Review Score
Silent Hill f Review
Silent Hill f is a triumphant, if imperfect, return to psychological horror. It delivers an unforgettable atmosphere, deeply cultural storytelling, and inventive fungi-fueled mechanics. Pacing stumbles and occasional combat stiffness prevent a higher score, but genre fans should absolutely plan a visit.
The Silent Hill f review begins with praise for its courage. Developer NeoBards embraces 1960s Japan, leaning into cultural folklore rather than recycling Western horror beats. Aya, the protagonist, anchors the narrative with vulnerability that evolves into steel. Twisted fungal imagery drips from every corridor, aided by Team Silent veterans returning to score and consult on sound design. The result is a game that feels reverent yet daring, capturing psychological horror through a generational lens.
Silent Hill f splits its 18-hour campaign across stealth, puzzle solving, and survival combat. The stealth scenarios shine thanks to dynamic patrols and anxiety-inducing audio cues tied directly into the DualSense. Combat is serviceable: melee swings still feel a bit weightless, but corrupting enemies with fungal darts adds tactical variety. PC players should configure the advanced settings described in our Steam optimization guide to lock consistent frame pacing.
The puzzle design is a major highlight. Shrine vault permutations and school switchboards deliver clever logic challenges with optional difficulties. We detail every solution inside the puzzle compendium, yet the in-game hint system respects player agency with escalating clues. Accessibility features like narration for glyphs and adjustable timers ensure inclusivity without sacrificing tension.
Story & Characters
Aya's journey explores generational guilt and the cost of preserving tradition. Supporting cast members—particularly priestess Hana and botanist Ren—offer nuanced perspectives rather than simple exposition dumps. The narrative pacing falters in Chapters 8 and 9 when lore dumps slow momentum, but the finale regains footing with branching endings documented in our ending guide.
Gameplay Systems
Mechanically, Silent Hill f marries resource scarcity with fungal abilities. Crafting alkali to manage corrosion remains central; running out mid-boss fight is terrifying. Weapons upgrade meaningfully through collectibles, encouraging thorough exploration. The new corruption mechanic plays double duty as both power and threat—lean into corruption for devastating attacks, but risk an alternative ending. We unpack the build possibilities in the gameplay deep dive.
Performance & Technical
On PS5, Silent Hill f supports Quality (4K/30) and Performance (1440p/60) modes. The latter is recommended, as volumetric fog still looks excellent while input latency stays low. The Steam version scales well, but shader compilation stutter persists unless you pre-cache as described in our PC guide. Load times clock under six seconds on SSDs, though texture pop-in appears in dense city streets.
Pros & Cons
- Pros: Haunting story, layered puzzles, stellar audio direction, accessible options, meaningful endings.
- Cons: Clunky melee animations, occasional pacing dips, PS5 haptic feedback too intense without tweaks, PC shader stutter.
Verdict
Silent Hill f earns its place alongside the series' greats. It is not as mind-bending as Silent Hill 2 nor as experimental as Shattered Memories, but it synthesizes their strengths into a modern package. Horror aficionados and lore hunters should buy immediately. Action-focused players may prefer to wait for a sale documented in our price tracker.