The world of Survival Horror has been brushing with a Golden age with new contenders rising to take the field and familiar haunts getting fresh new fiends, such as the beloved Resident Evil franchise having a new mainline entry and a new movie with top-tier talent. However, Resident Evil isn’t the only long-standing franchise having some new outbreaks which promises a fresh start for the foggy franchise.
Silent Hill, one of the classic series which broadened the boundaries of the genre, has not been as blessed as Resident Evil, its oft-compared-with older sister. Like RE, SH has its main lines, spin-offs, and dubious-quality movies, and as of October of last year, even a successful remake of one of its first sequel, Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake which sought to do what Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 Remake. But while RE2R spawned several successful remakes, Silent Hill 2R didn’t have as much success, and many fans wondered if the franchise would fade into the fog again.
However, this year has seen not only has a new movie announced (Return to Silent Hill, a sequel to their 2006 movie) but also a game which might very well be a turning point for the franchise. Released on September 25, 2025, Silent Hill f has, at the time of writing, sold over one million copies and continues to captivate despite initial concern that the game had touch with its roots. After seeing the initial gameplay trailers, many feared that the more complex combat system was SH falling into the same pothole RE did between RE 4 and its rebirth in RE 7.
Released in 1999, four years after the first Resident Evil, Silent Hill has always been a different beast. Set for the most part in the titular small New England town, SH has always been more of a psychological horror than RE. Protagonists enter the fog-shrouded town having been drawn there by something in their past or otherwise unintentionally, and quickly find themselves switching between the foggy town and a grungy, industrially-compromised “Otherworld” which is often heavily influenced by the protagonist’s psyche. Relying on whatever supplies they can scrounge to defend themselves from the sinister monsters, players explore Silent Hill and its environs while looking for items needed to solve complex and often sinister puzzles to progress to one of multiple endings.
Silent Hill f changes things slightly. Set in a rural Japanese fishing village in the early 1960s, players will take on the role of Shimizu Hinako, a high school-aged tomboy who, in addition to a past which is one of the game’s mysteries, is dealing with not only an abusive family situation but also the stricter gender roles of post-war Japan. All of this plays into the themes f examines, forming the murky waters of Hinako’s descent into the murky depths of mystery as a strange fog sweeps over the town and deadly mannequin-like monsters appear and she finds herself swept into a mysterious shrine-like Otherworld.
Silent Hill f takes new paths into the fog which, while at first glance did seem a major departure from the series, but upon playing it, f has taken the core elements which has made the series endure for over a quarter of a century and used them to break new ground in a way that may very well revitalize the series, but in doing so, the game may turn off those new to the series. Silent Hill f’s atmosphere is spot-on, and its story gripping if possibly stalled by the focus on New Game +, and while its combat is more involved and complex than previous entries, it helps support the survival horror feel.
(Jack’s Memo 1: This review is based on an initial playthrough I did using the default difficulties for both action- combat- and puzzles, and due to time constraints, I have only completed one full playthrough and am working on the second. As such, the following opinions are my own, and I encourage my readers to watch a let’s play or, better yet, try out Silent Hill f for themselves. To help minimize spoilers and in proper Survival Horror fashion, I’ll save details of my personal experience for these Memos.)
To begin, the atmosphere is easily the game’s strongest asset, and the foundation on which f’s place in the Franchise is secured. While it isn’t the New England small town SH fans see in their restless dreams, Ebisugaoka (which translates to Fisherman's Hill in Japanese) lives up to the sinister small town both in its authenticity and unnerving transformation. Based on an actual Japanese village, Ebisugaoka is a tangled labyrinth of pathways liberally seeded with in-world documents and details which immerse the player in Showa-era Japan, forcing players to explore and search to find the truth, much as they would in Silent Hill.
