Silent Hill f Review - Strange and Frightening

The only horror games I played growing up were the Resident Evil series, and while I thought they were good, they always felt more action than horror. Over the last couple of years, though, I played Dead Space and the Silent Hill 2 Remake, and slowly my taste for horror games started to shift.

When I found out about Silent Hill f, I immediately pre-ordered it because Silent Hill 2 Remake was mind-blowingly good and I wanted more of that experience.

Did Silent Hill f live up to the expectations set by its predecessor? Let’s find out.

I played the game on PS5, and it took me about 10–12 hours to finish my first playthrough.

 First Impressions

The game wastes no time getting started. Within five minutes, it sets the tone for what you should expect, and it continues to deliver from there. You don’t actually enter combat until about the 30-minute mark, but the pacing is handled well. Early on, your only option is to dodge and run from creepy mannequins, which works perfectly to build tension.

From a visual perspective, the developers went above and beyond. Every object and every scene in the opening sequences feels carefully crafted, with attention to detail apparent from the very beginning. It genuinely feels like 1960s Japan brought to life.

To top it off, the game opens with a beautiful Japanese song that I found soulful and moving. Even if you don’t play the game, I’d recommend checking out the intro just for that song. At this point, expectations are set, and I was ready for what lay ahead: a frightening adventure.

 As I Grew into the Game

One thing I knew about Silent Hill is that I’d be treated to some very good puzzles, and sure enough, I got to solve one early on. The first puzzle came easily, but that was just the beginning. From then on, most puzzles required me to read the room carefully and study the notes to figure out which pieces fit where. In short, solving them was a delight, and if you enjoy puzzles, you’ll like these too.

The biggest surprise for me was the combat. As someone who enjoys melee combat, I found it very satisfying. The best part was how it felt intentionally slow and janky, which heightened the fear, especially when your stamina ran out and you were left hoping the monsters wouldn’t get you.

A few hours in, the gore kicked in, and it was some of the creepiest I’ve ever seen. You’ve been warned—it gets weird.

 Gameplay - Hit and Miss

The idea of the gameplay was pretty simple, yank enemies, solve puzzles and make your way to the next chapter of the story. But that's where the problem lies, you immediately recognize the pattern to the game and it essentially becomes find 3-4 keys, place them in correct order, fight a boss and move on to what's next.

In terms of character building or character skill building you find items in games that can be traded in the shrine to get certain buffs, like extra health, stamina etc. Think of it like charm and charm slots where you could equip one charm into one slot and there were total of 3 slots.

The thing that I did not like about skill building was that you need to find a certain object called Ema and only when you are in possession of it you could upgrade your stats permanently. And once you use it, you need to find another one before you can upgrade any other stats. So even if you have enough games currency, you need Ema to upgrade your stats and I did not find that mechanic of skill upgrade to be helpful.

 Combat was a Delight but...

While I enjoyed the melee combat against regular enemies, it took away from the boss fights. Boss encounters felt less like Silent Hill and more like something from a Souls-like. There was no real fear factor. In older Silent Hill games, bosses appeared suddenly and mysteriously, always keeping you on edge. Here, the fights felt like they belonged to a different game entirely.

Stamina management was also frustrating. Running out was a regular occurrence, and it often felt more annoying than tense. Weapons degrading over time added another layer of hassle. If you didn’t find a repair kit or a replacement quickly, you were forced to run.

The biggest downside, though, is that defeating enemies rarely felt rewarding. You lose weapon durability, but you don’t gain meaningful rewards. The only benefit is clearing an area so you can explore in peace.

 Characters and Story

The characters were given real depth and were tightly woven into the narrative. Depending on your choices, their fates—and the overall ending—could change. With five different endings, the replay value is strong, and your decisions truly impact the story.

As for the story itself, it’s solid, as you’d expect from this franchise. Psychological horror is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres thanks to Silent Hill. Without giving away spoilers, I can say it lives up to expectations.

 Conclusion

Silent Hill f is a delight for horror fans. Most elements come together to create an excellent experience, even if combat isn’t perfect. The lack of rewarding enemy encounters may encourage some players to run past fights altogether, but the atmosphere makes up for it. The ever-present fog ensures you never quite know what’s waiting around the corner.

The puzzles are excellent, pulling you deeper into the lore of Silent Hill f while adding layers to the story. With five endings on offer, there’s plenty of reason to return, and I’m excited to see what other story arcs this game reveals.

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SpawnYaard