Silent Hill 2keeps all the original endings in the remake, and it includes a few new additions created by Bloober Team. However, seeing the endings remade also allows for smaller details to be noticed, and it brings back into focus speculation about what happens after the screen fades to black for each option. In particular,several endings inSilent Hill 2leave room for imagination when it comes to what happens next to James.
Overall,Maria hasn’t changed much inSilent Hill 2, and her ending is still one of a handful that can be achieved as part of the base game without needing a run through New Game Plus as well. Maria’s ending could be seen as a happier option for James compared to other endings, especially options like In Water. However,one small detail implies that Maria’s ending could be among the most tragic endings for James, or that a fan theory about James has more weight beyond other hints in the game.
Silent Hill 2’s Maria Ending, Explained
James Picks Maria Over Mary
In the Maria ending, James defeats Mary as the final boss, deciding to choose Maria over her.The Maria Ending is the only ending to have Mary as a bossinstead of Maria, but the fight itself stays the same.
Watch the Maria ending in the video below, as posted to YouTube byDan Allen Gaming.
After the battle, James and Maria are seen in a car together, finally leaving Silent Hill behind with all its nightmares. However, as they’re leaving and before the screen fades to black,Maria coughs. While this could seem like an inconsequential detail, there are pieces of evidence, particularly the VHS tape of Mary, that show her terminal illness beginning with her coughing.
Maria’s Cough Has Wider Implications
James' Fate Might Repeat Itself
Maria’s cough being included in her ending likely has bigger implications, and reinforces her connection to Mary.Maria was born from James' wishfor an idealized version of Mary, which results in her looking and sounding just like Mary, but with a sexier personality and fashion sense, reflecting James' repressed desires that came from Mary’s illness. While Mary’s illness is never specified,the VHS of her implies that it started with a cough.
Silent Hill 2’s Best Endings Make A Return In The New Remake
After helping overcome his past trauma throughout the grim themes of the Silent Hill 2 remake, players may benefit from some much-needed humor.
Therefore, it’s possible to speculate that Maria will repeat Mary’s face by contracting the same illness, and eventually dying from it. Since she was created as a variation of Mary, it seems that her creation included her meeting the same fate eventually, assuming that James didn’t kill her first. However, it could also play into thefan theory that James is trapped in an unending loop, regardless if he chooses Maria or Mary, which would also explain all the dead bodies of James in Silent Hill.
How To Get The Maria Ending
Which Actions To Take
Luckily, the Maria Ending doesn’t require usingNew Game Plus inSilent Hill 2. However,there are a lot of requirements to get the Maria Ending, and that means that it needs some careful planning to achieve while keeping track of all the puzzles and handling monsters in Silent Hill. The first step is never looking at Mary’s photo or reading her letter. Basically, James needs to ignore Mary’s existence as much as possible. Then, when he gets to the end of the game, it’s possible to know that he’ll get the Maria Ending if Mary is the boss.
Why Silent Hill 2’s Maria Change Is So Controversial
Bloober Team reimagined Maria’s look for the Silent Hill 2 remake, removing some of the symbolism built into her character in the original.
From there, James needs to keep his health as high as possible by healing every time he takes damage if he can. Aside from not examining Mary’s items, James should avoid examining personal items in general. For the Coin Box Puzzle, the Woman Coin should be used as the final answer. Of course, James shouldkeep Maria safe from monsterswhile traveling with her in Silent Hill. Additionally, James should use the Ripe Apple in the mirror puzzle and exit Pyramid Head’s fight through the scarlet door. Then, he should receive the Maria Ending.
The Maria Ending might be one of the most classic endings forSilent Hill 2, considering that Maria is a complex character, and it makes sense that James would pick her over accepting his role in Mary’s death, even if it’s morally the best option. However, it also seems like this ending brings more grief to James, and it could be seen as part of his continued punishment from the way the town feeds on the darkness in his heart. While the Maria Ending looks positive, her cough could indicate it’s among the worst for James inSilent Hill 2.
