Silent Hill f Previews Hint at a Dark, Coming-of-Age Horror Experience
The iconic Silent Hill series is making an unexpected return with Silent Hill f, a game that transports players to 1960s Japan. Far from the familiar foggy streets of the Western “Silent Hill,” this new installment aims to capture the essence of the classic games while offering a fresh perspective. Select journalists recently got the chance to play the first five hours of this horror title from NeoBards and Konami, sharing their insights on what to expect.
A New Heroine and Nightmares of Growing Up
Silent Hill f doesn't require prior knowledge of the series' lore. It’s a standalone narrative with a fresh protagonist, setting, and rules. Players step into the shoes of Shimizu Hinako, a rebellious teenager with a difficult past, living in the secluded village of Ebisugaoka. She despises her home, finding solace only in her friends and memories of her older sister who left. However, everything changes when a horrifying, bloody fog engulfs the village, and its streets become overrun with grotesque monsters resembling mannequins and masked scarecrows.
Beyond its high school horror facade, the game weaves a story of coming-of-age, loneliness, and societal pressure. Hinako flees home after a family quarrel, only to find herself trapped—both literally and metaphorically. The narrative unfolds through dialogues, puzzles, notes, and even the ambiguous behavior of Hinako's friends, who sometimes support her and other times accuse her of betrayal.
Hinako's diary is particularly noteworthy. It's not just a bestiary or a guide; it updates dynamically throughout the story, often contradicting itself and hinting that the truth is far deeper than it appears.
Everyday Horror and a 'Living' Village
The game's terrifying elements don't rely on jump scares but rather on everyday horrors: cursed school notes, sexist slogans blaring from radios, and veiled violence hinted at in girls' diary entries. This is all seasoned with mysticism: missing children, guardian spirits, and an otherworldly temple stretching to the horizon, filled with bizarre puzzles.
Ebisugaoka isn't just a backdrop; it’s almost a living entity where every staircase, every path between rice fields, and every half-open door contributes to the narrative. The village's history—once thriving due to its mine, now forgotten and steeped in traditionalism—is conveyed through meticulous details: documents, interiors, and rituals. Visually, it stands among the genre's best. Esra Krabbe from IGN noted, “I was pleasantly surprised that most of my time in Silent Hill f was spent exploring Ebisugaoka. Narrow streets surrounded by old wooden houses with tin roofs are lined with bicycles, flower pots, and mailboxes. Small streams and paths between rice fields gently lead to the village. Fences along the river and concrete stairs descending the slopes create an urban environment rich in atmosphere. Documents and notes scattered everywhere reveal the past of Ebisugaoka—a once prosperous mining settlement, now almost forgotten. Its residents still cling to old customs, preferring traditional medicine over modern and showing excessive devotion to the Shinto deity Inari. All of this immediately becomes an integral part of Silent Hill f's cohesive narrative, and it made me want to explore every nook and cranny and find all the hidden documents.”
Combat Nuances and Weapon Degradation
While Silent Hill f prioritizes storytelling, it also features a thoughtful and robust combat system. According to NeoBards Creative Director Al Yang, the team drew inspiration from Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 for the overall game, but the combat system was developed with Silent Hill 4: The Room in mind, focusing on melee engagements. There will be no ranged weapons; Hinako fights only with pipes, bats, knives, and other makeshift tools. These makeshift weapons degrade and break, and players can only carry three items at a time. Repairs require special kits, adding a layer of strategic choice: is it worth using a durable weapon on a common monster, or saving it for a tougher foe?
Combat can be challenging; Hinako tires quickly, and her stamina recovers agonizingly slowly. This is especially noticeable during boss fights, such as against a demonic priest wielding a spiked hammer, which can test even seasoned players. Marcus Stewart from Game Informer observed, “Hinako’s stamina recovery is too slow for my taste. Even if I don’t fully deplete it, it takes about a second and a half before the bar starts refilling—and that feels like an eternity because enemies, who are much faster and more aggressive, can land several hits in that time. Monsters move quickly and erratically, and dodging opponents jumping around Hinako drains energy very fast. I often died simply because after a couple of dodges, I had no strength left to escape. And what's especially ironic is that Hinako writes in her diary that she used to do track and field, so you’d expect her to be in much better physical shape.”
