Silent Hill f

Most of all, this is that rarest of things: a horror game that actually has something to say. Rather than simply throwing jumpscares and black-haired ghost maidens at you until you submit, it uses rural mythology and superstition as a lens through which to examine the harms of patriarchy and the rigidly gendered expectations it thrusts on to teenagers. It also proves that the survival horror genre still has so much to give, 30 years after its inception. You must come to Ebisugaoka as soon as you can, and stay at least a week, maybe longer.

The long and short of it is that Silent Hill f is brilliant. It’s an exceptional story told exceptionally well, with a depth of theme and artistic heritage that makes it worth actual study. That is backed up with an entertaining blend of well-designed combat and intelligent, challenging puzzles. Silent Hill f will – or at least should – make you uncomfortable, and it will haunt your thoughts long after you’ve stopped playing. And that’s the hallmark of a truly special horror game.

Silent Hill f is a tremendous new entry in the horror series that blends well-known hallmarks into something engaging, challenging, and wholly original.

Silent Hill f marks the return of the franchise in a big way. It’s revitalised, it’s exciting, it’s haunting and it’s terrifying. With the doors wide open for more horror and experimentation to expand the franchise, I can’t wait for more.

Hinako's journey in Silent Hill f is brutal, beautiful, and brilliant. As someone that has been playing survival-horror games for decades, Silent Hill f is exactly what I want from a modern-day entry in the genre. It features challenging puzzles, gruesome monsters, and a ton of replay value wrapped in stunning graphics, great performance, and smart quality-of-life features that ensure it meets today's standards. Silent Hill f is a masterful horror game that stands tall alongside the likes of Silent Hill 2 and other survival-horror classics.

Silent Hill f is a bold new direction for Konami’s iconic survival horror series. While it may put a heavier emphasis on combat, NeoBards has expertly concocted a nightmarish cocktail oozing with enough stomach-churning monsters, disgustingly beautiful environments, and psychological dread to be just as good, if not better than, Silent Hill 2…Hinako’s world is suffocating and compelling, and I can’t wait to delve even further into the dark, damp town of Ebisugaoka to uncover more endings. If this is the quality we can expect from Silent Hill going forward, then I have never been more excited to step into its fog-filled future.

It’s a game that manages to honor the series’ legacy, while simultaneously pushing it in a new direction, and it might just be the best Silent Hill to date.

Silent Hill f expertly weaves elements of Japanese mythology and folklore into the history of Ebisugaoka, creating a truly disturbing backdrop against which our tale of adolescence and the unfortunate realities of Showa Era customs is told. Despite the occasional missteps in the gameplay department, Konami and Ryukishi07 have created the most unique and fresh mainline Silent Hill game we've seen since Silent Hill 2.

Do I recommend Silent Hill f if you like horror, the Silent Hill series in general, and good games? For the love of God yes, I do. I may not be the right audience, but I do know that, and I freely admit this might be recency bias and I’ll have to come back to this question at the end of the year when it’s GOTY time, that this is currently tied with Silent Hill 3 as my favorite game in the series. It’s terrifying, you want to see what happens next, and, this is somewhat unusual for a horror title, you want to play it again immediately afterwards, because there are unanswered questions on a first playthrough that do in fact get answered on further returns. I genuinely love this game and cannot recommend it enough, especially ahead of October and horror month.

Silent Hill f is a bold step forward for the franchise, blending its trademark psychological horror with inventive gameplay systems that push survival horror into new territory. The story grips you, the visuals unsettle you, and the music seeps into your bones. While forced combat encounters and a few glitches keep it from perfection, its depth, multiple endings, and replay value make it an unforgettable experience.

Silent Hill f from developer NeoBards Entertainment and publisher Konami is a fresh take on the series. It features an unsettling story that honors the Silent Hill franchise, while bringing a fair amount of deep gameplay and fun fighting that will keep the experience fresh.

Even though it is one of the most different games in the entire franchise, Silent Hill f remains true to what the series has always stood for and impresses with its soundtrack, story, graphics, and terrifying atmosphere. Hinako is an impressive protagonist and carries the dark and profound themes with great skill.

