After a protracted stretch of dormancy, the Silent Hill franchise is making a daring look on the present technology of gaming platforms. Silent Hill f might need attracted a little bit of concern concerning the extra action-focused gameplay loop Konami and Neobards are bringing to the desk this time round. However in case you’ve been following our protection of the sport, it’s essential to know that we imagine it’s a daring determination that might end up effectively for the collaborating studios.
However a brand new fight system isn’t the one issue that fuels our enthusiasm for the sport. There’s so much to be enthusiastic about in Silent Hill f, and I might say that the franchise should try to chart a course into beforehand unexplored waters, being as courageous as its protagonists in its try to current a contemporary tackle a well-established system.
I imagine Konami’s newest effort goes to be amongst 2025’s biggest hits, a sentiment that was born from each early previews of the sport at Gamescom 2025, and my data of the franchise’s previous titles. So what’s received me so stoked to dive into the adventures of Hinako, the franchise’s new teenage protagonist, and made me droop my disbelief {that a} woman with no fight coaching is ready to pull off some very cool strikes within the warmth of battle?
That’s what we’re right here to debate. Let’s dive in!
Transferring Away From Silent Hill
Whereas the brand new setting of Ebisugoaka might need appeared counter-productive to a franchise trying to discover its means again to the highlight while attracting a brand new technology of avid gamers who might not have had an opportunity to be taught what made it particular within the first place. Nonetheless, I’d argue that it’s exactly that change that’s going to make Silent Hill f be interesting in a yr that has already seen a number of excellent titles.
Konami’s determination to make use of Japanese mythology as its supply materials in a sport that goals to sort out a turbulent time interval of the nation’s historical past is a superb transfer. Not solely does it permit the studio to convey wonderful visuals and really artistic enemy designs to the desk, however it additionally builds the scope for a story that stays true to Silent Hill traditions.
Hinako rebelling towards societal expectations, an extension of a troubled relationship with an abusive father, is the right car for all her internal battle to present itself in methods that may present attention-grabbing twists to the gameplay loop on supply whereas additionally being narratively important sufficient to be riveting.
Together with the Spirit Realm is one other nice alternative. Having her confront her worst fears in an alternate dimension is form of a franchise trademark with a really attention-grabbing – and related – twist. It may be the right staging floor for Hinako to confront her personal assumptions, fears, insecurities, and different facets of her persona that might very effectively form the girl she is about to develop into, if she survives her time in Ebisugaoka that’s.
It’s clear that Konami and NeoBards have been fairly deliberate of their method to constructing the world that Hinako explores, and the threats that she is bound to face down with us guiding her alongside her journey.
A Struggle for Sanity
We already touched upon how just a few early previewers had been involved that the brand new fight system on supply could possibly be a little bit of a crimson flag. Nonetheless, I’d prefer to differ and argue that NeoBards is a studio with a good bit of expertise in designing stable fight programs.
With Konami at its aspect, that have is bound to be fairly a bonus, permitting the 2 studios to construct an action-focused gameplay loop that feels true to the franchise’s traditions whereas additionally managing to take it in a extra bold new route. I’d personally favor an action-oriented method when it’s framed effectively inside a sport’s narrative context.
To that finish, Hinako’s rebellious nature is the right framework to suit her moveset inside, making her a protagonist who refuses to let her terror overwhelm her with out no less than making an attempt to grasp it first. Nonetheless, the sport’s survival horror mechanics are certain to make even essentially the most expert gamers use their brains over brawn for essentially the most half, an element that’s exacerbated by mechanics just like the Focus and Sanity meters.
It’s clear that blind aggression and button-mashing will not be going to get you very far in Silent Hill f, and I, for one, am thrilled at the opportunity of having a fight system value its salt in a franchise the place that specific facet has usually taken a backseat to its introspective spectacle.
However how do an incredible fight system and a brand new location come collectively in a means that makes Silent Hill f as interesting to me as it’s? I’m delighted to elucidate!
The Roots of Greatness
We’ve received to consider what has made Silent Hill a mainstay in trendy gaming’s survival horror style within the first place. It’s a franchise that brings out the most effective – and the worst – in its protagonists, forcing them to look inward whilst they try to make sense of a world that has gone horribly mistaken.
Ebisugaoka is an effective way to make Hinako study her personal assumptions, and maybe even confront her trauma in a means which will depart her scarred and battle weary, but additionally braver for it. Given the franchise’s penchant for analyzing related social points within the time durations that it’s set, the selection of a younger feminine protagonist is already a callback to a different one of many franchise’s hits.
Silent Hill: The Brief Message might have been criticized for its fight system (or lack thereof) and an ending that was maybe not what it may have been. Nevertheless it’s examination of how a teenager’s friends could possibly be a supply of nice trauma can’t be understated. It’s the form of complicated examination of a theme that different franchises might not wish to contact that units aside Silent Hill video games from their friends.
The choice to have Hinako confronting the consequences of society and an grownup with important ties to her well-being is a superb riff off Brief Message’s theme, permitting the franchise to go massive whereas bringing its previous work full circle. And provided that this one’s a current-gen title, I can’t assist however really feel that there’s going to be so much to unpack as soon as it hits the cabinets and I handle to roll the credit on Hinako’s journey. It could possibly be fairly hard-hitting for a youthful viewers who’ve maybe lived via related experiences and supported buddies on their very own paths.
The shift from analyzing the consequences of 1’s friends on their psychological state to taking a look at how the world at giant influences them, particularly of their adolescence, is certain to convey plenty of complicated narrative beats that I’m certain are going to hit very laborious, and hopefully very quick. Or maybe a slow-burning narrative is one the playing cards. We’ll have to attend and see. EIther means, it’s a logical extension of Konami’s previous work, and a car for the studio to tackle a extra bold method in its upcoming title.
Some Last Ideas
Other than the entire elements I mentioned above, I’m additionally fairly intrigued by the sport’s enemy designs. They’re horrifying and morbidly fascinating, presenting distinctive takes on their inspirations in a means that screams Silent Hill. I’m certain they’re going to have me producing just a few screams and frightened yelps of my very own as they arrive at me with the entire nastiness that they’ll muster.
In fact, we all know that Hinako isn’t alone on her journey. Her friends might not have had sufficient time to shine within the highlight of early previews however are certain to be necessary elements of the story nonetheless. And naturally, the person within the Fox Masks has me fairly intrigued about his position within the story.
Talking of the story, I’m fascinated about Hinako’s potential story arc within the sport. Is she going to rise from timid teenager to a legit badass in her personal proper? Is she going to return out of her journey scarred for all times or world weary but smart after she faces down her demons? Is she going to finish up on a UFO in some capability? May she develop into her personal worst enemy if we, the gamers, make the mistaken decisions over the course of her journey?
I can’t wait to seek out out the solutions to all of those questions and extra when the sport lastly hits the cabinets. And contemplating all of the constructive reactions to that Gamescom preview, I imagine that like its protagonist, Silent Hill f is daring, and unafraid of defying traditions. It blends thrilling new additions with the franchise’s greatest strengths and for that, I’m delighted!
Observe: The views expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially symbolize the views of, and shouldn’t be attributed to, GamingBolt as a corporation.