Combat demands attention: enemies can be parried if players notice blinking signals. There's also a “focus” mechanic that helps time attacks but consumes a special resource. Specific moves deal significant damage but leave Hinako vulnerable. While weapon degradation is often seen as a burden, in Silent Hill f, it works to the game's advantage: searching for new weapons and repair kits becomes a vital part of resource management, a key element of the survival horror genre. Silent Hill f maintains challenging and engaging combat while making the player feel weak and vulnerable.
A classic series element—the parallel world—is also present. Hinako periodically shifts to another dimension, a traditional Japanese setting, where she is guided by a mysterious masked figure. In this realm, she finds weapons like the naginata, a long-poled blade with a curved edge often associated with female warriors. This weapon is indestructible but cannot be carried back to Ebisugaoka village.
Violence Isn't Always the Answer
Not all enemy encounters in Silent Hill f involve direct combat. There are moments where it's better to hide, bypass, or simply try to survive. Hiding in alleys, being chased by sound-sensitive enemies, and the desperate need to retrieve a key from a well while pursued—these moments are where the game truly shines in its horror. Oscar Taylor-Kent from GamesRadar+ noted, “While I had to engage in direct combat with enemies too often in Silent Hill f, there are many moments where fleeing and evading are encouraged—and these scenes are the most reminiscent of horror. I particularly remember the initial scenes where the unarmed heroine has to run through intricate narrow alleys—in Japan, they are called ‘kinkotsu,’ which literally means ‘muscles and sinews’—avoiding deadly enemies. During these chases, I genuinely lost my bearings and was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Vertical levels and narrow streets intersecting over a small river create the feeling that the streets endlessly branch and intertwine.”
Shrines, Charms, and Puzzles
Save points in Silent Hill f are shrines where the heroine revives and can increase her chances of survival. Here, Hinako receives Omamori—charms that provide bonuses, such as reduced stamina consumption, which can be swapped depending on the situation. Offering items to the shrines grants “faith,” a special currency used to purchase new charms.
Journeying through Ebisugaoka's winding streets uncovers numerous mystical discoveries, unexpected locations, and secrets. Among them is an encounter with a mysterious masked man, who evokes both interest and suspicion. This young man, clad in white with white hair, possesses supernatural abilities and appears to want to help Hinako survive. However, his true motives remain unclear, and the game hints that he might not be trustworthy. Beyond combat, the game features many classic series puzzles: from riddles involving poems and pictures to stealth sections and finding the correct scarecrow among dozens of decoys. Some are clever and atmospheric, while others can feel drawn-out or confusing. Each puzzle serves not just as an obstacle but as a way to reveal more about the heroine and her surroundings. Marcus Stewart elaborated, “At one point, I found myself in a foggy open field, and if I moved aimlessly, I was returned to the start. To find the correct path, I had to identify a specific ominous scarecrow among many similar ones, and the only clue was a cryptic message that felt too vague. Every time I thought I knew what to look for, I chose the wrong scarecrow, and it would come alive to punish me with an attack. I repeated this task several times (five times, which felt excessive), but I still couldn't fully grasp its essence.”
Difficulty levels for combat and puzzles can be set independently, making the game accessible to both newcomers and challenge-seekers.
What Kind of Game Awaits Us?
According to Western journalists' previews, Silent Hill f bravely experiments, bringing back the classic spirit through a unique Japanese atmosphere, a dark coming-of-age story, tense combat, and memorable puzzles. While the combat system and stamina balance may still need refinement, the first five hours successfully draw players in with Akira Yamaoka's music, a well-crafted plot, thoughtful design without intrusive UI, and Hinako's vivid monologues. The developers promise about 12-13 hours of gameplay with multiple endings, including the iconic “UFO” ending. This is a disturbing and at times daring reboot where the story and atmosphere are captivating, and while combat occasionally feels out of sync with the overall style, the project as a whole appears cohesive and ready to genuinely terrify players once more.
Silent Hill f is set to release on September 25th for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, with Russian subtitles available.
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