Quick verdict: Silent Hill f is the most beautiful horror game ever made and the best new Silent Hill in 13 years — with one big caveat: the combat is a swing that doesn't quite land. If you can forgive the fighting, the story, art, and music are worth every one of the ~12 hours.
Score: 8.5/10 — play it.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC · Price: $49.99 ($59.99 Deluxe) · Length: 10–14 hrs first run · 5 endings + NG+
Pros and Cons
What Is Silent Hill f?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The most beautiful horror game ever made | Melee combat is frustrating and shallow |
| Ryukishi07's story is a genuine masterpiece | Combat drags in the middle chapters |
| Akira Yamaoka's best score in 15 years | Some puzzles border on obscure |
| 1960s Japan is a stunning new setting | Tone swings between beautiful and brutal |
| 5 endings + NG+ with new scenes | Limited enemy variety |
Silent Hill f is the first brand-new mainline Silent Hill since 2012. It launched September 25, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Deluxe Edition early access September 23).
The key facts:
- Developer: NeoBards Entertainment (with Konami)
- Writer: Ryukishi07 — the creator of When They Cry, and yes, you can tell
- Composer: Akira Yamaoka — his best soundtrack in 15 years
- Setting: the mountain town of Ebisugaoka, 1960s Japan
- Protagonist: Hinako Shimizu, a high schooler whose ordinary life unravels into fog and monsters
- Tagline: "Find the Beauty in Terror" — and it means it literally
Story and Writing (Spoiler-Light)
Ryukishi07 does what Ryukishi07 does: he takes a familiar horror structure and makes the story the monster.
Hinako is a normal student in a normal town, until a chemical fog descends and the town starts showing her — and you — things that can't be real. The horror here isn't zombies or cults. It's grief, guilt, and the terrifying question of what's real.
The writing is the game's greatest strength. Where past Silent Hills delivered dread through environment, f delivers it through dialogue, notes, and choices that quietly change everything.
There are 5 endings, and New Game Plus adds new scenes and notes — the story genuinely isn't finished on a first run. Expect to want a second one.
Atmosphere, Art and Music
This is the game's superpower. Ebisugaoka is a 1960s Japanese mountain town rendered with an attention to detail that puts most AAA studios to shame: cherry blossoms, paper lanterns, wooden shrines, and then — the fog.
The "Otherworld" here is unlike anything in the series. Where old Silent Hills went rusty and industrial, f's otherworld is beautiful — flowers, light, and art that only slowly reveals how wrong it is. "Find the Beauty in Terror" is the game's thesis, and it earns it.
Akira Yamaoka's score is the best since Silent Hill 2. It's not just atmosphere — it's a character. One track in the first Otherworld section will stay with you for weeks.
Gameplay: Exploration, Puzzles, and the Combat Problem
Exploration is excellent. Ebisugaoka and its surrounding areas are dense, layered, and full of secrets — including the series' best use of optional side content in years.
Puzzles are classic Silent Hill: environmental, symbolic, occasionally cruel. There's a difficulty slider for puzzles and combat separately, and we recommend Story puzzles, Hard combat for a first run.
The problem is the combat. It's melee-focused and it's the weakest part of the game:
- Limited moveset: light attack, heavy attack, dodge
- Enemies stun-lock easily and crowd you
- Hitboxes feel inconsistent, especially on stairs
IGN called it "a big swing that doesn't quite land." GamesRadar said it's "more irritating than scary." Both are right. It's not broken — it's just not the game's point. Everything around the combat is.
Reception Roundup
| Outlet / Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic — PS5 | 86 (102 reviews) |
| Metacritic — PC | 85 |
| Metacritic — Xbox | 82 |
| OpenCritic | 88% recommend |
| IGN | 8/10 |
| Eurogamer | Recommended |
| NPR | Positive — "one of the best horror games in years" |
Commercially, it's the fastest-selling Silent Hill ever — 1 million copies in its first day, and over 2 million by April 2026.
Silent Hill f vs Silent Hill 2 Remake vs Townfall
Three games, three very different Silents:
- Silent Hill 2 Remake (2024) — the classic, rebuilt. Best psychological horror, best story structure.
- Silent Hill f (2025) — the artist. Most beautiful, most experimental, weakest combat.
- Silent Hill: Townfall (September 24, 2026) — the next chapter, and it's first-person. Everything we know is on this blog, including system requirements.
If you've only played one Silent Hill, f is a wildly different experience — but it's the best proof that the franchise is creatively alive again.
Should You Play It in 2026?
Yes, if: you like story-driven horror, you can forgive shallow combat, or you want the best-looking horror game on the market.
Maybe not, if: you're combat-first, or you bounced off puzzle-heavy horror.
Price check: $49.99 standard / $59.99 Deluxe, and it's been on sale several times since launch. At $40 or below it's an absolute steal.
FAQ
How long is Silent Hill f?
10–14 hours for a first playthrough (we took ~12). Five endings and NG+-exclusive scenes push completionists to 30–40 hours.
Is Silent Hill f connected to Silent Hill: Townfall?
Not directly — Townfall is a separate story in the same "new Silent Hill" wave. But f proves the franchise's creative direction Townfall is building on.
Is Silent Hill f scary?
Yes, but differently. It's dread and psychological horror, not jump scares — and its "beauty in terror" art direction is unlike anything else in the series.
Is Silent Hill f worth it in 2026?
At $49.99, yes — 2 million copies sold, 86 Metacritic, and it's still the best-looking horror game you can buy. On sale, it's a no-brainer.
What platforms is Silent Hill f on?
PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam). No Switch version.
Is Silent Hill f a remake?
No — it's a brand-new mainline entry, the first since 2012, with a new setting, new protagonist, and new developer (NeoBards).
Related Reading
- Silent Hill Townfall: Everything We Know — release date, editions, gameplay
- Silent Hill Townfall System Requirements — can your PC run it?
- The Best Horror Games of 2026: 15 That Actually Scared Us — where f sits this year
- The 15 Scariest Horror Games of All Time, Ranked
- Resident Evil Requiem Review — 2026's other horror heavyweight
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