[REVIEW] Silent Hill F

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Silent Hill F definitely gets a grade higher than an "F"

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So, like, that Silent Hill 2 remake last year? Totally a masterpiece, no doubt. But, let's be real, it was kinda a safe move, right? Just a spruced-up version of a classic. But Silent Hill F? Whoa. This one's way bolder, man. It's a whole new story in a totally new place, with a way more interesting main character than the usual sad dudes. Plus, they ditched the guns for a brutal melee-only system. Wild, right?

Honestly, even with the clumsy pipe-swinging combat that I just had to grit my teeth and get through, Silent Hill F is legit one of the best new games in the series since the PS2 days. For starters, it's the first one that's actually set in Japan, specifically this fictional village called Ebisugoka in the 1960s. And the setting is sick! Every little detail, from sloshing through muddy rice fields to chugging ramune soda, just gives it this amazing vibe. It's a super cool place to explore, for real.

The main character, Hinako Shimitsu, is also a huge plus. She’s a high school student and basically the black sheep of her family, with some seriously messed-up stuff going on at home. So, you know how in Silent Hill, your psychological scars become actual monsters? Yeah, that happens to her, and it forces her to get tough and fight back instead of just being a damsel in distress. The story dives into some heavy stuff—like abuse and gender discrimination—which is crazy deep. It’s a super compelling and well-paced adventure, with some genuinely gross body horror moments. The ending left me with a bunch of disturbing thoughts, and I kinda wanna jump back in to see the other endings.

Then you've got the monsters. When the fog rolls in and these weird, veiny tendrils take over, all these nightmarish creatures show up. Some are your typical Silent Hill mannequin-dolls, but there are some legit creative new ones. Like these twisted scarecrows that are modeled after Hinako's classmates and just move when you're not looking. Seriously, it’s like a super stabby game of schoolyard statues. And later on, there are these disgusting beasts that look like a giant bunch of grapes made of rotting flesh and literally give birth to demons to try and overwhelm you. No joke, this game looked at the series' history of gross monsters and said, “Hold my beer.”

But fighting these awesome freaks? Not so fun. And not scary, either. Just annoying. There are no guns here, just breakable melee weapons like crowbars. It makes sense in context, but man, the combat is a total drag. You have a super stingy stamina bar, and you’re constantly running out of breath. I spent half the time awkwardly shuffling away from enemies, waiting for Hinako to remember how her arms work. The worst part is that winning a fight gives you, like, nothing. You lose health and your weapon gets all beat up. In a game like Dark Souls you get XP, or in Resident Evil 4 you get ammo, but here? Nada. So I just started running past everything whenever I could, which kinda ruined the atmosphere but at least it wasn't frustrating, lol.

The one thing that really shined, though, was the puzzles. They were a great break from the garbage combat. On hard difficulty, I was constantly pouring over Hinako’s journal for clues, and some of the puzzle sequences were so clever. Like, you find old calendar pages and use them to jump through different time periods in her family home to find ghosts from her past. If the next Silent Hill focuses more on stuff like that and less on the annoying combat, it's gonna be amazing.

So, yeah, Silent Hill F gives us a fresh Japanese setting, a great story, and a bunch of twisted freaks to mess with. I just wish I loved the combat as much as I loved everything else. I admire the dev for taking a big swing, but like Hinako’s frustratingly flimsy lead pipe, it didn't quite land where it needed to. Still, with its awesome art style, super smart puzzles, and a compelling main character, this game definitely gets a grade higher than an "F." It's more of a "B-minus,".

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About the Writer

Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.

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