How get all Silent Hill 2 endings in the remake

How do you unlock the Silent Hill 2 endings? The survival horror sequel’s multiple endings are some of the most memorable in gaming, not least because there are so many to unlock. Each depicts a very different outcome for James and his search for Mary and several are left to interpretation. Whether you’re looking for a good, bad, or joke ending, we’ve got the unlock requirements for all Silent Hill 2 remake endings below.

There are eight endings in the Silent Hill 2 remake. Six of these endings are from the original horror game, while two additional endings are brand-new from Bloober Team. Some endings in Silent Hill 2 require a key item, while others have hidden parameters. With so many requirements, it’s easy to put a foot wrong and lose out on the ending you want to see. We’ve avoided excessive spoilers so you can discover the endings for yourself, but stick to our step-by-step instructions if you don’t want to know what happens.

Here are all eight Silent Hill 2 remake endings:

• Leave
• Maria
• In Water
• Rebirth
• Dog
• UFO
• Bliss
• Stillness

You can only unlock “Leave”, “Maria”, and “In Water” during your first playthrough. All other endings are exclusive to new game plus. In many cases, it’s possible to experience multiple endings in a single playthrough by saving tactically right before you collect, inspect, or use specific items. You can then reload that save after you’ve unlocked that ending to experience another instead.

Leave

In the “Leave” ending, James remains dedicated to Mary and is intent on survival. It’s widely regarded as the most ‘canon’ ending, and is the easiest to unlock. We anticipate most players will reach this ending on their first playthrough, though you can also see it in new game plus.

Here’s how to get the “Leave” ending:

• Heal often and avoid staying at low health for extended periods.
• Inspect Mary’s photo and letter in your inventory once or twice.
• Don’t inspect Angela’s knife.
• Don’t check in on Maria in the hospital or labyrinth.
• Listen to the entirety of the sickbed conversation in the hallway before the final boss.

Maria

True to its name, the “Maria” entails James losing sight of his intentions to find Mary in favor of Maria. It’s the most difficult of the three standard endings to achieve since it requires you to be receptive to Maria as much as possible.

Here’s how to get the “Maria” ending:

• Don’t inspect Mary’s photo and letter in your inventory.
• Don’t inspect Angela’s knife.
• Stick close to Maria as much as possible.
• Engage in optional conversations with Maria when prompted.
• Protect Maria from threats, particularly during the Silent Hill motel safe code puzzle.
• Check in on Maria in the hospital and labyrinth multiple times.
• Don’t stop to listen to the sickbed conversation in the hallway before the final boss.

In Water

The “In Water” ending is historically considered the ‘bad’ ending in Silent Hill 2. Essentially, James is so swallowed up by his grief that he doesn’t care what happens to himself or anyone else, leaving him reckless and prone to putting himself in extreme danger.

Here’s how to get the “In Water” ending:

• Don’t inspect Mary’s photo and letter in your inventory.
• Inspect Angela’s knife multiple times.
• Avoid excessive healing and remain at low or critical health as much as possible.
• Listen to the sickbed conversation in the hallway before the final boss.
• Avoid and ignore Maria as much as possible.

Rebirth

“Rebirth” is the original new game plus ending in Silent Hill 2. It requires four secret items that reveal a cult ritual, giving James new hope to reunite with Mary. With all four items in your inventory, you are guaranteed to achieve this ending in NG+ regardless of whatever parameters you’ve met for the others. We recommend saving right before you pick up the final item, so you can still achieve multiple endings in a single playthrough.

Here’s how to get the “Rebirth” ending:

• Start new game plus.
• Collect the Crimson Ceremony book from the grave near the shoreline in the same graveyard where you first meet Angela.
• Collect the White Chrism on the outdoor table to the right of Baldwin Mansion’s main entrance, just past Jacks Inn in West South Vale.
• Collect the Obsidian Goblet in the foyer of the Silent Hill Historical Society from the shelf set into the wall opposite the Pyramid Head painting.
• Collect the Lost Memories book from the shelf inside the Lost & Found in Lakeview Hotel. You can reach this area by breaking a wall in Cafe Toluca.

After you collect these items, proceed through to the end as normal. You’ll hear new dialogue in the sickbed conversation before the final boss, so don’t be too hasty if you want to experience everything the “Rebirth” ending has to offer.

