SILENT HILL f

Developer: NeoBards Entertainment Ltd. | Publisher: KONAMI | Release Date: 2025 | Genre: Action / Adventure / Horror | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

For more than two decades, Silent Hill has been synonymous with fog-shrouded streets, rust-covered corridors, psychological trauma, and protagonists burdened by guilt. Silent Hill f marks a dramatic departure from many of these familiar elements by transporting the series away from its namesake town and into 1960s rural Japan. It is easily one of the boldest entries in the franchise and one that isn’t afraid to challenge expectations. Whether that gamble pays off depends largely on what players are looking for from a Silent Hill game.

The story follows Shimizu Hinako, a teenage girl living in the isolated mountain town of Ebisugaoka. Her life is already complicated enough before a mysterious crimson fog descends upon the town, transforming it into a nightmare filled with grotesque creatures and impossible horrors. As reality unravels around her, Hinako is forced to confront the darkness lurking beneath the surface of both the town and its inhabitants.

The Japanese setting immediately sets Silent Hill f apart from every previous mainline entry. Gone are the abandoned American streets, hospitals, and apartment complexes that have become staples of the series. Instead, players explore shrines, schools, forests, traditional homes, and narrow village pathways inspired by rural Japan. The result is a game that often feels more like a Japanese folk horror title than a traditional Silent Hill experience.

This shift works surprisingly well. Ebisugaoka is a fascinating location, and the developers have done an excellent job creating an atmosphere that feels distinct from previous games while still retaining certain themes associated with the franchise. The town’s gradual transformation under the influence of the spreading flowers and corruption makes for some striking imagery, and there are moments where Silent Hill f looks unlike anything else in the series.

The game’s strongest asset is undoubtedly its presentation. The enemy designs are frequently excellent, blending beauty and horror in ways that feel uniquely suited to the game’s themes. Many of the creatures appear almost floral at first glance before revealing grotesque details upon closer inspection. Combined with some impressive environmental design, Silent Hill f often succeeds at being visually unsettling even when it isn’t outright frightening.

Unfortunately, visual horror and psychological horror are not always the same thing. While Silent Hill f contains plenty of disturbing imagery, it rarely reaches the same level of dread or unease found in the series’ strongest entries. Silent Hill 2, in particular, remains the benchmark for psychological horror within the franchise, and Silent Hill f struggles to evoke the same lingering sense of discomfort. There are certainly creepy moments and a few genuinely memorable sequences, but much of the game feels more focused on action and survival than sustained psychological terror.

One reason for this is the combat-heavy nature of the experience. Unlike many previous entries where combat often felt like an unpleasant necessity, Silent Hill f places fighting front and center. Hinako has no access to firearms or ranged weapons whatsoever. Instead, players rely entirely on melee weapons throughout the game, ranging from pipes and tools to more specialized implements found later in the story.

Initially, this approach works well. Combat feels tense and dangerous, especially during the opening hours when resources are scarce and enemies can inflict significant damage. Stamina management, positioning, and learning enemy attack patterns all play important roles in survival. The developers clearly intended combat to feel more deliberate and involved than in previous entries.

The problem is that the game never quite knows when to stop. As the adventure progresses, combat encounters become increasingly frequent, and what begins as tense survival horror gradually starts feeling repetitive. The enemy variety helps somewhat, but by the latter stages of the game, the constant emphasis on melee combat begins to wear thin. Instead of building tension, many encounters become obstacles that slow the pace. The lack of ranged options further compounds the issue, as players are forced to engage with every threat in broadly similar ways. The fact that weapon degradation is a thing makes matters worse, as we were often left stuck fighting monsters with flimsy items.

This is particularly unfortunate because Silent Hill f excels in other areas. The puzzles are among the best the series has offered in years. Rather than simply acting as roadblocks between story sequences, many puzzles are cleverly integrated into the environment and require genuine thought to solve. Veterans of the franchise will be pleased to find puzzles that feel much closer to the classic Silent Hill titles than the simplified approach seen in some modern horror games. We frequently found ourselves enjoying the puzzle sections far more than the combat-heavy segments that followed.

The story is another area where Silent Hill f performs well, although it takes its time revealing its secrets. The writing explores themes of social pressure, expectations, friendship, abuse, and identity through a distinctly Japanese lens. While not every revelation lands with equal impact, the narrative remains compelling throughout and contains several memorable moments.

However, the game’s ending structure is more contentious. During an initial playthrough, it quickly becomes apparent that many of the choices players might expect to matter ultimately do not influence the outcome. No matter how players approach most situations, the first completion results in the same ending. To access the additional endings and eventually unlock the true ending, multiple playthroughs are required.

Ordinarily, this would not necessarily be a problem. Several Silent Hill games encourage repeated playthroughs to uncover different conclusions. The difference is that previous entries often left us eager to dive back in immediately to see what we missed. Silent Hill f never quite inspired that same feeling.

Part of this comes down to pacing, but a larger issue is simply the combat. By the time the credits rolled, we found ourselves appreciating the game’s story and atmosphere but feeling less enthusiastic about revisiting the lengthy combat encounters required to reach the additional endings. The prospect of replaying large sections of the game felt more like an obligation than an exciting opportunity.

Visually, Silent Hill f is one of the strongest entries in the series. The environments are richly detailed, the lighting is excellent, and the contrast between beauty and horror creates some unforgettable imagery. Character models are equally impressive, and the game’s use of flowers and organic corruption results in some truly striking scenes.

The audio also deserves praise. Akira Yamaoka returns to contribute music alongside other composers, and the soundtrack successfully blends traditional Japanese influences with the atmospheric style that fans expect from the series. Environmental sound design is equally strong, helping to create a sense of place even when the game isn’t actively trying to scare players.

Overall, Silent Hill f is a fascinating entry in the franchise. It successfully reinvents the setting and introduces some excellent puzzles, memorable visuals, and an engaging story. However, its heavy focus on melee combat and relatively low scare factor prevent it from reaching the heights of the series’ best installments. It is a good horror game and an interesting Silent Hill game, but not necessarily a great Silent Hill game.