Silent Hill F Review: Beauty in Horror

Silent Hill F is an excellent survival-horror game, albeit with some major flaws. We will explain it all in detail in our review.

One of the biggest worries for me and other Silent Hill fans with the announcement of Silent Hill F was, well, its setting. However, let me assure you, despite being set in a completely different location, Silent Hill F feels authentic to the core Silent Hill experience. Think of this game like a side story that shares the same themes as the mainline Silent Hill games, a la Silent Hill 2. While I do have my fair share of complaints when it comes to the moment-to-moment gameplay, I cannot fault the game’s storytelling and setting.

It might not surpass the all-time greats like Silent Hill 2 or even Silent Hill 3, but Silent Hill F certainly comes close. Silent Hill F is a flawed yet deeply engaging experience that perfectly captures the theme of “beauty in horror.” With all that preamble aside, let’s dive into the review.

Silent Hill F: Survival-Horror At Its Best and Most Beautiful

Silent Hill F, on the surface, is very similar to any traditional horror game. You have your underpowered protagonist, lack of resources, grotesque enemies, and plenty of confusing and downright creepy interactions with other characters. However, the similarities end just right there. Much like Silent Hill 2 Remake, Silent Hill F emphasises the psychological elements of horror, instead of just “survival.” And much like its predecessors, Silent Hill F features a very unsettling story, which doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult subjects.

I won’t say it hits the landing as gracefully as Silent Hill 2 or Amnesia, but it certainly comes quite close. Essentially, if you’re looking for a good psychological horror to sink your teeth into, you won’t be disappointed by Silent Hill F. The story takes a while to get going. However, once it picks up pace, it seldom lets up. From the very beginning, the game creates an unease, a sense of constant dread within you. Even when you know you’re safe, you can’t help but look over your shoulder.

This is the kind of feeling that I look for in a horror game, and Silent Hill F fully delivers on that front. While the story here isn’t perfect, it does feel very much like Silent Hill, for better or for worse. It’s horror at its best, and well, most beautiful. The game somehow manages to make the grotesque environments of Ebisugaoka look both terrifying and beautiful.

Visuals and Presentation

Silent Hill F is easily the most graphically impressive horror game that I’ve ever played, period. Similar to Silent Hill 2 Remake, this game uses Unreal Engine 5. And while we’ve seen plenty of UE5 games over the last few years, nothing comes close to Silent Hill F when it comes to sheer visual fidelity. The game seamlessly blends photorealism with otherworldly mysticism, courtesy of the art style. The game uses its visuals to not only deliver an immersive horror experience but also offer a stark contrast between light and dark.

Also, I should mention the impeccable implementation of HDR, which is seldom done justice in UE5 games. If you’re using an HDR-capable display, you’re in for a treat. I also really like how dark the game can get, which was something I liked a lot in Silent Hill 2 Remake. Additionally, much like Silent Hill 2 Remake, Silent Hill F makes great use of volumetrics. Fog covers the streets of Ebisugaoka in a way that feels both natural and unsettling at the same time.

As for the game’s soundtrack, it’s flawless, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering it’s composed by Akira Yamaoka. Much like his work in Silent Hill 2 and other mainline Silent Hill games, Yamaoka-san has crafted an exceptional OST for the latest title. There were times when the game left me in tears, all thanks to Yamaoka-san’s music, and of course, the game’s cinematography. Overall, I’m super impressed by Silent Hill F’s presentation, much like I was impressed by Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake.

Story and Themes

I will be keeping this section short to avoid spoiling any major story details. However, at the same time, the story is also the most crucial aspect of Silent Hill F, which left me with a host of emotions and thoughts. The story starts like any other traditional horror story. However, it eventually delves into some very heavy subject matter, while retaining the themes that you come to expect from a Silent Hill experience. The game is set in 1960s Japan, in the town of Ebisugaoka, which looks very similar to Silent Hill with its labyrinthine alleys and empty streets.

There’s always an air of mystery and eeriness within every character interaction. I won’t go into spoilers, but there are plenty of moments right at the start of the story where certain characters will do or say something that completely contradicts the kind of persona they exude. The story always keeps you on the edge and wanting more. And by the time the credits have rolled, you’ll be left with more questions than answers. Also, much like the past Silent Hill games, there’s a ton of symbolism in Silent Hill F.

