Silent Hill F properly brings the series to Japan, and it matters far more than you might realize. The series has been mostly developed by the Japanese studio Konami, with a few games developed by a Western studio. However, no matter who developed the games in the past, there have always been a fair amount of Western influences within the games. This new game is attempting to change that narrative.
We just got a new trailer and new details about Silent Hill F, and it was quite exciting. The game looks very cool, and it has a brand-new aesthetic and a great writer behind the script. The writer has already worked on projects relating to murder mysteries in small towns, which serves the franchise well. We also got introduced to the art and music leads, who seem to be just as experienced and immersed in Silent Hill, and all of whom are dedicated to bringing a fully Japanese game to the Silent Hill series.
Silent Hill Games Have Famously Used Western Influences
Past Games Used A Blend Of Japanese Ideas With Many Western Influences
Despite the Japanese studio, many of the Silent Hill games are influenced by the Western horror narrative. Things like street names named after popular characters or creators of Western Horror are evidence of this in the game. Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, Sigourney Weaver, and Ray Bradbury, among others, all have streets named after them. There are also characters named after Western influences, such as Judy Garland and Joseph Barnett. Crime and Punishment is even listed as a major influence for the plot of Silent Hill 2.
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Comments by developers of the original game have sparked some debate about this iconic scene, and it could mean more than players think.
There are also some notable references to authors like Stephen King, and Silent Hill: Downpour might have been inspired by The Call of Cthulhu. While Lovecraft had a very prominent role in developing the horror genre, as did Stephen King, Mary Shelley, and Dean Koontz, what makes the series so different is the Japanese influence on the games, and it is important that the series is both returning to Japan and using as many Japanese influences as possible.
Silent Hill Transmission Explains Why F Takes Place In Japan
An Important Decision & The Real Heart Behind The Game
Instead of Silent Hill, this game will be taking place in the town of Ebisugaoka, which is based on the real town of Kanayama in Japan that they have used various references to turn time back to make it look like it would have in the 1960s. The team dived deep into bringing the game to a new setting while balancing that with making it familiar to players from all over the world. However, it was very important for them to bring the Japanese essence back to the series.
Producer Motoi Okamoto stated in the official Transmission, "Silent Hill was born out of blending the essence of Japanese horror with the essence of Western horror. However, as it was based in the West for the longest time, it felt like the Japanese influence was fading." Others on the team, like one of the music composers, Akira Yamaoka, said that the Japanese essence of the games was the most unique and best feature of them. The loss of this essence over time with too much Western influence was what ended up driving them to make this game the way they did.
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Bloober Team is continuing to work with Konami after its success with Silent Hill 2, and has a great opportunity to shape the future of the series.
To them, and from what can already be seen in the trailer, this is a game filled with Japanese influences and a way to give the series a breath of fresh air. It will make it unique and likely more frightening, allowing Silent Hill F to be the game fans deserve. "A noticeable feature of Japanese horror is the idea that terror can be found within beauty," Okamoto said, claiming that this was the intent behind the game.
The Japanese setting and this kind of psychological horror is what is driving the game, what is behind each of the major design elements, and the heart of the game. That is what makes the Japanese setting so important for Silent Hill F, and it should excite anyone who loves this series.
Source: YouTube/SILENT HILL
Silent Hill f
- Released
- September 25, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Neobards Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Silent Hill
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- September 25, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 25, 2025
