Silent Hill 2 is "one of those games" that I've always wanted to playthrough and I finally started last night. I picked the easy combat and easy puzzle difficulties 'cause I just want to experience the game without the frustrations associated with the classic survival horror genre but sense I'm still super early in the game, I was wondering if I'd be missing anything vital playing in this mode.

Thanks!

The game isn't that hard even with combat on Hard. Ammo and health are still pretty generous. Combat, particularly when you're using melee weapons, is also the worst and most frustrating part of the game, though, so you're not missing anything by keeping that low. I would always recommend putting puzzles on Hard, though. Maybe it's just me, because I've always loved the puzzles in these games, but I enjoy really having to work out the solutions.

I don't think so? I remember the combat being easy on normal, once you figure out how to stomp on enemies. If I remember correctly, you have to let go of the 'aim gun' button to be able to stomp on enemies. Once I worked that out it was a piece of cake. I guess it will make a few boss fights shorter. But yeah, combat isn't the draw for that game.

I think you're fine. As long as you are playing the game, because it is fantastic.

Yup, this. The quality of combat differs pretty drastically throughout this series, but SH2 is certainly on the lower end of the spectrum. Plus as you say the game's so generous with the supplies anyway that it's not a very hard game to begin with regardless of the setting. Though that then only makes it all the more fair to simply play on Easy mode. Speaking for the combat anywhoo. Should probably stick the puzzles to at least Normal, however!

The best way to play Silent Hill 2 is with combat set to easy and puzzles set to hard.

The combat is pretty easy even on normal.

Absolutely play it on easy. The combat is not enjoyable. It does not add to the thick atmosphere of the game. The monsters will make you want to avoid them irregardless of whether or not you can take them down quickly. As others have stated, put the puzzles to normal at least (in SH3 at least, which I'm currently replaying, easy removes certain moments in the game).

@paulmako: do you have any opinion about the puzzles? If they're good, I think it might be worth it to start over but I thought I heard they were kinda esoteric.

@onekillwonder_: cool thanks. how would you compare the puzzles against stuff like Lara Croft Go or The Room? I just beat those and really enjoyed my time with them.

@liquiddragon: The puzzles are not at all like The Room. They're riddles usually in the form of a poem that you have to read into a good deal. In 2 there's only one that I remember being pretty hard and that's early on and involves you matching metaphors in a poem to coins you have to put them in order. For an example on difficulty in SH3 an early puzzle involves putting a collection of Shakespeare on a self in the right order to get a code. On easy you can see writing on the spines of the books so you just put them on in the order so that the writing spells out the code. On hard there's a poem with vague references to the actual Shakespeare stories in the books and you need a pretty good knowledge of Shakespeare to know which order you should put them in.

There's never been any rule against playing a game on easy, especially when it's something that perhaps hasn't aged particularly well, so go for it.

Besides, even not having played SH2 I'm fairly certain the whole appeal is the atmosphere and story anyway, and you're really not missing out on that with easier combat.

Normal for both is fine, and Easy is probably a-Ok as well. Silent Hill 2, while definitely a great game, is in the era where people said "This game is scarier, because it is difficult to fight back/the combat sucks". With that in mind, you could drop the combat down to easy. I think how stilted it is might be easier to manage when it came out. (It is totally playable, but you might have to get used to the movement and the windup on some attacks.) I could be mistaken, but I think Easy puzzles makes them pretty straight forward, Normal is just about right, and the harder difficulties the puzzles get a little more obtuse. Not incredibly difficult, but just more complicated and could involve getting one or two more items.

To your question, you won't miss anything by having the combat on Easy. The puzzles I think help add to the mystique of the world, in the sense that there's plenty of weird ass shit in that game. I would argue the puzzles do add to that aspect of the game in a slightly different level. But you don't have to do that either.

The correct answer is do whatever you want to, but those are my two cents on the difficulty. The difficulty will only impact your enjoyment if you cranked up both difficulties to Hard and you are unable to progress because of that.

You could play the entire series on easy and not miss much, honestly. The harder puzzle difficulties are interesting on repeated playthroughs, though.

No and if you try a police officer will intercept you.

Honestly, I would probably recommend playing with combat on easy or normal and puzzle on hard. Harder combat difficulty doesn't make it scarier as much as it makes the combat encounters more tedious.

It really just changes the number of hits enemies take/damage they do... IIRC it doesn't actually change any attack patterns or enemy placement or anything like that.

Do whatever you want man, its your life.

Nope! It's actually illegal in most states.

No! In most games it would not really matter but the whole thing of SH2 is this growing pressure around you. If you are going in thinking that it is going to be easier than it should, you will end up with lesser experience.

Don't let anyone tell you how to play. If you want to see the story, play on easy. If you want to challenge yourself, play on hard. If you want to [condition], play on [your choice].

@liquiddragon: Just play the game however you want. Some people get too stuck beating games on "Proper" difficulty settings but, if the developers didn't want people playing on easy. Then they wouldn't add the option.

Also if you get stuck, just look it up online because some of the things may not have aged well since it was a PS2 game. So, times have changed and all that. Just hope you enjoy the game.

I am curious which version of Silent Hill 2 you are playing. The Original or the ps3/360 re-release?

Play it on whatever difficulty you like. I haven't played 2, but if it's anything like 3 and The Room, normal difficulty isn't very rough.

@mason20: Playing the original on the PC. The controller situation is not ideal but the fog looks awesome!

If you want to play a game on Easy, play the game on Easy. Don't let people freaking out about difficulty affect your decision. Personally, I play games on Easy because I care the most about just seeing the story through to the end. I never have a single regret.

The "survival" part of survival horror really isn't important to Silent Hill 2. Even on hard the game gives you plenty of supplies to handle any situation you find yourself in. You aren't going to be doing your self a disservice by bumping down the difficulty. Enjoy the story, setting, and atmosphere. Those are the reasons people love the game.

Normal is a bit too easy, Easy is probably a little too care-free. Hard is incredibly poorly balanced and a terrible way to play the game. Seriously hard for all the wrong reasons.

I'd recommend Normal unless you're really uncomfortable with Survival Horror. Otherwise no, you aren't really missing anything "vital", just some stress that comes with the fear of dying in a horror game.

Doesn't matter. Just enjoy probably the greatest video game story ever told. Make sure to think back on the playthrough after the credits roll. There is a ton of ingenious symbolism in the environments, enemies, cut-scenes, and bosses... pretty much everything.

@liquiddragon: Great choice! I've bought the PC version (Ebay) a few times in the past but sadly two were bootlegged and the third was just the PS2 game image and an emulator on a dvd..

Shame about the controller but still have fun.

You run past most of the combat anyway.

It is always okay to play on easy. That's why the option is there. Anyone who says otherwise is just being a goober.

Decided to play on straight normal. Still not too far but just got past the clock...god what was Pyramid Head doing to that mannequin?

I always start on easy because so many games make harder difficulties by simply making enemies bullet sponges.