Psychological action horror at its finest. A new kind of Silent Hill that holds onto its roots and never falters. Experimental like SH4: The Room, f stands out by giving us something vastly different while sticking to and modernizing the fundamentals. Silent Hill f gets in your face, making it impossible to look away from Hinako's story.

Silent Hill f is completely distinct from any other entry in the franchise, but also firmly committed to being faithful to Team Silent's visions, and it carried out those visions wonderfully. Not only is the game a horror masterpiece, it's a Silent Hill masterpiece, finally giving veteran fans the long-awaited relief we've been craving. While being a commentary on feminine fears and oppressive societies, Silent Hill f gives much for players to chew on, and even more to swallow, in the most visually striking and grotesque entry the series has seen yet. The first new Silent Hill entry in over a decade is everything fans could ever hope it to be and then some, cementing itself as an instant classic not just for the franchise, but for survival horror overall.

NeoBards Entertainment has taken bold risks with Silent Hill f, and the result is one of the most unsettling, personal and rewarding horror games in years.

After many long years, Silent Hill has received its most exceptional installment, reintroducing the series to the Premier League of horror and regaining its reputation as the pinnacle of virtual terror.

Silent Hill f has the quality and courage to finally break the curse cast upon the series. Moving away from the American town has brought a freshness and depth to the story that I haven't seen in the series since SH2, and changes to the combat system are working well. Silent Hill has finally found its way and emerged from the fog reborn. Disgusting, poignant, digging deep into the psyche. Wonderful.

Everything the Silent Hill franchise has offered over the years is here in Silent Hill f. The chaos and fear takes over you at every turn, and while it has some performance issues on the PS5 Pro, it doesn't diminish how artistically beautiful, fun, and horrifying this game is. Without a doubt, a title that should be in the collection of any gamer and fan of the genre.

Silent Hill f balances threat and reality in a way that kept me playing longer and longer per session.

Silent Hill F demonstrates that the franchise still possesses substantial vitality, delivering a game that recaptures the tension and psychological horror of the original trilogy while introducing an engaging evolution in combat and a narrative that rivals the best in the series, inviting repeated engagement. No fan of either the franchise or the genre should overlook it.

Silent Hill F is not just a return — it’s a reinvention. Neobards and Konami have managed to bring the series back into relevance without relying on recycled formulas, opting instead for a fresh Japanese setting, a complex protagonist, and a combat system that defies expectations. It’s an approach that surprises while still respecting the franchise’s DNA.

Overall, Silent Hill f is one of the more memorable horror games of late. The presentation; the visuals, the sound, the atmosphere is exceptional. I absolutely loved the theme and how it’s delivered through every layer of the game. The sense of dread, the uncanny familiarity of the town, the way memories twist. It’s horror that stays with you.

I cannot recommend Silent Hill f enough for players. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the series, a newcomer to the franchise, or looking for an entry in the horror game genre as a whole, this is the perfect stepping stone for you. With this, I can confidently say what I’ve been waiting ten years to declare: the Silent Hill franchise is finally back. I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

With an excellent, deep storyline and a perfect atmosphere, Silent Hill f is a great comeback, managing to overcome even its weakest points to deliver a consistently tense experience.

Silent Hill f brings the series back to life with authentic Japanese horror atmosphere and a meticulously crafted world, paired with brutal new souls-like combat. While it may seem like an unusual combination at first, the complete package works brilliantly, making it the best entry the series has seen in decades.

Descending from a hillside house to a rural Japanese village, only for it to enveloped in fog and an evil haunting is just about as good as survival horror gets. Silent Hill f confidently lives up to the franchise name in quality and exceeds many of the later entries. Perhaps the f is meant to imply a spin off, rather than a numbered entry, so that the intense and satisfying reflexive combat can be accepted and praised rather than compared.

Despite its simplistic combat and clunky combat animations, Silent Hill f still delivers one of 2025’s quintessential horror experiences.

Silent Hill F only needed to be better than the last 20 years of Silent Hill—and it not only succeeded, but managed to update the formula, return to its roots, highlight its strongest elements, and remind us of a kind of horror many argued could no longer exist.