The game regularly tackles themes of loss, guilt, discrimination, bullying, and death. The story of Silent Hill F comes courtesy of Ryukishi07, the author of one of my favorite manga, Higurashi When They Cry. And if you’ve read Higurashi, you can expect a somewhat similar story, albeit within the confines of the Silent Hill universe. At times, the story does go a bit too far into the “otherworldly” territory. However, trust me, it will all make sense once you reach the story’s finale.

Combat and Progression

While I adored the game’s story and atmosphere, I can’t really say the same about the combat system. Although I like the implementation of a melee-only combat in a mainline Silent Hill game, I do think it could’ve benefited from a bit more refinement. For starters, the combat here feels way too clunky, which I think works for a horror game with limited combat scenarios. However, in Silent Hill F, there are moments where you’re boxed into mandatory combat encounters against multiple enemies.

This is where the game’s combat system completely gives up. I also don’t really like the “stamina” mechanic, and that’s coming from someone who lives and breathes souls-likes. Basically, the game employs a combat system that’s similar to modern action RPGs, complete with a dedicated stamina gauge. While the stamina management “mini-game” works quite well against bosses, it feels like an unnecessary burden when faced against multiple hostiles.

Add weapon durability to that, and you’ll have a combat mechanic that feels “overengineered” to a fault. That said, I do like the implementation of “Sanity” in combat. It doesn’t make up for the flaws of the combat system. However, the Sanity system does add a bit of depth to the game’s otherwise barebones melee combat. As for progression, it’s similar to past Silent Hill games. You can upgrade Hinako’s basic stats (HP, Stamina, Sanity, etc.) using Omamori Charms, but that’s about it.

Performance and PC Port Report

Silent Hill F is easily the best use of Unreal Engine 5 that I’ve seen since Clair Obscur Expedition 33. While the game does have a few frame rate issues, owing to traversal stutters, it’s nowhere near as egregious as most UE5 games on PC. What makes Silent Hill F even more impressive is the image quality. Unlike Silent Hill 2 Remake, there’s no shimmering or artifacting in Silent Hill F. Even at 1440p with DLSS Quality, the game looks incredibly sharp, which is a testament to Neobards’ optimization wizardry.

I tested the game out on two GPUs – RTX 4060 and 4070. And even with 4060’s limited VRAM, Silent Hill F ran like a dream. I didn’t even have to tweak the game’s settings all that much. And on the 4070, I was able to basically max out all the settings and stay well over 60fps. Suffice it to say, Silent Hill F is incredibly well-optimized, at least on PC. The only gripe I have with the PC port is the lackluster graphics settings. However, considering the game’s performance, that’s just a nitpick.

Is Silent Hill F A Silent Hill Game?

Absolutely. Silent Hill F is as much a Silent Hill game as Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill Downpour. It doesn’t have direct connections to the original Silent Hill. However, it’s still a Silent Hill game through and through. The structure of Silent Hill F is very similar to past Silent Hill games. In fact, it’s probably the best rendition of a traditional Silent Hill universe since the original Silent Hill Trilogy. The game has every key aspect that’s associated with a Silent Hill game- a haunting atmosphere, eerie character interactions, presence of an “otherworld,” and hints at an ancient cult pulling the strings.

However, I can also see why some fans might not consider Silent Hill F as a mainline Silent Hill title. The shift in setting and time period, mythology, and even the otherworldly forces behind the evil, all feel vastly different from what has come before. Silent Hill F feels more like a soft reboot of the franchise than a continuation of the existing mythos.

While that might be understandably disheartening to some players, I personally think that’s a step in the right direction for the franchise.

In Conclusion

Silent Hill F is easily the best the series has been in a long, long while. From its grotesque yet gorgeous visuals to the captivating storytelling, Silent Hill F delivers on everything that you expect from a traditional Silent Hill game. However, it doesn’t stop just there. For better or for worse, the game does try to set itself apart from its contemporaries. While the implementation of a melee combat system feels a tad half-baked, it does leave enough room for iteration and refinement with future installments.

All in all, Silent Hill F is an excellent horror game that doesn’t stray from tackling some of the harshest subject matters. And with Ryukishi07’s writing as well as Akira Yamaoka’s music backing it, Silent Hill F is an exceptional horror experience that fans won’t want to miss out on.

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