Series S/X Silent Hill f : Medal table: Ratings for the horror game

[iamthemilkman]

Finished it and I didn't care for some of the messages being pushed in this game. It's all about family bad, having children is bad, etc. Given Japan's current population woes, probably not the best message for a Japanese game. They currently have a record-low birth rate and record-high death rate. The west isn't doing much better.

 

[Danieru-Emanyueru]

Finished it and I didn't care for some of the messages being pushed in this game. It's all about family bad, having children is bad, etc. Given Japan's current population woes, probably not the best message for a Japanese game. They currently have a record-low birth rate and record-high death rate. The west isn't doing much better.

What ending did you make? I made it to the true ending It wasn't easy, I had to start from the beginning because I forgot something.

 

[iamthemilkman]

What ending did you make? I made it to the true ending It wasn't easy, I had to start from the beginning because I forgot something.

I got the "bad" ending.

 

[Danieru-Emanyueru]

I got the "bad" ending.

Ok but if I'm honest every ending is somehow not really good.

 

[iamthemilkman]

Ok but if I'm honest every ending is somehow not really good.

I don't think I'll bother finding out. I enjoyed the game at first, however the story, the message behind it, and the combat really soured the experience by the end. It also isn't that scary. Honestly, it doesn't even feel like a Silent Hill game. Homecoming and Downpour were more "Silent Hill" than f.

 

[Danieru-Emanyueru]

I don't think I'll bother finding out. I enjoyed the game at first, however the story, the message behind it, and the combat really soured the experience by the end. It also isn't that scary. Honestly, it doesn't even feel like a Silent Hill game. Homecoming and Downpour were more "Silent Hill" than f.

I think this Silent Hill was something different not good but not bad either but the game was definitely scary, there were moments when I was really scared.

 

[iamthemilkman]

I think this Silent Hill was something different not good but not bad either but the game was definitely scary, there were moments when I was really scared.

I didn't get that. It was eerie at first but that eventually wore off. I found the Siren games a lot scarier.

 

[RustySK]

Just finished my first playthorugh - I definitely think it's a very, very good game.

That said, holy hell does the non-stop combat drag the experience down. In fairness, the combat system in this game is a million times better than that of SH2 Remake, but man is there a lot of it. So goddamn much combat.
The environments are ridiculously gorgeous, the enemies are beautifully designed, the performance is incredibly good for a UE5 game, the story and cinematography are both interesting and thought-out... but you need to fight your way through absolute legions of enemies to enjoy any of it.

I also really like the idea behind the way the story is presented - even though I found my first playthough satisfying, you only get the barest essentials during it, with lots of teases of what's actually going on that you only get to see revealed on NG+ cycles.
Just... you'll have to fight even more enemies to get to experience that. Good lord. I'll be taking a break of the game for now, but I definitely think it's a very good game - an obnoxious one, but a very good one, too.


Oh and I still have no idea why it's titled Silent Hill or how it's even connected to the series in any way beyond aesthetics and its general focus on subtext.

 

[Danieru-Emanyueru]

Just finished my first playthorugh - I definitely think it's a very, very good game.

That said, holy hell does the non-stop combat drag the experience down. In fariness, the combat system in this game is a million times better than that of SH2 Remake, but man is there a lot of it. So goddamn much combat.
The environments are ridiculously gorgeous, the enemies are beautifully designed, the performance is incredibly good for a UE5 game, the story and cinematography are both interesting and thought-out... but you need to fight your way through absolute legions of enemies to enjoy any of it.

I also really like the idea behind the way the story is presented - even though I found my first playthough satisfying, you only get the barest essentials during it, with lots of teases of what's actually going on that you only get to see revealed on NG+ cycles.
Just... you'll have to fight even more enemies to get to experience that. Good lord. I'll be taking a break of the game for now, but I definitely think it's a very good game - an obnoxious one, but a very good one, too.


Oh and I still have no idea why it's titled Silent Hill or how it's even connected to the series in any way beyond aesthetics and its general focus on subtext.

What end did you make ?

 

[RustySK]

What end did you make ?

