Silent Hill F review: A welcome resurrection of Silent Hill’s legacy 

Silent Hill F is set to open a new chapter in Konami's long-running horror franchise. Despite being one of the genre's major series that enjoyed a brief stint in the pop culture limelight, the franchise was on a downward trajectory for quite some time. However, Silent Hill F is the latest entry, and I will be honest with you: the game is fantastic.

Given that the last few titles in the franchise did not hit the mark, the reputation of the Silent Hill IP certainly took a hit. And while the remake for the second game received widespread positive reviews, people's skepticism towards F is quite understandable, especially considering that it has been developed by a relatively unknown studio.

Let's dive into this review of Silent Hill F and find out why this game is one of the best ones in the series, and why every hardcore horror fan should try it out.

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The beauty in dread: Breaking down Silent Hill F’s core elements

Plot

The series has always had a special place in my heart, as the original Silent Hill on PlayStation was my foray into the survival horror genre. It is a game that I hold dearly, and one that has left me both terrified and fascinated. Playing the second title made me appreciate the series even more, as its themes of grief and death, with a blend of dread and beauty, shaped how I came to love horror games.

A day of horror (Image via Konami)

With Silent Hill F, I found myself returning to those days of uneasiness, where, similar to the protagonists venturing into the fog, the fear of the unknown can keep you on your toes.

Unlike most of the other games in the franchise, F will not see your character returning to the town of Silent Hill. Instead, you will play as Hinako Shimizu, a Japanese teenager who finds herself trapped inside the fog that has covered her hometown. Instead of the townspeople, monsters roam the streets, and it is up to her and her friends to escape the area safely.

Silent Hill games often delve into the depths of the human psyche and how the protagonists' guilt manifests in the fog. I will not spoil any story tidbits, but similar to previous entries in the series, F also retains these core aspects. Each of the characters is well-written and influences Hinako's journey as a whole.

Silent Hill F's story is written by Ryukishi07, the author of Higurashi: When They Cry, which is personally one of my favorite Japanese horror media. The excellent writing of each of the characters shines through, and for me, F's story is one of the best in the series, second only to that of Silent Hill 2.

The story between the characters is one of the highlights of Silent Hill F (Image via Konami)

While some story elements will be introduced early on that can appear vague, keep an eye out for any documents that you find. These papers play a bigger part in the narrative, and as you traverse through the monster-infested alleyways of Ebisugaoka, you will gradually come to understand the plot.

The story is divided into two parts: one deals with Hinako and her friends slowly trying to find a way out of the town, and the second is where our protagonist finds herself in a separate dimension. The Dark Shrine, as Hinako calls it, feels like a sinister place similar to the Otherworld that you can find in the other games in the series.

This place is extremely eerie; you cannot see much in front of you, as the entire environment is dark, with the only source of light being a small lantern that Hinako obtains. Silent Hill F's story is great, and it has given me hope for the future of the franchise. Keep in mind that the game features a set of different endings, based on the choices that you make as Hinako.

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Aesthetics and sound

I think NeoBards Entertainment made the right choice by bringing Silent Hill F to rural Japan, as it goes hand-in-hand with Ryukishi07's writing. The main aesthetic element of the game, besides the fog, is the Lycoris Radiata flower, whose red color stands in contrast to the greyish-white environment. The flower also represents the afterlife or death in Japanese culture, which fits well into the game's theme.

Horrifying, yet beautiful monstrosities (Image via Konami)

The monsters you will encounter in this title are some of the most grotesque creatures I have seen, and they amply showcase the creativity of the character design artist, Kera. The primary enemy you will come across is a weird humanoid that resembles a marionette and also moves like one. Their body joints look like fleshy bags of meat, covered with the Lycoris flower, which gives them a repulsive and scary look.

Each of the horrors that you encounter in Ebisugaoka will definitely leave you both horrified and grossed out, but they will also make you curious. In a poetic sense, while they are terrifying to look at, there is a beauty in their design that you cannot ignore.

The design philosophy at hand, which leans into one of the game's themes, beauty in death, matches perfectly the horrors you will encounter.

The dark corridors of the otherworld (Image via Konami)

In tandem with the Shinto-Buddhist belief behind the Lycoris flower, Silent Hill F's Otherworld takes the form of an ever-changing temple called the Dark Shrine. Hinako will often find herself in this purgatory when she loses her senses, guided by a mysterious man. Here, you will have to fight various grotesque monstrosities.

