Silent Hill f Review – A New Chapter in Fear

Silent Hill f Review

The Silent Hill series is home to some of the best examples of survival horror, though its strongest entries remain tied to its early releases. After more than a decade of shortcomings, Konami and Bloober Team revived the franchise with a faithful yet modernized remake of Silent Hill 2, reaffirming its place as a genre-defining masterpiece. That success has reignited interest in the series, setting the stage for Silent Hill f, the first mainline entry in over ten years. With a new developer bringing a fresh vision, could this be the new chapter that longtime fans have been waiting for?

Marking a first for the franchise, Silent Hill f escapes small town America for 1960s, rural Japan – a shift that gives the game a distinct identity and allows the developers to drown themselves in the unsettling lore. Ebisugaoka is a tightly constructed setting with narrow paths that strangle your view, turning each tentative step into an anxiety-ridden task. The wooden structures add a sense of fragility, making every location feel unsafe. Splinters stab at the air, adding a delicious hint of dread as you tread to your destination. Each broken branch, smashed door, and blood splatter tells a tale of the terrors that await, weaving a dense, suffocating atmosphere that refuses to let you go.

A Different Time

You play as Hinako, a school student who is struggling to find a sense of belonging. Your father, the patriarch of the household, mistreats you. Sick and tired of his drunken antics, you flee, meeting your schoolmates as you venture out. Unfortunately, your relationship with your friends isn’t particularly strong either. Most talk down to and lambast you for the smallest things, which helps to build sympathy for the protagonist. While the actions of the characters are striking, the manner in which they communicate is haunting. There’s an ethereal quality that imbues the delivery of dialogue, leading you to question the validity of each scenario.

The story drifts between the tight, rickety village and a larger, mystical area, playing on the psychological aspect of horror, which the series is renowned for. This adds a strong pace to the adventure as you aim to decipher each new maze that lies before you. An oddness lingers over everything you encounter, be it the strange flora infecting the world or the unnatural characterizations; together, these elements create an unsettling ambiance that lures you deeper into the experience. Ryukishi07 explores several mature themes in a way that invites you to question and decode the meaning behind unfolding events. While nothing is explicit, subtle nuances culminate in an impactful narrative.

Tentatively walking down claustrophobic paths creates tension, forcing you to question what’s around every corner. As resources are scarce, you will need to search for health items and weapons so that you can safely progress to the next area. Documents are scattered throughout, giving further insight into Ebisugaoka and building the lore of the world. Each snippet of information is stored in your journal along with a map so that you can plot your path to your objective.

Vivid Nightmares

Grotesque creatures slither and skitter throughout. Each is horrific in appearance, with suitably frightening animations that add to the horror. To overcome these, you must rely on items you find en route: pipes, knives, axes and more. Enemies have an attack pattern and you must read and react accordingly. Certain attacks have a visual cue that allows you to unleash a visceral counterattack, opening the opportunity to pummel them further as they lie stunned on the ground. Weapons have a durability limit, and overuse can cause them to break. To manage your arsenal, you’ll need to use toolkits for repairs and rotate between the three weapons you can carry to keep your favorites in fighting shape. While this feature can be frustrating in games, it works perfectly here. This makes each encounter an intense affair and is a fresh take on the genre’s resource management feature.

Combat is slow and methodical, requiring you to learn the timing of animations to ensure each hit connects. Every blow feels heavy, making each impact feel devastating. Weapons have unique animations, encouraging experimentation with the items you collect. A well-timed dodge lets you slip around enemies and land a series of punishing attacks.

A key feature of combat is focus mode. This ability highlights counterattack opportunities and lets you charge powerful strikes. However, using it drains your sanity meter. When both sanity and stamina are low, your character becomes vulnerable, sometimes freezing in fear and unable to move. To stay in control, you’ll need to manage your sanity with the right items. Fighting enemies is enjoyable, but it never reaches greatness. While there’s some variety to keep things interesting, the lack of deeper mechanics prevents combat from truly standing out.

Take a Breath

Pray points are dotted throughout, allowing you to save your progress and upgrade your stats. Items you collect can be traded for currency to improve your health, stamina and sanity meter. Amulets can also be equipped, giving a range of bonuses to support you on your journey. This is a great way to ensure that any item you collect has worth, as it can support an upgrade. With only a limited number of spaces in your inventory, you’ll find yourself revisiting these points to aid your progress.

Areas feature puzzles that encourage you to examine your surroundings closely in order to solve them. All relevant clues are recorded in your journal, making it easy to revisit information as needed. While the game includes some traditional puzzles, it also expands on this concept with larger, more involved sequences. One memorable example involves progressing through three alternate versions of a single area to unlock a door. In moments like this, Silent Hill f truly captures the essence of the series, blending psychological unease, environmental storytelling, and puzzle-solving into a cohesive and unsettling experience.

Hideously Beautiful

The presentation perfectly communicates horror in subtle and unsettling ways. Besides the disgusting creature design, there’s a distorted view of reality that makes you question everything. Saturated colours juxtapose the red flora to heighten the intensity of the infection running throughout the village. Lurching behind each step is the incredible score. From Mongolian throat singing to eerie, high-pitched violins, the soundscape is truly remarkable, taking you on a journey through the tormented psyche of Hinako.

Silent Hill f is the entry fans have been waiting for since 2004’s The Room. The shift from small-town America to rural Japan gives the game a distinct identity, allowing the developers to craft a unique experience that still captures the spirit of the series. Ryukishi07’s storytelling shines, with your journal steadily filling with information and mature themes explored in subtle yet impactful ways. While combat has seen improvements over its predecessors, it still pales in comparison to the game’s atmosphere and puzzle design. After two long decades, and a remake of a genre classic, Silent Hill is finally back.

***A PS5 code was provided by the publisher***