In this eighth part of our Silent Hill 2 walkthrough, we’ll guide you through the final area of the Silent Hill 2: Lakeview Hotel. This section is a step-by-step guide for completing the game on PS5, focusing on both Combat and Puzzle challenges set to Standard difficulty. Our Silent Hill 2 walkthrough also covers how to solve the puzzles in the hotel and where to find collectibles like memos and photos that offer glimpses of the past.
Silent Hill 2: Lakeview Hotel Walkthrough – All Collectibles: Memos, Strange Photos, and Glimpses of the Past
After rowing across Toluca Lake following your escape from the Labyrinth, you’ll reach Lakeview Hotel, the final destination in Silent Hill 2. When you gain control of James, head to the back wall past the staircase to locate the Lakeview Hotel Garden Map.
Now, head upstairs to leave the pier and climb the stone staircase. As James ascends, he’ll reflect on how the hotel has remained unchanged over the last three years. Turn right towards the middle water feature, and follow the path to a wall. Underneath a tree on the right, you’ll find a Rotten Apple. From here, continue north, and you’ll discover a water feature with a fish statue. On the opposite side, you’ll find the first Glimpse of the Past.
Glimpse of the Past #1
To find this collectible, head north from the Rotten Apple towards the fish fountain. The Glimpse of the Past is located in the water bowl, on the side opposite the inscription.
Once you’ve collected the Glimpse of the Past, you can enter the hotel. Upon entering, you’ll find the Lakeview Hotel Maps (1F, 2F, 3F, and Basement) immediately to your right. James will also note that Room B12 on the third floor has the message "Waiting for you..." marked on it.
Begin by heading down the staircase in front of you to reach the Utility Room in the basement, where you’ll find Cleaning Staff Memo #1 on a desk.
Memo #1: Cleaning Staff Memo #1
After entering Lakeview Hotel, go downstairs to the basement and head into the Utility Room. You’ll find the memo on a desk to your left.
Next, return to the hotel’s entrance and continue into the Check-In room on your right. Here, you can save your game, pick up the Room 312 Key, Ornamental Key, and another memo—the Receptionist Memo—near the bell. This memo references a videotape James had during his last visit.
Memo #2: Receptionist Memo
In the Check-In room on the first floor, you’ll find the Receptionist Memo on the front desk beside the bell.
Proceed to the main lobby area, where you’ll encounter a large music box in the center. Using the Ornamental Key here will unlock a deeper puzzle that requires three items scattered throughout the hotel. Before solving the puzzle, enter the Lake Shore Restaurant. In a cutscene, you’ll meet Laura, who gives James a letter from Mary. This Laura’s Letter also counts as a memo and is added to your inventory automatically.
Memo #3: Laura’s Letter
After meeting Laura in the Lake Shore Restaurant on 1F, you’ll receive this memo during the cutscene, and it will be automatically added to your inventory.
After the interaction with Laura, cross the lobby and enter Cafe Toluca, where you’ll find the Key to Hotel Room 102 behind the bar. Break through the wall around the corner to access the Lost & Found room, which contains Handgun Ammo and the Lost & Found Note on the shelf to the right.
The final stretch of Silent Hill 2: Lakeview Hotel includes solving puzzles and unraveling the mystery of James’s past, bringing the story to its dramatic conclusion.
Memo #4: Lost & Found Note
To find this memo, enter Cafe Toluca from the Lobby on the first floor (1F). Head around the corner where you'll notice a breakable section of the wall. Once inside Lost & Found, the memo will be on the shelving to your right.
Afterward, follow Laura through to the right-hand hallway filled with hotel rooms. Despite the eerie quietness of the hotel up to this point, you’ll now encounter enemies to defeat in this area. Use your key to unlock Room 102, which contains plenty of ammunition and health supplies. Over in Room 104, check the bedside cabinet for a Strange Photo.
Strange Photo #1: Aftermath...
In Room 104 on floor 1F of Lakeview Hotel, you’ll find a Strange Photo inside the bedside cabinet.
In Room 106, you can access an exterior porch that leads into Room 103, though there’s only a Health Drink inside one of the drawers. Make your way to the Utility Room to grab some Handgun Ammo and the Sunrise Wing Key. Room 107 remains locked for now. Having completed your search of the first floor, return to the Lobby and head upstairs. Use the Sunrise Wing Key to unlock the right-hand set of double doors.
Upon entering the Reading Room, you’ll come across several books titled The One Who Soared, Stalwart to the End, Pride Before the Fall, and Revelations: A New Understanding. On the right-hand side of the bookcase, you can place these books in four different positions. This puzzle will come into play later.
Keep the puzzle in mind as you move across the corridor into the Cloakroom, which leads to the Hall. This room is filled with mannequins, and a few enemies disguised as them. Stay alert. You’ll find the Key to Hotel Room 202 on the couch, and in the opposite corner of the room, you’ll find a Ripe Apple. From here, you can exit onto the porch and climb through an open window into the Nurse’s Office, where you’ll face a nurse enemy. You’ll also find a Health Drink inside. Exiting this area to the left will unlock a shortcut from the staircase.
