When I first got into gaming back in 1998, I loved all sorts of games, but when it came to horror, two series were my first and will always be near and dear to me: Resident Evil and Silent Hill. When it came to the latter, I’ve played nearly all titles that were released on console in the U.S. except for Shattered Memories and Downpour. Now, Konami was awesome enough to allow me a chance to experience the new entry into the franchise, Silent Hill F! Thank you, Konami, for sending over a copy!
Silent Hill F takes players to the village of Ebisugaoka in 1960s Japan, where you take on the role of Hinako, a high school student who resents her parents and appears to have hangups over her older sister getting married and moving out of the family home. After meeting up with her friends in the middle of the Village, fog suddenly envelopes the village and separates the friends, plunging Hinako into a nightmarish world.
Now, onto the game itself! Silent Hill F‘s controls are easy to learn and respond well, especially during combat. The art of Silent Hill F is amazing without a doubt, and really captures the appeal of rural Japanese architecture and scenery, but keeping it creepy with the signature Silent Hill aesthetic, with the fog.
You already know the soundtrack is amazing thanks to the talent of Akira Yamaoka, along with Kensuke Inage, Dai, and Xaki. With the mix of traditional Japanese music with that haunting twist by Yamaoka. I know many people preferred playing with the Japanese voice cast, but I’m playing with the English voice cast, which, honestly, is just as good. The English voice cast really delivers and even gives the game a slight anime feel.
Gameplay-wise, if you’re familiar with Silent Hill games, you will notice immediately that this is different. There’s a stamina mechanic, along with a sanity bar and faith. Along with some changes in the mechanics, weapons now have durability, which adds a new element of tension to the game. Normally, I hate weapon durability, but somehow it works in this game. I think that’s what will turn off many people to this game: the introduction of these new mechanics, but depending on the difficulty you choose to play, you might actually enjoy it.
Overall, I’m on the fence about Silent Hill F. It’s an amazing game with a great story, but it just feels like it’s its own game, a unique Japanese horror story that doesn’t need to have the title of Silent Hill attached to it. On the surface, some may say it’s not a Silent Hill story, but if I broke it down, this would be a mini-thesis of how this is a standalone Silent Hill game. I was not sure if I would like this game at first, but after a while, it won me over. Honestly, I think if you give it a chance, the world, puzzles, music, scares, and uneasiness of the world that Silent Hill F builds, you would like it as well.
On my scale of 1-10, I’m giving it a 9.5/10
Silent Hill F is out now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
