Silent Hill 2 is a game that leaves a lot for the player to interpret, thanks to its symbolism and complex lore. However, one popular fan theory has been swatted down by series artist Masahiro Ito, who seems to take particular umbrage with it.
The theory states that player character James Sunderland is not looking at himself in the mirror during the game’s iconic opening scene, but at you, the player. Such fourth-wall breaking wouldn’t be anything new for the Silent Hill franchise, but it apparently was not intended in SH2, at least according to Ito.
So many people have asked me. But it’s a headcanon. James doesn’t look at the player. pic.twitter.com/w40F7sBsJN
— 伊藤暢達/Masahiro Ito (@adsk4) October 22, 2022
“So many people have asked me. But it’s a headcanon. James doesn’t look at the player,” Ito tweeted, along with an image of the scene. “…In the first place, why does he have to see the player who exists in out of the story? He is now there for looking for his wife. Consider the context of the story.”