Silent Hill f is not a sequel to any of the existing Silent Hill games. Instead, much like Silent Hill 2, it will offer a standalone story, "independent from the series."
That's coming from publisher Konami itself, which finally confirmed on X/Twitter that the latest instalment of the horror series — which is usually, if not always, based in a sleepy resort town on east-coast America — will be "a completely new title" that "people who have never played the Silent Hill series can enjoy."
This approach isn't entirely new for Silent Hill, of course. While Silent Hill 1, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill Origins are all connected, other games — with Silent Hill 2 being a particularly notable exception — have less tangible links to the town, and parts of Silent Hill 4: The Room and Homecoming take place outside the titular town altogether. But Konami's statement does at least confirm once and for all that understanding Silent Hill f's 1960s Japanese setting will not be dependent upon how much players know about the 26-year-old series.
Silent Hill f takes us to 1960s Japan, where we'll follow Shimizu Hinako, a teenager struggling under the pressure of expectations from her friends, family, and society. The story was written by Ryukishi07, creator of the When They Cry visual novel series. As displayed at the beginning of the Japanese-language reveal trailer back in March, it will be the first Silent Hill game to get an 18+ rating certification in Japan.
As the game is still in active development, certification is subject to change, but Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill: The Room all secured CERO:C — that's for people aged 15 and older — while the other games in the series developed outside of Japan were typically rated CERO:C or CERO:D (ages 17+). Silent Hill f is similarly rated Mature in the U.S., PEGI 18 in Europe, and CERO:Z in Japan.
As yet, there's no release date for Silent Hill f, and there's still no further information at all about No Code's upcoming Silent Hill game, Townfall.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
