The Fog That Swallows You Whole. How the environment of Silent Hill 2 reflects its underlying themes
- Asya Chub
- Nov 28, 2025
- 5 min read
A thick fog enclosing everything in its embrace, the high pitched noise of the radio and the immense guilt that follows you around the empty streets of Silent Hill.
Silent Hill 2 is a second game in the series of survival horror games published by a Japanese company Konami. The game has been praised for its unsettling atmosphere that allows the player to live through the character’s feelings and emotions. How exactly does the environment reveal the central themes of guilt, trauma and despair?
The plot of the game follows James Sunderland, the protagonist, who arrives in the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his dead wife, Mary. The player explores the town filled with monstrous creatures, while trying to find Mary Sheperd-Sunderland. In his search, James encounters several different characters, who are also reached out by the mysterious force of the town.
The game’s opening cutscene shows James, staring into his reflection in a bathroom. The first place that the player sees is dark and filthy, setting a particular tone to the story. As James leaves the bathroom, a female voice starts to read out the letter – it’s Mary, she is waiting in their “special place” in town. Then, James reveals that Mary has died of an illness three years prior. In this moment, a crucial characteristic of the game is revealed: neither the player nor the protagonist recognise what is real and what is not. This is what makes the plot so ambiguous and metaphoric. As the plot progresses, the player uncovers the deepest secrets of James’s disturbed psyche.
As James is determined to find “the special place” in the town, he leaves the haphazardly parked car and is headed into the woods. Here the player is welcomed by the definitive feature of Silent Hill games – a fog so thick you could cut it with a knife. During the walk no creatures or monsters appear, but despite that the feeling of unsettledness creeps in. Silent walk symbolises James’ isolation and dissociation. Walking out of the woods, James meets a woman named Angela in the city’s graveyard. She is also looking for someone, as it becomes apparent through an erratic dialogue between her and James. Angela warns him about the dangers of the town, but he disregards her warning. The graveyard is a not-so-subtle symbol of death and grief, which is central to both characters’ story.
As the protagonist is approaching the town, he notices a trail of blood. This is the first encounter with a disfigured, gory monster. At this point the survival aspect of the games comes into play, introducing the player to the mechanics. If James successfully defeats the monster, he receives a radio. The radio is both a game mechanic and an environmental tool. Every time a monster appears in the player’s vicinity, the static becomes loud and disturbing. The mechanic is a staple for the game series, however it also symbolises James’ connection to his wife and the distortion in his mind. At this point in the game, there are several options for exploring the town. The empty streets and mysterious monuments, trails of blood and faint tickling of the radio. The atmosphere of the town represents both loneliness and despair.
The player explores several locations, such as Woodside apartments, Brookhaven hospital or the Lakeview hotel. In these places James encounters several monsters and other characters, while also solving puzzles that allow him to proceed in his search of Mary. The monsters themselves represent James' feelings – shame and guilt, but also lust and anger. The rooms in the apartment complex, for example, also have metaphoric meaning behind them – take the room full of mannequin monsters and one actual mannequin, wearing Mary’s dress. The metaphors show James’ anger and resentment towards his wife, as well as his longing.
Another defining feature of Silent Hill’s atmosphere is the Otherworld. In the games’ universe, the Otherworld is a twisted version of the “normal” world. The distortion of reality becomes more apparent, with bloodied hallways blending into each other and grotesque creatures swamping the rooms. This reality is a symbol of a “personal hell” for James, which his trauma has manifested into being. Eventually, his psyche makes James face the horrifying truths about himself and his relationship with Mary.
Aside from visual effects and background sounds, there is another crucial component to Silent Hill 2 atmosphere. The music, written by Akira Yamaoka, creates an even more emotionally devastating feel of the game. As described by the composer himself, the main soundtrack, “Theme of Laura” is a "a sad melody" combined with "a strong beat”. The music creates suspense and immerses the player into the horror atmosphere. As the writer stated, he tried to create a soundtrack that expresses temperature and the sensation of wind through sound textures helping players feel the environment’s oppressive cold or eerie breeze, even if it wasn’t visible (Haider, 2025).
The different possible endings of the game represent the way people deal with trauma, and the journey to forgiveness or punishment. The environment tells the tale of the horrors of the human psyche, while the monsters show a literal manifestation of the feelings and desires.
Page design: Asya Chub
Bibliography
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Photos:
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and Alex Shepherd. “Silent Hill 2 Original Soundtracks.” Silent Hill Wiki, Fandom, Inc., 2022, silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/Silent_Hill_2_Original_Soundtracks?file=SH2Back.PNG. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and Butterscotchboy. “Mary Shepherd-Sunderland.” Silent Hill Wiki, Fandom, Inc., 2024, silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/Mary_Shepherd-Sunderland?file=Room205.jpg. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and Felipe F. Coinete. “Silent Hill 2.” Silent Hill Wiki, Fandom, Inc., 2022, silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/File:SH2_EU_disc.jpg. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Silent Hill Memories. “Silent Hill 2 Plot Analysis - Silent Hill Memories.” https://www.silenthillmemories.net/sh2/screens_en.htm Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Silent Hill Memories. “Silent Hill 2 Plot Analysis - Silent Hill Memories.” https://www.silenthillmemories.net/sh2/screens_en.htm Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Silent Hill Memories. “Silent Hill 2 Plot Analysis - Silent Hill Memories.” www.silenthillmemories.net, www.silenthillmemories.net/sh2/plot_analysis_en.htm. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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