I played 5 hours of Silent Hill f: Finding beauty in Konami’s latest horror series

Note: This feature was first published on 4 August 2025.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when Konami invited HardwareZone and international media to their headquarters in Tokyo for a special preview of the latest title from its Silent Hill horror series, Silent Hill f. Konami has been pretty quiet after all, and even after the fantastic Silent Hill 2 remake last year, there was some cautious optimism. Silent Hill f is after all Konami’s first brand-new entry in over a decade, and a lot was riding on it – especially considering its curious decision to shift from the series’ American backdrop to a 1960s Japanese setting.

Funnily enough, Konami also dictated that we play the game in “Story mode” so that we get to experience as much of the game within the 5-hour time limit, and not get bogged down by in-game combat – which can be pretty nasty, as you’ll find out with me below.

5 hours of creeps

From the moment I set foot in the small town of Silent Hill f’s Ebisugaoka, I knew this wasn’t just another Silent Hill game. From the architecture, the fog, down to the crammed streets – it all felt eerily familiar, yet different enough to give me pause. Silent Hill f as its core is still Silent Hill, but it’s a Silent Hill that feels new. Then there’s the new protagonist, Hinako Shimizu, a high school student caught up in a nightmare of her own making and in a world where nothing is what it seems. She’s as un-hero as they come and I liked that about her.

Combat is instantly familiar to Silent Hill veterans. It’s still not flashy, not cinematic, but there’s something satisfying about having Hinako swing a pipe at a monster’s face. You’ll dodge, strike, and scramble for anything you can find – an old pipe, a piece of scrap metal. It’s messy. And that’s where Silent Hill f shines. There’s no unrealistic heroism here. Hinako doesn’t pull off graceful flips or expert counterattacks. In fact, Hinako’s downright vulnerable but her dodging and counterattack mechanics give combat a rhythm that makes each encounter feel dynamic, but it’s clear that you’re not meant to breeze through because it does take some practice to get the dodge timings right.

And then there’s the eerie beauty of the world. I know the Silent Hill series has always had its moments of visual dread, but there’s something about the 1960s setting in Japan that adds a layer of surrealism. The shrines, the flowers, the fog – oh boy it’s all haunting especially if you’re familiar with Japanese horror films, but there’s also a strange kind of allure. This notion of beauty in horror isn’t just a superficial theme; it’s something that I thought shapes the entire experience of Silent Hill f. As producer, Motoi Okamoto, shared during a Q&A: “Anything can be shown in a beautiful light, and that same thing can be reframed to feel unsettling or terrifying. When you’re able to perceive both sides at once, the beauty and the horror, that’s when you start to glimpse something deeper. That’s where the truth lies”.

Okamoto’s words about beauty and horror coexisting felt almost prophetic as I explored the unsettling landscapes of Ebisugaoka. Ebisugaoka is hauntingly beautiful but in the quiet, there’s something obviously wrong with the town, something that slowly unravels as you delve deeper into the nightmare. The developers’ goal was to make sure the horror felt natural, not forced. And from what I’ve experienced so far, it’s clear they succeeded

There’s also the complexity of the characters and their relationships that adds another layer to this theme. Hinako’s interactions with her classmates are at the heart of the game’s emotional tension. These characters are written with depth, and their connections to Hinako make her journey feel even more personal. As you explore, you start to understand more about Hinako’s fractured family life and the isolation she feels. Her relationship with her abusive father, her timid mother, and her estranged sister are all revealed in small, subtle ways. These personal struggles, combined with the external horrors, create a sense of unease that permeates the entire game.

As much as the game’s environments and narrative carry this theme of beauty in horror, the puzzles are just as integral to the experience by dishing out the Silent Hill f’s deeper themes. One puzzle, for instance, involves Hinako interacting with a shrine where she has to align markings on sculptures in a specific order. It’s a challenge that requires patience and observation, but the deeper meaning comes from the setting itself. The shrine is a place of beauty and ritual, but within that beauty lies the challenge, the horror, and the mystery. It’s this kind of puzzle, by being an extension of the world itself, that makes Silent Hill f feel different from other horror games.

Jump scares are still here

Of course, Silent Hill f doesn’t shy away from its trademark horrors. Yes, there are textbook jump scares, and the monsters are as grotesque and nightmarish as ever. The scarecrow puzzle, in particular, have you navigate a rice field filled with monsters disguised as classmates. It’s a tense moment, as picking the wrong scarecrow will inadvertently trigger a chase that leaves you scrambling for survival. These moments, though horrifying, are rooted in the game’s cultural setting. The use of Japanese folklore and symbolism adds an extra layer of meaning to the monsters you encounter. Fox imagery, for example, plays a key role in the game’s narrative, symbolising the blurring of boundaries between beauty and terror.

But it’s the atmosphere that really sells Silent Hill f. The fog, the eerie beauty of the Japanese setting, and the lingering sense of dread all come together to create a game that’s both beautiful and horrifying in equal measure. What I can say is that it’s a Silent Hill game that isn’t afraid to take risks, to push the boundaries of what we expect from the series. And while I know the game might alienate some long-time fans, for those willing to give it a chance, Silent Hill f feels like the next step in the evolution of the franchise – one that doesn’t just lean on nostalgia but instead tries to bring something new to the table. I’m looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

Silent Hill f will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game will launch on 25 September, 2025.