SILENT HILL f

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SILENT HILL f is a single player action game. It was developed by NeoBards Entertainment Ltd. and was released on September 24, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

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Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 12,638 reviews

story2.7k positive mentions

grinding378 negative mentions

The story is deeply emotional and complex, exploring themes of identity, trauma, and societal pressure with strong character development, especially of the protagonist, Hinako.
The game offers a haunting and immersive atmosphere with stunning visuals and a rich 1960s Japanese setting, supported by an evocative soundtrack that enhances the psychological horror experience.
Replayability is a major highlight, with multiple endings and new game plus content that gradually unveil the full narrative and deepen player engagement.

The gameplay, particularly combat, is often criticized as repetitive, clunky, and frustrating, which disrupts pacing and immersion during multiple required playthroughs.
The storyline requires multiple (up to four) playthroughs to fully understand, which some find tedious due to minimal gameplay variation and progression.
Optimization issues such as stuttering, frame drops, glitches, and crashes affect many players, detracting from the overall experience despite some reports of smooth performance.

story
8,256 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
63%
5%
The story is widely praised for its depth, emotional impact, and rich exploration of themes such as identity, societal pressure, and trauma, particularly focused on a young woman's struggles in 1960s Japan. However, the narrative is complex and intentionally gradual, requiring multiple playthroughs—often three to four—to fully piece together the complete plot and experience all endings, which some find tedious. Despite some pacing issues and convoluted elements, the storytelling, atmosphere, and character development stand out as the game's strongest aspects, rewarding players who engage deeply with its layered and symbolic narrative.
- “The story is very well structured, narratively it's definitely on par with the classics, and while you have to replay the game to know the full story, each subsequent playthrough progressively unveils more and more details that keep you engaged with the story, and some sections are shortened to keep up the pace.”
- “Silent Hill F’s story is like a giant onion being peeled back layer by layer with every document, note and ending you get. The story itself is a fog that clears at journey's end. The game actually gives you more reason to play it multiple times, the unraveling of the story and the progression. The storytelling is excellent as well.”
- “Absolutely engaging, phenomenal, different yet loyal to the Silent Hill's disturbing, atmospheric and poignant storytelling. Great storytelling and impressive NG+ experience. The story and characters are very compelling and well written. Putting the pieces together as you go feels so well done.”
- “The story is unnecessarily convoluted and forces you to beat the game not 1 or 2 times, but up to 4 times to see the true ending, with barely any changes in the progression other than a few minor details and the final bosses.”
- “The plot is poorly presented and you have to beat the game 4 times to discover and understand everything.”
- “Unlocking the 'true' ending and fully understanding the story requires 4 playthroughs... no thanks!”
gameplay
2,466 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
66%
14%
The gameplay in Silent Hill F is highly divisive, blending survival horror exploration and puzzles with action-oriented, souls-like combat mechanics including stamina management, dodging, counterattacks, and weapon durability. While some find the combat challenging, innovative, and thematically integrated, many criticize it as clunky, repetitive, frustrating, and undermining the series’ traditional tense atmosphere, especially given frequent mandatory combat encounters and waves of similar enemies. Multiple playthroughs are required to access all story content, but the largely unchanged and tedious gameplay loop diminishes the overall experience for many players.
- “The gameplay mixes exploration and tense encounters with disturbing creatures, supported by beautiful graphics and detailed environments.”
- “The combat is fun and accessible, with satisfying dodge and parry mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is very solid, the puzzles are engaging, and the atmosphere is unforgettable.”
- “On top of that, all weapons are melee and they degrade over time, which is just a mechanic designed to piss you off.”
- “The combat system and its mechanics are just not fun and way too many encounters with annoying, slow-moving, slog-fest enemies.”
- “Gameplay mainly consists of running very slowly through rooms, corridors, fields, etc., picking up notes and other collectables that don't help you understand anything better and solving one miserable puzzle after the other with lots of enemies (which are always the same) in between that are there just to make your process of solving those confusing puzzles or arriving at your desired location as long and tedious as possible.”
atmosphere