Dog

Mira returns as the canine mastermind behind Silent Hill, and we couldn’t be happier for it. This joke ending is a staple of gaming culture, so seeing it in all its low-poly glory in the remake is worth the effort. The “Dog” ending has no special parameters. Instead, you must collect two items exclusive to NG+.

Here’s how to get the “Dog” ending:

• Start new game plus.
• Collect the first Broken Key Part from the supply closet at the Big Jay’s, on the corner of Neely St. and Katz St. in East South Vale.
• Collect the second Broken Key Part from the dog kennel in the back garden of the house opposite Jacks Inn, located on Katz St. in West South Vale.
• Combine both Broken Key Parts to create the Dog Key.
• Use the Dog Key to unlock the Observatory Room in the Lakeview Hotel.

Since this is an optional ‘joke’ ending, you can load up an earlier save and ignore the Observatory Room to achieve multiple endings in one playthrough.

UFO

The “UFO” ending is another joke ending that returns for the remake, though this extra-terrestrial conclusion is somewhat less well-known than its canine counterpart. The “UFO” ending requires you to collect a specific item in NG+ and interact with it throughout your playthrough. You can find the clue for this ending in Groovy Music in East South Vale if you’d rather try to work it out yourself.

Here’s how to get the “UFO” ending:

• Start new game plus.
• Retrieve the Blue Gem from the jewelry box in the store window just north of Big Jay’s on Neely St. in East South Vale.
• Go to the roof of Saul Apartments on Saul St. after you retrieve the Silent Hill 2 jukebox button and inspect the Blue Gem when you hear the audio cue.
• Inspect the Blue Gem immediately after you meet Maria at Rosewater Park.
• Inspect the Blue Gem right after crossing Toluca Lake.
• Retrieve the 3F Corridor Key from the Silent Hill 2 music box puzzle in the Lakeview Hotel.
• Inspect the Blue Gem in Room 312 to trigger the “UFO” ending.

Again, like the “Dog” ending, you can load up a prior save to reach a different ending after you’ve experienced the “UFO” ending.

Bliss

The “Bliss” ending is one of two new endings unique to the Silent Hill 2 remake. James chooses to remain in Silent Hill, lost in his memories of happier times with Mary. Again, the items required to unlock this ending can only be found in NG+.

Here’s how to get the “Bliss” ending:

• Start new game plus.
• Go to Pete’s Bowl-o-Rama as soon as you enter Western South Vale, before you pass through Jacks Inn.
• Retrieve the Rusted Key from the safe behind the counter – the safe code is 1887.
• Crawl through the gap into the gazebo in the northwest corner of the garden in Brookhaven Hospital and pick up the Small Chest on the bench.
• Combine the Rusted Key and Small Chest to open it and retrieve the White Claudia.
• Drink the White Claudia in Room 312 then watch the video tape.

Stillness

The “Stillness” ending is the second new ending to appear in the Silent Hill 2 remake, and it includes a shocking revelation as to Mary’s true whereabouts. The prerequisite to unlock this ending requires the chainsaw, which is only available in NG+, making it impossible to reach during your first playthrough.

Here’s how to get the “Stillness” ending:

• Start new game plus.
• After you leave the auto parts shop, follow the path to South Vale until you reach a chain link fence.
• Break the car windows on the right-hand side to retrieve the Key of Sorrow from the back seat.
• Reach the wooden safe in the manager’s office on 1F of the Lakeview Hotel.
• Insert the Key of Sorrow into the lock and enter the following combination code: counterclockwise 3, clockwise 1, counterclockwise 4.
• Collect the Toluca Postcard from inside the safe and inspect it from your inventory.
• Continue through to the end as normal.

Once you’ve retrieved the Toluca Postcard, it will supersede any other ending, so remember to save before you pick it up if you plan to experience multiple endings in one NG+ playthrough.

Now that you know the Silent Hill 2 remake endings, it’s time to hop into new game plus to unlock them all. To speed up your playthrough, keep our guides for the Silent Hill 2 safe code and clock puzzle to hand. We’ve also got some tips on how to clear the Silent Hill 2 Abstract Daddy and Pyramid Head boss encounters without breaking a sweat. Finally, our Silent Hill 2 review gets into the nitty-gritty of Bloober’s grim remake.