Do You Need to Play Silent Hill 1 Before Silent Hill 2?

We don’t know when the remake of Silent Hill 2 will officially be released, but there are signs indicating that it could be as early as May. However, Konami hasn’t started making remakes since the first entry in the series. So, do you need to play Silent Hill 1 before Silent Hill 2?

Is Silent Hill 2 a Standalone Game?

No, you don’t need to play Silent Hill 1 before Silent Hill 2. While they’re part of the same series, their stories are mostly independent. As such, Konami doesn’t have to worry about holding an overarching storyline together, and they’re able to remake a fan-favorite game first instead of SH1. The biggest contribution that SH1 provides for SH2 is the context of the town and its nightmarish world. However, focusing on James and his trauma makes that information unnecessary in order to understand the story.

The Stories of Silent Hill 1 and 3 are Connected

The only main game that requires SH1 to be played first is Silent Hill 3. This is because their stories are connected. You play as Heather in SH3. She’s the complete soul of Alessa and Cheryl from SH1 and the adopted daughter of Harry Mason. Due to this setup, you could consider the third game a sequel to the first game. It finally wraps up the Order’s attempts to use Alessa/Heather to birth their god, freeing her from her past.

While you don’t need to play Silent Hill 1 before Silent Hill 2, it’s a good way to pass the time as we wait for information about when the remake will be released. However, it’s difficult to get a copy of the original games to play now, considering that they aren’t available digitally for modern consoles.

For more information, check out our guide on how to play SH2 before the remake, which is the same way you’d play the first game as well. Otherwise, take a look at our ranking of all Silent Hill main games. Our Silent Hill 2 guides hub is also available if you want to check out our full coverage of the game.