Key Takeaways
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- Konami is working to revitalize the Silent Hill series, aiming to restore its status as a leading horror franchise. For this purpose, they have entrusted the upcoming title Silent Hill f to NeoBards Entertainment, a young Taiwanese studio with experience in survival horror games.
- Silent Hill f breaks from tradition by setting the story in a fictional Japanese village, Ebisugaoka, during the 1960s, offering a fresh cultural and historical context. However, the combat system has been criticized for its stiffness and imbalance, particularly against swift enemies.
- The game features a three-gauge system: health, stamina, and mental health, which can make resource management challenging due to rapid stamina depletion and frequent missed attacks caused by poor collision detection, erratic targeting, and Hinakos vulnerable animations.
- Despite these criticisms, Silent Hill f showcases exceptional graphics, masterfully capturing the classic Silent Hill dread with highly detailed textures, superior visual quality, and lighting that evokes a chilling atmosphere. The narrative also presents a story that delves deep into physical and psychological wounds, tackling difficult themes head-on.
Our favorite Goodies
Revitalizing Silent Hill: NeoBards’ Debut in a Horror Renaissance
Konami is actively working to revitalize the Silent Hill series, aiming to restore its status as a leading horror franchise. While the company has enjoyed financial success with ventures like Yu-Gi-Oh!, eFootball, pachinko machines, gyms, and mobile games, it seeks to reaffirm its artistic legacy, harkening back to its prominent role in the gaming industry during the 1980s and 90s. This renewed focus includes Silent Hill f, a title presenting both promising content and areas for improvement. The return of Silent Hill began last year with the remake of Silent Hill 2, a fan-favorite and successful PlayStation 2 title. Konami entrusted this complete overhaul to Polish studio Bloober Team, and despite initial fan skepticism, the studio delivered. For Silent Hill f, Konami selected NeoBards Entertainment, a young Taiwanese studio founded in Taipei in 2017. NeoBards was a deliberate choice, having previously contributed to six Resident Evil games and demonstrating familiarity with the survival horror genre. However, Silent Hill f marks NeoBards’ first time leading such a significant project. It is also the first new entry in the series in 13 years, following a hiatus that began in 2012.
Ebisugaoka’s Twin Shadows: Redefining Silent Hill in Retro Japan
To inject new life into the franchise, Konami and NeoBards opted for a radical change in setting. Silent Hill f ditches the series’ traditional small American town for a fictional Japanese village, Ebisugaoka, set in the 1960s. This decision not only offers a fresh backdrop but also immerses players in a distinct cultural and historical context rarely explored in games. The retro aesthetic and rural environment create an intriguing and unique experience. Ebisugaoka functions as Silent Hill’s “twin city,” promising psychological horror deeply rooted in local myths, folklore, religion, and the protagonist’s imagination. However, the game introduces several debatable design choices, particularly concerning its gameplay. The combat, in particular, feels stiff and antiquated, often leading to frustration. Konami and NeoBards aimed for a more action-oriented Silent Hill to appeal to younger players, potentially less accustomed to slower-paced gameplay. Combat is exclusively melee, drawing comparisons to Souls-like games with dodge mechanics intended to enable stronger attacks. While the concept of melee combat was present in Silent Hill 2, its execution in Silent Hill f often detracts from the experience.
Unbalanced Combat and Resource Management in Hinako’s Shadowy Silent Hill
Survival horror games typically feature limited inventories, making resource management critical. Protagonist Hinako begins with a simple steel pipe but can acquire other melee weapons such as a kitchen knife, baseball bat, hoe, hammer, and even a naginata, a traditional Japanese spear. These weapons degrade with use but can be repaired with kits. An unusual design choice is that some weapons appear only in Hinako’s imaginary world and nightmares, and these do not suffer degradation. The combat system struggles with balance. Enemies often behave like “health packs,” absorbing hits without significant reaction until powerful R2 attacks are used. This imbalance is exacerbated by quick enemy respawns and Hinako’s frequent misses. A noticeable lag after each hit makes fights feel sluggish and overly difficult. The combat system’s design is criticized as unbalanced, especially against swift enemies who maintain constant attacks while Hinako’s recovery time after striking is prolonged.
Challenging Stamina Management and Questionable Mental Health Mechanics in Silent Hill f
Silent Hill f utilizes a three-gauge system: health, stamina, and mental health. The stamina bar depletes rapidly with running, attacking, and evading, making management challenging even with scattered remedies, as using them triggers an animation that slows Hinako. The mental health gauge, represented by flowers, allows for charged attacks and revealing secrets, but its necessity is questioned, as its functions could potentially have been integrated into the stamina gauge. The game features “perfect dodges” that slow time and instantly recharge stamina, along with a counterattack mechanic tied to enemies glowing in color. However, many actions within the combat system feel unsatisfying, leading to a rigid experience, even more so than the Silent Hill 2 Remake. While the 2024 remake effectively balanced exploration and action, Silent Hill f often forces players into repetitive, chained fights with respawning enemies. The option to avoid enemies and escape is available, but some areas require clearing them first. Overall, the combat system quickly becomes frustrating due to rapid stamina depletion, frequent missed attacks caused by poor collision detection, erratic targeting, and Hinako’s vulnerable animations. The game’s puzzles have also been criticized for their design.
Enthralling Visuals and Gritty Narrative in Silent Hill f’s Chilling Redemption
Despite these gameplay criticisms, Silent Hill f boasts significant strengths. NeoBards Entertainment has delivered exceptional graphics, characterized by highly detailed textures, superior visual quality, and lighting that masterfully evokes a chilling atmosphere. The studio successfully captures the classic Silent Hill dread through oppressive empty spaces and painstakingly crafted environments. Lighting plays a crucial role in creating spine-tingling moments, with rooms changing dynamically based on player actions. The presence of Red Spider Lilies further enhances the aesthetic with a blend of beauty and terror. The game avoids cheap scares, instead focusing on the raw, visceral body horror synonymous with the Silent Hill series. Set in 1960s Japan, the narrative follows teenager Hinako Shimizu as she confronts her dysfunctional family and jealous peers. The game’s intensity is notable, presenting a story that delves deep into both physical and psychological wounds. It tackles difficult themes head-on, deriving its power from this unflinching approach. Even boss designs are imbued with meaning, symbolizing Hinako’s various traumas, such as an arranged marriage, motherhood, and the lingering traditional expectations in Japan where women continue to strive for independence. While less explicit, the male characters also carry symbolic weight, all within Ryukishi07’s overarching vision to challenge conventions.
Silent Hill f emerges as an ambitious new chapter for the revered horror series. It delivers a visually stunning and thematically rich experience steeped in unique Japanese folklore, yet its innovative narrative and atmospheric strengths are challenged by a divisive and often frustrating combat system.
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| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Groove Coaster: Initial Initial Echo Ego |
| Brief Summary | undefined |
| Genre | Music |
| Play Modes | Single player |
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