Now, we recommend exploring the eastern wing of floor 2F for a more straightforward path. In Room 209, you’ll find ammo, and in Room 206, there’s a vent you can crawl through to reach Room 207, where Rifle Rounds are located. Room 204 holds Handgun Ammo and a Health Drink. Finally, use your key to unlock Room 202, where you’ll encounter a Mirror that must be repaired. The solution can be found through the following link:
Upon solving the puzzle, you’ll receive the Snow White Figurine.
Next, head to the western wing of floor 2F, which was previously unlocked via the Nurse’s Office. In Room 212, located in the top-left corner of the map, you’ll discover another Glimpse of the Past.
Glimpse of the Past #2
After unlocking the western wing of floor 2F through the Hall porch, enter Room 212 and interact with the open suitcase on the floor to find this Glimpse of the Past.
Once you’ve collected everything, proceed to the third floor (3F). In the Conference Room, check the fireplace to find Cleaning Staff Note #2 and the Key to Room 107.
Memo #5: Cleaning Staff Note #2
Head to the Conference Room on floor 3F through the western wing of floor 2F to find this memo attached to the fireplace.
You'll notice that the fireplace requires a key, which you’ll need to track down as you continue your journey. Leave the Conference Room and search the Utility Room for ammo and Boltcutters. On the southern side of this western area, there’s a staircase leading back to a new part of floor 2F. Start by entering Room 215, where you can break through a piece of the wall and unlatch the door to Room 214, creating a shortcut to the rest of the second floor. In Room 217, you’ll find several bird cages. Look outside on the porch and spot a book. Shoot the glass to make the book drop to the floor below.
Finally, head to Room 107 using the key you found earlier. Inside, you’ll discover another memo—Cleaning Staff Note #3—and out in the garden, inside the gazebo, you’ll locate the Fireplace Key.
Memo #6: Cleaning Staff Note #3
Once you've acquired the key to unlock Room 107 on the first floor (1F), you'll find this memo directly in front of you upon entering.
After collecting the memo, return to the hotel and visit the Lake House Restaurant. The book you previously shot down will now be inside, and upon opening it, you’ll receive the Can Opener. Next, head back to the garden and use the Boltcutters to unlock the gate, granting you access to the water feature, where you can collect a Light Bulb. Now, head up to the Conference Room on the third floor (3F) and use the Fireplace Key on the fireplace. This action rewards you with the Cinderella Figurine. Following a cutscene where James is attacked, you'll have to fight a monster. After defeating it, push the cupboard aside to reveal a hidden section of the wall. Break through it to access Room 317, and from the porch, leap over to Room 318. Inside, you'll find a Paint Can, which can be opened using the Can Opener in your inventory.
Now that you have the Open Paint Can, head to the Reading Room on the second floor (2F) and place the books from your inventory into the bookshelf. The shelf will slide back, revealing a secret room. Inside, you'll discover three memos, a locked briefcase, and a mirror with a broken light bulb. Combine the Light Bulb with the Open Paint Can to create the Red Light Bulb, which you can then place into the mirror’s socket.
Memo #7: Photo #1
In the secret room behind the bookshelf in the Reading Room on floor 2F, this memo is on the bed.
Memo #8: Photo #2
Also located in the secret room behind the bookshelf, you’ll find this memo on the same bed.
Memo #9: Photo #3
The third memo, found in the same location as the others in the secret room.
Once you insert the Red Light Bulb, the phrase “Deed Done” will appear on the mirror. This is the code you’ll need to unlock the briefcase. Inside, you'll find the Employee Elevator Key, which can be used on the same floor in the western wing. However, if you try to use the elevator immediately, an alarm will go off. To disable it, interact with the nearby cabinet and place all your items into the bags and boxes provided—you can’t bring anything with you. After doing this, the elevator will function, taking you down to a new section of the first floor (1F) in the Employee Section.
Here, you’ll find yourself without any means of defense. You’ll need to locate a new map in the room directly in front of you, pinned to a noticeboard. Try to avoid enemies as much as possible and head toward the Cafeteria in the southwest corner. Inside, you’ll find a Health Drink and a gap in the wall that leads into the Dish Room. Continue to the Kitchen to pick up the Green Gemstone, and then enter the Pantry to discover a Glimpse of the Past.
Glimpse of the Past #3
Once you’ve reached the Employee Section via the elevator and entered the Pantry, interact with the prompt to receive this Glimpse of the Past.
Next, make your way to the Freezer Room to retrieve the Blue Gemstone from the open fridge. In the Manager’s Office, collect the health and ammo, and push the cupboard aside to access the Manager’s Room, where you’ll find the Red Gemstone inside a box. Return to the Manager’s Office and interact with the Gem Box on the desk. You’ll need to place the gemstones correctly so the picture on the Gem Box matches the painting on the opposite wall.
Once solved, a drawer in the desk will open, giving you the Keypad Numbers Memo automatically. This code—7414—can be used to open the safe in the Break Room.
