In my stressed goals, I see that city. I see its fog-drenched foothills and derelict buildings. I see its dead-end alleys and blank-faced inhabitants. And although it is not the identical hang-out that ensnared Harry, Heather, James, and the others–the similar city that’s siren tune broke many a person whereas concurrently constructing some of the iconic horror recreation franchises in existence–Silent Hill f’s Ebisugaoka continues to be a spot that calls for your consideration; a spot that, when you’re there, you by no means actually go away. Or maybe extra aptly, it by no means leaves you.
The identical will be mentioned for Silent Hill f itself. Though the sport distances itself from earlier entries within the series–most notably by buying and selling in its Lynchian-meets-Boschian atmosphere and small-town America setting in favor of slow-burning Japanese horror and the humid foothills of Honshu–its general expertise is each bit as memorable as these provided by its predecessors. And but Silent Hill f will not be merely a somewhat-divergent continuation of a beloved sequence; it is an evolution, providing a number of gameplay enhancements whereas additionally paving a brand new path ahead. With its sensible writing, well-designed and strategic gameplay, partaking fight, and spectacular visuals, Silent Hill f firmly establishes itself as an outstanding work of psychological horror and among the many greatest entries within the Silent Hill sequence.
Although Silent Hill f’s setting is, to be cliche, very practically a personality in itself, on the heart of the sport’s story is Shimizu Hinako, a younger highschool scholar who’s violently thrust right into a disturbing model of her hometown. Within the recreation’s opening moments, it is made clear that Hinako’s relationships are rife with stress. As a younger girl rising up in the course of the late Nineteen Sixties, a lot of this stress stems from her resistance in the direction of being a “correct” younger girl, a lot to her mother and father’ dismay. In her journal, she writes that her father is the very definition of a patriarchal husband–demanding, extreme, and domineering–while her mom is passive to the purpose of cowardice. For a very long time, Hinako’s older sister, Junko, was the one particular person she may depend on for companionship and safety. This modified, nevertheless, as soon as she obtained married and left house, leaving Hinako alone and drowning in resentment.
The occasions of Silent Hill f kick off shortly after yet one more struggle at house. Following the argument, Hinako leaves to search out someone–anyone–whom she will be able to discuss to. As she makes her manner by means of the eerily quiet Ebisugaoka, we’re launched to her three closest pals: Sakuko, Rinko, and Shu. In typical teenage trend, Hinako’s relationships with these three have an underlying sense of unease, although it is not instantly clear why. And but, teenage drama rapidly turns into the least of her considerations as soon as a fog-shrouded monster begins to hunt her down, leaving flesh-devouring spider lilies, chrysanthemums, and purple streams of rot in its wake.
Hinako is pressured to then navigate the slim alleyways and deserted buildings of Ebisugaoka as she makes an attempt to keep away from the infestation and the grotesque creatures who accompany it. And but, that is solely half of the harrowing expertise Hinako endures. At sure factors all through the sport, Hinako is thrust right into a spirit realm, during which a disarming younger man known as Fox Masks guides her by means of unusual temples and darkish trials.
Although this premise is loads peculiar, Silent Hill f is in some methods a bit extra simple than earlier Silent Hill titles. Nicely… at first, anyway. On the very least, it is not fairly as uncanny. Relatively than stumbling into struggling strangers who converse in riddles, SHF makes use of these closest to Hinako to intensify intrigue and tension–to alarm and unease. Whereas earlier Silent Hill video games all the time felt a bit like David Lynch’s tackle a Hieronymus Bosch painting–alienating, dreamlike, and horrifying–Silent Hill f feels extra like a collaboration between surrealist filmmaker Satoshi Kon and horror manga legend Junji Ito. I would not dare to say one is best than the opposite, even when my private preferences skew me in the direction of the latter, however I’ll say that Silent Hill f moved, unsettled, and awed me in methods few video games can.
No matter whether or not Hinako is trudging by means of rice fields, roaming the halls of her former center college, or traipsing alongside Fox Masks within the spirit realm, the world of Silent Hill f is beautiful and atmospheric. Although I’ve by no means been to Kanayama–the real-life Japanese city that impressed Silent Hill f’s Ebisugaoka–I used to be extraordinarily impressed by the way in which Konami managed to duplicate a rural Japanese city. I definitely will not declare to be an arbiter of authenticity, however as I wove by means of alleys and watched concrete and chainlink give option to worn-wood properties and dampened dust paths, I used to be reminded of the time I’ve spent close to Nagano, or south of Osaka: locations the place nature and tradition coexist in such a surreal however stunning manner. As I moved by means of Ebisugaoka, I felt as if I may style the humidity; as if I may scent the forest flooring.
