A recent Kotaku article includes a video with more samples of the new voice actors in the HD collection, from the beginning portion of SH2.
Hear what Angela sounds like!
http://kotaku.com/5884110/hate-the-new-silent-hill-2-audio-tracks-turn-em-off
Screenshot comparison of the observation deck in SH2 between the new HD vs. original PS2(Kotaku’s video player is a little dark):
Also, they actually replaced some of the ‘acoustic‘ guitar tracks…….with ‘electric‘???
Tags: 
Wait…..electric….what?
February 14th, 2012
It’s true, the original acoustic rendition of “Promise” that plays over James as he is speaking about the letter he got has been replaced by an electric guitar version. Just watch the video in the article and listen for yourself.
This raises so many questions. Is this new electric version an alternate take done by Akira-san, or is it someone else mimicking his work? I trust we’ll discover that this is not the only piece of music that has been redone like this.
February 14th, 2012
Yeah, I worry about these things, too. The differences in the parking lot make me wonder how much else has been changed, subtly or not, also.
I just watched the video again. James and Mary sound a bit breathy to me, in some parts this actually made me laugh out loud. Angela just sounds young, I wonder how this will change the overall feel of her character, since they said they originally made her sound older on purpose. And I hope Eddie doesn’t talk like Batman the whole game.
February 14th, 2012
I stopped watching after 3 minutes I couldn’t stomach it
The new voice actors all sound
-too close to the mic
-too American
-too tired
But James sounds like he can handle himself now, Chainsaw + New Voice = A true superhero
February 15th, 2012
It’s like Star Wars saga all over again. If something is not broken don’t fix it
February 16th, 2012
James sounds a lot more miserable than before.
And I can’t help but hear him discuss how, when he was a kid, he didn’t need video games. He was outside – killing people in the fresh air.
February 17th, 2012
James *does* sound a lot more miserable now — which, IMHO, is perfectly appropriate. He’s *supposed* to be miserable, especially in this scene. No matter which ending you get, James comes to Silent Hill because he can’t handle Mary’s death.
Angela’s new VA is actually the one that makes me happiest. I know she was “supposed” to sound older, but since they never tell you how old she is in-game I always felt like that bit of strangeness was wasted. I have my fingers crossed, but I think the dramatic moments later will have more weight when they come from someone who doesn’t, from her first sentence, make you think she’s weird already.
(The “Too American” critique is an interesting one, since all of the characters without exception are supposed to be American.)
February 17th, 2012
mother of god….
what did they do to mary?! ;-;
February 19th, 2012
The new voices are just TOO OVERACTED!!!
Sometimes it feels fine, like if it were a film version. But, really, even for a film, it’s TOO OVERACTED for the character of what was intended at that moment.
February 21st, 2012
Also, the audio feels “echo-y” for the record. It’s almost like their in a bad recording studio…
The tones don’t fit and are too loud as well. It doesn’t feel natural.
Even if it wasn’t “echo-y”, the overacting is just priceless and is loud in itself.
February 21st, 2012
Angela doesn’t feel crazy or distraught either, but more like a little girl who has reason to say “mama” as well. Everyone sounds like they are close to nervana, cartoonish and unrealistic. Males are also all just too deep and nearly a-like.
February 21st, 2012
Okay gonna make one more argument on this old post.
I don’t think Angela was supposed to sound crazy the instant you talk to her, like she does with the original voice. I think James clearly didn’t think there was anything wrong with her until you meet her for the second time.
I also think anything would sound like overacting when compared to the wooden performances turned in by the originals. Sorry, guys, but I love Silent Hill and I don’t understand where these delusions come from. I thought we all knew the series had terrible voice acting and didn’t consider that a ‘feature’ the same way we consider the shoddy controls to be a feature because “well, they’re ordinary people, so of course when I run from a monster it should feel like I’m trying to steer a very awkward tank”.
I agree that the audio quality is a little bit wacky, like it’s not fully “in place” yet, but I wish more people were willing to give the new voices a chance. If you hate them,y you can always turn them off. Why be so angry and disgusted about what is, at this point, a feature Konami added? Guy Cihi is still the guy to be frustrated about for the part where Konami almost shipped the game without the original actors; it was never their intent to ruin your lives.
Cripes.
February 23rd, 2012
I also don’t think anyone here is saying it’s ruining their life; rather, that the new voices sound strange to them. It’s a valid opinion, I think.
February 24th, 2012
Actually Angela isn’t “supposed” to sound older, she was actually meant to be younger than her actual age on SH 2, but they had to make her older due to her voice actor’s portrayal which they said sounded a lot older than they were expected. So that’s not a bad change. Definitely will take some getting used to though. I’m more concerned, aside from the music change, with the slight script changes as well. I also don’t like how they don’t have Angela repeating words like she’s stuttering and stuff. That wasn’t something you can blame on bad acting and them “fixing it”, that’s just the type of character she’s supposed to be.
March 12th, 2012
Well, the Angela quote from the Making of is “The design team aimed to make Angela look older and opted for an older voice. The actress playing Angela is about 40.” So she was at least supposed to seem at odds with her real age in some way.
March 12th, 2012
Oh, my bad then. I knew she was supposed to look older but didn’t know they intentionally opted for an older voice. Never mind. XD
March 13th, 2012