Introduction

One of my absolute favorite horror franchises is, without a doubt, Silent Hill. Despite some… questionable games here and there—I’m looking at you, Silent Hill: Book of Memories—the series has delivered some of the best horror and psychological horror experiences in any medium. Still, I can’t deny I’ve often wondered where the franchise can go aside from just making remakes. Yes, Silent Hill 2 was nearly perfect (read my review here), but the few games that deviated from the fog-filled town of Silent Hill have met with mixed or negative reception.

Silent Hill: The Short Message—which I enjoyed quite a bit—and Silent Hill: Homecoming—which is set near Silent Hill but not inside it—are both examples of this divide. That brings me to Silent Hill F, which is set the farthest away from Silent Hill yet, in a fictional Japanese town called Ebisugaoka. I’ve seen plenty of videos discussing Silent Hill F, and while some have me hyped, others have raised concerns. That’s why I find myself thinking… Silent Hill F may or may not be good for the franchise.

May Be Good: A Fresh Take

Silent Hill’s world has been explored to exhaustion at this point. Don’t get me wrong—there’s still plenty of lore to analyze, but die-hard fans like myself know every major location, enemy variant, and protagonist/antagonist in the series. While it’s nice to revisit them in newer titles, it’s starting to feel stale. Silent Hill F offers something completely new: a fresh location, new enemies, and a protagonist removed from the established lore. This could even open the door for a series of games set in Ebisugaoka, and that could be incredible.

May Not Be Good: This Isn’t Silent Hill

Here’s the thing—despite being okay with a new setting, history shows that this approach often doesn’t work well. With the exception of Silent Hill: The Short Message, most Silent Hill games set outside the town haven’t been well received. Even if the gameplay and story are decent, the iconic Silent Hill setting amplifies the horror experience. The fog-heavy streets, the unsettling familiarity of a small American town, and the story-driven reason for the town’s existence give the series its identity. Ebisugaoka might be spooky, as the trailers show, but it isn’t Silent Hill at the end of the day.

May Be Good: Combat Heavy

Silent Hill has a mixed history with combat. The first game had clunky combat that matched the protagonist’s lack of skill, while the Silent Hill 2 remake offered stronger but intentionally limited combat. Silent Hill F appears to feature a protagonist who’s far more capable in battle. Whether that’s due to story reasons or design choice, I’m not complaining—it’s nice to see a female protagonist who can handle herself, much like Heather from Silent Hill 3.

May Not Be Good: Combat Heavy…

Playing devil’s advocate, combat-heavy gameplay could undermine the horror entirely. Silent Hill is about fear, tension, and vulnerability. If I can dodge and stab enemies with ease, the fear factor diminishes. Yes, there might be jump scares and disturbing moments—especially with a story directed by Ryukishi07, known for Higurashi—but if the scares are limited to cutscenes, the core horror experience may suffer. I want a scary Silent Hill game, not one where I feel like an unstoppable warrior.

May Be Good: Strong Female Protagonist

Heather from Silent Hill 3 was the last female lead in a mainline Silent Hill title—excluding Born from a Wish from Silent Hill 2. That’s why I’m excited to see another strong female protagonist take center stage in Silent Hill F. Move over James, Harry, Alex, and Murphy—Shimizu Hinako is ready to face the horrors this series is known for.

May Not Be Good: Less Relatable World

One concern I have is that Silent Hill F seems to lean heavily into Japanese folklore-based horror. Traditionally, Silent Hill’s monsters and environments are twisted, nightmarish reflections of real-world objects and places—mannequins coming to life, sexualized nurses with disturbing features, and towns that look like they could exist in the U.S. This relatability made the horror hit harder. Folklore-based horror can be frightening, but it lacks the grounded, “this could really happen” factor that made the original games so unsettling. This shift in tone could alienate some fans.

Conclusion

When Silent Hill F launches on September 25th, I’ll be buying it on day one because I love the franchise. Many aspects intrigue me, and I think this could be a fantastic game. Will it match the brilliance of the Silent Hill 2 remake or past entries? That remains to be seen. I hope Silent Hill F takes the series in a bold new direction while staying true to what fans love—but the franchise’s history of weaker entries outside its iconic setting means there’s always a risk it could falter. I hope it doesn’t… and I think it shouldn’t.

ーAaron