope for the project, though some are still skeptical. After the game’s most recent gameplay trailer, many fans felt as if Blooper Team had made too drastic a change to the game’s initial concept, focusing heavily on the action rather than the fear and horror that made the series so iconic. Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see if Blooper Team’s version of Silent Hill 2 will be as strong as the original or if this change in icon is merely an attempt to drum up hype.
