Last Updated on Oct 28, 2025 @ 14:14:19 PM.
Before you haters come at me, makeshift weapons raised (pun intended), hear me out! Konami and Neobard’s collaboration was bound to bring a few changes to the tried and tested Silent Hill formula. I’d say that it’s a good thing, especially after playing through The Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2 and its excellent new IP, Cronos: The New Dawn.
Maybe it’s the Souls fan in me, but I do love a good combat system in my video games. And while Konami has been quick to address comparisons between its latest title and that ever-expanding genre of games, you have to admit that the similarities are there. It’s not every day you get to see a teenager with no combat training manage to pull off dodges that even the Hunter from Bloodborne would be proud of, after all. Or parry enemy attacks like it’s all she’s been training for her whole life.
But for those of you who believe it takes something away from the Silent Hill formula that you know and love, let me say this. We’re now squarely in the center of a new generation of gamers and gaming technology. And not taking steps to add meaningful changes to a franchise that has been dormant for nearly thirteen long years is inviting trouble, an excellent remake notwithstanding.
But why am I stoked for Silent Hill f and its ambitious approach to combat? Read on and find out!
This is Ebisugoaka!
For a game in the Silent Hill franchise, it’s kind of ironic that the upcoming addition to its ranks isn’t actually located in the titular town. Konami’s desire to weave in Japanese culture and mythology, and thereby breathe new life into the franchise’s narrative and gameplay loop, is already a departure from tradition, and arguably one that’s far more egregious than adding dodging and parrying mechanics to the otherwise clunky combat system we’ve had to manage in previous titles.
But the new location doesn’t mean a radical departure from the franchise’s familiar thematic influences. Hinako’s childhood trauma and her inner conflicts that stem from a society that has tried and failed to stem her more rebellious tendencies are already a highlight of several Gamescom previews of the game. It’s a narrative goldmine, blending teenage angst with the typical introspective psychological themes that the Silent Hill franchise is known for.
For a title that’s so narratively rooted in defying traditions, it makes sense for Konami and NeoBard to do the same with the mechanics being introduced. While shying away from the franchise’s narrative influences in order to play things safe was an option, I’m certainly glad the two studios didn’t go down that path. Titles like these are opportunities to visit places that other franchises dare not tread. That leaves the gameplay loop, and while exploration could have been a great way to go about it, there are only so many jump scares and secrets you can pack into a horror game.
That leaves the game’s combat. And giving Hinako the tools to take on her fears is the perfect vehicle for a character arc that makes her a badass as she progresses through her adventure while literally confronting her own demons. It’s also a great way for Konami and NeoBard to stage a rebellion of their own and bring changes to the franchise’s formula that make it better without taking away from everything that has made it a mainstay in modern gaming in the first place.
But a new setting and protagonist are only part of the reason why I believe a more action-oriented approach to combat in a horror title is a good thing.
The “Soul” in Silent Hill f
In his review of The Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2, GamesRadar’s Leon Hurley criticized the generous amount of ammo and healing supplies you could find strewn about as you went about your adventure. We already know that’s not the case with Silent Hill f. The survival part of the experience is very much in play, with your weapons only being good for a short while and supplies being quite limited in the field.
And let’s not forget that this is a horror game we’re playing. Aside from my time with the aforementioned Cronos: The New Dawn, in which I found myself messing up perfectly lined-up headshots thanks to my own panic setting in, I’d like to take us back nearly a decade and recollect my first time playing another action-focused horror title. There’s a reason I mentioned Bloodborne a while ago, after all.
If you haven’t had the chance to step into the Hunter’s shoes, know that no amount of combat training and skill can prepare you for the sheer panic that sets in when an imposing monstrosity is coming at you, teeth and claws bared in a series of attacks that can quickly humble even the most skilled of players. I can attest to that sentiment, having recently been rendered speechless by one of Miyazaki’s bosses on one of my many playthroughs of that masterpiece.
Titles like these are designed to force their players to make mistakes in the heat of battle, no matter how well they’ve studied enemy animations and trained their muscle memories. While I don’t expect Silent Hill f to be as bad as that, I just know that my time with Hinako is going to feature a lot of frustrating moments where I’m arrogant enough to think that my skills won’t fail me, only to find myself laughing on the outside while dying on the inside at my own hubris.
We’re all human, after all. And perhaps this new combat system is going to be something that gives more players a taste of the Soulslike formula without the endless trial and error that comes with it, Konami’s statements to the contrary be damned. It’s also an opportunity to depart from the cliche that a female character in a horror story is rendered terrified and helpless at the sight of something that shouldn’t really exist in real life.
Once again, it’s a chance to rebel against existing traditions, and I, for one, am glad it’s happening.
The Final Leg of a Very Long Wait
With a little over two weeks to go before Silent Hill f hits the shelves, I guess we won’t have to wait too long to find out if I’m going to be eating a very distasteful slice of humble pie. And while I’m happy to live and learn on most occasions, this isn’t one of them.
I believe that the Silent Hill franchise deserves the bold new direction that Konami has chosen for it. And the studio’s assertion that it’s going to continue down that path as it collaborates with others in the future has me thinking that the changes it’s bringing to the table are going to be among the best features of Silent Hill f. But we’re going to have to wait and see if I’m right.
Until that time comes, I’m going to mentally prepare for whatever I’m about to face in what I’m hoping is a solid new addition to a beloved franchise. And maybe try and brush up on my combat skills, too.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out this story about GTA 6’s new in-game websites from a potential leaker, or how the Ghost of Yotei’s director is looking to inspire more developers to trust their audiences.
With a passion for gaming that is equaled only by his love for writing, Varun has either a controller, keyboard, or a guitar in his hands when he is not out exploring the middle of nowhere on a motorcycle. Soulslikes, RPGs, and action-adventure titles keep him awake at night and get him out of bed in the morning. He will never stop lamenting the lack of a Bloodborne sequel even as he spends another couple of hours exploring the Lands Between in Elden Ring.
