There are two big problems with this game (no spoilers):

The first is that it's very combat oriented, and the second is that the story doesn't unfold in a way that's satisfying.

I'll expand on the first idea here: most Silent Hill games have combat that's awkward and difficult to navigate. This game is no exception to that, but it IS an exception in how much it requires combat in order to progress through the story. In other words, you often have to clear a room full of monsters in order to access the next plot point. This is an approach that's not in the spirit of the franchise... the combat in Silent Hill is usually incidental, rather than fundamental, meaning that it's the natural consequence of the hellish dimension that the characters are in, rather than the objective of being in that dimension. In this game, it feels like the monsters are placed in front of you because the game needs to be filled with some sort of content, and the forced, repetitive killing of these monsters is very dull.

To my second point: after my first playthrough, I couldn't possibly tell you what the plot of this game was. Now, you can chalk this up to a lack of attention to detail, which would be fair. But if that's the case, then most average players couldn't possibly piece this plot together based on the information that's given in the first playthrough. I kept waiting for one piece of information to make everything snap into place, but it never came... the plot is buried in notes, hints, and vague dialogue from the side characters. If I was willing to give 20ish hours of my life to another playthrough then maybe it'd be clear, but shouldn't it be clear the first time?

However, I will say that the game kept me wanting more. I was enticed to keep opening the game and see what was next after every session. The puzzles, atmosphere, sound, and graphics are all on point. It's just that the aforementioned issues overshadow the good qualities of the game.

Overall, if you're a Silent Hill fan (like myself), I think there's a 50/50 chance you'll like this game. It has some aspects of Silent Hill that are great, but the path that it creates for itself is severely flawed. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you're curious to try it then don't let this review discourage you.

This is an excellent survival horror game with Soulslike elements. Although it differs from the usual Silent Hill games, it is still Silent Hill. The spirit of Silent Hill can be felt in every element of the world, in every consumable, enemy, and event. Incredibly beautiful graphics, a pleasant combat system, an interesting world, and a bunch of secrets — everything I love.

Although I was skeptical at first, this game left me with a pleasant impression.

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Only a masochist will complete this awful game to its true ending (yes, that's three playthroughs)

As my first Silent Hill game in the series, I liked it very much. Loved the cutscenes and overall the story - symbolizing the 1960s in Japan.

The atmosphere in the first playthrough was pretty scary for me, but I do get scared easily.. regardless of that, I think that the tag "Psychological Horror" serves it well.

The combat in this game was not horrible for me, although it could be better in some aspects, for example, in the "Lost in the fog" difficulty the combat was sooo hard for me. Enemies had such a high HP combined with bigger damage, so I eventually started playing on easier difficulties. But I understand that that's a me problem and not an issue with the game alone. On the other side, I liked the slow-mo when you dodged, also the animations of the combat and the variety of weapons. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

In terms of puzzles, I liked that every difficulty had different types of solutions, they were a bit confusing sometimes but they were not the hardest.

Overall I rate the experience solid 9 out of 10. I also didn't like that in random points of the game it suddenly changed to a literal powerpoint presentation without any reason, I wish the game was a bit better optimalized because the graphics and environment are very immersive.

I recommend this game to whoever likes the history of Japan and the visual look of it :)

combat is clunky and it sucks

(I only just got a PC last month, but I already have 80 hours in-game on my PS5.)

I genuinely don’t understand the hate this game is getting. Yes, the combat is very Souls-like, which obviously isn’t for everyone, but the newly added Casual difficulty makes it far more accessible. If this were truly meant to be a Souls-like experience, there wouldn’t be difficulty options at all — and you’d probably be stuck playing on Lost in the Fog. And if the game is still too challenging for you, or you simply don’t enjoy mechanics like stamina management or weapon durability, remember that you’re on PC and Nexus Mods is right around the corner. ;)
My biggest complaint was the excessive enemy spamming in the final act, especially since story progression was often locked behind defeating them. Thankfully, the developers addressed this in a recent patch, which significantly improved the experience for me. What really makes the game shine are the beautifully eerie soundtrack (which I really hope will finally get an official release — looking at you, Konami!!!), the stunning visuals, the strong art direction and atmosphere, and the story with all its underlying meaning.
For more casual players, replaying the game multiple times to unlock all endings — including the true one — can feel a bit tedious. For die-hard fans, however, it’s an absolute gift and a great reason to keep coming back long after the first playthrough.

P.S.: If you honestly think this game is “woke” just because you play as a female protagonist, you might want to seriously reconsider your worldview.

Silent Hill f is one of my favorite games of the year. It has my favorite combat of any SH game, the character designs are peak, and it has some moments that truly chill you to the bone (most notably, the scarecrow puzzle). I have a small gripe with how the story and endings are handled, but otherwise this is a very good game.

Рюкиши не разачаровал

So, basically we have the Kirigakure no sato (hidden mist village) Ebisugaoka, where our protagonist Shimizu Hinako from the Shimizu clan is trapped inside a genjutsu called Izanami. Then she has to find her way out and discover who is the Shinobi behind all of this, as well as beating all those sexy dolls and solving puzzles of the ninja academy while also having to go against the curse of her clan. And Hinako's parents have a soft spot for her nukenin sister who joined the akatsuki. And all of a sudden Hinako has to remember if she did the kage bushin no jutsu, because that bushin is now the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. Not only that, but there are aliens involved so now, Shimizu Hinako has to stick to her ninja way, never going back on her word, in order to avoid a sequel that everybody hates.

THIS GAME IS AWESOME! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT!