Silent Hill 2 Remake Guide – How to Unlock All Endings, Including Two New Ones

As someone who’s spent countless hours exploring the hauntingly beautiful world of Silent Hill, I can confidently say that the remake has truly outdone itself. The game offers not one, but eight different endings, each with its own unique twist and intrigue.

The timeless PlayStation 2 title “Silent Hill 2” has a remake available currently, more than two decades after its initial release, boasting enhanced gameplay mechanics, novel collectibles, and fresh endings. Despite eight distinct conclusions, with two being entirely new, it’s feasible to unlock them without multiple complete replays by employing strategic manual saving techniques.

This Silent Hill 2 Remake guide describes how to get all 8 endings, and where to save manually to limit the number of playthroughs necessary.

New Bad Ending “Stillness”

In simpler terms, one of the two fresh conclusions is unique to New Game Plus. To access it, you just need the Key of Sorrow. However, it seems this alternative emerges only when the initial tragic ending, “In Water,” has previously been reached.

At the beginning of your game, you get hold of a Chainsaw. It turns out to be quite useful now, as you’ll need it to break through the back right window of a green car on Wiltse Road. This vehicle is situated past a short tunnel and a chain link metal gate off Nathan Avenue.

In the Employee Area on the first floor of the LakeView Hotel, locate a standalone safe in the Manager’s Office, then carefully place the Key of Sorrow into it. After that, set the safe’s dial to the following challenging combination:

Starting from 0
Dial right or clockwise to 3
Dial back left or counter-clockwise to 1
Dial back right or clockwise to 4

The safe will open to reveal the Toluca Postcard.

Look at the postcard to get the new bad ending.

New Good Ending “Bliss”

As a devoted fan, I stumbled upon an intriguing, more elaborate ending hidden deep within the game. Nestled in the far north-west corner of the map, on the western side of South Vale, along Nathan Avenue, beyond the Silent Hill Historical Society, you’ll find a chilling scene. A corpse is there, and next to it, I found a Bloody Note that revealed a combination code for a safe – 1887, but only on Hard difficulty.

This safe is fixed into the shoe rack behind the counter at Pete’s Bowl-O-Rama, also in the west side of South Vale. Lying inside is a Rusted Key, as well as a Cryptic Letter Memo.

After that, make your way to the Garden at Brookhaven Hospital. On a bench within the gazebo, you’ll find the Petite Chest. This chest, when united with the Corroded Key, will unlock to disclose a White Claudia bottle, a familiar artifact from the Silent Hill series.

Drinking the White Claudia bottle located in Room 312 on the third floor of the LakeView Hotel, prior to playing the video tape on the VHS player, will reveal a positive game outcome.

To unlock an alternate outcome later on, make sure to save your progress now, prior to drinking the White Claudia bottle.

Original Good Ending “Leave”

In my gaming experience with the original Silent Hill 2, I found that the satisfying conclusion remained unchanged and was accessible during regular gameplay. The specific conditions required to reach this end include:

Avoiding injury, or at least,
Healing often to avoid staying injured
Avoiding combat as far as possible
Avoiding checking up on Maria while in Brookhaven Hospital and the Labyrinth
Inspecting both Mary’s Photo and Mary’s Letter in the inventory often
Not inspecting Angela’s Knife in the inventory more than the first time
Staying to listen in to the entire conversation prior to the encounter with the final boss

A significant portion of this information is subtly suggested in the in-game book titled “Searching for Another Conclusion, Volume 1: The Pathway to Tomorrow”.

Original Neutral Ending “Maria”

The neutral, arguably good ending from the original game can be achieved by:

Taking a beating
Actively defending Maria from attack and injury
Checking up on Maria often while in Brookhaven Hospital and the Labyrinth
Not inspecting either Mary’s Photo, Mary’s Letter, or Angela’s Knife in the inventory more than the first time
Not staying to listen in to the entire conversation prior to the encounter with the final boss

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve picked up quite a few clues from the game’s book, “Searching for Another Conclusion Vol. II: Finding the Lady,” suggesting there might be more to uncover.