From its nerve-wracking combat to its dense puzzles, from grotesque enemy designs to quiet moments of reflection, it's a consistently engaging experience. Silent Hill f proves the franchise still has the power to unsettle and surprise. It's a brilliant return that respects its roots while boldly moving forward.

Even with this love-or-hate-it plotting choice and the fact that the game probably features too much swinging a lead pipe at various freaks, it also embodies just about everything that defines the Silent Hill series at its best: an uncanny setting full of unsettling people, a hallucinatory soundtrack that sucks you into this distorted world, and lots of fog—literally and in how truths are obfuscated. It’s both raw and surprisingly empathetic towards its lead. It’s desperately about something, but still wants to make you jump out of your seat when a long-haired monster lurches from the shadows to stab you with a rusty knife. In short, it’s Silent Hill, through and through.

We had high expectations for this new instalment in the Konami series, and for once we can say that they were not disappointed. Silent Hill f is one of the best “classic” horror titles ever made. It manages to revamp the original formula by enriching gameplay that has very few flaws and delivering a deep, multifaceted, painful, unfiltered story that is worth experiencing more than once.

Saying this is both what a Silent Hill game has always been while also being totally different from everything that has come before might seem like a cop out but it's the truth. It goes places with its plot and might be the most personal story yet.

Silent Hill f resoundingly demonstrates a clear grasp of what makes Silent Hill work. Its storytelling is equal parts sinister and restrained, bolstered by a combat system that’s simple but satisfying. Throw in some challenging boss battles, and you’ve got a Silent Hill experience that meaningfully expands on the original games. It’s a subtly scary adventure that dares to be different, while at the same time retaining the core that makes Silent Hill so special. While some elements and the difficulty might be grating for people and the skill system is bizarrely undercooked, Silent Hill f is an enjoyable and chilling experience from beginning to end, and unlike anything you've ever played.

Silent Hill f is a very special game. Rarely have I seen a video game narrative told this well while taking advantage of the medium's unique strengths. Even after several playthroughs, my perspective on the story keeps changing through uncovering new aspects of its mystery.

The game never feels like it's trying too hard to scare you. The horror emerges naturally from character development, environmental design, and pacing. When the game finally reveals its sick imagery and body horror, it feels earned rather than cheap. The exploration of female adolescence through a horror lens is handled with remarkable sensitivity and insight. And with multiple endings to achieve and New Game Plus at launch, there’s plenty of lore to dive into.

While Bloober Team’s remake of the legendary second entry was a positive step in the right direction, Silent Hill f feels like Konami finally cementing the survival horror icon’s return. It is an emotional, unpredictable, and unsettlingly beautiful glimpse into the worst parts of human nature. Hinako Shimizu’s journey is one designed to make the player ask uncomfortable yet necessary questions with no guarantees that you’ll enjoy the answers. But it’s through that bravery that Silent Hill f is able to achieve greatness.

Konami has been brave in rethinking the series' setting and certain gameplay schemes, and for us, the move has paid off. Silent Hill F is a game that draws you in irresistibly and even compels you to replay it. Based on its atmosphere, gameplay, and plot, it's a true horror hit in 2025.

Silent Hill f takes a bold step outside the titular town without losing its way, proving that the series can preserve its identity even on another continent. The powerful, symbolism-laden story of high school student Hinako, the fantastic monster design, and the chilling atmosphere elevated by top-notch sound and music rank among the very best the franchise has ever offered.

No, Silent Hill f is not the best game in the franchise, but it is an outstanding installment that looks back on older titles and lays the groundwork for Konami to continue the saga with quality standards it had forgotten since the PlayStation 2 generation.

Silent Hill f is a work of art brimming with love for the horror culture and the IP. Its narration tackles difficult themes with a rather rare mastery, balancing modesty and violence. The result is a compelling story from start to finish that that never fails to surprise. Blending classic horror and folklore, Silent Hill f envelops us in the mist and chokes us. This subtle horror game will also impress with its impeccable technique and artistic direction, offering genuinely chilling, and sometimes gory scenes. Without a doubt, Silent Hill F is one of the best games in the franchise and one of the best survival horror games in recent years.