You're locked into what the game calls the "Coming Home to Roost" ending on your first playthrough.
After that there're three others (good, bad, joke) you can unlock on NG+, with a fifth one - the true ending - unlocking on NG++ onwards.

 

[dropsmegamega]

Surprised people are liking this, to me its on the same tier as Homecoming. Weak story that feels like teenager anime fantasy at times, awful combat that can't be ignored, tired horror cliches, etc. Overall it just felt like a desperate attempt to cash in with current trends.

 

[RustySK]

Surprised people are liking this, to me its on the same tier as Homecoming. Weak story that feels like teenager anime fantasy at times, awful combat that can't be ignored, tired horror cliches, etc. Overall it just felt like a desperate attempt to cash in with current trends.

The only part that kinda felt like an anime fantasy to me was the grotesque grooming stuff in the Dark world, really.
Which made some amount of sense to me as it's supposed to be her willfully giving herself over to the idea of becoming a wife for an idealized version of a husband she conjured up only for that idea to then get perverted by... whatever the hell is actually going on or whatever.
Which did get on my nerves, sure, but I think that was at least partially the intent in that you're supposed to be able to see how fake it all really is, while that version of Hinako can't. Or at least that's what I read it as. Still goofy though.

The combat is definitely the problem, totally agree there. I still think it's WAY better than what SH2 Remake had going on, but man for how boring and repetitive it is it's also way too punishing, so you can't even really zone it out. Not a fan.
In this regard I also agree with you that it feels like the game is trying to cash in on current trends - this is a "modern action combat system" in the most generic of terms.
Personally I would have preferred they make combat a giant, risky, but avoidable hassle so that the environmental design and puzzles could carry the experience.

As for horror clichés... Hm, maybe we watch different horror movies. As a guy who mostly watches doofy exploitation horror I can't say I've seen this kind of thing often. Maybe in Midsommar, kinda? Some Grudge during the Rinko segments, at least in the cinematography?
I dunno, it was mostly pretty alien to me in an entertaining way and I can't say that I've seen a lot of horror media that deals with 60s-era systemic sexism.

Anyway, this is already way too much of a ramble, sorry about that. My first playthrough is still fresh in my mind and I'm still sorting my thoughts out.

 

[dropsmegamega]

The only part that kinda felt like an anime fantasy to me was the grotesque grooming stuff in the Dark world, really.
Which made some amount of sense to me as it's supposed to be her willfully giving herself over to the idea of becoming a wife for an idealized version of a husband she conjured up only for that idea to then get perverted by... whatever the hell is actually going on or whatever.
Or at least that's what I read it as. Which did get on my nerves, sure, but I think that was at least partially the intent in that you're supposed to be able to see how fake it all really is, while that version of Hinako can't.

I wonder how will you feel after watching the other endings... but even then the way characters are written and their interactions like the partner thing and the whole magical fox arm, the boss design and whatnot...

The combat is definitely the problem, totally agree there. I still think it's WAY better than what SH2 Remake had going on, but man for how boring and repetitive it is it's also way too punishing, so you can't even really zone it out. Not a fan.
In this regard I also agree with you that it feels like the game is trying to cash in on current trends - this is a "modern action combat system" in the most generic of terms.
Personally I would have preferred they make combat a giant, risky, but avoidable hassle so that the environmental design and puzzles could carry the experience.

Completely agree

As for horror clichés... Hm, maybe we watch different horror movies. As a guy who mostly watches doofy exploitation horror I can't say I've seen this kind of thing often. Maybe in Midsommar, kinda? Some Grudge during the Rinko segments, at least in the cinematography?
I dunno, it was mostly pretty alien to me in an entertaining way and I can't say that I've seen a lot of horror media that deals with 60s-era systemic sexism.

Creepy dolls everywhere, teenage angst, gore and monsters without face, scarecrows... can't say I felt scared at any point. Even the direction itself feels uninspired, wished they didnt had to introduce monsters through cutscenes...

 

[RustySK]

I wonder how will you feel after watching the other endings... but even then the way characters are written and their interactions like the partner thing and the whole magical fox arm, the boss design and whatnot...

