Survival horror took a step onto chilling new floor when Silent Hill first emerged from the mists in 1999 on PlayStation. Since then, every return to the titular fictional American city has been hotly anticipated, resulting in this newest instalment which provides a eager new perspective to its bleeding edge. I bought to discover the fictional Japanese city of Ebisugaoka in the remaining model of Silent Hill f to find what’s new to the sequence, in addition to acquainted parts that followers will love.
Four ways Silent Hill f adjustments the sequence’ formula:
1. Fight is extra trendy
Intriguingly, there are a pair carryovers from the remake of Silent Hill 2, with a brand new spin. It pays to be strategic together with your gentle assaults (R1) and heavy assaults (R2), the latter able to a staggering counterattack in opposition to some enemies, letting you strike them with out threat. It feels responsive with out overpowering the vulnerability important to the style.
On the flip aspect, protagonist Hinako Shimizu is a bit more agile than your typical Silent Hill foremost. Time your press of the Circle button excellent and also you’ll activate an ideal dodge, replenishing Hinako’s stamina. Attacking and dodging saps stamina, making good dodges essential to grasp.
2. Uncommon Yokai will break your sanity…
Memorable monster design is essential to any horror story, and Silent Hill f delivers in blood-soaked spades. The place issues differ right here is the use of Japanese folklore and mythology to encourage a lot of its brutal antagonists. References to the slit-mouthed Kuchisake-onna spirits and tentacle god-beast Akkorokamui had been creepy sufficient, however there are a variety of enemies that warp the visuals of conventional Japanese dolls and figures, too.
Including extra nervousness to those scuttling monstrosities is Hinako’s sanity meter, which drains from psychological assaults, lowering your potential to make use of Hinako’s highly effective Focus strikes (charging with L2 then hitting R1 to execute) and ultimately consuming into her well being.
3. …However Religion helps restore it
Conserving inside the theme of therapeutic from psychological trauma, Religion is a mechanic which presents some hope for Hinako. Dotted round the intimidating setting are objects equivalent to drinks, snacks and desserts. Whereas they’ll assist restore well being or stamina, you can even convert them at hokora shrines for Religion, which you should utilize to assist get better sanity, and commerce for omamori trinkets which supply buffs equivalent to lowering an enemy’s line of sight. You’ll be able to even pray with clean ema tablets to extend most well being, sanity, stamina, or omamori slots.
4. Totally different themes and a contemporary perspective
Silent Hill f’s Nineteen Sixties Japan setting provides the sequence an opportunity to delve into societal and cultural expectations of gender roles, one thing mirrored in ever-present dolls each as artefacts and a part of its monsters, and the sophisticated and generally poisonous relationships between the characters.
This bleeds into the sequence’ examination of trauma, isolation and decay, however can also be current by Hinako’s journal, accessed by urgent the Up Directional Button, which particulars a few of the lore, characters and puzzle clues. Hinako’s descriptions change over time to replicate her expertise, which performs into the story each on a literal and meta degree.
Four ways Silent Hill f stays true to the sequence:
1. It seems to be and seems like Silent Hill ought to
It may be set in a distinct nation and time interval, however Silent Hill f stays as powerfully creepy as you’d count on. The minimal UI, muted color palette and atmospheric compositions (partly crafted by long-time sequence composer Akira Yamaoka) all make for a classically chilling expertise – together with these slim, claustrophobic, misty maze-like areas.
You’ll additionally really feel a slight heartbeat-like tremble from the DualSense wi-fi controller when Hinako runs or is near dying. Unsettling.
2. Regardless of its fight, this isn’t an motion sport
Like Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Downpour, your scarce weapons deteriorate over time, their situation handily referred to by their visible state and Hinako’s feedback, so evasion quite than fight typically presents higher possibilities of survival.
There have been occasions the place I used to be overwhelmed by simply two enemies, and there have been visible puzzles I needed to clear up whereas being stalked by brutish beasts in the darkish. That conventional survival horror vulnerability remains to be very a lot current.
3. An Otherworld awaits
Hinako’s hellish journey isn’t restricted to Ebisugaoka. Similar to many different Silent Hill video games, you’re transported to a mysterious Otherworld which acts as a darkish reflection of Hinako’s psyche. There, the puzzles take a extra legendary tone, equivalent to discovering and appropriately putting sacred objects, whereas my first monster encounter continued the conventional Silent Hill trait of not having a clearly seen face – on this case, a hollowed out, maggot-infested head cavity.
4. New Recreation Plus and a number of endings
No spoilers right here, however Silent Hill f options 5 totally different endings, unlocked by way of the New Recreation+ mode after first completion. And sure, a kind of endings options some traditional Silent Hill humour in it. If you recognize, you recognize.
Are you able to already really feel the worry? It’s not lengthy earlier than you’ll see the horrors of Ebisugaoka for your self when Silent Hill f claws its manner onto PS5 on September 25.