2,037 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The aspect "atmosphere" in this game is widely praised for its haunting, immersive, and richly detailed portrayal of a 1960s Japanese village, blending psychological horror with cultural folklore. Many highlight the oppressive fog, unsettling sound design, evocative music (notably by Akira Yamaoka), and art direction as creating a thick, eerie ambiance that captures the core Silent Hill vibe while feeling fresh and unique. Although some users note that frequent combat disrupts the tension and pacing, overall the atmosphere is considered the game's strongest and most compelling feature, successfully evoking dread and melancholy that lingers long after play.
- “Silent hill ƒ is an atmospheric, beautifully unsettling return to form — its atmosphere, storytelling, and visuals kept me captivated from start to end.”
- “The atmosphere is thick, oppressive, and genuinely creepy, creating a sense of dread and immersion throughout the game.”
- “The game’s atmosphere is its biggest strength — every location feels oppressive yet strangely beautiful, blending psychological horror with uniquely haunting 1960s Japan settings.”
- “The fog, as always, adds a mysterious and dark atmosphere, and the music feels deeply unsettling in the best way.”
- “The combat, resource management, and atmosphere all feel unmistakably silent hill, while the new location and cultural backdrop add a fresh layer of dread.”
- “The atmosphere often keeps you on edge, mostly because you’re expecting a jumpscare — an enemy popping out from around the corner or a sudden loud noise.”
graphics
1,796 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning, detailed, and atmospheric presentation that captures a haunting 1960s Japanese setting with rich cultural aesthetics, blending beautiful visuals with unsettling horror elements. While the art direction and overall visual design are considered some of the best in the series, the game suffers from occasional technical issues including stuttering, frame drops, and graphical glitches on certain hardware, as well as some limited graphics options. Nonetheless, the visuals consistently create a compelling and immersive atmosphere that significantly enhances the storytelling and psychological horror experience.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning, the plot is amazing the game drips with atmosphere.”
- “Right from the start, the game is just breathtaking, nearly every environment is so gorgeous and full of detail that i think i barely even ran during my first playthrough, i'd rather walk just to be able to take everything in, the art direction is a 10/10, and the graphics certainly help.”
- “The visuals are both gorgeous and disturbing, perfectly capturing that eerie elegance unique to japanese horror.”
- “It is disappointing that the graphics look kinda worse than the Silent Hill 2 remake.”
- “Constant stuttering and tearing, even with multiple tweaks and reductions in graphics quality just to try to get rid of the stuttering.”
- “This is my first Silent Hill game and the graphics are gorgeous, but I feel miserable every time I click play.”
music
1,323 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The music in Silent Hill f, predominantly composed by Akira Yamaoka alongside other contributors, is widely praised for its haunting, atmospheric quality that blends traditional Japanese instruments with the series' signature eerie soundscapes. While some find it less memorable or intense compared to earlier Silent Hill titles, many appreciate how it deeply enhances the game's unsettling ambiance and emotional storytelling. Overall, the soundtrack stands out as a major highlight, effectively contributing to the immersive, psychological horror experience despite occasional critiques of its sparing use or divergence from classic styles.
- “The soundtrack is a spectacle apart. Every track was selected with precision, and the ending credits theme is profoundly moving—I'd venture to say it's one of the best pieces of music I've ever encountered in a video game.”
- “Akira Yamaoka's involvement ensures that the music and soundscape remain faithful to Silent Hill's iconic identity — melancholic, oppressive, and emotionally haunting rather than loud or overwhelming.”
- “The music is a standout, blending eerie children's song melodies with traditional Japanese tones, perfectly amplifying the unsettling mood.”
- “The music might as well not be there at all.”
- “The music is unfortunately a big loss for me.”
- “The music was barely there so if you're looking for it don't expect it.”
optimization
1,097 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
51%
24%
Optimization for this Unreal Engine 5 title is highly mixed; while some players report surprisingly smooth and stable performance even on mid-range hardware, many experience frequent stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, particularly in later stages or specific areas. Though better optimized than similar UE5 games like the Silent Hill 2 remake, the game still suffers from inconsistent frame pacing and requires graphical tweaks or mods for a stable experience. Overall, performance issues detract from immersion and gameplay for some, but the optimization is notably above average for a AAA UE5 launch.
- “The game is also buttery smooth, having no optimization issues or engine-induced crashes whatsoever — a nice improvement over Silent Hill 2 Remake, which was all over the place.”
- “As an UE5 game, this is probably the best example of optimization I've seen.”
- “Performance-wise, I was really impressed.”
- “If wanting to play at 4k and your specs are similar to mine please use the 'performance' preset - this game is terribly optimized.”
- “Performance is unstable, with frequent frame drops, stuttering, and inconsistent responsiveness across most hardware configurations.”
