At the recent Anime Expo 2025 held earlier this July in Los Angeles, producer Motoi Okamoto, writer Ryukishi07, and composer Akira Yamaoka held a discussion panelabout the upcoming Silent Hill f and its place in the franchise. When it comes to horror, Ryukishi07 explains that his approach to tackling Silent Hill f’s narrative is very different from how he writes his novels.
According to Ryukishi07, he avoided using his usual method of including several themes and complexities into Silent Hill f’s characters (source: Famitsu). Instead, he focused on a single central theme and wrote the story around it.
While the core theme remains a mystery for now, Ryukishi07 says that Silent Hill f will take the two elements the franchise is known for – psychological and supernatural horror – and blend them into a mixture that is indistinguishable at first, but gradually separates into layers. He uses the unconventional metaphor of a salad dressing to illustrate – with the beginning of the game being like an emulsified/blended dressing that gradually separates. The monsters in Silent Hill 2, for example, are indistinguishable from reality. Only by delving deeper into Silent Hill and James Sunderland’s psyche do players start to distinguish between what is real and what is the product of James’s inner thoughts.
According to Ryukishi07, the psychological and supernatural horrors in Silent Hill f will be indistinguishable at the beginning. As players progress, they will uncover the mysteries surrounding the town of Ebisugaoka and form their own explanations regarding the story. He says that part of the appeal of Silent Hill f is the organic learning of the narrative and filling in the blanks left by the developers.
To close things out, Ryukishi07 says that Silent Hill f’s story is not just about sending chills down your spine. As with all Silent Hill projects, the story has the potential to evolve into a tale of sadness or love, depending on how players look at it. Though Silent Hill f is not set in the titular town, its Japanese influences and real-world inspiration make it a project that is deeply in touch with the franchise’s roots.
Silent Hill f is set to release on September 25 for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S.
