Silent Hill f didn't simply give us an excellent SH sport within the yr of our lord 2025, however it provided up among the best within the collection
Private Decide
Along with our primary Sport of the Yr Awards 2025, every member of the PC Gamer group is shining a highlight on a sport they liked this yr. We’ll submit new private picks every day all through the remainder of the month. You will discover all of them right here.
I attempt to by no means get my hopes too excessive earlier than a sport launch. I do know which will appear odd, seeing how enthusiastic I’m about all issues on a regular basis, however. I’ve burnt myself earlier than on the flame of anticipation, and I swore by no means to do it once more., Wwell, type of, as a result of even I could not conceal my pleasure for Silent Hill f.
I had performed Silent Hill 2’s remake the yr earlier than, and whereas it was good to be in a higher-res model of the foggy mountain city, it did not quench my thirst for a brand new Silent Hill expertise. I would seen all of it earlier than. I wished new horrors, a brand new twisty story, and a brand new protagonist to information by means of the chaos. But when I had identified then what I do know now, I would not have been so fast to dismiss the way forward for Silent Hill—the expertise I craved was simply on the horizon.
Silent Hill f does not repeat outdated traits with a brand new protagonist—it one way or the other manages to reimagine its method, bringing it in control with trendy narratives whereas additionally being distinctly Silent Hill. Undecided what meaning? Effectively, an integral theme of Silent Hill has at all times been erotic subtext, whether or not that be James Sunderland’s repressed need or the concern of being pregnant haunting Heather Mason’s each step.
Each Heather and James’ tales are nonetheless very attention-grabbing to play at present, however they’re additionally fairly dated. So as an alternative of the devs foregoing this theme totally, the NeoBards determined to take a distinct method.
There may be nonetheless loads of erotic subtext in Silent Hill f, what with the themes of womanhood, marriage, and all of the bare feminine mannequins hiding behind each nook, however it’s a lot much less predatory. The character of Hinako Shimizu is much deeper and extra attention-grabbing than her fears of changing into her mom.
Top-of-the-line surprises of 2025 was simply how a lot I liked Hinako. I ought to’ve identified, actually, among the best horror writers of our era, Ryukishi07, was the primary author chargeable for not solely creating Hinako’s persona however fleshing it out with a worthy narrative.
It is easy to write down Hinako off initially as some easy teenager apprehensive in regards to the stereotypical stressors of a 17-year-old woman: a nasty relationship together with her dad and mom, predominantly her father, and navigating the awkward rigidity of adolescent emotions. However you in a short time there’s much more in retailer for her.
Over the course of the a number of endings in Silent Hill f, you be taught increasingly in regards to the complexities of Hinako’s character, who she liked and loves now, what she values, what her fears are, had been, and will probably be. It is an completely unbelievable coming-of-age story from the feminine perspective.
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However except for the intellectual narrative, Silent Hill f can be only a hell of loads of enjoyable—I had virtually forgotten simply how nice it’s to crack some foggy monster’s cranium in with a metallic pipe.
Not everybody was a fan of the brand new heightened fight in Silent Hill f, however as you’ll be able to in all probability inform, I used to be. However that was solely as soon as I found out the way to choose my battles. I’ve already rambled on about how the fight is not truly tough—you simply must know when you need to battle and when you need to run away, however it warrants repeating.
By my second run by means of, I used to be dipping and diving out and in of rooms, dodging incoming assaults prefer it was nothing, and cracking skulls wherever I might—it was superb. However the enjoyable fight did not make Silent Hill f any much less eerie. Travelling by means of the quiet forest, deserted cities, and darkish hallways was fairly tense and had me at my wits’ finish for lots of it, which is precisely what I signed up for when taking part in a Silent Hill sport, so extra of that, please.
Even with all my pleasure, I did not assume I would love Silent Hill f as a lot as I did, and that is a blessing. As a longtime fan of Silent Hill and as somebody who simply massively appreciates how a lot it is performed for horror over the previous couple of many years, seeing Konami not solely revitalise this collection however handle to do it higher than I might ever hope for is unbelievable. And in case you’re nonetheless not satisfied, go try my Silent Hill f evaluation. I have been singing Silent Hill f’s praises because it got here out, and I will proceed to take action for a really very long time to come back.