MeinMMO demon Cortyn has finally ventured into the horror world of Silent Hill f. An experience that should have been done much sooner.
My relationship with horror movies and games is quite ambivalent. On one hand, I love horror films with blood, creepy monsters, and disturbing terror. On the other hand, I am extremely susceptible to horror. When I am alone in my apartment and have just watched a really dark horror movie at night, I feel uneasy, check every room, or decide: “Now I have to stay awake until dawn.”
Maybe I have a small flaw because I watched some horror movies way too early as a child, which I later thought: I should have waited another 5 to 10 years.
But on the other hand, I like the unsettling feeling of uncertainty and am always thrilled when a medium like a game manages to evoke strong feelings – whether positive or negative.
I enjoy horror while also suffering from it. It’s a bit like overly spicy food. Somehow it’s wonderful, at least I tell myself that while my eyes water.
That’s exactly why, after many years, I finally dared to tackle the “Silent Hill” series. Firstly, because I never quite got around to it, and secondly, because I heard from many people that “Silent Hill f” on PlayStation 5 is a pretty good entry point into the franchise.
To make it short: Even though the year is still young, this has been my most intense gaming experience so far, giving me sleepless nights. This was not only due to the horror but also to the captivating story.
The story of Silent Hill f
Without spoiling too much, just the basic premise of the game: In Silent Hill f, you travel to Japan in the 1960s. You take on the role of the young woman Hinako, who is conversing with her family in her hometown and later wants to talk to all her friends again.
But during this seemingly casual conversation, fog rolls in, and one of Hinako’s friends is killed in a rather gruesome way: bloody blisters form all over her body, which then burst to make way for roots and vines that sprout from her body. From there, a network of reddish plants begins to spread throughout the village, forcing Hinako and her remaining friends to flee.
It quickly becomes clear that these plants are not the only things that have changed: Nearly all the other inhabitants of the village seem to have disappeared – instead, disgusting and disturbing monsters wander through the city.
In the role of Hinako, we try to reconnect with our friends while simultaneously solving the mystery of what has happened to the village. Oh yes – and “survival” is also a task. Just as a side note.
The fascination of helplessness
I have played quite a few stealth games. Whenever the goal is not to be detected, I find myself in quite a bit of tension.
At the beginning, this is also the case in Silent Hill f. Because with the first few monsters you encounter, you are simply at their mercy. Without any weapon, the only option is to dodge and flee.
I have seldom felt so “charged” as in the first hour of Silent Hill f. Even the first enemies, which later become “standard adversaries,” move in such grotesquely unnatural ways and appear so disturbing that my fingers practically clenched around the controller.
The feeling of panic and fear that I felt was simply real. I knew, of course, that I was playing a game – but the intensity of the first hour of gameplay is unique and completely captivated me.
The feeling of helplessness changes almost immediately once you have a weapon in hand. This often takes the horror out of games, and that was also the case in Silent Hill f. As soon as I could bash monsters with a metal pipe and defend myself, it wasn’t so bad anymore – at least I thought so.
But weapons in Silent Hill have a clear limit in terms of durability. After 4 or 5 beaten monsters, most weapons break and become unusable.
This creates a whole different kind of pressure. Because you know that you can beat every monster – but should you? Because weapons aren’t available on every corner, and who knows if you might suddenly be defenseless when the weapon breaks.
Therefore, you must continually weigh: Do I really want to engage in this fight? Or do I sneak around the monsters?
A similar problem arises with the various (partly absurd) puzzles. Because if you answer a puzzle “incorrectly,” there is often a small fight as a punishment. The more often you fail at a puzzle, the more the durability of your weapon suffers – a kind of countdown on attempts before you are simply at the mercy of the monsters.
Overall, I found the combat system on normal difficulty to be a bit too easy once you got the hang of it. Once you knew the attack patterns of the enemies, it was relatively simple to counter them correctly and to take them out almost immediately. It might be worth it to adjust the difficulty upward as the game progresses.
