Silent Hill f – Everything You Need to Know

After nearly 13 years of dormancy, Bloober Team’s excellent remake of Silent Hill 2 aside, Konami and NeoBard are bringing a bold new addition to a horror franchise that needs no introduction.

Silent Hill f is all set to take its players to a new location, set in a very interesting time period, with a new protagonist who is shaping to be a departure from some of the franchise’s past mainstays while resembling them in other ways.

Recent previews of the game at Gamescom 2025 showcase a rather action-heavy experience this time around, although Konami’s emphasis on Japanese folklore and mythology continues to hold sway in the world’s design. It’s quite a tricky balance, and long-time fans of the franchise are sure going to be interested to see if the two talented studios can achieve it.

If you’re on the fence about the upcoming title, here are a few things you might like to know before you decide to take it on.

1. A Period of Strife

Setting the game in 1960s Japan is the perfect stage for any story in which a female protagonist comes to terms with her demons, both internal and external. Konami has been quick to point out how women faced regressive practices aimed at limiting their freedom and agency, a situation that protagonist Hinako was shown to be quite disdainful of in the game’s previews.

Silent Hill f could very well riff on this strife on both the narrative and gameplay fronts, lending a layer of authenticity to the entire experience, considering that it is rooted in a Japanese setting. It’s a move that could work very well to bring Hinako to life in more ways than one, making her relatable and badass all in the same title.

2. Hinako’s Inner Conflicts

Hinako’s rebellious nature could be a red herring, pointing to things more sinister than a patriarchal society. As a teenager who finds herself as somebody who doesn’t truly belong in her own little world, her feelings could very well result in manifestations that work both narratively and from a gameplay perspective.

It’s a great way of making the stakes personal for her while following the franchise’s traditions of exploring complex psychological quandaries through its themes.

3. A Tragic Past And An Uncertain Future

The game’s themes are going to dive deeper into Hinako’s past and the experiences that continue to haunt her. But that doesn’t mean that the uncertain future she has in front of her after the game’s opening act is going to remain backstage. The game’s new world is all set to bring both sets of fears and insecurities to the table in an examination of her psyche, placed against the backdrop of a world gone horribly wrong.

We’re hoping to see this story take her, and us, to places we might have otherwise chosen not to visit.

4. The Spirit World

Considering the emphasis on Japanese mythology in Silent Hill f, it’s no surprise that the spirit world is a part of Hinako’s adventure. Juxtaposed with the real world, it’s a creative that could work wonders narratively as well as by giving players a whole other realm to explore.

It’s perfectly in line with the franchise’s theme of exploring the innermost workings of its characters’ minds, and can be a great way for Hinako to come to terms with her own interpretations of her faith and her role in a world that has not been very kind to her.

We can’t wait to see how the game handles this aspect of the experience when it’s in our hands at long last.

5. A Bold New Direction

Silent Hill f represents a change in directional strategy for Konami as it works with other talent studios to revamp the experience that the franchise is known for while still remaining true to its roots.

NeoBard’s combat expertise is sure to bring new twists to the gameplay loop on offer, making this one more action-oriented than its predecessors. It’s a choice that might sound like annoying to franchise purists, but the two studios have been quite emphatic about how everything that players love about the franchise is still very much part of the experience.

6. Fighting for Our Lives

Many previews of the game have pointed out Hinako’s ineptitude at wielding weapons against the game’s monstrosities. We think that it’s a very smart, creative choice from the developers, making her the perfect protagonist for a new Silent Hill experience.

As she’s neither trained in combat nor mentally prepared to handle the threats she now faces, Hinako’s combat woes not only fit within the game’s narrative framework but also allow the game’s terrors to be all the more imposing as a result. Honestly, it’s win-win!

But that doesn’t mean that the young lady doesn’t have a few tricks up her sleeve.

7. NOT A Soulslike

The developers have been quite quick to point out that the dodging and parrying mechanics on offer are not inspired by Soulslike titles, despite Hinako being able to pull off a dash move that’s quite off-brand for a novice teenager. Indeed, they have raised a few eyebrows after the Gamescom previews, with some even painting them as unwelcome additions.

