When it comes to survival horror,Konami’sSilent Hill series is among the cream of the crop.Silent Hill 2, originally released in 2001, is often considered the best entry in the franchise and one of the best video games ever made. Its popularity has been so long-lasting and impactful that a remake is well under way from studio Bloober Team, who have promised to maintain the most critical aspects of this legendary work of fiction.
Like most Silent Hill games, Silent Hill 2 hasmultiple endingsthe player can experience based on certain actions taken over the course of their playthrough. Some endings are as happy as a game like this could get, while others are beyond baffling and throw expectations out the window with the kitchen sink.
Silent Hill 2
Each Ending & Their Parameters
Silent Hill 2 has a total of 6 possible endings players can achieve, four being canonical possibilities and the other two being secret joke endings. The joke endings differ greatly in the steps taken to unlock them compared to the four standard endings for the game.
Rebirth Ending:
This ending, only unlockable on asecond playthrough, sees James deny his ability to overcome grief and becomes obsessed with reviving Mary. He loads her body into a boat and begins to row towards Silent Hill, desperate to bargain for her life.
This ending can be reached by finding 4 items, the Lost Memories Book, the Crimson Ceremony Book, the Obsidian Goblet, and the White Chrism, that are scattered across the town and the Otherworld. With these items collected, beating the final two bosses will grant players the Rebirth ending.
In Water Ending:
This ending sees James fail to overcome his grief and plunge his car into the lake and dying. To reach this ending, players need to have James fight recklessly, taking damage andrarely healing. Additionally, players need toreadthe Patient Diary on Brookhaven’s roof, read thesecond messagein Neely’s Bar, look at Angela’s knife and listen to Mary and James' conversations inside the hotel.
Maria Ending:
This ending sees James reject facing his trauma and leaves Silent Hill with Maria, who begins coughing as they exit the haunted town. To get the Maria ending, players need toprotect herfrom taking too much damage when facing monsters, avoid the ghostly conversations between James and Mary, and ensure the player spends along timewith James and Maria when they’re together in-person.
The Leave Ending:
This is as close to a happy ending that James can receive in Silent Hill 2. It has James acknowledge and face his trauma and guilt, leaving Silent Hill with Laura as they go to return to their lives. This ending can be achieved byhealingJames regularly and avoiding taking too much damage too often, listen to James and Mary’s conversations together when they pop up, and having James look at Mary’s lettermultiple timesover the course of the game.
UFO Ending:
Another Silent Hill protagonist with unresolved personal issues, another alien abduction. This joke ending sees James zapped and taken away by the same aliens from the last game, including a cameo by Harry from the original Silent Hill, now living with his former abductors.
To achieve this ending, players need tofind a Blue Gemand use it at specific areas throughout the game, including the bathroom at the very beginning, Hotel Room 312, the Otherworld Hospital’s garden, and the rowboat after players fight off Eddie. The game will cut-off abruptly and play the UFO ending cinematics when these criteria are met by the player.
Evil Genius Dog Ending:
Even more absurd than alien interference, this ending implies that all of Silent Hill is a massive act being puppeted by a hyper-intelligent dog in a secret control room. This ending is also restricted tosecond playthroughsof the game, and can be achieved by findinga keyinside of a doghouse by Rosewater Park, and using it to open the locked Observation Room door on thethird storyof the hotel.
