Will Silent Hill f’s Limited Combat Options Make the Game More Terrifying?

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Ever since the first Silent Hill Transmission showcase in October 2022, Silent Hill veterans have been waiting for more news on the mysterious Silent Hill f. Although it was announced alongside other major projects like Silent Hill Townfall and Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake, Silent Hill f stood out due to the acclaimed When They Cry writer Ryukishi07 being attached to the project. Its developer, NeoBards Entertainment, has only created a couple of recent Resident Evil spin-offs and has otherwise done support work and ports, so Silent Hill f resembling a mainline Silent Hill even in its reveal trailer was a big deal.

Fast-forward to March 2025, and Silent Hill f has received its own Silent Hill Transmission. While it was light on gameplay and lacked a release window, the show made SHf look even more appealing. Set in the fictional town of Ebisugaoka in the 1960s, Silent Hill f will explore the series’ first Japanese counterpart to the American town of Silent Hill through the eyes of Shimizu Hinako. Fans were also given a longer look at Silent Hill f in a new trailer, which mostly raised more questions than answers, especially how the game intends to handle one core Silent Hill mechanic.

What Silent Hill f Has Revealed About Its Combat

According to official statements, the expected mixture of puzzle solving and monster fighting will return in Silent Hill f. Confirmation of Silent Hill’s split puzzle and combat difficulty options will have to wait, but attentive trailer viewers did notice at least one combat staple returning. Hinako is seen wielding a metal pipe, a classic improvised weapon that multiple Silent Hill protagonists have scrounged while exploring iterations of the deadly town. Even in 1960s Japan, it’s still a fitting sight, but it begs whether there will be any more combat tools like it.

Silent Hill Usually Boasts More Weapons Than Just A Metal Pipe

The answer may seem obvious based on prior entries, but Silent Hill f is a radical new venture with the series’ setting, so it could take other liberties. Silent Hill games typically include multiple weapons, with melee tools and firearms allowing players to mix up their options as they find or unlock them. Basic knives typically come early on, while various guns, larger blunt objects, and even special weapons like the Great Knife or a katana come later. A few Silent Hill titles have opted for breakable weapons, but Silent Hill f could break new ground if it handles its pipe right.

How Silent Hill f Could Capitalize On A Lone Weapon

There are advantages to drilling down on a single weapon, even in a survival horror game where combat is often something to avoid. Silent Hill 3’s Heather is shown with her starting knife often enough to make it feel like her signature item, and SHf’s Hinako is headed in the same direction thanks to several scenes and one promotional image, all showing her with a metal pipe. Given the setting, the return of the katana would be appropriate, but guns lying around Japan are less believable than in an American Silent Hill, so focusing on one weapon would keep player expectations in line.

It’s possible that more combat options could be unlocked in subsequent playthroughs, with the aforementioned katana sounding like a good, somewhat silly starting place, but there’s a lot that can be done with just one pipe. Silent Hill f could expand the range of offensive and defensive options available to the player, or carefully arrange them to favor one approach. The feeling of having an inadequate weapon, and thus wanting to avoid Silent Hill’s grotesque enemies rather than fight them, could make for a compelling horror experience. It will be interesting to see if Silent Hill f really does try something new with Silent Hill’s deliberate combat.

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2025-03-15 22:35