Silent Hill f review: A horrifying masterpiece that got into my head

I wouldn't have been able to say this 10 years ago, but it's a good thing that Silent Hills, announced by P.T, was ultimately canceled. Thanks to this, Hideo Kojima expressed himself artistically by creating two phenomenal installments of Death Stranding. On the other hand, the aforementioned brand of legendary horror ended up in the best possible hands under the sun—Ryukishi07, the talented creator of Higurashi, who has repeatedly proven himself as a master of horror. His involvement with Silent Hill turned out to be not only the fulfillment of dreams I never knew I had but also the realization of one of the greatest nightmares the horror genre has allowed me to experience. As a fan of horror conventions, I was thrilled to see a totally unique and fresh Japanese take on the famous town. Even though we won't be able to physically visit it this time, we'll get to see how it's manifested in the form of concepts and ideas rooted in the minds of the most tormented souls.

So I'll say it right off the bat: Silent Hill f has exceeded all my expectations and turned out to be both one of the most intense horrors I've ever played, and one of the most ambitious ones. Getting through Hinako Shimizu's hell is like putting a noose around your neck, which tightens with every step taken in the foggy village of Ebisugaoka, ultimately leading to emotional turmoil and a tough ending to endure. But let's start from the beginning...

Hill bathed in red and silence

Hinako Shimizu is a young, athletic teenager raised with friends in a small, conservative village. The cultural aspect is important here because we are ultimately dealing with the Showa period. Hinako comes from an environment where women's roles are predetermined and gender strongly dictates every aspect of life, which the main character can't accept. She is a tomboy who gets along better with boys and a child who cannot understand her mother's submission to an abusive alcoholic father. Her growing anger and frustration are turning into hatred, and her rebellious nature is leading to open conflict, which is, to put it mildly, disruptive for all the other residents. Especially because our relationships with our closest friends can be different than they seem, and they can be full of jealousy, falsehood, prejudice, and misunderstandings.

All of this leads to emotional instability, and the pervasive conservatism pushes Hinako to an extreme perception of reality, making her the perfect target for the phenomenon of Silent Hill, known for materializing the darkest depths of the human psyche. Although the game drastically changes the setting compared to its predecessors, the key aspects remain unchanged. It's a strong psychological horror, focused on creating discomfort and using provocative motifs to explore deeply rooted traumas and harms. The titular Silent Hill is present in spirit; however, it cannot be denied that it only appears as a guest, to whom the creators pay homage by delivering a game that could just as easily be released under the banner of a completely new brand. I feel that orthodox fans may have a problem with this.

However, this doesn't change the most important fact that the screenwriter did a great job creating an intelligent and complicated intrigue, which is an extremely grateful subject for analysis. The scenes are so well done, they're really captivating – they're intriguing, unsettling, and often charmingly enigmatic. Throughout the entire game, I was both shaken and full of admiration for what was going on here. Silent Hill f is insane, totally messed up, controversial and brutally macabre, sometimes even "unclean." I would even venture to say that this is the most insane game in the entire series - both thematically and visually. While playing it, I saw some scary rituals that made me look away from the TV involuntarily. At some point, Silent Hill f genuinely instilled in me a new kind of fear, and I truly believe that it gave me trypophobia. There were times when I felt really sick to my stomach, and it was really getting to me mentally, making me take short breaks. I never thought I'd experience virtual horror to such an extent, especially after becoming immune to it over the years.

But it was the story that made me unable to put down the controller. I had to find out what was going on and how Hinako's agony would end. With complete focus, I tracked the chaotic swirl of events, witnessing revolting and startling scenes in parts, which I never anticipated encountering in a Silent Hill game. It lasted from the beginning of the game until seeing its end credits... and starting NG+. Very similar to what was done in Higurashi - the story is divided into cycles. The first playthrough raises a lot of questions, and the answers come with subsequent sessions with the game. They change the perspective, reveal new details, and can even completely change the content of the dialogues, directing attention to completely new plot details and nuances. The implementation of this idea is top-notch, adding additional layers to this eerie adventure, waiting for a sufficiently insane daredevil trying to get to the bottom of the matter. You'll see for yourselves how many details you missed the first time and how many later events the creators referred to in the early stages of the story; I love when they use these tricks. I will completely ignore the fact that at the first ending, I couldn't recover and was downright shocked by the climax sequence, which made such a strong impression on me that I will probably never forget it for the rest of my life.