This authenticity and attention to detail help with the audio and visual design as well. The Sound design, which has always been a noted strength of the series, is a perfect blend of traditional Japanese instrumental music which is melancholy and sinister, intermixed with SH’s harsh industrial sounds which help to up the unnerving wariness players will experience. The sound effects, from Hinako’s lonely footsteps to the squelching of the monsters as they stalk her, are equally perfect and on tone. Visually, the game’s understated tones also feel perfectly on point. The greyness and eerie fog are both well-suited to Silent Hill’s vibes, yet strangely reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, an influence which also begins to pop up elsewhere in the game’s elements.
Even as monsters and mysterious red flowers spill across her hometown, Hinako finds herself transported into her hellish Otherworld, the Dark Shrine. These sections feel like a dark fairytale, authentic Japanese folklore interspersed with small-town scenes Hinako has known all her life. The juxtaposition is superb, and plays perfectly into the story, and ramp up both the psychological and body horror elements of the game to a degree.
(Jack’s memo 2: I had frequent jump scares throughout, screamed several times, and in one cutscene, I outright said “Silent Hill is definitely not Resident Evil.” I loved the atmosphere, and consider it the best-executed portion of the game.)
The atmosphere beautifully compliments Silent Hill f’s story, which is harrowing and deep, but hampered by the reliance on multiple playthroughs. As players follow Hinako through the somber streets and dark depths of the Dark Shrine, Hinako’s Otherworld, we discover Hinako is torn between the Showa Era’s expectations of women’s roles, the expectations and constraints of her family dynamics, typical High School woes, and her own desires. Much like America in the 50s and 60s, Japan struggled with gender equality, especially in the more rural areas which inspired Ebisugaoka.
This is also apparent in the characters, who are all excellently fleshed out and tie neatly into the themes. Our leading (young) lady, Hinako, is at first glance a simplistic character, your average 1960s tomboy, stubborn and fiercely independent. At first blush, she almost seems flat and a touch stereotypical, but as we delve into the fog, and through Hinako’s Psyche, we find that while her motivation is simple, it fuels her complicated emotions and tangles her relationships, providing a depth to her. The other characters are equally complex, from Hinako’s peers to her family, and even the mysterious Fox Mask who escorts Hinako through the Dark Shrine. Each is richly flawed and hides hidden darkness, but also strengths and desires which make them feel bleakly human. The monsters likewise fit perfectly into the themes, ranging from feminine mannequin-like creatures reminiscent of SH’s nurses to folkloric fiends, and bosses afflicted by their own human foibles.
This struggle, which echoes even to this day, is at the core of Silent Hill f, but shown through a darkly mutated mythology. Beset on all sides by horrors, Hinako- and through her, the player- are caught in a web of uncertainty, and it’s never quite clear what’s happening, or what will happen, leaving our hapless heroine to struggle and fight, and fight she does. By the end of the first playthrough, we have few answers. We’re left as confused as Hinako has been throughout the story, and while clues have been provided for thorough explorers, they don’t provide a full picture. This is because you are locked into a specific ending on your first playthrough, a decision which is intentional, but also can be frustrating.
Like previous entries in the series, Silent Hill f has multiple endings, classified roughly as the first ending, a good and bad ending, and a “True” ending which is generally considered canon. There’s also the classic UFO ending which is more comical, a staple of SH since the earliest days. Each ending offers new information and angles on the events of the game. The ending a player receives depends on completing certain puzzles not available on a first playthrough, among other criteria. Once Players have completed the game through once, they are able to unlock any ending except for the True ending, which requires any one of the good or bad endings.
While many players will be itching to learn more and will be eager to dive right back into Ebisugaoka, others may struggle with this, especially as it is possible to miss the necessary items and puzzles to complete the desired ending, and depending on how they feel about the gameplay, they may struggle with returning to the fog after running through it two or more times to see dialogue and scenes which some may feel should have been available from the start. It’s a potential rough spot on an otherwise well executed Silent Hill story.
