Silent Hill f Review – Dreadful Horror

Expectations are high for Silent Hill f, the latest entry in the horror franchise from Konami and Neobards Entertainment, especially given the critical and commercial success of last year’s excellent Silent Hill 2 remake. In many ways, that release set Konami on a path to redemption, while the recent successful launch of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater further cemented the idea that the company has found its footing again. Whether Konami can maintain that consistency, however, now depends on how well Silent Hill f delivers. So, how good is it? That’s what we’re here to find out in this review of one of 2025’s most anticipated horror games.

Unlike most major entries in the series, Silent Hill f moves away from the titular town where the franchise has traditionally been set, instead taking players to the remote Japanese town of Ebisugaoka in the 1960s. During the pre-release period, this shift sparked plenty of speculation: if the game doesn’t take place in Silent Hill, can it truly be considered a Silent Hill game? There’s some merit to that question, but to me, Silent Hill has always been about more than just its physical setting. It’s defined by its narrative, its underlying themes, its music, and its atmosphere. Judging a game solely by its location misses the point, and once you actually experience Silent Hill f, it becomes clear: this is very much a Silent Hill game in both tone and theme.

“Judging a game solely by its location misses the point, and once you actually experience Silent Hill f, it becomes clear: this is very much a Silent Hill game in both tone and theme.”

Inspired by Gifu Prefecture, Ebisugaoka is intricately crafted with painstaking attention to atmosphere (and yes, before you ask, it’s drenched in fog, plenty of it). The detail is immaculate, with pathways deliberately designed to feel restrictive, creating a constant sense of being trapped in a prison with no escape. At times, the game induces genuine claustrophobia as you fend off disturbing, creep-inducing monsters (more on those later).

To me, Ebisugaoka felt like a maze, forcing players to either memorize its winding paths or constantly rely on the map, just as in the series’ earlier entries. Silent Hill f is unabashedly “100% Japanese horror,” reflected not only in its setting but also in the architecture, from schools to storefronts. The map design is intricate and deliberate, always demanding awareness and keeping players on edge as they push forward. Having played the Silent Hill 2 remake and some of the older entries, I can confidently say that Silent Hill f’s map design ranks right up there with the series’ very best.

Silent Hill f’s story is intriguing, to say the least. You play as Hinako Shimizu, a high school student confronting her own terrors alongside a close group of friends. Penned by Ryukishi07, the narrative doesn’t shy away from disturbing themes, ranging from abuse and oppressive behavior toward women to the idea of finding “beauty in terror,” as the writer himself describes it. The horror here leans heavily into the psychological.

Yes, there are jump scares sprinkled throughout, but what really unsettles is the atmosphere, the music, and the deliberate build-up to key climactic moments. Sure, you’ll encounter grotesque monsters lunging at you and strange abominations pursuing you through alleyways, but the real fear stems from something deeper. From my experience, the writing and story feel right on point, making Silent Hill f a tense, unsettling, and consistently edge-of-your-seat narrative experience.

“Running on Unreal Engine 5, Silent Hill f easily stands as one of 2025’s most visually striking games.”

If it’s a Silent Hill game, it has to be backed by excellent sound design and music, right? Well, if the Silent Hill 2 remake was anything to go by, then you’ll be pretty pleased with what the developers have done in Silent Hill f. Led by the trio of Akira Yamaoka, Kensuke Inage Dai, and Koichi “xaki” Sakita, the audibles here are absolute belters. It’s genuinely scary – the way the music kicks in when a monster approaches, whether you’re taking them on or running away, and even the small atmospheric touches, like the sound of objects falling or the crittering noises monsters make as they move- it’s all hair-raisingly creepy.

Even the monster sounds, from their roars to the cries they make when hurt, are crafted with extreme finesse and care. The music and sound effects, combined with the level design, stand out as some of the biggest highlights of the Silent Hill f experience.

Much praise should also be given to the voice actors, who do an excellent job bringing the characters to life. The way they build suspense while conveying a range of emotions, from fear to excitement, the kind you’d expect from high school students, is faithfully recreated here. The English cast delivers strong performances, continuing the high standards set in Silent Hill 2.