Save Hinako Shimizu, help her!

The game might not make a big impression, but I think it's really good at what it does and fulfills its role very well. It took me a while to get used to the combat system, but in the end, I appreciated its seemingly clunky nature, which fits perfectly into the survival horror theme. Hinako is still a petite girl, so every stronger hit with a pipe makes us lose control of the character for a moment. So, you need to calculate each swing in advance and take into account the distance from the enemy, and as a result, play extremely cautiously. Weapons can break, and running out of resources can be stressful when enemies are closing in. It's especially tough when dodging is a last resort and quickly drains our stamina, leaving us vulnerable for longer.

The combat is strange. I wouldn't compare it to soulslike games though because I think the discussion has become too one-dimensional and those games just get too much credit - even if in Silent Hill f we come across some elements from such productions, the overall combat system offers a very different and, above all, unique experience - focused on using the concentration and resourcefulness of the character to perform special attacks, using effective counters, and managing weapon and resources. The combat is tough, it requires commitment and attention... sometimes there is a bit too of it, which is my slight criticism. Fortunately, you won't come across guns here, and Hinako mainly fights with whatever she gets her hands on. I will also add for your information that we can develop the character in special shrines. By making small sacrifices, we gain faith, and this can be used to increase endurance, health, or sanity.

However, the best element of the gameplay is the puzzles combined with exploration. The foggy Ebisugaoka and its surrounding areas are captivating, providing artistically beautiful views with a horror aesthetic. Clever puzzles make you think hard and each stage in the game has its own environmental challenges, using the theme of the location and the traumas troubling Hinako at that moment. The developers constantly play with expectations and throw us into unexpected moments, offering a multitude of ideas for the course of the game. For example, when looking for the keys at school, we'll have to crack the lockers' codes based on the students' mysterious notes. Going to my friend's house, we will have to cross a foggy field and solve the riddle with the scarecrows to show us the right way. Every now and then, reality merges with stages in a dark temple where... no, I don't even want to reveal the most surreal and crazy moments, because it's best to just dive in blindly and experience the game without knowing what awaits us. I can assure you that there's never a dull moment here, but the constant stress doesn't really give us a break. Thanks to this, the game has a perfect pace of gameplay, and I didn't experience any unnecessary or annoying fillers designed to artificially extend the fun. The first playthrough took me about 12 hours to complete, and it was a masterfully executed game. It left me wanting to start another run right away, seeking more answers to the questions that were bothering me.

Lost in thoughts

I've completely lost myself and I can't stop thinking about Silent Hill f. This game haunts me in my nightmares, I keep reliving it. I'm trying to understand it better, and I'm attempting to analyze the main themes, because this story just really gets to me. I feel haunted and I really like this state. Mastery in the field of psychological intimidation, capable of being rude and consciously direct just to distract an off-guard player – I admit that I fell for it, and the creators played me like a child, then attacked when I was most vulnerable and unprepared for the blow.

Thus, Silent Hill f is a truly dangerous game, which requires exceptional caution, because otherwise it gets into your head too much. Terror of the highest order, where beauty collides with corruption and decay. After many long years, Silent Hill has received its most exceptional installment, reintroducing the series to the Premier League of horror and regaining its reputation as the pinnacle of virtual terror. As a connoisseur who romanticizes horror, I can barely hold back tears of joy at being able to witness this incredible moment and feel like an innocent child again, afraid of what lurks in the impenetrable darkness.