If I had to single out the two biggest and best horror franchises in all of gaming, I’d outright name Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Both captivated gamers for years with their intriguing storylines, incredible gameplay and countless scares. But while Resident Evil continues to thrive, Silent Hill doesn’t look to be making a comeback anytime soon – unless, of course, Konami gets their sh!t together, and not many of us see that happening.
More often than not, the fanbase settles on Silent Hill 2 as being their favorite installment. Personally, it’s a tossup between the second and third games for me, as both boast such great qualities. But for now, let’s continue discussing James Sunderland’s insane quest that’s eternally enthralled us, shall we?
Believe it or not, the folks over at Hidden Palace have uncovered an early prototype version of the sequel, specifically build 0.10 VW047-U1. Dated July 13th, 2001, this sampling allows you to play up until the first boss fight against Pyramid Head. And like anything of the demo sort, there are subtle differences from the finished product to be found throughout.
Now, according to Bloody Disgusting, those of you who are able to hack the demo after sampling it will be treated to “different attack and enemy sounds, camera angles, removal/addition of certain items, dialogue removal and more.”
This actually forces me to recall respective beta versions and demo hacks of Resident Evil 1 and 2 from back in the day, though I’m not sure if as much interesting trivia pertaining to Silent Hill 2 specifically will be found in this instance. Still, this is some pretty cool stuff for diehards to get their hands on, so it’s encouraged that you venture back to our “special place” as soon as you get the chance.