Silent Hill is a horror series that needs no introduction. After the cancellation of Silent Hills (better known as PT), fans have been eagerly awaiting a new entry in this psychological horror franchise. Now, we’ve got exactly that in the form of Silent Hill f, a new mainline entry created by NeoBards Entertainment. However, instead of being confined to the eponymous foggy town in Maine, Silent Hill f transports us to 1960s rural Japan for a different style of horror. So, does this sequel live up to the name of Silent Hill, or is this just another letdown in a long line of letdowns? Well, it all depends on our perspective.
Silent Hill: Schoolgirl Edition
In Silent Hill f, you play as Shimizu Hinako, a quiet young schoolgirl who, after arguing with her parents, runs off to play with her friends. A citizen of the quiet countryside village of Ebisugaoka, the worst thing Hinako usually deals with is jealousy from other girls, mainly regarding her relationship with a young man named Shu. Of course, this all goes out the window when grotesque, disfigured creatures start attacking the streets, leaving her mostly defenseless and left to save the day.
From time to time, Hinako slips into a dream-like state, where she meets a mysterious wolf-masked man, guiding her toward a secret ritual. The world within is much more frightening and dangerous than Ebisugaoka, but she finds guidance in her companion. Things don’t always go to plan, and before long, she wakes back up and continues her trek across Ebisugaoka.
Unfortunately, the majority of the plot is either extremely confusing. Very little is explained (even if you bother reading the various lore notes scattered around), leaving you perplexed with each passing cutscene. Worse yet is the dialogue between Hinako and her friends in the “real world”, where conversations feel more like a high school anime than anything else. This tonal whiplash, combined with a seriously confusing main story, makes the plot hard to follow and even harder to care about. There’s also very little closure to the tale at hand, requiring multiple playthroughs (or just watching alternate endings on YouTube) to figure everything out.
Silent Souls
Apart from the tonally awkward story, Silent Hill f contains most of the gameplay elements you’d expect from prime entries in the series. You spend a lot of time exploring dilapidated, ruined buildings, searching for items of interest and dodging any monster that might come your way. There are equal parts combat and puzzle solving, though there are individual settings for each. For example, players who want less challenging combat can set the action to “story mode” difficulty, while those looking for solid brainteasers should choose the “hard” difficulty for puzzles.
Combat has been revamped as well, feeling more like “Dark Souls lite” than original Silent Hill. You still have a handful of weapons like baseball bats and iron pipes, which degrade as you use them, but the pace of battles are much more frenetic and fast than ever before. You can counterattack enemies, dodge out of their way, quickly pop some medicine, and more. A few boss fights push this souls-like vibe further, though I enjoyed these climactic battles quite a bit.
There are also a few other annoyances to mention. First, inventory space is remarkably tight, so you’ll find yourself sorting your backpack consistently. In combat, weapons have a tendency to bounce off walls, and attacks can feel stilted too, which is doubly disappointing when the wind-up takes so long. Ultimately, this change in action and gameplay flow will either make or break the experience, but it’s very much dependent on the player.
All that considered, Silent Hill f does shine as a spooky, evocative, and downright creepy experience. The visuals are top-notch, the creature designs are absolutely disgusting, and there were quite a few moments that made me cringe with discomfort. Through and through, Silent Hill f is one of the prettiest yet creepiest games I’ve played this year. The atmosphere, uneasy tone, and scare factor are effective enough to forgive some of the bumpier gameplay elements. If you’re a fan of the previous Silent Hill games, Silent Hill f is worth checking out, but newcomers to the franchise might want to check out some gameplay first.
The Bottom Line on Silent Hill f
After failed revivals like Silent Hill Homecoming and Silent Hill Downpour, Silent Hill f finds a way to breathe some new life into this once ailing franchise. It might not be the homerun that fans were hoping for, but it’s still a great playthrough, especially around the Halloween season. The poorly implemented souls-like combat, forgettable story, and occasionally obtuse puzzles knock it down a few pegs, but Silent Hill f is still a marked improvement and a step in the right direction for this once iconic franchise.
