Silent Hill 2 Remake's Two New Endings Explained (In Detail)

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Content Warning: This article contains mention of suicide.

Likely the single biggest story change in the remake is the addition of two new endings: Stillness and Bliss. The original had four main endings that were achievable on a first playthrough. These represent different outcomes for its protagonist, James Sunderland, based on the player's treatment of Maria, their attitude towards Mary, and their apparent desire to live. It also includes two joke endings: the now-infamous Dog ending from the original release of the game, and the UFO ending introduced in later re-releases.

[Warning: This aritcle contains spoilers for both of Silent Hill 2's new endings.]

The remake's new endings, however, are a different beast. Though they bear some similarities to recurring endings from the base game, they're different in their own right, bringing new perspectives to the world of .

's new Stillness ending is, in effect, an expansion of the original game's In Water ending. This is the game's most traditional "," in which James is so completely consumed by his grief and his guilt over Mary's death that he drives his car into Toluca Lake, drowning himself. This ending starts in much the same way: James sits in his car as rain pounds on the window, staring outside with a vacant expression. He repeats statements of regret and sorrow to himself (or more accurately, to Mary's body, which is implied to be sitting in the backseat).

This time, however, Mary's hand reaches up from the back, stroking James' cheek. She whispers calming platitudes in his ear, but James wavers. Finally, he asks, "" to which Mary replies, "." James looks one final time at Mary's letter, lying in its envelope on the passenger seat, before looking ahead in determination. The scene then cuts to black, and the unmistakable sounds of an engine starting, tires screeching, and finally, a sharp plunge into water can be heard.

Bloober and Konami will continue to collaborate on future projects following the upcoming