Original Bad Ending “In Water”

Among the original game’s conclusions, this is the most unfavorable outcome that can be reached by performing the following steps:

Taking a beating
Avoiding healing
Keeping health in the red zone as far as possible
Inspecting Angela’s Knife in the inventory often
Not inspecting either Mary’s Photo or Mary’s Letter in the inventory more than the first time
Staying to listen in to the entire conversation prior to the encounter with the final boss

A significant part of this is subtly suggested in the in-game book titled “Searching for Another Conclusion Vol. III: Choosing Death”. (or) This is largely implied throughout the pages of “Searching for Another Conclusion Vol. III: Choosing Death”, the in-game book.

You can save a game at a favorable or neutral point during play, and later reload this saved game if needed. This allows you to repeatedly use the “inspect” feature on Angela’s Knife and maintain James in the “red zone” for the rest of the game. The goal is to end the game with an “In Water” conclusion.

Original New Game Plus Ending “Rebirth”

In the revised ending of the original Silent Hill 2, “New Game Plus” makes a comeback. This playthrough necessitates locating items unique to “New Game Plus” before completing the game, disregarding any other requirements. The following items must be found:

Crimson Ceremony

In the ending known as Rebirth, near the northern coast of South Vale, there’s a graveyard where you can spot a tree surrounded by two gravestones. The book you’re looking for is casually placed at the base of the right gravestone.

White Chrism

In the western part of South Vale, specifically at the Baldwin Mansion’s entrance, you’ll spot a conspicuous vial resting on a table adorned with two candles. This item is unique to the Rebirth ending.

Obsidian Goblet

In the room housing the painting within the Silent Hill Historical Society, located on the western side of South Vale, there lies an intricate cup conspicuously placed in a recessed area on the walls.

Lost Memories

The book that’s crucial for the Rebirth ending is located in the LakeView Hotel’s first floor, specifically in the Lost & Found room. You can find it sitting openly on a table after navigating through the narrow opening.

To get the best experience while playing “Lost Memories”, remember to save manually before you start. Having this last item in your inventory, along with the ones mentioned earlier, will trigger the ‘Rebirth’ ending, which supersedes any other ending at the end of your gameplay session.

Original Joke Ending “Dog”

In the unique twist of the New Game Plus version, there’s a witty punchline that only appears in this mode. It doesn’t necessitate the completion of specific previous endings, but rather relies on the items that become available with the New Game Plus setup.

Broken Key Part #1

Retrieve the initial portion of a key from The Pet Center, which is situated near Big Jay’s, on Neely Street, in the eastern part of South Vale.

Broken Key Part #2

Obtain the second portion of a key from the backyard of a residence located on Katz Street, near Baldwin Mansion in the southwest area. To access it, stand facing north and start counting from right to left. The house with a small gate bearing a bone symbol should be the first one you come across.

After adding it to your collection, you’ll be able to use the “Dog Key”. Utilize this key on the locked door of the Observation Room, which is next to Room 312 and located on the third floor of the LakeView Hotel.

This action is an instant conclusion to the game, skipping the final boss as well.

Original Joke Ending “UFO”

In the unique version of New Game Plus, a humorous conclusion was included, one that didn’t necessitate specific previous endings to be unlocked. However, this special item only appears in the game when you play New Game Plus.

Blue Gem

As a passionate admirer, here’s my guide: Find the Blue Gem nestled at the Jewelers, just steps away from The Pet Center, on the bustling east side of South Vale. Gently tap and break the window pane on the left to reach into the open display box and secure the stunning Blue Gem.

After obtaining it, this concluding part calls for additional steps. You’ll need to engage with the Blue Gem in your inventory whenever you reach four distinct spots on the map. For the first interaction at each location, the Blue Gem will glow noticeably.

Graffiti of an eye on the roof of Saul Street Apartments
The pier where you meet Maria in Rosewater Park
After disembarking the boat on Toluca Lake
Before using the Video Tape in the VHS in Room 312 on 3F of the LakeView Hotel

To secure a different outcome later, save your progress now, prior to engaging with the Blue Gem.