So, you’ve finally made it past the Toluca Prison and tumbled down that seemingly endless series of holes. Honestly, if you’re feeling a little exhausted by the time you hit the Labyrinth, you aren't alone. It’s arguably the most "video-gamey" part of the Silent Hill 2 remake, trading the psychological fog of the streets for a brutal, underground gauntlet that feels like James Sunderland’s subconscious is finally losing its mind.
The Labyrinth isn't just a maze; it’s a hub-and-spoke nightmare built around a giant, rotating stone cube. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in this central room, spinning that block to align symbols and open paths to three distinct sub-areas: the Rotten Area, the Desolate Area, and the Ruined Area.
Here is the thing—the game doesn't exactly hold your hand with the map here. You’ll have to build it as you go, and if you aren't careful, you’ll burn through your shotgun shells way before you face what’s waiting for you at the end.
Solving the Rotating Cube Puzzle
The core of this whole section is the Rotating Cube. It’s sitting right there in the middle of the hub. You’ll notice symbols on the walls of the room that correspond to the faces on the smaller cube you can interact with.
To get moving, you need to rotate the small cube so that the face matching the lit symbol on the wall is facing you. For the first leg of the journey, you’re looking for the upward-facing triangle with a cross at the bottom. Line that up, and the giant cube in the room will shift, opening a door that leads to the Rotten Area.
Pro Tip: The cube rotates both horizontally and vertically. If you feel like you've seen every side and the symbol isn't there, try flipping it "up" or "down." It’s a 3D object, after all.
Navigating the Rotten Area
This place is gross. It’s filled with fleshy walls, insects, and a lot of Lying Figures. Once you step inside, your goal is to find the Lighter Wick, the Lighter Gas, and eventually the Iron Key.
Follow the bloody trails. They aren't just for decoration; they usually point toward the path of progress. You’ll eventually find a room with a suspended cage—this is a key landmark. To the west of this room, there’s a breakable wall. Smash it to find a "Glimpse of the Past," which is a nice nod for fans of the original 2001 game.
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- The Iron Key: You’ll find this tucked away in a desk drawer in an office cubicle area.
- The Lighter Gas: Look for a fridge that is absolutely packed with rotten meat. It’s in one of the eastern rooms.
- The Lighter Wick: This one is in the southern section. Look for a room with a bed that’s been cut in half. Reach into the hole in the wall behind the bed. Yes, James is still putting his hand in random holes.
Once you have the gas and the wick, combine them with the Broken Lighter you find near the bathtub after turning the valve. Use the working lighter on the twisted, fleshy sheet blocking the hole in the floor to drop back down to the Cube room.
The Desolate Area and Pyramid Head
Once back at the hub, rotate the cube again. This time, you want the symbol that looks like an infinity symbol with a double cross (often called the Leviathan Cross). This opens the path to the Desolate Area, which is much more vertical and involves a lot of ladders.
This section is basically a giant game of hide-and-seek with Pyramid Head. You’ll be navigating flooded tunnels where Lying Figures crawl through the water. It’s claustrophobic as hell.
You’re looking for Wirecutters. They are jammed into a sparking junction box, but you can’t get to them immediately. You’ll need to find the Small Key first (located at the end of a flooded path after heading down Ladder III) to unlock a handcuffed valve. This valve raises a gate that lets you reach the north side of the map.
When you finally reach the "Inner Sanctum"—Pyramid Head's workshop—don't try to fight him. It's a waste of ammo. Run. You need to smash a weak wall to escape his patrol area. Once you grab the Wirecutters, head back to the wired fence you saw earlier in the flooded section, snip it, and jump into the pit.
The Ruined Area: A Combat Gauntlet
The final rotation of the cube requires the downward-facing triangle with a cross. This leads to the Ruined Area. If the previous two sections were about puzzles and evasion, this one is about survival.
You’ll enter a series of rooms that look like decaying apartments. When the sirens start blaring, the doors lock, and you have to kill everything in the room to proceed.
- Room 1: Lying Figures and a Bubble Head. Use the pipe for the Lying Figures to save ammo, but maybe blast the Bubble Head if it gets too close.
- Room 2: More of the same, but with Mannequins hiding in the corners.
- The Mandarin Room: You’ll face a Mandarin under the floor grates. The trick here is to keep moving. If you stay still, it’ll poke you through the floor. Use your handgun to ping its arms; a few hits will make it drop and retreat.
What Most People Get Wrong About Maria’s Room
One of the most important story moments in the Labyrinth is finding Maria in her "cell." After you finish the Rotten and Desolate areas, you can actually go back and visit her.
Most players just rush through to the end, but if you’re aiming for the Maria Ending, you must go back and check on her. Talk to her through the bars. Listen to her dialogue. If you leave the area entirely without returning to her after she "changes," you might lock yourself out of that specific ending. It’s a subtle requirement that the game doesn't explicitly tell you.
Facing the Abstract Daddy
After the Ruined Area, you’ll drop into a section that looks like a cheap, cramped apartment. This leads to the boss fight against the Abstract Daddy.
It looks like two figures under a blanket on a bed, and it’s fast. The arena is tight, so dodging is your best friend. Wait for it to lunge, dodge to the side, and then lay into it with the shotgun. If it catches you, it does massive damage. There are three "phases" where you have to chase it through the shifting walls and smash TVs to break the illusion. Once the third TV is gone, you can finally put it down for good.
Actionable Steps for Your Run
The Labyrinth can be a resource drain if you aren't careful. To make it through without losing your mind, keep these points in mind:
- Conserve Rifle Ammo: You’re going to want every single rifle round for the boss fight against Eddie, which happens shortly after you finish the Labyrinth. Don't use them on Lying Figures.
- Check the Corners: The remake hides "Glimpses of the Past" and "Strange Photos" in dead ends that look like they have nothing. Specifically, check the area downstairs from the Cube room after clearing the Desolate Area for a hidden photo.
- Use the Map: James marks doors that are "locked" vs. "broken." If a door is broken, stop trying to open it. It will never open.
- Rotate the Cube for Loot: There is actually a "secret" fourth orientation for the cube. If you align it to a symbol that looks like a scratched-out face, you can access a room with a health drink and ammo that isn't required for the main path.
Once you’ve dealt with the Abstract Daddy and the graveyard, you’re on the home stretch. Just remember: in Silent Hill, the shortest path is rarely the safest one. Use your map, watch your ammo, and don't forget to check on Maria.