(Jack’s Memo 3: I learned midway through my first playthrough that I would need multiple playthroughs to uncover the truth, but the First ending was still somewhat disappointing. However, a mid-credits scene revealed even new snarls in the story which had me reaching for the New Game + button. Silent Hill f has a captivating story, and while the looming specter of two more playthroughs is daunting, it’s worth the time.)
Like it’s narrative, Silent Hill f’s gameplay is classic Silent Hill, and there’s a lot to love, but the emphasis on multiple playthroughs does leave a slightly bitter aftertaste and given the combat system’s divergence from the series’ previous entries, it may be a bridge too far for some players. F’s gameplay loop revolves around the players exploring the game’s environs, both fog-shrouded Ebisugaoka and the Dark Shrine, and fighting off the assortment of monsters while solving puzzles to gain access to new areas.
The difficulty of both the action and the puzzles are both adjustable and independent of each other, which is a nice feature, but the differences are somewhat unclear. The difficulties for the action are Story, Hard, and Lost in the Fog, which equate to Easy, Default/Normal, and Hard. The latter is locked until you have completed one play through, and once a run-through is begun, you cannot change the difficulty, which given Hard is challenging, can lead to frustration.
Exploration is a vital element of any Survival Horror title, and Silent Hill f’s exploration is perfect. Given a map which automatically updates as they explore, Players have just enough guidance to let them know where to go, but let’s them choose their own path and which side areas to explore. Not every street or corridor on the map is free of obstruction, but the path forward is usually obvious and there is little backtracking in the majority of the map. Frequently players will enter more structured locations, where backtracking is required to complete the puzzles, but these areas are well-paced. Variety is added through short side paths which offer hidden lore and bonus items. This is the series’ core, and Silent Hill f is a worthy successor based on this alone.
However, the combat system is where f both shines as an SH title and perhaps stumbles. F makes several departures from its predecessors in that Hinako is limited to melee weapons (the firearms which make up previous protagonists’ arsenals are naturally not going to be in the hands of a Japanese highschooler) and combat is much more active. Instead of simply standing their ground and laying into her foes, Hinako is much more mobile and has to fight smarter. Utilizing both faster light attacks and slower heavy attacks which may stun opponents, players have to be smart and efficient, looking to stun monsters and counterattack them at the right moment to avoid damage.
Players are limited not only by Hinako’s health, but also her Stamina, which is required to both attack and dodge, and her Sanity, which is used to focus on monsters to power up Hinako’s attacks and make counterattacks easier. Hinako arms herself with many scrounged-up steel implements, from pipes and kitchen knives to sledgehammers and sickles. Each of these weapons varies in movements, power, and most importantly, durability, and once that runs out, the weapon is lost. Most of the weapons feel solid, although there is a tendency with them to swing wide, which in tight quarters may result in your desperate swing to finish an enemy off bouncing off a wall.
Hinako will need all of them to survive against the ghoulish creatures lurking in the fog, as the creatures are often brutal and if not handled efficiently, can do a lot of damage rapidly. Every creature has its basic attacks, which offer a chance for Hinako to counterattack if timed correctly, as well as a grab which, if it hits, damages both health and sanity and usually has an utterly disturbing animation. Some monsters also have a ranged attacks and Area-of-effect attacks, which can make fighting more than one or two onerous. In these situations, combat can sometimes become more annoying than adrenaline-pumping, as you are sometimes stun-locked (knocked about and unbale to attack) and can quickly be overwhelmed.
With such foes, item management is crucial, but the game again adds complexity, as the items you find can be used for long-term gain. In Silent Hill f, the Shrines which serve as save points also allow players to enshrine items in exchange for “Faith.” This Faith is a currency which can be used not only to purchase a random Omamori (protective charms which give passive benefits) but also to improve Hinako’s stats and how many Omamori she can equip. Certain items are meant to be enshrined and offer the most faith, but many of the items which restore Health and Sanity can also be enshrined. With carrying space limited, players will have to manage their items. This system works, but drawing the Omamori randomly does feel a bit like a waste of Faith, especially as you can find powerful Omamori through exploration just as easily.