However, we think that having them does not take away from the experience, considering how the survival mechanics and a few other aspects of combat, which we’re getting to, can balance out their utility in many ways. As long as they are balanced in their execution, they could be a very interesting twist to the Silent Hill formula, a sentiment that the developers are going for anyway.

8. The Sanity Meter

One of the ways we believe that dodging and parrying are not going to make Hinako overpowered in Silent Hill f is that she’s actively required to manage her emotions in the heat of battle via the Sanity Meter. While we’ve spoken about it in detail in previous showcases of the game, having to ensure that she’s regulating her emotions makes for a narrative goldmine while also tying in that development with the actual gameplay on offer.

It could be quite an immersive experience that makes each player and playstyle an interpretation of the game’s story. A more skilled player could, in theory, play Hinako as a protagonist who’s taking charge of a scary situation by just letting her weapons do the talking, while another may choose to play her as a girl who knows her limitations and acts accordingly.

It’s a bold choice on the developers’ part, and is one that’s also on offer for the game’s audiences, which leads us to our next justification for the game’s action-focused direction.

9. A Fight for Survival

The survival horror genre’s trappings are all here, and are the final piece of the puzzle as far as combat in Silent Hill f is concerned. Your weapons aren’t durable, and supplies, including your own stamina and health, are in short supply. You’re going to have to be strategic in your approach to dealing with the threats you’ll be facing.

Coupled with the new Focus Mode that slows down time and lets you target enemy weakpoints, cautious aggression seems to be the way to go as far as fighting enemies in Silent Hill f is concerned. It’s the perfect balance of the franchise’s traditions versus a new approach that could arguably make it more engaging to play.

10. The Omamori

Despite the grim and desolate world wearing you down bit by bit, there’s still hope left for Hinako and her friends. Omamori are charms that she can equip, granting useful buffs that could serve her very well as she explores the world and fights off enemies.

However, procuring them requires further strategic management of limited supplies in the game and diligent exploration of the game’s darkest corners, too. Nothing in the new world that the game presents comes easy, after all.

11. Different Difficulties, Different Experiences

If you’re worried that the new combat system Silent Hill f is offering is not for you, have no fear (you know what we mean). The game’s Story Mode has been tuned for players who prefer the franchise’s tried and tested formula, while harder difficulties are going to please players who prefer a more challenging combat loop.

It’s a great way of ensuring that both newcomers and franchise veterans have a say in the experience they are diving into, and the developers deserve credit for this thoughtful implementation of their new ideas.

12. A New Character

The recent previews also showcased Hinako being assisted by a mysterious man wearing a fox mask. But is he a friend or a foe? Either way, we’re glad that the game’s cast goes beyond Hinako and her friends, allowing for a lot of nuanced takes on complex themes.

It’s going to be very interesting to learn more about the character once the game is released, but we’re sure that there will be twists in the tale, just as the franchise we know and love is known for.

13. Tune Puzzle Solving To Your Liking

Speaking of franchise traditions, puzzles are going to be a part of the experience in Silent Hill f. However, previews of the game have pointed out that they are quite well-designed and could throw players for a loop if that’s not their thing.

However, Hinako can be assisted via hints if you so prefer it, with settings that allow you to fine-tune the experience to your liking. While details on the options you have at your disposal are scarce, expect to learn more as more information emerges in the next few weeks.

14. Praise For Its Performance

The game has been getting compliments for a buttery smooth 60fps on the PS5, while cutscenes are locked at 30fps on the PC and PS5, as per DigitalFoundry’s time previewing the game. That’s good news made even better by the recommendation that running DLSS in Quality Mode on the PC lets you achieve 4k at 60fps.

15. System Requirements

While we’re on the subject of PC performance, the developers recommend a 64-bit processor and Windows 11, 50GB of SSD storage, and DirectX Version 12 across the board.

The minimum specs include an Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor, 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 5700 Graphics card to run the game in performance mode with 30fps at 720p.

The recommended specs require a beefier Intel Core i7-9700 / AMD Ryzen 5 5500, 16 gigs of RAM, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT for performance mode at 60fps, or quality mode at 30fps in FHD or 4K, depending on the use of DLSS.

And that’s everything you need to know about Silent Hill f before you decide to pick up a copy for yourself! Are you as excited to dive in as we are? Let us know in the comments below!