Creepy dolls everywhere, teenage angst, gore and monsters without face, scarecrows... can't say I felt scared at any point. Even the direction itself feels uninspired, wished they didnt had to introduce monsters through cutscenes...

It's absolutely possible that the other endings change my mind whenever I get around to those, granted.
And oh shit I completely zoned out the partner thing! Yeah that was annoying as hell, no doubt.

The dolls were justified enough for me personally - with that kinda thing I tend not to mind it if the game/movie presents a reason for their inclusion. Same for the teenage angst - it's integral to the plot that these characters are teenagers after all. I see what you mean though.

I can't say I was scared either, but that's honestly very rare for me with horror media in general. The most I usually get is either queasy or startled - Amnesia: The Bunker for example was quite good at that. I'll say that the audio design did a decent job of keeping me on edge though.

 

[Adrastia]

I think Capcom probably wanted to try something new. What the F really means will always remain a secret.

There's a remake of the first Wild Arms game called Alter Code F. In that case I think it means Filgaia. There's also Fairy Fencer F. Maybe Japan just thinks the letter looks cool. There are a number of anime and games that seem to have some random letter in it. Sometimes it seems to mean something. Other times no. The F might just be a stylistic choice in this case.

 

[Danieru-Emanyueru]

There's a remake of the first Wild Arms game called Alter Code F. In that case I think it means Filgaia. There's also Fairy Fencer F. Maybe Japan just thinks the letter looks cool. There are a number of anime and games that seem to have some random letter in it. Sometimes it seems to mean something. Other times no. The F might just be a stylistic choice in this case.

Yeah, seems to be so.

 

[CaptainToad]

Anyway, I was really baffled by the fact that it takes place in Japan. Especially since the inspiration for Silent Hill was Centralia, Pennsylvania, a near ghost town with an underground coal fire that will still be burning centuries from now.

There's a short newspaper article in the game that talks about the hot springs being filled with sulphur and turning into a geyser, which is a similar underground phenomenon/disaster. I think the bigger problem is how little the town really matters in the game. It's pretty much just a labyrinth maze from the start, designed gameplay-first and an excuse to not see too much level geometry at once and have a linear path from point to point.

I really didn't like the cutscenes, at least most of them. Compare them to SH1-4 where you have really interesting characters who talk about either the phenomenon currently happening or divulge information about themselves as the game progresses. They have fewer cutscenes but they're generally longer. SHf has a lot of little cutscenes, usually repeating the same ideas over and over.

It's also not a psychological horror game because it's not about the psychology of Hinako that much, or at least not about her as a unique individual, she's more like a generic stand-in for a person of her generation/sex (so many of the little info scraps you find are about the older generation being more superstitious, religious, traditional, etc. while younger people aren't). Which isn't bad, but you should play as or with a group of characters if it's going to be more generational.

Combat is also very clearly by people who gleaned the combat from Souls, etc. but don't actually understand why these games have things like parry systems and stuff. You have FEWER ways to deal with multi-enemy encounters and yet it has way more multi-enemy encounters than a Souls game usually does, at least percentage-wise. Souls games have damage items, wide-attack weapons, AOE & projectile attacks, shields + armour, etc. SHf has none of that.

The stupid perfect dodge mechanic is so emblematic of them throwing a system into it for no reason. You're risking your HP, which is the most important stat and limited, for stamina which regenerates. And even once you've done it what do you do? Probably just R1/RB spam the enemy afterwards, it's not like it opened up a weak point or something.

It's an OK game, but it's not Silent Hill and it's not really that well designed, definitely not close to a masterpiece some think it is or could be. At least it ran OK on my older computer (outside the stupid UE stutters).

 

[Ethernoh]

SHINO Feminism; Silent Hill In Name Only Feminism. It's trash as a SH game, trash as a Souls Like. SO yeah another one for "the modern audience" and social media degenerates.

 

[88cmflak]

I thought the shift from regular middle-aged western theme to random japanese high school girl setting is too extreme for the average audience. Konami sure doesn't understand silent hill fans demographics (which has many older audience).