The Silent Hill 2 Remake Pyramid Head boss fight in the Apartments is a tricky one, where many players are wondering: can you even kill Pyramid Head in this encounter? The sword-swinging butcher doesn't seem to respond much to damage, but don't worry - yes, your gunshots and melee attacks are having an effect, even if it's not the one you necessarily realise. If you want some help with the fight against Pyramid Head in Silent Hill 2 Remake, we'll show you how you can beat him, what you're supposed to do, and all the best strategies and tips.
How to beat Pyramid Head in the Silent Hill 2 Remake
The boss fight with Pyramid Head in Silent Hill 2 takes place at the end of the Bluecreek Apartments sequence. After completing the extensive Silent Hill 2 Remake clock puzzle, James goes with the "S" door and enters a room filled with cages - and Pyramid Head himself, who is clearly annoyed about something and looking to bisect our floppy-haired hero.
The solution to this boss fight is that you simply have to survive for a certain amount of time. You can't kill Pyramid Head, but dealing damage to him does reduce how long you have to survive for.
For context, we at GamesRadar+ have gone through this fight two times (both on normal combat/puzzle difficulty), and one of us tried not to hurt Pyramid Head much, which led to a wait that lasted for three and a quarter minutes before it was over.
Contrarily, a player who did a lot of damage was finished with the whole boss fight in well under two minutes - so while Pyramid Head won't be killed, you can end the fight sooner by dealing damage… which ultimately amounts to the same thing, mechanically speaking.
Silent Hill 2 Remake Pyramid Head tips, weaknesses and strategies
Even with this shorter time frame, Pyramid Head is a tough encounter, and there's some useful tips that can help any player who's struggling.
- With the encounter being timed, if you're confident in your dodging abilities you can just stay out of Pyramid Head's way and not lose any bullets.
- Pyramid Head is obviously a melee-focused character. Staying at a distance is safer, though his sword has a wider reach than you might think. You can hit him with melee attacks if you're feeling brave, though I wouldn't recommend it.
- He can smash through the cages and boxes, but you can't. Cover isn't really a thing in this room, though the time it takes him to break though is useful.
- If he swipes horizontally, dodge backwards. If he does an overhead swing, dodge to the side. If he tries to grab you - his deadliest attack - dodge to the right.
- There's resources around the edges of the room you can grab.
- The darkness makes it surprisingly easy to lose track of where he is. Keep your flashlight on him, and if you lose him even for a moment, try and listen for the sword scraping on the ground.
- As the fight progresses, the room will start to fall apart, with pipes bursting and rubble falling down. This is harmless scare tactics tied to how long you have left - the more deteriorated the arena is, the closer you are to the end.
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