- “Constant stuttering and tearing, even with multiple tweaks and reductions in graphics quality just to try to get rid of the stuttering.”
grinding
393 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
3%
96%
Users overwhelmingly describe the grinding in the game as tedious, repetitive, and frustrating, especially during the combat-heavy second half and multiple playthroughs required for all endings. Combat encounters are often seen as clunky, slow, and more annoying than challenging, disrupting pacing and immersion. While the story and atmosphere are praised, the grind-heavy gameplay detracts significantly from the overall experience.
- “Unlocking all endings was fun and not tedious.”
- “The survival aspect on hard wasn't too tedious.”
- “The gameplay is okay, the general loop is not too tedious and most of the puzzles are pretty good.”
- “In the end, gameplay for 90% consists of tedious fighting with 5 types of enemies for 15 hours, frequently getting defeated by them.”
- “Gameplay mainly consists of running very slowly through rooms, corridors, fields, etc., picking up notes and other collectibles that don't help you understand anything better at all, and solving one miserable puzzle after the other with lots of enemies (which are always the same) in between that are there just to make your process as long and tedious as possible.”
- “Nonstop forced combat with one of the most unfun and tedious combat systems I've ever used, against the same tanky enemies repeatedly, sprinkled in with sections where you have to sprint down a linear path only to be interrupted multiple times by camera shakes and your character dramatically clutching her head while everything comes to a standstill except enemies still attacking you.”
emotional
370 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
Silent Hill F delivers a deeply emotional and psychologically complex narrative that explores themes of trauma, identity, and societal pressure, often drawing comparisons to the emotional impact of classic series entries like Silent Hill 2. While many players found the protagonist Hinako's story heartbreakingly relatable and the layered symbolism and atmosphere profoundly affecting, some noted uneven pacing, a distracting parallel storyline, and combat mechanics that detracted from the emotional immersion. Overall, the game is praised for its haunting, melancholic tone, compelling character work, and a soundtrack that enhances its emotional depth, though it may require multiple playthroughs to fully grasp its intricate, emotionally charged story.
- “Hinako as a protagonist mirrors your own journey as a player to near-perfection in a way that is incredibly satisfying and emotionally resonant, because you are taken on exactly the same carefully constructed rollercoaster of story beats Hinako is, as new reveals and information pile up with each playthrough—each getting progressively faster and faster as both you and Hinako get closer and closer to the full understanding of her own psychological world.”
- “The cutscenes with Hinako's mother and the partial closure on the conflict between them made me cry several times.”
- “The narrative is bleak, symbolic, and emotionally heavy, pulling you into a world where horror feels personal and inescapable.”
- “Super boring story, with obvious symbolism that beats you over the head.”
- “You have to play the same boring story multiple times to see the true ending.”
- “Utter disappointment - short, boring story and characters, clunky melee combat, considering its full price - it's just not worth it at all.”
replayability
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The game offers strong replayability primarily through its multiple endings, new game plus (NG+) content, and varying cutscenes that deepen story understanding with each playthrough. However, some players find the necessity to replay multiple times to access the full narrative can feel tedious, especially due to repetitive combat segments. Overall, replay value is a major highlight, appreciated by fans who enjoy uncovering all story elements and endings, though it may not appeal to those deterred by forced multiple runs.
- “Replayability is excellent, with multiple endings that are essential to fully understanding the story, not just extra scenes, but boss battles totally different.”
- “With multiple endings and many documents only attainable on replays, the game does offer a solid replay value, especially if you are looking for story clarity.”
- “The full story is unlocked the more you play through the game because it starts to open up more in New Game Plus to tell the full story so replayability is very high.”
- “As I said, the game is great but replayability is too poor to encourage players to reach the final stop.”
- “Another one in the garbage because devs decided to listen to streamers and nerf the game to ground, I understand adding an easy mode for casuals but ruining the game even in 'hardest' difficulties for those that still enjoy challenge is criminal, you completely destroyed all the replayability potential.”
- “Because the game has 5 endings, the meme UFO dog ending and 4 main endings, the first main ending is the one everyone gets as you need NG+ for the other 3 main endings, so you need to beat the game 4 times total in order to get the full picture of the story as it is convoluted and you learn more by replaying the game as it expands the story, and I think that is just a cheap way to add replayability, forcing you to play it 4 times to see the full story is not gucci.”
stability
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
