Maria sucks

[Sgttater]

Am I insane for thinking Maria is much worse in this version? It's like a toxic positivity circle jerk in here about any negative opinions. Her scenes are just so flat, and I want to say I don't think it has anything to do with the VA for her at all, it's the weird change in direction. She's so flat in every scene that she needs to show it up more.

[Escavalien]

Design aside (because people argue about that all the time), I do think the VA is good just the directing is confused. She comes off less emotional. The biggest example of this is the 'leave' ending monologue from Mary. I really love the remake but Maria's performance overall feels like the VA director didn't know how to get the right emotions from the VA. When you compare scenes side by side, remake Maria's voice performance feels like someone reading lines from a script.

[River Victor]

I like the game, but Maria/Mary seems indeed flat.

[Rastrelly]

They overdone the seductress angle, an the actress tries far too hard (though after hearing the nuclear wasteland of HD remaster I have to say it's far from the worst we could get). Actually, it's not Maria, it's Mary who is the main culprit, with unbearable uncalled for voice tremble she does in most of her lines, as if she is not in pain and, well, sad, but she's outright about to cry, which goes waaay too far.

[女無さん]

Originally posted by Sgttater:

Am I insane for thinking Maria is much worse in this version? It's like a toxic positivity circle jerk in here about any negative opinions. Her scenes are just so flat, and I want to say I don't think it has anything to do with the VA for her at all, it's the weird change in direction. She's so flat in every scene that she needs to show it up more.

Yes. Mention any critisism directed towards anything that isn't performance issues and the rationalization bees will ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ swarm you and drown your words in a noise cloud of buzz.
I completely agree with you and it's honestly refreshing to read that I'm not the only one.

[Escavalien]

Originally posted by Rastrelly:

They overdone the seductress angle, an the actress tries far too hard (though after hearing the nuclear wasteland of HD remaster I have to say it's far from the worst we could get). Actually, it's not Maria, it's Mary who is the main culprit, with unbearable uncalled for voice tremble she does in most of her lines, as if she is not in pain and, well, sad, but she's outright about to cry, which goes waaay too far.

Ironic considering in the original Mary delivers a performance like she's crying while talking during the leave ending letter, but in this one there's not enough sadness in her voice.

[FruitBat Man]

You got to understand that not everyone played the original. The game is very old. We are getting old.

Many people don't know the original voice acting because they've never heard it. If you compare the two the remake is inferior.

It's not so bad that it is cringy. It's serviceable. It's only very bad when you compare the two. The original silent Hill 2 voice acting had emotion... Dare I get poetic and say 'more soul'. All of Angela and Eddie and only half of Maria's lines were flat to me. James and Laura did a great job. Whether this was directing or not, who knows?

[Rastrelly]

Originally posted by Escavalien:

Originally posted by Rastrelly:

They overdone the seductress angle, an the actress tries far too hard (though after hearing the nuclear wasteland of HD remaster I have to say it's far from the worst we could get). Actually, it's not Maria, it's Mary who is the main culprit, with unbearable uncalled for voice tremble she does in most of her lines, as if she is not in pain and, well, sad, but she's outright about to cry, which goes waaay too far.

Ironic considering in the original Mary delivers a performance like she's crying while talking during the leave ending letter, but in this one there's not enough sadness in her voice.

Didn't get to endings in remake yet, but I don't remember there to be theatrical tremble in original Mary's delivery, she was just both sad and relieved in Leave, and I'd say her letter deliveries were spot-on in the original. My memory can play tricks on me now though, I'll need to verify.
Edit: for now I'd say Mary was the strongest delivery in the original, and the weakest - in remake.

[FruitBat Man]

Originally posted by Rastrelly:

Originally posted by Escavalien:

Ironic considering in the original Mary delivers a performance like she's crying while talking during the leave ending letter, but in this one there's not enough sadness in her voice.

Didn't get to endings in remake yet, but I don't remember there to be theatrical tremble in original Mary's delivery, she was just both sad and relieved in Leave, and I'd say her letter deliveries were spot-on in the original. My memory can play tricks on me now though, I'll need to verify.

Oh no you need to watch a comparison video. That's actually one of the worst points of contention. If there was any clear example of inferior voice acting or direction that is it. That and Angela staircase final scene. Again serviceable and only bad if you compare the two

[Escavalien]

Mary's original leave ending dialogue deserves a rewatch if you don't remember it, she's almost breaking out into tears during it and delivers a super natural performance almost as if you're listening to her final words in a phone call, as the directing kept all her gasps of breathing and similar sounds between words. It's amazing. Mary is actually the most emotional voice performance in the original.

[Rastrelly]

Originally posted by Escavalien:

Mary's original leave ending dialogue deserves a rewatch if you don't remember it, she's almost breaking out into tears during it and delivers a super natural performance almost as if you're listening to her final words in a phone call, as the directing kept all her gasps of breathing and similar sounds between words. It's amazing. Mary is actually the most emotional voice performance in the original.

I'm absolutely going to finally complete my EE rerun after finishing the Remake, got kinda caught between job stuff and wishing to get to a ton of different gaming-related tasties :D

[Star Rain]

OG is melodramatic as hell.

[Seraphiel]

Honestly, Maria's voice acting in this is fine. It's not exceptional and it's not bad but it's just fine.

[pythonfp]

I found Maria annoying in the remake.

[Cephei]

Originally posted by River Victor:

I like the game, but Maria/Mary seems indeed flat.

She should have been paler like a ghost.

[klimat13]

I have to agree. I love the remake, but Maria/Mary both fall flat most of the time and I believe it is not because of the VA, but by design. You can see the intention if you compare the letter text, which starts and goes on mostly the same, but is changed significantly in the final lines.
Here are the final lines from the original letter which got axed in the remake:

That means that as you read this, I'm already dead.
I can't tell you to remember me, but I can't bear for you to forget me.
These last few years since I became ill... I'm so sorry for what I did to you, did to us...
You've given me so much and I haven't been able to return a single thing.
That's why I want you to live for yourself now.
Do what's best for you, James.
James... You made me happy."

And here are the new lines:

That means that as you're reading this, I'm already dead.
But that's okay. I'm not afraid of it anymore.
I just hope the pain will end soon.
So that you remember me for who I was.
And not what the disease made me.
I want you to go on.
I want you to live.
For yourself and for others.
Like you did for me.
James... You made me happy.

The original ending to the letter if full of regret and therefore is very emotional.
The remake ending spells acceptance and calm and therefore by design has much less emotion to give. Which I don't like, since to me the point of the letter is for the player to ugly cry his/her eyes out as the text is scrolling on the monitor. With the new letter I didn't shed a single tear and that is a problem.

Why were those changes made? I believe because they wanted the letter to be much kinder towards James and his actions as well as being more kind to Mary herself depicting her as "not afraid". They have also shifted more forgiving lines from the dialogue with the bed-ridden Mary into the letter, presumably because the bed-ridden Mary might be just another delusion while the letter is real. So again more real kindness towards James.
Was achieving those reasons worth toning down the emotions? In my opinion absolutely not.