Monsters straight out of a nightmare
I especially have to praise the monster design in Silent Hill f. I want to be honest: Until now, I primarily knew Silent Hill from the “Pyramid Head” from memes or Dead by Daylight, and I found him not scary, but rather silly and funny. That’s why I had always regarded Silent Hill a bit dismissively – completely unfairly.
The monsters in this Silent Hill are all disgusting and disturbing. A few examples:
- Human dolls with distorted faces that move erratically and contort in ways that humans never could.
- Giant, female creatures that apparently consist of several pregnant women with countless bellies, all giving birth to new monsters every few seconds while screaming in agony and writhing across the floor.
- Childishly laughing piles of flesh that almost playfully hop towards us, while you realize their body consists of countless faces, all screaming in panic or almost lovingly chuckling as soon as they spot us.
What initially seems only disgusting and disturbing is, however, firmly part of the story. Each creature has meaning in the game world. Every single being has significance, which is connected to the story. This is even more true for the damned creepy boss enemies – but I would rather remain silent on these, as you experience them best yourself.
Little sounds that drive me insane
In parts of game journalism, there is a saying: “If you can’t praise anything else about a game, then praise the music and sound.” Honestly, I have always found that extremely silly, and since Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we all know how much music and sound can carry a game or make an already good game a worldwide hit.
It’s similar with Silent Hill f, which simply has fantastic sound design. Especially with a surround system (or a suitable headset), the atmosphere becomes so much more intense. You hear the tiniest sounds from various houses, quiet rustling in the grass behind you, or the soft, fleshy smacking of creatures lurking around the next corner. In addition, there’s a “static crackle” in the sound design whenever you risk being discovered by a monster – even when you haven’t even seen the creature itself.
This sound is also deceptive and gives a sense of false security. Because it can only be heard from monsters that are actively moving. When enemies are lying in wait and, for example, hiding around a corner, there is no sound – and you run straight into the next jump-scare. However, they never feel annoying, but usually cause things to escalate very quickly and you have to adjust your combat strategy in a flash.
A creepy story that is hard to grasp
I believe Silent Hill f was the first game I ever played where absolutely every found document, every newspaper article, and every letter was significant and important to understand the story or puzzles. Not a single lore item feels useless, and every letter contains one or more pieces of information that are important to fully grasp the plot.
I will also be honest: After the first playthrough, I was confused. The game didn’t give me enough answers to really understand everything. I had a rough idea of what most story points meant, and a revelation towards the end also made it clear that circumstances in the game could have quite a different meaning than I initially thought.
But then something became evident that is probably part of many “Silent Hill” games (at least that’s what I’ve been told): You have to play the game multiple times. Because after the first playthrough, it becomes quite clear that you could not have understood everything, and further playthroughs reveal new aspects, viewpoints, and details.
This doesn’t feel artificial or inflated at all, but rather cohesive and fitting. Cutscenes are different on the second playthrough, characters have new dialogues, and through your own actions, you can change some critical points that then cast new light on (seemingly) familiar content. Sometimes it’s just small details in sequences, like something in the background or a new sound – sometimes they are completely new cutscenes that strongly influence the ending.
By now, I have completed the fourth playthrough of the game and have experienced the story in full. Therefore, I conclude: Silent Hill f is nothing less than a masterpiece, and I finally understand why some have raved about this series for so long. The horror and creepiness are strong, but it is mainly the profound, emotional, and disturbing story that will stay with me for years to come.
Fans of traditional Japanese horror will get their fill here. This is also a game that can be enjoyed very well as a spectator – especially if the partner has a better knack for horror and you prefer to snuggle under a blanket and simply watch. Because the story already makes the experience worthwhile.
If you haven’t given horror games or specifically the “Silent Hill” series a chance yet, I can highly recommend Silent Hill f. It’s a dark, complex story with plenty of creepy revelations along the way and a combat system that rewards clever strategy while continually inducing panic. For me, it was the perfect entry into the series – and I can hardly wait for the release of the next installment, Silent Hill Townfall.
