Remakes and remasters are often seen as a safe bet these days. It can please fans with welcome nostalgia, but it can also signal an unwillingness to take creative risks.
It’s been a year since the Silent Hill 2 remake, and a Silent Hill 1 remake has already been announced, so Silent Hill F stands out as an unusual and welcome gamble. With this latest installment, Konami and NeoBards Entertainment not only honor the franchise’s roots, but boldly reinvent it, delivering one of the best horror experiences of the year.
And since Silent Hill’s vast and occasionally bewildering catalog (mainline registrations are approaching double digits) is proving to be almost as intimidating as some of the series’ biggest monsters, this could also be a smart pivot. f may be the ideal entry point for newcomers looking to step into the fog while providing a rich experience for longtime fans.
The game takes players to 1960s Japan, starting from the long-established American town whose early games featured foggy streets. The fictional mining town of Ebisugaoka, with its hollow buildings and creeping red plants, is like a fever dream.
The corruption of mental decline common to Silent Hill is reimagined through the prism of Japanese folklore and an exploration of guilt, repression, and the most disturbing of adolescent themes. Against a backdrop of national and personal decline, crumbling streets set the stage for a game that blends familiar psychological horror with fresh cultural textures.
It’s a bold and creative turn that pays off, while being visually striking, thematically packed, and, of course, terrifying.
story
Silent Hill F centers around Hinako Shimizu, a teenage girl grappling with the silent fears of adolescence in post-war Japan. When fog sweeps over the city and a wave of murderous crimson vines sweeps in, her world (and mind) begins to unravel.
Ryukishi07’s writing leans toward ambiguity and horror, often withholding important details to devastating effect. The story confronts uncomfortable subject matter such as bullying, abuse, self-harm, and the stifling expectations of adulthood at the time, but it treats them with weight rather than shock.
This emotional complexity sets Silent Hill F apart from much of modern horror. But the beauty of this design is that even if players ignore the deeper story, they’re still left with a compelling and frightening horror experience. The beauty of this series is that it works on multiple levels, whether you’re looking for story depth or just well-crafted horror.
presentation
Graphically, Silent Hill F is one of the most impressive entries in the series. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game painstakingly renders Ebisugaoka Hill in every detail. Hollow buildings, oppressive fog, and crimson plants creeping into the streets all contribute to the series’ unsettling tendencies.
The sound design is equally noteworthy. Series veteran Akira Yamaoka returns with a new composer to create a fantastical and eerie score. Ambient sounds such as the collision of unseen creatures, the creaking of rotting wood, and the echoing of footsteps in empty hallways can amplify the tension in ways that cannot be overstated.
gameplay
One of Silent Hill F’s most fundamental changes is the shift to faster, more action-oriented combat. Most of the clunky, hesitant mechanics from previous entries have been fixed, but some familiar junk remains. Hinako is more agile and responsive than in previous games, and melee combat proves to be challenging but fair. While open areas don’t pose as many noticeable problems, indoor combat often results in frustrating encounters.
New stamina and sanity systems add even more tension. Concentrated attacks slow down time, but reduce mental stability, so players must consider each attack carefully. The addition of amulets and shrine-based upgrades introduces light RPG elements, allowing players to customize Hina’s abilities and fighting style.
The monster itself is something to behold. From knife-wielding mannequins to warping scarecrows in the schoolyard to tentacle-covered horrors, each encounter feels unique. Still, these creatures are awe-inspiring with their grotesque ingenuity, but after a while the combat stops feeling terrifying.
When Hinako breaks another knife, pipe, or sword on a wave of mannequins, the confidence with which she dispatches enemies can undermine the “flee for your life” tension that the game strategically builds. There’s no need to ration bullets (there are no firearms here), and you feel comfortable picking off each enemy that is little more than an obstacle to your progress.
But that peace doesn’t last long, as another nightmare appears and you find yourself whispering, “What was that?”
puzzle, horror, atmosphere
Exploration and puzzle-solving remain at the heart of Silent Hill F, giving players room to engage with the world beyond combat. Ebisugaoka and its otherworldly world are full of secrets, environmental stories, and, of course, mysteries.
The puzzles themselves vary in complexity, from simple brain teasers to multi-layered challenges that require careful observation, backtracking, and critical use of Hinako’s diary. Some sequences require players to piece together scattered notes, objects, and calendar fragments, and players can get stuck if they don’t pay attention to subtle environmental cues and text hints.
The game’s puzzles are more rewarding when played slowly, and more importantly, Hinako’s diary could have saved this reviewer hours of flipping over wooden blocks.
The otherworldly sequences (distorted, unsettling versions of familiar locations) are particularly effective. Not only are they visually impressive, they amplify both the narrative and gameplay, ensuring exploration, combat, and story are deeply intertwined.
Dealing with horror on multiple levels, this game focuses on psychological horror and tension building rather than jump scares. Through sound, lighting, and environmental design, Japanese folklore and urban legends give the game a unique identity, yet a familiar feel within the Silent Hill series.
final thoughts
Silent Hill F is a triumph, a rare game that strikes a balance between homage and reinvention. This shows that a long-running series can evolve while staying true to its core identity. The story is emotionally complex, the presentation is hauntingly beautiful, and the gameplay is a thoughtful blend of action, exploration, and tension.
Some interior combat encounters can feel confining, and certain narrative threads require careful attention to fully understand, but these are minor quibbles in an exceptional experience. Konami and NeoBards have delivered games that are both rewarding for longtime fans and approachable for newcomers.
In an era when horror series often rely on nostalgia and shock value, Silent Hill reminds us that the most powerful horrors are often deeply human. This is without a doubt one of the best horror games of the year, and a milestone in the evolution of the storied series.
4 1/2 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlight: A bold new setting and story. Immersive sound and visuals.
Cons: Combat can feel clunky. Melee combat system can become repetitive
Developer: NeoBards Entertainment
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on PlayStation 5 using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image provided by the publisher.
