Horror fans rejoiced as Konami announced Silent Hill F in 2022, a new mainline entry in the genre-defining franchise. With the exception of the Silent Hill 2 Remake, a lesser-known PS5 exclusive Silent Hill: The Short Message, and the legendary (now unplayable) Silent Hill: PT demo, Silent Hill F will be the first release in the series in a whopping 13 years.
After their recent 48-minute stream, NeoBards Entertainment, the developers of Silent Hill F, have given viewers a peek behind the ominous fog of the game's development. Here’s all the latest information from the latest dev stream of Silent Hill F, the anticipated return of one of the most influential horror franchises.
A New Setting with New Scares
Welcome to the Town of Ebisugaoka
Though each game has its own unique cast of characters, one element has always remained consistent in (almost) all Silent Hill titles: Silent Hill itself. The small American town is one of the most iconic locations in gaming. Among the first things Konami unveiled about Silent Hill F was the completely new setting - a place known as Ebisugaoka.
Ebisugaoka is a fictional fishing town in rural Japan, based on the very much not fictional town of Kanayama. The developers even visited Kanayama for visual references to use in the development of Silent Hill F.
Ebisugaoka is complete with all the charm you could expect from an old Japanese fishing town. Small wooden buildings, narrow streets, and muddy farmland presumably on the outskirts. All that charm disappears once that ominous Silent Hill fog, complemented by, what seems to be, a lot of rain, rolls into town.
This is a huge departure from the traditional American town seen in previous games. However, fans seem to be welcoming the new setting. While this change of setting may be drastic, it does feel like a natural next step in the Silent Hill formula when you take into account the series' creative roots. Producer Motoi Okamoto stated during Silent Hill Transmission, that Silent Hill was always about mixing Japanese horror elements with an American setting.
Silent Hill was born out of blending the essence of Japanese horror with the essence of Western horror. However, as it was based in the West for the longest time, it felt like the Japanese influence was fading. - Motoi Okamoto
This means the developers are letting the scales tip towards the Japanese elements of the Silent Hill series by having it be set in Japan altogether. Luckily, small Japanese towns and supernatural horror have proven to be an excellent combination, hearkening back to classics like the Fatal Frame series.
Earliest Setting in the Series
Besides the change of location, Silent Hill F will also be going back to the 1960’s, the earliest year in the series, but it's not clear whether it will act as a prequel to the rest of the series. The devs have stated that Silent Hill F will be its own independent story. However, this doesn’t exclude the possibility that the game could connect to previous titles in a similar manner to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
What could this mean for the franchise? Fans speculate that the new setting, coupled with the new time period, is a way to soft-reboot the franchise, without having to retcon narrative elements from previous entries. So, in a way, Silent Hill F will be going back to its creative roots, while giving fans a fresh new take on the classic formula, something other horror franchises have succeeded in doing.
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Introducing the New Characters
Meet Your New Protagonist: Hinako Shimizu
Another defining element of Silent Hill games is their cast of very troubled (and sometimes troubling) characters. Silent Hill 1 gave us Harry Mason, a father looking for his adopted daughter, Cheryl. Silent Hill 2 introduced the fan-favorite James Sunderland as he travels to Silent Hill after receiving a mysterious letter from his deceased wife. Silent Hill F will introduce the Hinako Shimizu. Keen-eyed fans have pointed out that Hinako is wearing the school uniform of a kokosei (高校生), so she is assumed to be 16–18 years old. This makes her the youngest protagonist in the series.
Not much else has been revealed about Hinako yet. However, there is one subtle, but very crucial detail to her character that takes the narrative in a very different direction. Hinako is an Ebisugaoka local. Most Silent Hill protagonists have been outsiders, who have some sort of distant connection to the town, if any at all.
Silent Hill F’s Hinako being a local could mean a very different narrative structure. It seems as though, unlike previous protagonists, Hinako will visit locations that are familiar to her, only they are twisted and corrupted by supernatural forces.
The Rest of the Classmates
As little as there is known about the protagonist Hinako, even less has been revealed about the supporting cast. The reveal trailer showed 3 other students wearing the same uniform as Hinako. These are presumably her classmates, who may serve as the supporting characters in the story.
Silent Hill games are known for their unique cast of supporting characters. Both the inner and outer conflicts of Silent Hill protagonists depend on the supporting characters, their relationship to the protagonist, and what each character represents. So hopefully, Silent Hill F will also have a cast of colorful characters for the protagonist to interact with, for better or for worse.
Story, Themes, and Endings
Not much has been revealed about the story either. However, despite the vagueness of the reveal trailer, there is a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) visual detail that can be picked apart.
The Meaning of Beauty in Terror
Despite knowing very little about the story, a crucial narrative element of the game has already been teased. One of the key motifs mentioned in the extended Silent Hill F reveal stream is the concept of finding beauty in terror. This message can be found all over the reveal trailer in the game's visual design.
The concept for this game is, find the beauty in terror. - Motoi Okamoto
In the promo footage, the protagonist appears initially as a simple schoolgirl, but as the story progresses, she is slowly worn down by the terrible things around her. A woman with beautiful flowery growths all over her has her face pealed off. The quaint, scenic town, with its gorgeous historic architecture, is enveloped in a fog and transformed into a nightmare.
This motif of “beauty in terror” seems to be a central pillar of the game’s narrative progression.
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Will There Be Multiple Endings?
The developers have also confirmed that Silent Hill F will feature multiple endings, another series staple. While they haven’t gone into much detail in regards to how narrative progression will lead to different outcomes, Silent Hill always featured adaptive stories that would reflect the player’s choices and behavior.
You may even remember that this system went as far as changing the monster’s behavior and even appearance depending on the player’s psychological profile in 2009’s Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, one of the most unique titles in the series. If Silent Hill F features any of these systems, then players can expect a very personalized horror experience.
The Team Working on Silent Hill F
The development of Silent Hill F is being carried out by Hong Kong-based NeoBards Entertainment, who've worked on multiple projects, including several Resident Evil entries and the Devil May Cry HD Collection. Here are the most notable members of their team.
- Motoi Okamoto is the producer of Silent Hill F. He is also credited as the director and producer of 2024's installment of the series, Silent Hill: The Short Message.
- The narrative visionary behind Silent Hill F is Ryukishi07, known for Higurashi When They Cry and Umineko When They Cry.
- The legendary composer, Akira Yamaoka, will also be contributing to the music of Silent Hill F. Yamaoka is responsible for the incredible soundtracks of pretty much all the titles in the Silent Hill series.
Fans are especially excited about the return of Akira Yamaoka, as it's hard to imagine a Silent Hill game without his iconic scores.
Platform Releases, Physical Copies, and Pre-Orders
Silent Hill F is slated for release on the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. Sorry, future Nintendo Switch 2 owners. As of now, there is no news of the game’s release on the upcoming console.
More information regarding physical copies and pre-orders is expected to be revealed going forward, but unfortunately, no clear release date has been announced.
Be On the Lookout for More News
Don’t let the lack of a release date get you down. After the latest in-depth dev stream, it seems like news about the game is ramping up, so expect to hear more about Silent Hill F very soon.