The spirit realm, alternatively, feels appropriately unknowable–steeped in historical past and reverence. If you stroll by means of its temple halls, it feels as if the world ought to be eerily quiet, in the end making the rattling chains of four-legged enemies, chattering of dolls, and Akira Yamaoka’s phenomenal compositions all of the extra impactful. Sure, composer Yamaoka returns for Silent Hill f, and whereas he naturally retains his capability to construct stress on the drop of a hat, Silent Hill f additionally would possibly simply showcase how stunning and consuming his work will be, too. I used to be impressed by how he makes SHF sound like a Silent Hill recreation whereas additionally giving it its personal id and celebrating its new setting, inserting conventional Japanese instrumentation, guttural singing, and haunting choirs alongside his signature industrial sound.
But constancy and sound aren’t all that contribute to how artistically profound Silent Hill f is. Among the many extra essential parts are the sport’s haunting visuals and nightmarish creatures, each of which disturb as a lot as they fascinate, and attain the sport’s mission of exploring the house the place the beautiful and grotesque meet. Boss designs are constantly outstanding, drawing upon conventional Japanese apparel, weaponry, and folklore to raise them, whereas your customary enemies–from hewn mannequins to female monstrosities whose our bodies are lined in pulsing, pregnant bellies–are each bit as unsettling. Count on to see flesh fall, bones snap, and loads of viscera throughout your time with Silent Hill f, in addition to cinematic cutscenes that really feel totally otherworldly.
Extra essential than being each visually and audibly outstanding, nevertheless, is how Silent Hill f’s areas serve the sport’s narrative and themes. Previous to Silent Hill f’s launch, Konami said that Silent Hill needs to be considered as a way of thinking slightly than a bodily location, therefore why some video games within the series–including SHF–don’t happen within the East Coast-inspired city. That mentioned, if we’re to view the areas these protagonists discover as metaphors for the human psyche, I can not think about a extra appropriate world than the one crafted right here.
Ebisugaoka’s alleys lower by means of the city like neural pathways–twisting, turning, connecting, and coming to abrupt ends. Each the city and the spirit realm disorient simply as a lot as they dazzle, heightening this sense of confusion and loss. In addition they enjoy contradiction. All through the sport, we witness beautiful grotesquery as flowers and gore eat the city in equal measure; we stumble throughout sacred locations that really feel totally profane, and watch because the supernatural and otherworldly collide with the plush and pure. Very similar to Hinako and Silent Hill f itself, this world will not be meant to be fully understood.
Naturally, this sense of thriller additionally heightens one of many Silent Hill sequence’ most notable options: its puzzles. All through Silent Hill f, there are roughly a dozen puzzles to resolve, with a very essential one sprawling throughout the complete recreation and requiring a minimum of one playthrough to be accomplished earlier than you can begin it. Others are extra simple, and process you with issues like deciphering a coded language, discovering and appropriately inserting medallions, or navigating advanced hallways by pulling levers to open and shut doorways.
By and enormous, these are all partaking and simply the appropriate stage of problem on the sport’s Arduous mode, its default puzzle problem. After finishing the sport as soon as, you will additionally achieve Misplaced within the Fog problem, which provides a bit extra of a problem, although I did not discover it to be too extraordinary a leap. That mentioned, one or two of those puzzles stand out as far much less fulfilling (and extra convoluted) than the others, in the end dragging on a bit too lengthy for my liking and leading to my going through off towards a grating variety of enemies.
Luckily, Silent Hill f alleviates a number of the annoyance these moments fire up with remarkably enjoyable close-quarters fight. In comparison with earlier entries within the sequence, Silent Hill f is extra action-oriented, counting on executing excellent dodges and parrying on the right time to dish out harm to enemies. Although the studio has shied away from comparisons to soulslikes, there’s an undeniably acquainted feeling as you bounce backwards and forwards between light- and heavy-attacks earlier than rapidly dodging out of hurt’s manner. And whereas some horror video games stumble after they lean too far into motion, Silent Hill f manages to take action to nice success, making a fluid and interesting system that enhances the sport slightly than detracts from it.
That mentioned, it is not excellent. At instances, I felt enemies weren’t fairly as aware of my assaults as I needed and lacked correct suggestions. Different instances, I discovered myself a bit annoyed by how the sport’s tight corridors, rapidly depleting stamina bar, and imperfect controls created conditions the place I used to be unable to do something as an enemy constantly wailed on me. This did not occur too usually, although, and contemplating horror video games aren’t identified for having notably jaw-dropping fight, I did not thoughts these few moments of unreliability and overwhelm. In some regards, it served as a reminder that Hinako is only a highschool lady, not a military-trained operative you would possibly discover in Resident Evil 3’s Raccoon Metropolis.
And whereas fight is extra fluid than ever, this does not essentially imply it is simple or that you need to interact with each enemy you encounter. Holding according to former Silent Hill video games, there isn’t any actual incentive so that you can tackle enemies you are not required to kill to progress–no objects are dropped, and no expertise is given. In truth, selecting to take action can come at a detriment, as fight will be fairly difficult and can all the time value you extra assets than you internet, together with your weapons.
Sure, along with your well being, stamina, and sanity, you will wish to take note of your weapon’s sturdiness as you play, as weapon degradation is again. Whereas this would possibly sound like quite a bit to observe, in execution it really works extraordinarily properly, and significantly heightens the stakes and sense that Hinako’s survival should be gained.
Along with weapon degradation, Silent Hill f’s permanent-upgrade system additionally provides one other layer of technique and useful resource administration. All through Ebisugaoka and the spirit realm are shrines Hinako can go to to enshrine choose objects, together with a few of these used to heal or regenerate sanity and stamina. Enshrining an object converts it into Religion, which might then be used to attract an omamori–a talisman granting Hinako a random boon–or to completely improve one among her stats. This provides an fascinating aspect of selection, as you will need to take into account whether or not you need to dangle on to your varied therapeutic objects to make use of in battle or convert them into religion for everlasting upgrades.
Buying and selling in your objects for upgrades is made much more tempting by the truth that each Hinako’s stat upgrades and omamoris carry over to New Recreation Plus, significantly heightening their usefulness and making subsequent playthroughs simpler. And whilst you may not usually be the kind to replay a recreation on New Recreation Plus, Silent Hill f makes a particularly compelling case to rethink your stance.
Though a playthrough of Silent Hill f takes round 10 hours to finish, you would be remiss to name it a 10-hour-long recreation. Throughout the recreation there are 5 endings, one among which you might be locked into the primary time you play, and it was solely after unlocking two of them that I started to really feel as if I considerably understood what was occurring to Hinako and her hometown; that I started to understand that every playthrough shouldn’t be considered as a separate expertise, however as half of an entire.
As such, taking part in by means of Silent Hill f a number of instances feels completely important to the general expertise. For these of you aware of the sport’s author, Ryukishi07, this would possibly come as no shock, as his different works are identified for doing exactly this and infrequently use their first ending to boost questions slightly than reply them; Silent Hill f is not any exception. Fortunately, improbable gameplay, the flexibility to skip outdated cutscenes, loads of new content material every playthrough, and dramatically completely different endings–complete with completely different bosses–make taking part in by means of the sport a number of instances an thrilling prospect.
But probably the most compelling purpose to replay Silent Hill f is just to expertise each little bit of its sensible, horrifying, and, oftentimes, deeply cathartic story. Although I will not dive too deep into the concepts and themes of the sport so as to protect the expertise for others, suffice to say I used to be blown away by the mastery during which Silent Hill f explores gender roles, company, isolation, id, relationships, and womanhood, in addition to by the way in which it completely balances readability and ambiguity to create one thing profound and reflective. Amongst AAA titles, there are few video games that dare to broach the identical matters developer NeoBards Leisure does on this title–and far fewer that deal with them with even near the identical quantity of grace, nuance, and conviction.
Maybe this is not shocking, contemplating that just about each a part of Silent Hill f is crafted with the identical stage of care and ability. And but, that does not make something about this recreation and what NeoBards has achieved any much less spectacular. Silent Hill f is not only a return to type, it is a outstanding evolution; it is a visible spectacle, a mastercraft in psychological horror, a piece of narrative brilliance, and a brand new benchmark for the Silent Hill sequence.