Memo #10: Keypad Numbers Memo
Solve the Gem Box puzzle in the Manager’s Office to automatically receive this memo.
Return to the Break Room and use the code to unlock the safe, where you’ll find the Video Tape and the Basement Key. Use the key to access the locked door just north of the Break Room, leading to the basement. Be prepared for more enemies here. In the Maintenance Room, you’ll find a Pump Valve, which can be used on the gas-spewing pipe blocking the way into the Boiler Room. Inside the Boiler Room, you’ll find a Syringe and the Venus Tears Bar Key.
Finally, use the key on the locked door near the pipe, and then use the Pump Valve on a second pipe in the kitchen. This will give you access to the Venus Tears Bar, where you’ll find a Strange Photo sitting on the back of the bar to your immediate right.
Strange Photo #2: Better Leave...
After navigating through the basement without any defenses, enter the Venus Tears Bar. Upon stepping inside, you'll find the Strange Photo immediately on the back of the bar to your right. In front of the jukebox, you'll also come across the Little Mermaid Figurine. Proceed through the next door to return to the main hotel. At this point, head back to the Cabinet and retrieve all your weapons and items. If you're unsure of the way without a map, go to the second floor, turn left, and then take another left, following the corridor until you reach the door at the end.
Now that you've gathered all three figurines, it's time to solve the Music Box Puzzle in the Lobby. Once completed, you'll earn the 3F Corridor Key, which you can use to unlock the padlock on Room 312. Insert the Video Tape into the tape player near the TV to trigger one of the most significant cutscenes in the game.
Upon regaining control, you’ll notice that the hotel looks even more decayed. Exit into the corridor and use Rooms 314 and 313 to access the eastern wing of the third floor (3F). You can search some of the rooms for supplies, but your primary goal is to locate the metal cart at the end of the corridor. Push it over the area marked with a question mark on your map, likely in Room 302 (though the wall is destroyed, so it's not easy to tell). Moving the cart reveals a blocked bathroom. Enter the room to discover another Strange Photo.
Strange Photo #3: Still Can't Get It Right
After watching the videotape cutscene with James and Laura, head to the eastern wing of floor 3F. Move the metal cart and inspect the bathroom it was covering to find this Strange Photo sitting in the sink.
James will then drop to the floor below, where you'll cut through the Restroom to reach the Reading Room. There, you'll find another Glimpse of the Past on the couch.
Glimpses of the Past #4
After pushing the metal cart and dropping to floor 2F, go through the Restroom and into the Reading Room. Interact with the tape player on the couch to get this Glimpse of the Past.
Out in the hallway, crawl through the Cloakroom, then climb out into the Nurse's Office. From there, squeeze through the corridor until you reach the elevator, which will take you down to the basement. This part of the hotel is now flooded, which will make movement more challenging. Follow the straightforward path through the Venus Tears Bar and Kitchen until you reach a door with light coming through. This will turn out to be fire, and you’ll encounter Angela for another key cutscene.
Once the cutscene ends, head upstairs to the Employee Section of the first floor (1F). Inside the Manager's Office, you'll find a memo along with a red door leading to a secret passageway that's not marked on your map.
Memo #11: Burned Note
After the cutscene with Angela in the Employee Section of floor 1F, enter the Manager's Office and pick up this memo from the desk.
In the next room, save your game, then proceed through the double doors to initiate a boss fight against two Pyramid Heads. Instead of their typical massive swords, these enemies will be armed with spears. They'll follow you closely, trying to stab you and occasionally hurl their spears, requiring quick dodges. To deal damage, create some distance between you and them, then fire your weapons. Repeat this strategy until a cutscene triggers, showing both Pyramid Heads taking their own lives. Each will drop an egg after the battle—collect both and place them in the doors at the back to exit.
Next, you'll face a long corridor, narrated by Mary. As you reach the end, you'll find yourself outside. There's a lot of ammo on the ground along with a syringe, so be sure to gather everything. Turn right and follow the path to discover another Strange Photo.
Strange Photo #4: Shape Forces the Mind
After defeating the two Pyramid Heads, run down the long corridor narrated by Mary. At the end, after stepping outside, turn right and follow the path to find this Strange Photo.
Now, ascend the staircase to your left, where a final ladder will lead to the last scene of the game. What seems like Mary waiting for James at the top turns out to be the final boss. This enemy floats around the arena, turning into moths to quickly move. Shoot it whenever you have the chance to eventually trigger a cutscene where it crashes to the ground and causes the floor beneath James to collapse, dropping him into a flooded area.
At this stage, the boss will attack from the metal rafters above, occasionally descending into the arena where you can fire at it again. Watch for the sparks on the ceiling to track its location. After dealing enough damage, the arena will shift to a brighter space. Collect the scattered ammo and health items around the edges, then continue dodging its attacks while landing your own shots. Once the boss collapses and becomes immobile in a cutscene, approach it and deliver the final blow to end the battle.
Your ending will depend on your gameplay choices throughout the game and will play out in the cutscene following the boss fight. Congratulations, you've just completed Silent Hill 2!