Silent Hill F also stands as a work of art, thanks to its beautiful environments. Looking at the abandoned streets of Ebisugaoka, the backdrop often appears like a Japanese painting, and this artistic expression sets it apart from the other horror games released in recent years.

Gorgeous backdrop (Image via Konami)

Renowned composer Akira Yamaoka also returns to set the soundtracks for the game alongside Kensuke Inage, and the duo has crafted some of the best OSTs in the series. Besides the beautiful set of musical tracks, Silent Hill F's tense atmosphere is further bolstered by the game's ambient sounds, which keep you on the edge of your seat.

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Gameplay loop: Combat and puzzles

Silent Hill F's combat is quite similar to that of the SH2 remake that came out in 2024, with some improvements here and there. You have two primary methods of attacking: light attacks that do less damage and require little stamina, and heavy ones that, while dealing more damage, will consume more stamina. Enemy attacks can be dodged or countered to avoid taking damage.

A fight with one of the game's many bosses (Image via Konami)

The combat is quite easy, and once you get the hang of it, you will be able to overcome any foe in a one-on-one fight. However, it gets a bit tricky when facing two or more foes, and you will have to navigate carefully to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Given that the game takes place in rural Japan, the tight corridors of Ebisugaoka will definitely keep you on your toes, with dangers waiting for you in each corner. I loved the gameplay for the most part, as the combat is not too difficult to get into, especially if you come from any other action game. Boss fights are also interesting and fun.

Puzzles are a big part of Silent Hill F (Image via Konami)

The main challenge of the gameplay loop comes from finding your path through the fog while also keeping a keen eye out for supplies. It is, after all, a survival-horror game, and you will have limited resources. Even on Story difficulty, the game gives you fewer supplies, and I found myself scavenging a lot to find the bare amount of materials that might save me.

Similar to other games in the series, there are a lot of puzzles that you will need to solve to progress. These can prove to be quite challenging, especially for newcomers, and have left me often scratching my head, wondering how to solve them. They do pick on your brain at times, and solving each puzzle can give you a sense of satisfaction.

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Performance

Despite being created using the dreaded Unreal Engine 5, Silent Hill F looks and runs great for the most part. Unlike Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater, which was capped at 60 FPS with no way to remove the limiter, SHF lets you opt for unlimited frames, which allowed me to monitor how well the game is optimized.

The game is well optimized (Image via Konami)

For the most part, Silent Hill F ran at a solid 70-80 FPS on my machine with FSR enabled, at High presets for textures and a few other options. The game is extremely well optimized, and honestly, kudos to the developers for taking their time and putting in the work to ensure smooth performance. For those wondering, my setup has the following specifications:

• Ryzen 5 5600X
• AMD RX 6600 8GB VRAM
• 32 GB RAM DDR4

I did notice the game getting choppy for a while when loading into the gameplay sections from cutscenes at times, but pausing and unpausing seems to fix this. This is my only complaint from an otherwise fantastic experience, and I do think the developers will fix this issue post-launch.

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In conclusion

Silent Hill F is a great horror game (Image via Konami)

Silent Hill F feels both like a return and a fresh start for the series. Instead of relying on only jump scares, it tries to build the tension with its eerily quiet and creepy atmosphere and the ambient noises. There is a strange beauty in the way it can unsettle you, keeping you on the edge of your seat while pulling you into the rural streets and fields of Ebisugaoka.

Silent Hill F is easily the best horror game of 2025. It's a masterfully crafted horror experience and a reminder of why the Silent Hill franchise always stood apart in the genre. Especially given that this is the first proper major game from Neobards Entertainment, the developers have delivered a fantastic title.

Sometimes the performance can get a bit uneven, but most of the time, the game runs great, especially considering it was crafted using Unreal Engine 5, which is known to cause performance issues. That is my only criticism of the title, which, in all honesty, is a slight nitpick.

Konami has been on a roll in 2025, releasing masterpieces such as the Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster editions, Metal Gear Solid Delta, and now Silent Hill F. The last one is truly a remarkable title from an IP that was considered to be dead for quite a while.

To sum it up, Silent Hill F is a great game, and I think veterans and newcomers alike will enjoy the creepy, haunting town of Ebisugaoka. The title marks a glorious comeback for the franchise, and I hope to enjoy more such masterpieces in the future.

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Silent Hill F

Our scorecard (Image via Sportskeeda)

Reviewed on: PC (Key provided by Konami)

Developer: NeoBards Entertainment Ltd.

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Release date: September 25, 2025