All of these elements blend into a solid, if occasionally frustrating, combat system which is often satisfying while also forcing players into a Survival Horror mindset. Fighting enemies costs resources, as both Sanity and Health are only restorable by either items or save points, depending on difficulty. Weapon durability likewise can only be restored with infrequent tool kits, and while new weapons are rarely too far away, they are limited. Players frequently have to weigh the gains of eliminating a monster or trying to bypass it, which often is easier as it involves breaking line of sight. Many foes can even be snuck past. This leads to moments where f hits the perfect Silent Hill vibe. When you’re slipping down streets and running past monsters or eyeing your weapon’s dubious durability after eliminating a mannequin, you’ll feel as lost in the fog as you could ever wish to be.
This is slightly different in the Dark Shrine, in both a good way and a bad way. In the Dark Shrine, Hinako will have access to weapons and abilities beyond the pale, including a thematic naginata. These won’t usually have a durability, which is useful as enemies killed in the Dark Shrine don’t always stay dead once you batter them into submission, and only stay dead under certain conditions, although Hinako does gain the ability to keep them down. In these sections, combat almost feels more like a more action-heavy series such as Resident Evil, and here we perhaps see a bit more influence from the recent RE4 remake. These sections are enjoyable and help play into the folkloric themes but feel slightly off-tone compared to the mainline combat.
Interspersed amidst the combat are the head-scratcher puzzles Silent Hill is famed for, and they do not disappoint. Players will be faced with all manner of puzzles which will involve a combination of item gathering, examining and manipulation of the environment, and interpreting cryptic hints. Thorough exploration will be a player’s friend as the clues to many of these puzzles are expanded and clarified by notes and documents found lying about. Even without these additional clues, most puzzles are crackable with some thought, although some are more difficult due to differing interpretations and sometimes rely on additional clues which are not immediately obvious, such as the Scarecrow Puzzle, which can be somewhat onerous.
Like with its story, Silent Hill f’s gameplay is complicated by its intent on New Game +. The dialogue and scenes are not the only things which change, sometimes radically, in a second run, as both placement of monsters, weapons and abilities available, and even entire sections change. This can be a boon or a bane to players, as while you will have improved stats and more omamori, the changes aren’t necessarily radical enough that the playthrough won’t feel monotonous at times. If you enjoy the combat and figuring out the same puzzles, you likely may not mind, but for those more interested in the story than the combat, it may be frustrating. In addition, the Faith system is hindered as well. In order to upgrade Hinako’s stats, you must have an Ema (a small wooden plaque) in addition to the requisite Faith. These can be difficult to find and missing some may result in you having plenty of faith, but no ability to spend it.
(Jack’s Memo 3: Oftentimes the gameplay felt perfect, but other times it didn’t. I enjoyed the puzzles and exploration, but then didn’t feel as rewarded for it by the end when I learned my ending was locked. Towards the end, I also frequently found myself wishing I could lower the combat difficulty, partially due to time constraints and partially due to my enjoyment waning. The gameplay is solid, and especially for those who like a challenge or are Survival Horror fans, the game is fun, but it is going to be up to the individual player to decide if it is worth playing through to get the other endings.)
Overall, Silent Hill f is a solid Silent Hill game, and a necessary breath of fresh air for the series which will reinvigorate it and bring it into a modern era. However, that doesn’t mean the game is perfect. While it nails the atmosphere and the story is intriguingly dark and mysterious, players will have to settle in for a long haul with gameplay that can be inconsistent and sometimes feels like it’s holding out on thorough explorers and keeping the story for ransom until you complete “just one more playthrough.” As such, With other options for enjoying the game through let’s plays or through the upcoming novel, players will need to decide for themselves if they enjoy the gameplay enough to brave the foggy village multiple times.