An oppressive atmosphere. An unsettling story that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Engaging combat. Stunning visuals. A fantastic soundtrack. Silent Hill f has all of these, making it one of the best entries in the series yet.

Despite being dragged down by the combat I was thoroughly invested and on the edge of my seat for the majority of the game, and despite the horrors I witnessed it hasn’t swayed me from seeing every available ending, for the full and complete story.

Perhaps this isn't surprising, considering that nearly every part of Silent Hill f is crafted with the same level of care and skill. And yet, that doesn't make anything about this game and what NeoBards has achieved any less impressive. Silent Hill f is not just a return to form, it's a remarkable evolution; it's a visual spectacle, a mastercraft in psychological horror, a work of narrative brilliance, and a new benchmark for the Silent Hill series.

Silent Hill f is the entry fans have been waiting for since 2004’s The Room. The shift from small-town America to rural Japan gives the game a distinct identity, allowing the developers to craft a unique experience that still captures the spirit of the series. Ryukishi07’s storytelling shines, with your journal steadily filling with information and mature themes explored in subtle yet impactful ways. While combat has seen improvements over its predecessors, it still pales in comparison to the game’s atmosphere and puzzle design. After two long decades, and a remake of a genre classic, Silent Hill is finally back.

From the cast’s detached, off-kilter performances – both in Japanese and the English dub – to the art, which contrasts beauty with horror, every aspect of Silent Hill f is calculated to enrich the story it tells. It trusts its audience completely, never spelling everything out in bold letters, allowing you to bring your own interpretation and making you feel like an active participant in the telling without resorting to dialogue trees with arbitrary choices and consequences. This is Hinako’s story, but just like the village gossips, in one final violation of her autonomy, everyone will have their own opinion on how it ends.

Yes, I jumped more than once when a monster pounced on me from a hidden corner, but that is more akin to surprise than true fear. Fear is what I felt in the scenes that turned the metaphorical act of Hinako sacrificing who she was to conform to others into literal acts. That's the kind of fear that sticks with me -- not any monster that can be killed, or even a curse that can be cleansed, but the unfathomable monster that is society. The monster that we are, but pretend we aren't. Even though Silent Hill f misses the mark with things like the offering system and unnecessary sanity meter, every other component eventually comes together to make something unmistakably Silent Hill.

Silent Hill f delivers unsettling, slow-burn horror with a unique perspective and strong storytelling, though it doesn’t reinvent the formula. Fans of Silent Hill 2 will feel right at home.

Silent Hill f… And this “f” stands for f... with your mind. An experience capable of generating anguish, tension, fear, disgust, contempt, sadness, disbelief. Emotion. Emotions. That mix of feelings that anyone who has ever played a chapter of this iconic videogame franchise knows pretty well. Silent Hill is back in a different way, but honoring the roots of what made it so memorable for so many people. Great story, great gameplay, great all-around game.

Silent Hill f is a chillingly elegant return to form for the franchise, blending Ryukishi07’s signature psychological storytelling with a hauntingly atmospheric 1960s Japan setting. Balancing methodical survival horror mechanics with rich character introspection, it stands out as a deeply emotional and cerebral entry that lingers long after the credits roll.

Silent Hill returns with a change of scenery, but with its same essence. A dark story with shocking moments, a mysterious town full of paranormal events, and a memorable setting and soundtrack. If we forgive its somewhat clunky and imprecise combat system, we'll get a great experience that rivals the best games in the series.

It's surprising to be here, in the middle of 2025, talking about yet another Silent Hill game. Today, the franchise is back with two well-defined paths: one that follows the conservative and traditional (Bloober Team) and another that takes risks and experiments. Silent Hill f is part of the latter, and the result, in the end, is satisfying. Neobards' installment dared to push the boundaries but maintained respect for the pillars of the franchise. Although the new and risky aspects show some inconsistency, they don't undermine the concept that gave rise to it and are consistent with what it proposes. I repeat, it works for the game itself, but perhaps not for Silent Hill , at least not entirely. The journey to 1960s Japan has a soul of its own and lets the Western city rest. The prospect of repression and abuse against a woman shape a heartbreaking and terrifying story.

