On June 4, at PlayStation’s State of Play showcase, game studio Konami unveiled a new trailer for the latest installment in the Silent Hill franchise, Silent Hill f, to be set in the fictional Japanese town of Ebisugaoka. It is one of the most anticipated games of the yea with gamers delighting in the fact that we’re returning to the horror video game’s universe, albeit not to the titular New England town.
The expansion of Silent Hill to Japan marks a big development for the franchise. Despite Konami being a Japanese studio, the previous games have long been heavily influenced by Western horror narratives, ranging from the works of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, which was a major inspiration for the plot of Silent Hill 2.
However, producer Motoi Okamoto has expressed concern that Western influences in the series have become overly dominant. “Silent Hill was born out of blending the essence of Japanese horror with the essence of Western horror,” Okamoto stated during the latest Transmission, the official update broadcast for the series. “However, as it was based in the West for the longest time, it felt like the Japanese influence was fading.”
Silent Hill f will follow Shimizu, a young high school student in 1960s Japan. The trailer shows Shimizu walking the foggy streets of Ebisugaoka before calling out to another character standing on a nearby balcony. As Shimizu walks away, she hears an eerie voice call her a traitor and begins to have grotesque hallucinations. There is also an all-new cast of monsters, including a grotesque, mannequin-like figure and a blood-soaked “classmate” with a gaping, torn mouth. The trailer also offers fans a sneak peak of Silent Hill f’s gameplay, with a greater focus on melee battle and closer combat sequences.
Silent Hill f is set to release on September 25 and will be available to play on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
