A brand new trailer and a hands-on preview of the first few hours of gameplay in Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake continue to paint an enticing picture for one of the most anticipated remakes in recent memory. One of the highlights of this latest look is the evolution of the game's combat, as it has gone from one of the biggest focuses of criticism to one of praise, at least for the most part.

For those who played Konami's original Silent Hill 2, you'll likely remember that the combat aspect of the game was consistently one of its most criticized elements, even given the technical limitations of the time. Stiff, frustrating, and unimaginative, players typically chose to avoid combat wherever possible, though ironically, that didn't tarnish the game's otherwise impeccable reputation.

That particular dynamic of Silent Hill 2, however, has changed completely with the remake's new third-person combat system. A showcase trailer from a few months ago that first revealed the remake's combat left many potential players wary, however, as first impressions weren't great. James' attack animations were still stiff (albeit in modern graphics) and unconvincing, and the way monsters physically reacted to those attacks was disappointing.

Bloober Team seemed to take those concerns seriously enough, as multiple sources who got to play the first few hours of the remake almost unanimously agreed that there’s a very noticeable improvement to combat for both James and the monsters he encounters. The animations are now smoother, more polished, and every fearful blow James lands resonates with far more impact without overcompensating.