Silent Hill Remake: Devs Aim to Showcase Evolution

Bloober Team's successful Silent Hill 2 Remake marks a turning point, propelling them forward to prove their capabilities extend beyond a single achievement. This article explores their next project and their vision for the future.

Bloober Team's Continued Ascent

Building Confidence and Demonstrating Growth

The overwhelmingly positive reception of the Silent Hill 2 Remake from both players and critics has been a significant boost for Bloober Team. Despite the substantial changes from the original, the remake exceeded expectations. However, the team hasn't forgotten the initial skepticism they faced. This renewed confidence fuels their desire to showcase their lasting potential.

At the Xbox Partner Preview on October 16th, Bloober Team unveiled their next horror title, Cronos: The New Dawn. Game Designer Wojciech Piejko, in an interview with Gamespot, emphasized their intention to avoid replicating their previous success: "We don't want to make a similar game [to Silent Hill 2]." He revealed that Cronos' development began in 2021, shortly after The Medium's release.

Director Jacek Zieba described Cronos: The New Dawn as their "second punch" in a two-hit combo, with the Silent Hill 2 Remake being the "first." He highlighted their underdog status, acknowledging the initial doubt surrounding their ability to handle a survival horror project of such magnitude.

Zieba stated, "Nobody believed we could deliver, and we delivered. That was a big honor, that we, as Bloober, could work with Silent Hill and Konami. As horror creators, we love Silent Hill, like, I think, most horror fans [do]." The company even issued a public statement urging fans for patience during development.

Ultimately, Bloober Team's efforts culminated in an 86 Metacritic score. Piejko commented, "They made the impossible possible, and it was a bumpy road because of all the hate on the internet. The pressure was big on them, and they delivered, and for the company, it's an amazing moment."

Evolution: Bloober Team 3.0

Piejko positioned Cronos: The New Dawn as a testament to their ability to create compelling original IPs. Players take on the role of "The Traveler," a time-traveling protagonist navigating the past and future to save individuals and alter a dystopian future ravaged by pandemic and mutants.

Leveraging the experience gained from the Silent Hill 2 Remake, Bloober Team aims to surpass their previous work, such as Layers of Fear and Observer, which featured less robust gameplay mechanics. Zieba noted, "the basis [for Cronos] when we started in pre-production was there [thanks to] the Silent Hill team."

The Silent Hill 2 Remake signifies a pivotal moment, marking their evolution as "Bloober Team 3.0." The positive response to the Cronos reveal trailer further bolsters their optimism, suggesting a significant shift in public perception.

Zieba's ambition is to solidify Bloober Team's reputation as a leading horror developer, stating, "We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just--let's evolve with it. [...] And how that happens is more complex, but it also happens organically in a way, like with [2016's] Layers of Fear, people in the studio were like, 'Okay, we made some shitty games before, but we [can] evolve.'"

Piejko adds, "We gathered a team that loves horror," "So I think, for us, it would not be easy to switch [to other genres], and we don't want to."