Silent Hill F

is an upcoming survival horror video game developed by NeoBards Entertainment and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. It is the eighth mainline game in the ''Silent Hill'' franchise, following '' Silent Hill: Downpour'' (2012). Set during the 1960s in the fictional town of Ebisugaoka, Japan, it follows Hinako Shimizu, a high school student who navigates the town, now consumed by fog, while solving puzzles and fighting grotesque monsters to survive.

As Konami felt the series had become overly westernized, the developers moved away from the titular Maine town, where most previous entries took place, and instead set the game in Japan to reinforce a stronger Japanese identity. The company invited Ryukishi07 to write the story and brought back composer Akira Yamaoka, who had worked on the music for multiple previous ''Silent Hill'' games.

Announced in 2022, ''Silent Hill f'' is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in September 2025.

Development

''Silent Hill f'' was built around the Japanese horror concept of "find ngthe terror in beauty", suggesting that "when something becomes too immensely beautiful and perfect, it becomes deeply unsettling". Konami enlisted writer Ryukishi07, known for his visual novel ''Higurashi When They Cry'', as they believed they needed someone who could "really understand the essence of Japanese horror". Even though the game was conceived as a standalone story, the developers included references to previous ''Silent Hill'' games.

While the series originally blended Japanese and Western horror elements, Konami felt it had become overly westernized, diminishing its Japanese influence. Consequently, the team decided to create ''Silent Hill f'' as a "100% Japanese horror", emphasizing its Japanese "essence", which they regarded as central to the series despite the story usually taking place in the United States. Shifting the setting from the titular town to Japan posed a challenge, as the developers aimed to maintain the series' core themes of "portraying characters' struggles with the evil within themselves—sin, discontent, and conflict".

The game's primary setting, the town of Ebisugaoka, was inspired by Kanayama, Gero, in Gifu Prefecture. Ryukishi07 suggested Kanayama after comparing various locations, saying that its "extremely unique townscape" reflected the passage of time and the way its structures had evolved alongside residents' lifestyles. The team visited Kanayama to photograph modern sites and used reference materials to authentically recreate the 1960s setting. Ryukishi07 noted that female characters in the previous ''Silent Hill'' games endured significant suffering. With ''Silent Hill f'', he sought to create a protagonist, Hinako Shimizu, who actively makes her own choices rather than being "pulled along by the story". Hinako is portrayed by Konatsu Kato.

Artist Kera aimed for a visual style distinct from the "blood-smeared, rusting scenery" of previous installments while retaining a sense of familiarity. She remarked that the most challenging aspect was monster creation, as the team wanted to combine Ryukishi07's vision with Kera's design, creating monsters that would "really infiltrate players' psyches".

Akira Yamaoka and Kensuke Inage composed the music for the game's Fog World and Otherworld, respectively. Additionally, composers Dai and Xaki, who previously collaborated with Ryukishi07, contributed to the project. Yamaoka focused on infusing the music with the series' Japanese "essence", reflecting his own cultural identity "as much as possible in my own way". Inage stated that he "blend dancient Japanese court music with ambient echoes", using various techniques to convey "agony, internal conflict, fear, and other emotions". The developers also traveled to Kanayama to record its soundscape.

Release

In February 2021, it was reported that Konami was planning to revive the ''Silent Hill'' franchise with multiple third-party studios developing new games. ''Silent Hill f'' was officially announced during a livestream in October 2022, alongside other titles. Its reveal trailer debuted at another livestream in March 2025. Konami announced a special edition, which includes cosmetics and digital items such as an artbook and soundtrack. Pre-ordering either the base version or special edition grants bonus cosmetics and in-game items. Additionally, the special edition offers early access to the game two days before its official release. The game is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on September 25, 2025.

In March 2025, the game was given a "Refused Classification" rating by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), which does not allow it to be sold anywhere in Australia. The IARC did not provide a clear reason for the ban. The Australian Classification Board would later clarify that ''Silent Hill f'' had not been given a "Refused Classification" rating by the organization and the game's entry on Australia's National Classification Database was removed.

Notes

References

External links

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{{Silent Hill

2020s horror video games
Konami games
PlayStation 5 games
Psychological horror games
Silent Hill games
Single-player video games
Survival horror video games
Unreal Engine 5 games
Upcoming video games scheduled for 2025
Video games developed in Hong Kong
Video games featuring female protagonists
Video games scored by Akira Yamaoka
Video games set in Japan
Video games set in the 1960s
Windows games
Xbox Series X and Series S games