Though its heavier focus on action initially raised concerns among longtime fans, the series’ trademark psychological horror and mystery remain intact in its new 1960s Japan setting. With Ryukishi07’s solid storytelling and layered replay value, it firmly retains the essence of Silent Hill.

Ryukishi07 has crafted the best narrative and storyline possible for a purely Japanese Silent Hill game. And even if the combat design pulls this game back from being one of the very best of the series, Silent Hill f has a lot of personality, boldness, and an unwavering passion for the daring story it wants to tell. Get lost in the absolutely stunning town of Ebisugaoka and discover the meaning of "Find the Beauty in Terror". It will be worth every step of the way.

Silent Hill F delivers with a fantastically atmospheric Japanese setting that feels nothing like the town we know so well. Hiniko is a strong character whose journey drew me in and at times left me shocked. Her village is increasingly overrun, and Hiniko herself undergoes a transformative journey. The monstrous forms that terrorize her are grotesque and at times – thanks to their movements and striking presentation – truly terrifying. Fighting them certainly leaves much to be desired and often proved frustrating. Still, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Silent Hill F is a bold step forward that succeeds wonderfully in what it sets out to achieve as a horror game.

SILENT HILL f is one of the best survival horror games out there with its constant surprises, pitch-perfect game worlds, and exceptional blend of combat and puzzles; sometimes, both at the exact same time.

Silent Hill f is a slow-burn horror game that doesn't put its best foot forward, but once it has its hooks in you, they're not coming out. The compelling and well-crafted story does a fantastic job of drawing you in and keeping you invested, even potentially through multiple playthroughs. The combat mechanics can feel a tad overdone. I think Silent Hill f is the best entirely new entry in the franchise in ages, and while it has its flaws, it shows that there's still plenty of life in Konami's franchise.

It’s exciting to see such an iconic, loved horror series go in such a different direction with Silent Hill f. But while the combat has some tricks up its sleeve and the setting is distinct, it still inherently nails what makes a Silent Hill game so successful: the terror, the sense of dread, the enticing puzzles and the dark story with twists, turns and violence. Silent Hill f is a wonderful survival horror game that makes some compelling decisions about the future of the franchise, while managing to remember its past. It’s brutally bold and frighteningly great.

After an excellent remake, we finally have a new entry in the series after many years of absence. While the story has its quirks and exaggerations, the atmosphere, combat, and riddles all click together in that unmistakable Silent Hill way, signaling a great return for one of gaming’s most iconic survival horrors.

Even though some gameplay mechanics are questionable and certain sections feel misaligned with the original spirit of the series, Silent Hill f still manages to leave a deep mark. It’s not a perfect experience, but it’s one that should be approached with clear eyes and a mindful perspective—one that can grasp the emotional depth running through its story. The game speaks to those who know the weight of their own fragility, to those who have learned that the mind can be as unsettling as any nightmare. In Silent Hill f, horror isn’t just something outside—it slowly seeps into the inner self, into what’s left unsaid, into distorted memories. It’s a journey that, despite some obvious lows, exposes the most vulnerable parts of the human soul—the ones so often hidden behind silence.

Silent Hill f proves to be a remarkable restart for the series: brave and divisive, it may not find favor with series purists but traces a potential new future.

Silent Hill f may not be the best game in the series, but it’s one that brings it back with great dignity. Despite its obvious flaws, this is a very good modern survival horror game that we believe you shouldn’t miss.

Silent Hill F is a very good Survival Horror and it carries within it the DNA of Silent Hill even if it takes us elsewhere, in this Japan which undoubtedly recalls the atmosphere of the Project Zero series... It is a very nice mix for this title which does not give away and offers an extremely neat universe. We regret the general heaviness of the gameplay which makes the fights quite painful and puzzles not always clear, but the overall experience is up to par.

Silent Hill f feels like it may have started as a standalone project before being folded into the franchise. Still, it carries over key elements of the series—psychological horror, trauma-driven characters, and a suffocating atmosphere—that work well and fit the concept. Certain aspects will likely divide the community, but it remains a worthy experience for fans of horror and Silent Hill alike.

