Much of the gameplay consists of navigating the town and finding keys or other items to bypass doors or other obstructions, with less focus on killing enemies. He also updates relevant maps to reflect locked doors, clues, and obstructions, and writes down the content of all documents for future reference. Throughout the game, James collects maps, which can only be read if there is sufficient light or when his flashlight is on. Silent Hill 2 does not use a heads-up display to check James' health, location, and items, the player must enter the pause-game menu to review his status. The default control for Silent Hill 2 has James moving in the direction that he is facing when the player tilts the analog stick upwards. The game features a third-person view, with various camera angles. The object of Silent Hill 2 is to guide player character, James Sunderland, through the monster-filled town of Silent Hill as he searches for his deceased wife. The game was followed by Silent Hill 3 in 2003. However, it received criticism for its controls despite their improvement over the previous game's. It is often considered the greatest horror game ever made and among the greatest video games of all time, praised for its story, use of metaphors, symbolism, psychological horror and taboo topics, soundtrack, atmosphere, graphics, monster designs, and sound design. Within the month of its release in North America, Japan, and Europe, over one million copies were sold, with the greatest number of sales in North America. More humanoid than their counterparts in the preceding game, some of the monsters were designed to reflect James' subconscious. It includes psychological aspects such as the gradual disappearance of Mary's letter, and references to history, films and literature. The game uses a third-person view and places a greater emphasis on finding items and solving riddles than combat. Additional material in rereleases and ports included Born from a Wish, which focuses on Maria before she and James meet. Joined by Maria, who strongly resembles her, he searches for her and discovers the truth about her death. Instead, it centers on James Sunderland, who enters the town after receiving a letter apparently written by his deceased wife, saying she is waiting for him in Silent Hill.
While set in the series' eponymous fictional American town, Silent Hill 2 does not follow the protagonists of the first Silent Hill game. A remastered high-definition version was released for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 in 2012 as part of the Silent Hill HD Collection. An extended version containing an extra bonus scenario and other additions was published for Xbox in December of the same year. It was released in September 2001 as the second instalment in the Silent Hill series. Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror video game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Team Silent, part of Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo.