The reviews are out for Silent Hill f, and the latest entry in Konami’s psychological horror franchise has been met with overall positive reception from critics, particularly for its haunting storytelling. With a Metascore of 86, the game is one of Konami’s best-rated releases to date, matching the scores of acclaimed predecessors like Silent Hill 3 and Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake.
Over on X, Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto celebrated Silent Hill f’s high rating, while admitting that he didn’t exactly consider the game a safe bet.
“I’m really happy Silent Hill f reached a score of 86 on Metacritic, on par with Silent Hill 2’s remake. The game is set in Japan, with a scenario by Ryukishi07 and a combat-heavy gameplay system. We made many bold choices, so I was expecting opinions to be divided, but I’m truly grateful to receive such a high rating. Even among the mixed reviews, nearly every media outlet has sung praises to the story, which proves entrusting Ryukishi with it was the right decision.”
Moving away from the fictional American town the series is known for, Silent Hill f takes place in rural Showa-era Japan, which is admittedly a huge shift in environment. The developers saw this as part of bringing the series back to its roots – a combination of both Western and Japanese horror, rather than purely Western-style horror.
Additionally, Silent Hill f places a strong emphasis on action, whereas past titles aren’t exactly known for having deep combat systems, favoring exploration and puzzles. However, new protagonist Hinako engages in parry-heavy melee combat, and the game even introduces weapon degradation, a mechanic many Silent Hill fans were initially anxious about. The developers opted for this approach to avoid the pitfall of “just creating a Silent Hill 2 clone,” as well as to appeal to the tastes of younger gamers. Although it’s considered that too much combat can detract from scariness – the essence of horror games, Silent Hill f’s use of action hasn’t harmed its reception so far.
Lastly, as Okamoto comments, although provocative, the decision to put When They Cry series author Ryukishi07 in charge of Silent Hill f’s narrative turned out to be a jackpot, as both reviewers and early Steam players alike were positively struck by the dark, psychological storytelling.
Silent Hill f launches September 25 for PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X❘S. Advanced access for owners of the deluxe editions has already begun.
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