If it had half the action, it would be twice as good (and avoid a dreadful final stretch). Even so, Silent Hill f is one of the best entries in the series — and a new survival horror classic.

Silent Hill returns with an action adventure in a horror setting that keeps the essence of the franchise, while putting the combat to the forefront. It is a really good game, and many times, it is a fantastic Silent Hill, but it also has some identity crisis that hold it back. However, we think fans of the series will enjoy it as long as they approach it with an open mind.

Silent Hill f plunges players into a chilling vision of 1960s Japan where beauty and horror intertwine in unsettling ways. Its slow-burn storytelling and haunting imagery build a sense of dread that lingers long after each encounter. More than just another entry, it feels like a bold reimagining of what Silent Hill can be.

The new Silent Hill is extremely smart while using horror, blood and guts to tell a story about some of the most trivial problems we all go through during our teenage years. There are a few sequences that can feel a bit too action-based, but it's still a great Survival Horror in its essence.

Silent Hill F is a psychological horror experience whose linear design allows the claustrophobic atmosphere to shine through with unsettling development. The narrative is disturbingly mesmerizing, the heavy combat system requires knowledge of its specifics, and Konami successfully diversifies without sacrificing the essence.

As a purely interactive experience, Silent Hill f is as uneven as it gets, honestly. But more than that - it's still a very interesting piece of art. Strange, multi-layered and mostly unique - in all the places that matter.

Silent Hill f, then, feels more like a tribute than a genuine reboot. For that, we may have to wait for the forthcoming Silent Hill: Townfall. But it’s an intense, rewarding and immersive one nonetheless. Its various endings will have lore-mongers slavering over the merging timelines, shifting identities and psychological, inner-world implications that unravel during this tangled tale of love, abuse, alienation and massive mewling boob beasts.

It’s a tremendous work from Konami, developer NeoBards, and writer Ryukishi07 that invites plenty of discussion and theorizing on the part of the player. Silent Hill f lingers in the mind, in a way few horror games have in years. Silent Hill f is everything great about the series, told in a new J-horror style that perfectly fits the classic aesthetic. While it may not have the tightest combat, that’s reflective of a tone that values ambiance and thematic weight over the quick thrills of other games. Silent Hill f is the meditative, gorgeous, and absolutely terrifying entry that fans have been waiting for.

Silent Hill f stands out with its blend of the series' signature mix of reality and illusion, its inward-looking narrative, and its grotesque, visceral imagery. Even its combat system, rough at first glance, proves surprisingly engaging in practice.

Silent Hill f is a gorgeous game, made even better by the abject terrors that surround it. Konami and Neobards take bold risks in exploring the series’ future without the Maine town and push the franchise into new territory. Despite a third act that drags with filler combat sequences, Silent Hill f remains a true Silent Hill entry at its core. It carries all the elements that define the series, from its relevant subject matter to disturbing imagery and the usual ever-encroaching fog. There has never been a better time to be a Silent Hill fan.

Disturbing yet thought-provoking survival horror sequel, that stumbles slightly in terms of the repetitive combat but is easily the best new entry in the series since the PS2 era.

Silent Hill f is first and foremost a bold gamble, a reinvention that ventures into uncharted territory. It creates a persistent strangeness, deeply imbued with Japanese folklore, that is as disconcerting as it is captivating. Its clumsy combat and excessive action weigh down the experience, but its universe, its characters, and its soundscape impose a unique identity, which pushes us to scratch away its layers of mystery until the last minute. Imperfect but striking, Silent Hill f will undoubtedly remain as the episode that dared to redefine fear through the prism of Japanese culture, with flashes of brilliance that we never forget.

Silent Hill f is an experience quite unlike anything else. While the combat sometimes is a bit too much, there's an undeniable quality to the game's disturbing story and gruesome horror elements that makes this a must-play for fans of the genre.

