IGN rated the game a 9 out of 10 and IGN's Doug Perry said "It's frightening, deep, clever, and tries to improve the genre, if just a little, and in the end, that's all I really want in a survival horror game.” GameSpot gave the game a 7.7 out of 10 and GameSpot's Joe Fielder "Silent Hill 2 is a much prettier, somewhat smarter but less-compelling game than the original"