Silent Hill 2 Not Getting Nominated For Game Of The Year Is An Absolute Robbery

I really can’t believe I’m sitting down to write this piece after vigorously doubting Bloober Team’s ability to hand the Silent Hill 2 remake the due treatment it deserved. I haven’t been so wrong my entire life. The quality on display here has far surpassed expectations, and I’m sure a million other people feel the same way. 

That said, we have won, but at what cost? The Game Awards — the mega-famous annual video game ceremony that celebrates the best gaming works of the year — recently announced contenders for that esteemed Game of the Year award.

It nominates Astro Bot, Black Myth: Wukong, Balatro, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (seriously), Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio for the grand prize, but here’s one game it doesn’t. Bloober’s Silent Hill 2. 

That’s a shame. 

I’m just taken aback to see this play out. Playing through the Silent Hill 2 remake and spending north of 100 hours with the survival horror, it’s least deserving of a GOTY nomination, let alone taking the award home entirely. 

A Remake On The Same Level As Capcom’s Work 

There’s no doubting the name that Capcom has built for itself over the years, not just for innovating the very best in survival horror, but rebuilding upon its past excellence. The line of Resident Evil remakes, including Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 are best-in-class, especially the latter. If that one could get nominated for Game of the Year last year, why couldn’t Silent Hill 2? 

It’s not like there’s a world of difference in the quality department. Sure, Capcom still springs out just ahead of its competition, but that gap is getting thin as the days go by, and I’m sure Bloober is going to give the iconic Japanese developer a genuinely tough time. Keep in mind that the Silent Hill 2 maker has already shared its stance on working on another Silent Hill project. 

Now, here’s the kicker: I would’ve been fine otherwise that the survival horror masterpiece got snubbed from claiming that GOTY trophy, but I just cannot see it justified that merely DLC got nominated for “Game” of the Year instead of the title in question. I know, it’s Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree we’re talking about, but the least that should’ve been managed was a separate category for expansions.

Now this is just straight-up unfair.   

TGA, as such, will allow remakes, remasters, and DLCs to win the biggest award of the event, setting up yet another win for the industry giant FromSoftware this time around. I mean, I personally hope the distinction goes to Astro Bot, but let’s not delve into that story at the moment.  

The Silver Lining 

While missing out on the first prize, I will admit that Silent Hill 2 did not go unnoticed for the rest of the event. It’s been nominated for the following categories, and rightfully so: 

• Best Performance
• Best Soundtrack
• Best Audio Design
• Best Story 

I’m pretty sure Silent Hill 2 is going to come out on top for at least 2 different categories here, considering the quality on display, but it still sure hurts that the work of art at hand was not considered up to the mark for that shiny GOTY trophy. 

Hopes For The Future 

Thankfully, the Silent Hill 2 remake marks the beginning of the Silent Hill franchise’s resurgence. Konami has a number of projects in the works pertaining to the IP, and let me tell you this: Bloober Team is all in on remaking another Silent Hill title, the studio has confirmed itself. Everyone’s money is on the first Silent Hill, but we’re yet to see how things proceed on this front. 

Related Content to Check Out:

• Bloober Team Admits Its Made Some “Shitty Games” In The Past, But Is Now Out For Redemption
• Bloober Team Reveals Its Next Project After The Silent Hill 2 Remake; It’s Even Creepier
• Here’s Why Bloober Started With A Remake Of Silent Hill 2 And Not The Original

For now, it seems we’ll have to put the spotlight on the rest of the Game of the Year contestants, albeit with a sour taste in the mouth. I know people are upset with Shadow of the Erdtree’s nomination, a DLC effectively, especially over Silent Hill 2, but there’s a saying that goes: We deal with the cards we’re dealt in life.