Silent Hill f had a lot to prove.
After 15 years without a new game in the acclaimed horror series and just a single remake in that time, it felt like the series was dead and buried. Silent Hill f not only proves that wrong, it might be the best game in the series to date.
Silent Hill f sees players stepping into the shoes of Hinako Shimizu, a high school girl in rural 1960s Japan who gets pulled into the thick, familiar fog of Silent Hill. Hinako's father is abusive, her mother is too submissive and lets the abuse happen, and her sister Junko, the only barrier between her and her parents, married and moved away. Her overbearing parents control every aspect of her life, and her only escape is in the comfort of her childhood friends.
When the fog rolls in, everyone except Hinako and her friends disappears, and in their place are grotesque, savage monsters hell-bent on destroying Hinako should she get too close.
It's these monsters that provide much of Silent Hill f's tension. Monsters are skilfully placed around the map in key locations, and the game revels in putting them where you don't expect them to be. Any corner turned could be met with a monster, but it's when you turn a corner, see nothing, and then turn around to find a monster rushing from behind you that you really start to appreciate the horror experience developer Neobards has crafted here.
It all takes place in a town custom-built to put you on the edge of your seat, too. A mix of dense residential streets and open, winding farmland makes for a labyrinth, and a thick fog covering most of the town means you can rarely see beyond a few feet ahead of you. While you do have a map to help you navigate, most navigation comes down to trusting your gut and hoping it doesn't lead you into danger.
When you do get into danger, you have two options: run or fight. Combat is serviceable enough, with just enough friction to keep you on your toes without getting too frustrating, but it's not always the best option. All of your weapons can break after continued use, and if you choose to stand your ground every time you see a monster, you'll run out of weapons long before you find replacements. Running means preserving previous resources, but the monster will still be there, waiting when you pass back through.
Where Silent Hill f really shines is in its storytelling. The story, written by veteran Japanese horror writer Ryukishi07, is absolutely chilling, exploring themes of femininity, changing identity, and self-preservation in the face of circumstances outside of Hinako's control. It's dark and depressing, with moments of gory disgust and oppressive hopelessness scattered throughout -- but Hinako isn't a pushover, and she fights back with everything she's got. It's expertly told, and the perfect story for a horror game and for Silent Hill.
Its puzzles, both environmental and focused, are fantastic too, with some very clever solutions that will have you using every last brain cell to figure them out. Almost none of them are overly difficult or obtuse, and if you stop to calm down and think about it you can usually get through them pretty quickly, but they add to the experience and rival or even surpass some of the series' best and most iconic puzzles.
Silent Hill f is a phenomenal comeback for a series that was left on ice for far too long. It has everything a longtime fan could ever ask for in a new Silent Hill game, while also being a perfect jumping in point for players new to the series. With any luck, it will be the first of many new Silent Hill games that keep the series' name held in high regard.