Silent Hill f Goes Soulslike? Fans are More Divided Than a Pizza at a Games Convention

AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·

Silent Hill f Goes Soulslike? Fans are More Divided Than a Pizza at a Games Convention

The upcoming Silent Hill f is causing a stir with its alleged 'soulslike' combat, leaving fans divided between cautious optimism and full-blown panic, but honestly, let's all just chill until the game's actually out, yeah?

Right, buckle up, because the internet's doing that thing where it collectively freaks out over a game that isn't even out yet. This time, it's Silent Hill f, the upcoming instalment that's got everyone whispering about… *gasp*… 'soulslike' combat. Seems Konami's decided to crank up the melee action, and some folks are having a proper conniption. (Credit to Eurogamer for bringing this to my attention, by the way.)

Now, I'm not saying change is always good. We've all seen reboots that make you weep for the good old days. But let's be real, the Silent Hill series has always been about messing with your head, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of Dark Souls-inspired dodging and weaving will add to the psychological torment? Or, you know, maybe it'll just be clunky. Who knows?

The big whinge seems to be about how enemies react to being smacked upside the head – or rather, how *they don't* react, apparently. Then there's the dreaded 'degradable weapons' system. Look, I get it. No one wants to be halfway through a spooky corridor only to have their trusty pipe wrench crumble to dust. It's a resource management thing, innit? Do you conserve weapons or do you properly explore the map. But here's the thing: Silent Hill 4 and Silent Hill Origins did it. So, it's not brand new for the franchise.

One disgruntled fan wailed about not wanting the series to "trend chase." Mate, everything trends chases to some degree these days. It's the circle of life, like NFTs and the metaverse. Another expressed worry that the combat might evoke Sekiro's counter timings. Which, fair enough, *that* could be a bit jarring in a Silent Hill game. Maybe.

But let's not forget the Silent Hill 2 Remake uproar before it launched. People were sharpening their pitchforks, ready to declare it a sacrilege. And then… boom! Turns out, it was actually pretty bloody good. (Eurogamer even gave it a 5/5, which is practically unheard of!) So, lesson learned: maybe wait until you've actually *played* the thing before you start writing its obituary, eh?

For those just tuning in, Silent Hill f is being developed by Neobards Entertainment, who've previously lent a hand on Capcom's Resident Evil games. So, they know a thing or two about monster bashing. The story's penned by Ryukishi07 (of When They Cry fame), and it's set in 1960s Japan. We follow Shimizu Hinako, your average teenager, whose town has gone all foggy and… well, let's just say it's not on the tourist board's brochure anymore.

She'll be wandering around a town she doesn't recognize, solving puzzles, and battling things that go bump in the night. And, apparently, she'll have to make a "beautiful yet terrifying" decision. Sounds like a typical Tuesday in Silent Hill, doesn't it?

So, what does all this mean? Well, it means we're all going to be glued to our screens come September 25th to see if Konami has pulled off a blinder or a blunder. Either way, it'll be entertaining. And hey, if it all goes pear-shaped, we can always dust off our copies of Silent Hill 2 and pretend it never happened. Now, where's my rusty pipe…?

Tags: Silent Hill f, Konami, Survival Horror, Soulslike, Gaming News

Original article: Eurogamer