Silent Hill f boldly carries the franchise outside the familiar town and into a haunting new environment, one that drips with atmosphere and constantly keeps you on edge. The game masterfully blends unsettling visuals with disturbing sound design, crafting a world that feels alive with menace at every turn. Its puzzles are smartly designed, striking the right balance between challenge and accessibility, while its chilling secrets encourage exploration and reward curiosity with moments of genuine dread. More than just another sequel, Silent Hill f feels like a reinvention, an experience that reminds players why the series became synonymous with psychological horror in the first place.

At its best moments, it's an absolutely unique horror highlight, but in between, there's too much tedious and repetitive action.

Silent Hill f is a bold and strikingly timely video game: a political horror with a powerful message, unafraid to be provocative as every true work of art should be. At the same time, it carries within itself the spirit of folk horror: having left behind Judeo-Christian iconography, it is the Japanese tradition that casts its long shadow over both the aesthetics and the narrative, at times through choices that bring it closer to fantasy than to the urban horror the series is known for. Tradition and modernity clash in a work that feels suspended between what Silent Hill once was and what it could become. The balance doesn’t always hold, yet its voice remains strong, with no fear of offending longtime fans or alienating purists. Many will not like it, and some will not even recognize where Silent Hill lies within this story. But those willing to listen closely to the narrative crafted by Ryukishi07 will discover that Silent Hill f knows how to take root. And how to bloom.

While not the best in the franchise, Silent Hill f is a true Silent Hill experience. It's just a great horror game even if you don't want to judge it against other Silent Hill titles. This is the second AAA horror game released in the same month, so Halloween is looking very competitive this year. The technical aspects involving both the audio and the visuals showcase what the PlayStation 5 Pro can do, albeit one bad section. The other world gameplay elements do stray a bit too far, not to mention the relatively short campaign — although it does have some replayability thanks to the five different endings, each feeling like director's cuts. Still, the core ideas of Silent Hill are here, with a unique cultural setting with a story that has very dark endings. Both horror and Silent Hill fans need to experience Silent Hill f.

In Silent Hill f, scenario writer Ryukishi07 has crafted an overwhelming story, yet the repetitive gameplay required to reach its conclusion diminishes the overall experience. The game's ambitious narrative structure – designed to overturn the player’s perception with each playthrough – clashes with game design that cannot fully support it, while its awkward distance from the traditional motifs of the series further complicates its evaluation. And yet, the story and characters themselves are undeniably genuine, carrying a value that deserves to be remembered and retold for generations to come.

Silent Hill f arrived at the event as a very bold title. Konami and Neobards Entertainment have crafted an episode that represents a clear break from the series' continuity, but which, to the most attentive observer, will appear perfectly integrated into a narrative that now transcends the geographical confines of the dear old Midwestern town to explore obsessions, paranoia, and generational trauma with surprising imaginative flair. We're aware that not everyone will welcome this new direction, due to some bold decisions that depart significantly from the philosophy of the original saga, but we have a feeling this will be an important starting point for the horror series from the legendary Japanese publisher. The only shame is that the gameplay suffers from some notable shortcomings and fails to keep up with the excellence of the writing and the technical and artistic component. The City of Fog may no longer be the same as we remember it, but it's still the most fascinating place the genre has to offer.

Silent Hill f's frustrating first-half is outweighed by a brilliant, delirious second that's well worth the initial slog.

The focus on action takes away from the spookiness, but Silent Hill f is nonetheless a really brave survival horror game that fans of the genre shouldn’t miss.

Incredible but true, Konami managed to come back with an actual new Silent Hill game - and it's good ! Ryukishi07 weaves a toxic web of intrigue between mysoginistic social practices, religious hallucinations and disturbing allegories. Kera honors Masahiro Ito's legacy as the resident monster master. While gameplay still falters here and there with boring puzzles and so-so level design in the first half, the atmosphere really comes together and keeps increasing the pressure until a suffocating finale.

Silent Hill f is thick with a terrifying yet beautiful foggy atmosphere and truly gnarly monster designs, combined with incredibly well-judged, smart, and gut-wrenching writing. Grueling combat encounters can become more irritating than scary thanks to an overengineered system that still traps you with plenty of stun locks. Still, unravelling the fears that haunt Hinako makes for some of the best horror I've ever played.

The mentally and physically abusive tale Silent Hill f questions what’s real and who’s a friend. But its story of a teenage girl losing her sanity in 1960s Japan is muddled.

Silent Hill f is a curious beast. Despite my misgivings, it’s a good Silent Hill game and an enjoyable survival horror adventure in general. The game nails its oppressive and creepy atmosphere, and it boasts a killer presentation from visuals to audio. The combat is faithful to past games while adding cool, effective wrinkles, but for how heavily it's emphasized, the game fails to have players engage with it any differently than they had in the opening hours (save for one mid-game twist). Perhaps my biggest gripe as someone who loves to be scared is that you’ve seen the extent of how Silent Hill f plans to frighten you within its first half; beyond that, it’s diminishing returns with very few surprises. I like Silent Hill f, but I was prepared to have a love affair with it, and I’m left feeling as foggy as its quiet, ill-fated village.

Silent Hill f is a compelling yet flawed return for Konami’s iconic horror series: narratively strong and visually striking, it immerses players in a haunting psychological nightmare set in the eerie Japanese town of Ebisugaoka. Hinako's touching and unsettling story is the highlight, but the experience is held back by basic combat, limited enemy types, and a design that requires multiple playthroughs to fully understand the plot without enough gameplay variety. Despite interesting ideas and solid presentation, the game loses momentum over time, feeling repetitive and lessening its emotional impact.

Silent Hill f shows some good approaches and, in some parts, even presents itself as innovative for the series, without losing sight of the essence of Silent Hill. But the unintuitive, schematic and too sluggish combat system significantly dampens gameplay and immersion. The game, particularly due to its atmospheric strengths, is far from a complete failure. Unfortunately, "Silent Hill f" hasn't become the hoped-for, more or less consistently successful series comeback.

Silent Hill f presents a fresh new setting to explore and a fascinatingly dark story to unravel, but its melee-focussed combat takes a big swing that doesn’t quite land.

All the practicalities: the combat system, the enemies' actual attack patterns and manoeuvres, progression, and upgrades, and the game's item economy. All of this seems less polished, less precisely defined, and for that reason it is easy to recommend Silent Hill f as an experience, but somewhat more difficult as a gaming experience.

Silent Hill F takes the survival horror series in a new direction, which pays off for the most part. It’s quite different, and hardcore fans will have to accept that. Combat is a heavy focus, and the move to Japan means there’s a different kind of tone and atmosphere in the air. Technical problems aside, it marks a bold new chapter in the Silent Hill saga. Accept it for what it is, and you’ll find one of PS5’s most intense experiences.

Expectations were sky-high for Silent Hill f, a true new entry in a series that’s been dormant far too long. Konami trusted Taiwanese studio Neobards Entertainment, and the result is stunning visually and technically, with bold choices like 1960s Japan and more action. The writing is subtle and sharp, making the game feel unique and ambitious. But the gameplay lets it down. It’s clunky, slow, and frustrating, with too many tedious fights, a poorly designed stamina system, and puzzles that feel overcomplicated. The potential is huge, yet the execution keeps you from fully enjoying it. In the end, it’s a polarizing game: impressive and daring in style, but clumsy to play. One step forward, two steps back. Silent Hill deserves better than a beautiful shell hiding rusty mechanics.

Conceptually, Silent Hill f is every bit the fascinating, uncomfortable step forward the series has needed for a long time. Its deployment of iconography, theme, and tone is both in keeping with what makes the Silent Hill titles so endearing and radically subversive for the genre space (at least within games). To balk at its gendered tale is to balk at the idea of Silent Hill itself. But Silent Hill f needs to exist beyond its concept; its ideas and commentary too weighted to celebrate for simply being there, and its systemic failures too omnipresent to not feel all the while. Silent Hill f is the step forward Silent Hill needs; it’s a shame it was onto such unstable ground.

Silent Hill f is a brilliantly written and intensely moody horror adventure that struggles to redefine itself as a game. Everything about the mechanics is dated, and it constantly diminishes the story's numerous literary achievements.