That said, special mention must also go to the Japanese voice acting. I experienced it briefly, and I can easily see myself doing a full playthrough in that mode in the future. Given how deeply the game is rooted in its Japanese setting, it might even be the ideal way to experience it. Overall, the voice work is elegant yet sublime, and it stays true to the ethos of Silent Hill.

Running on Unreal Engine 5, Silent Hill f easily stands as one of 2025’s most visually striking games. It doesn’t completely overshadow Silent Hill 2 remake, but there are clear improvements in character rendering and animation, particularly in the cutscenes where expressions and movement feel more lifelike. I’ve already touched on the game’s atmosphere, but it deserves another mention – texture work is excellent, volumetric effects are beautifully executed, and the lighting is spot-on, creating a world that is visually rich yet relentlessly oppressive.

And then there are the boss designs, which are genuine works of art, though art in the most nightmarish sense possible. From twisted human bodies seemingly stitched back together to grotesque amalgamations of raw flesh and flowers, they’re the kind of creations you almost wish you hadn’t seen. On the technical side, performance was surprisingly stable throughout my experience. With Unreal Engine 5 often associated with messy launches lately, Silent Hill f running smoothly is in itself a major win.

“The weight of your strikes doesn’t always come through, and the feedback from landing blows feels muted. Some, not all, of the combat animations also carry a noticeable jank.”

Now let’s shift to the core of the Silent Hill f experience: the combat. There’s been plenty of discourse around its so-called “soulslike” approach, but let’s clear that up right away – this is not a soulslike, even if it appears to borrow several elements from the genre. Combat here is primarily melee-focused, built around a mix of dodging, countering, and striking with makeshift weapons like iron pipes, and daggers as you face the horrors of Ebisugaoka. Counters play a role, and the Sanity Meter can be used to slow down time and enter focus mode, giving you a better read on enemy patterns. All of this plays out while keeping an eye on your stamina bar, and with weapons carrying durability meters, overuse will eventually leave you scrambling for replacements.

On paper, the system works well enough. The protagonist isn’t a superhero, nor an adult like James from Silent Hill 2 who’s better equipped to handle himself in such nightmarish circumstances, so a certain level of awkwardness in combat feels fitting. The problem, however, lies elsewhere. The weight of your strikes doesn’t always come through, and the feedback from landing blows feels muted. Some, not all, of the combat animations also carry a noticeable jank. Also, the game did feel a tad easier when experienced on Story mode, so I’d recommend turning the Action difficulty up to Hard for a more rewarding balance. Overall, combat is serviceable and gets the job done, but it falls short of being as refined or satisfying as it could have been.

This relatively straightforward combat system is supported by a more engaging progression layer, one that actively encourages exploration and rewards it by gradually making your character stronger. The game offers a wide variety of consumables and collectibles, which can be sold to earn in-game currency. That currency can then be spent on permanent upgrades or buffs – things like increased stamina or even reducing enemy sight range. Importantly, these items aren’t scattered in abundance, so it’s not as if your character will become overpowered. This creates an effective risk-versus-reward dynamic: the more you dare to explore, the more items you uncover, and in turn, the more currency you can gather to strengthen yourself.

“To wrap it up, Silent Hill f feels like a step in the right direction for the series. It gets so many things right, even if I wish some of the combat mechanics and animations had been refined further.”

The series has always prided itself on going beyond the usual “go from point A to B” puzzle design, and I’m glad to see that tradition continue here. You’ll encounter puzzles that genuinely push you to fine-tune your thinking, whether it’s carefully observing scarecrows, decoding cryptic codes, or searching for keys while a terrifying enemy stalks you in the background. They’re thoughtfully designed, adding tension and variety to the experience, and if you can’t crack them quickly, expect to spend a fair bit of time wrestling with their solutions.

To wrap it up, Silent Hill f feels like a step in the right direction for the series. It gets so many things right, even if I wish some of the combat mechanics and animations had been refined further. What’s here, though, is still a solid and compelling package. At the start of this review, I mentioned that Konami’s ability to remain consistent would hinge on how Silent Hill f turned out. Based on my experience, I’d say the publisher may finally have found a winning formula: one that still needs polish in places, but points firmly toward a promising future for Silent Hill.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStatiom 5.