1%
77%
The game generally runs well on most PC hardware and is remarkably optimized for a UE5 title, delivering solid FPS and smooth performance in many cases. However, users commonly report numerous graphical glitches, stutters, and occasional crashes, especially in specific areas or during cutscenes, with some experiencing severe visual bugs that impact gameplay. While many find these issues manageable or minor, the persistence and frequency of bugs and glitches have been a notable source of frustration and detract from the overall experience.
- “The game runs great for me; I'm playing on a low-end PC and can still play at max settings without a single stutter.”
- “Runs great, no stutters anywhere.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck and is well optimized for PC.”
- “The experience felt surprisingly buggy at times, even though I’m running a decent PC and can easily handle much larger, more demanding games on ultra/UHD settings.”
- “My biggest complaint about this game is the amount of glitches and FPS drops I would get.”
- “I have had to quit the game multiple times through my three playthroughs because of visual glitches that have made me physically ill, and every single person I've talked to hasn't been able to finish the game without some sort of softlocking or game-breaking bug.”
character development
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The character development in the game receives mixed feedback: while many praise the strong, detailed character designs and Hinako's compelling transformation, others find the narrative and character growth lacking, especially outside of replay-dependent content. The storytelling relies heavily on environmental clues and journal entries, which some players feel dilutes emotional engagement and character depth. Overall, the visuals and design stand out, but the depth and delivery of character development divide opinions.
- “The environments were eerie and had me anxious, and the character development of Hinako was really well put together and great to experience.”
- “The character development is just incredible how Hinako goes from a normal school girl to being a psychotic weapon.”
- “Along with this, collectibles in the form of letters and notes, or radio broadcasts that form the glue which binds the overall story together, responsible for major character development and provides much needed context into the game's on and off-screen events, are scattered around the game world.”
- “There is no character development to speak of, and most of what we learn about the characters is through journal entries made by the protagonist, rather than through their interactions in-game.”
- “I must admit I did not understand anything about the story in my first playthrough and also didn't feel anything for the characters as there is basically no character development or explanation on what's going on.”
- “Most of its nuance is delivered through such imagery as "blackboard with the word 'liar' written on it 100 times in red chalk," or "doll with nails in it, that bleeds," quite a bit of "photograph with the eyes scratched out," or the especially grating "hallway full of pills, which are symbolic of the fact that your character takes pills." This all wore me down in equal part with the lack of characterization we receive from everybody involved in the plot for the first 8 hours of the game, the lack of motivation other than the alternating hud objectives of "look around" or "fight monsters then look around." When we do get character development, it's the surprise reveal that, oh my god, the monsters we were killing were actually real people!”
humor
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is a mix of intentional and unintentional moments, ranging from genuinely funny character quirks, quirky combat mechanics, and humorous bugs to laughably bad writing and tonal inconsistencies that some players found amusing. While some appreciate the comedic relief amid horror elements, others view the humor as detracting or out of place, often describing it as goofy, absurd, or unintentionally funny. Overall, humor contributes to a divisive but memorable experience, blending awkwardness, satire, and occasional charm.
- “To put it bluntly, Silent Hill F tricks you into thinking it's a tragic, gruesome story by having some nonsensical, hilarious shock scenes around the mid-end game.”
- “As expected from a Silent Hill game, you’ll need to finish it multiple times to unlock all the available endings — including a humorous UFO ending where you can even get a lightsaber.”
- “At the end, it was so ridiculous it made me laugh.”
- “So let's pull the bad teeth first, this is one of the most unfunny, offensively badly designed action games I've played in years.”
monetization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users widely criticize the monetization of the game as a blatant cash grab exploiting the Silent Hill 2 remake's success, with many feeling it lacks genuine effort and relies heavily on the franchise name to boost sales. The sense of being cheaply produced and marketed detracts from its value, making it recommended only on sale and with low expectations.
- “This is some cheap cash grab off of the back of the Silent Hill 2 remake (which is genuinely good and worth it).”
- “This feels like a lazy cash grab by someone in corporate at Konami just slapping the name on an original game hoping to improve sales.”
- “Every second of this game has me questioning what the devs were smoking during development, and I've been struggling to see this as anything more than a blatant cash grab.”