Silent Hill f Is Here, And Fair Dinkum, It Makes Me Glad Kojima’s Vision for the Series Faded Into the Mists
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jeff is absolutely stoked with *Silent Hill f*, finding its return to subtle, Japanese-rooted horror a triumph that, surprisingly, highlights why Kojima's celebrity-studded *P.T.* vision wouldn't have been a good fit for the franchise. While praising *P.T.*'s raw horror, he argues its reliance on jumpscares and famous faces clashes with *Silent Hill*'s signature psychological dread and everyman protagonists, pointing to Kojima's consistent stylistic choices in games like *Death Stranding* and *OD* as evidence.
Right, so apparently, after what felt like an eternity – seriously, mate, 13 years is a long time to wait for a game that doesn't feel like it was conjured from a digital dustbin – *Silent Hill f* has finally graced our screens. And get this: it's actually... good. Like, proper, 'chills down your spine and makes you question reality' good. I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, playing through the opening hours, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared.
Like many of you, I've been wandering the gorgeous, haunting streets of Ebisugaoka – a far cry from Toluca Lake, sure, but somehow, Konami has absolutely nailed that unsettling *Silent Hill* vibe. The environments are stunning yet horrifying, and the story? Well, it's got that strange, creeping dread that burrows under your skin. And in the midst of all this glorious, nightmarish brilliance, I've had a somewhat uncomfortable, yet profoundly clarifying, realisation: I am so freaking glad this isn't a Kojima game.
Now, before you reach for your digital pitchforks, let's get one thing straight: I'm a fan of Kojima's work. Who isn't? When *P.T.* – that legendary 'playable teaser' for the tragically cancelled *Silent Hills* – dropped in 2014, I was ecstatic. We were starved, weren't we? It had been a decade since *Silent Hill 4*, and the series had been wandering in the wilderness of Western development, losing its way with each passing entry. *P.T.* felt like a beacon of hope, promising the return of the franchise to 'capable hands' and, honestly, my heart broke a bit when it was canned in 2015. We all mourned the loss of what *could* have been.
But fast forward to now, with *Silent Hill f* finally in my hands, a decade after the whole Kojima-Konami dramatic breakup, and those rose-tinted glasses for *P.T.*? Yeah, they’ve well and truly fogged up. Don't get me wrong, *P.T.* was an absolute masterclass in horror atmosphere. It was ahead of its time, really, even anticipating some of the first-person dread that *Resident Evil 7* would deliver years later. But here's the kicker, mate: it lacked the profound loneliness, the subtle, quiet beauty that defines a truly great *Silent Hill* title.
Think about it: *P.T.* was packed to the gills with jumpscares. You were barely given a moment to breathe, let alone truly *think* about the horror unfolding. *Silent Hill*, at its best – and *Silent Hill f* is certainly at its best – builds that tension slowly, like a noxious gas filling a room. The heart-pounding moments often emerge organically from the narrative and environment, rather than a scripted 'boo!' that just makes you spill your tea. The real horror of *Silent Hill* isn't about cheap scares; it's the kind that crawls into your subconscious and sets up a permanent residence, long after you’ve put down the controller.
And then there's the casting. Even back in 2014, I remember scratching my head, thinking, 'What the hell is Norman Reedus doing in my *Silent Hill* game?' Now, I reckon Reedus is a solid actor, and he certainly proved his chops in *The Walking Dead*. He could probably play a cracking Murphy Pendleton in a film adaptation (because, let's be fair, Hollywood just *can't* stop making those). But seeing a famous face stomping around in a *Silent Hill* game? It just felt… wrong. *Silent Hill* protagonists have always been Average Janes and Joes – regular folks thrust into extraordinary, terrifying circumstances. Reedus's involvement felt less like a carefully considered narrative choice and more like a 'because I can' move on Kojima's part. It instantly broke the immersion, pulling me out of the nightmare and reminding me I was playing a *Kojima* game.
Kojima himself has often admitted he includes things in his games simply because he likes them (and apparently, what players like can sometimes be a problem – a curious digital wizard, indeed!). We've seen this pattern repeat itself post-Konami, with *Death Stranding* featuring a parade of famous actors and even VTubers, complete with those quirky intro sequences displaying both character and actor names. It's a signature move, absolutely, but one that instantly shatters the illusion for me. *P.T.* being a first-person experience also felt a bit off for *Silent Hill*, and I suspect a full *Silent Hills* game would have leaned heavily into long, cinematic cutscenes with that signature '2deep4u' Kojima dialogue to compensate for not seeing your character in gameplay.
Now, I’m not saying *Silent Hills* would have been a *bad* horror game. Not at all. It might have been a brilliant, genre-bending experience, pushing boundaries and doing something genuinely innovative – just like *P.T.* was a great *demo*. But would it have been a *good Silent Hill* game? I genuinely don't think so. Kojima's post-Konami work, while undeniably creative, doesn't exactly scream 'subtlety and restraint' – two things a *Silent Hill* game absolutely requires. Can you imagine *Silent Hill f* featuring a protagonist named, say, 'MetalPipe SmashMan' instead of Hinako Shimizu, or being bogged down with copious amounts of Monster Energy product placement? Yeah, me neither, and that’s a good thing.
Some might argue it's unfair to compare a demo to a finished product like *Silent Hill f*, or that *Silent Hills* would have been nothing like *Death Stranding*. Respectfully, that's a bit of bullshit. *P.T.* was a Kojima Productions gig, directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Norman Reedus. *Death Stranding*? Also starred Reedus, with del Toro playing a character named... Deadman. The first *Death Stranding* game even leaned heavily into horror, clearly showing *P.T.*'s lingering influence. Hell, *Metal Gear Solid 5*, Kojima's last Konami hurrah, was full of *P.T.* references despite being released *after* its cancellation. When Kojima gets fixated on an idea, it tends to bleed into everything he touches – like a spell that won't quite wear off.
Even his upcoming Xbox exclusive, *OD*, looks like *P.T.*'s spiritual successor, doesn't it? First-person horror, celebrity cast (Sophia Lillis, Udo Kier, Hunter Schafer), famous Hollywood director (Jordan Peele), a two-letter title, and yep, more weird fetus imagery. The trailer shows a candle puzzle, an unknown entity, a creepy house… sound familiar? It's clear as day that his horror bug is still very much active. That's not a bad thing, mind you. I appreciate his willingness to experiment and take risks. But I'm just not a big fan of the results of his latest experiments, especially if they were applied to *Silent Hill*.
So, as I delve deeper into *Silent Hill f*, soaking in its pitch-perfect take on the franchise – leaning into those Japanese roots, delivering genuine, psychological horror – I reckon Konami made the right call. Letting the series be itself, rather than becoming another canvas for a director obsessed with turning every game into a Hollywood movie (and then making *multiple* movies about that movie-game, bless him), was the best decision. *P.T.* was fun, absolutely. But I'll take the beautiful, terrifying game we have now over a full-length version of 'Jumpscare Hallway Starring Norman Reedus and Weird Sink-Fetus' any day of the week. This is exactly what a curious gamer actually wanted to know, and the human story behind this corporate decision (or lack thereof, in *P.T.*'s case) truly shines through in *Silent Hill f*'s success.
Tags: Silent Hill f, Hideo Kojima, Horror Games, Game Development, Franchise Revival
Original article: Polygon