Artistic Vision and Atmosphere
I was personally enveloped in a singular artistic vision the very moment I stepped into its world. The setting of 1960s Japan provides a new texture to Silent Hill, one that seems unfamiliar at first but, eventually, reveals itself to be ideal. The streets are quiet and repressed, the traditional architecture stretched and casting long shadows under the muted skies. It is not the fog of the American town, but it creates the same empty isolation. The same goes for the floral corruption that, when it begins to seep in, is all the more disturbing when set against the calm and gentle confines of historical Japan.
I was most impressed by the intertwining beauty and terror of the experience. Loosely cascading petals and dainty flowers scaling walls – how charming, if not for how jarring the setting is. The game employs that clash and juxtaposes the beautiful and the grotesque. I was once engulfed in the view of a garden overflowing with red flowers that was so beautiful and captivating, I wanted to stay there for a while, until I realized, with horror, that every blossom erupted from a place of deep torment. The unique combination of attraction and disgust is the foundation of psychological horror, and Silent Hill f knows it well.
Distant echoes, the abrupt absence of sound, the faraway whisper of petals fluttering with no breeze – every element is purposeful in the construction of the tension. I suggest it is played with the original Japanese voice track. The act is performed with a raw, genuine touch, especially in the more monotonous sections where the emotion is integrated into the voice, where the performer is full of desire, deep regret, or quiet hostility. While the localized dub works, the original moves the disproportionate horror out of the realm of the supernatural and into very real human suffering far better.
The Experience of Play
The hesitation around mechanics is an aspect I now want to focus on because it has always been an ache for me with horror games. It is the atmosphere of the game that is ruined when the action of fighting becomes awkward, forced, or repetitive. I was scared that Silent Hill f might fall victim to the same issue. Luckily, it skirts this issue more elegantly than most. Yes, there are periods of time when movement is somewhat robotic, and yes, there are periods when you must endure, and somehow ‘survive’ encounters that are nothing but trial and error. But the game spends way more time on exploration, storytelling through the environment, and evasion than it does on mindless confrontations.
The last-minute game mechanics or fighting endless hordes of monsters are not the only way to induce tension. The next area might be the next corridor, and chances are high that it may contain something so disturbing that there will be no way to ‘unknow’ it. The story and atmosphere are able to breathe, rather than suffocating under the weight of the mechanics, a story, and the atmosphere of the game. Even during certain segments of the game where there are new endings, the flow is new and natural rather than frustrating. The spaces you traverse are contextualized and re-evaluated after every replay, giving them new, fresh meaning.
Replay Value and Narrative Structure
One of the reasons I found Silent Hill f to be so well designed is how the narrative is woven into multiple endings. They don’t spoon-feed the players the whole truth in one go. Instead, the game decently incentivizes you to come back again and again while adding more and more context, systematically peeling away new layers of meaning. From a psychological point of view, I found this highly beneficial because this is how one has to deal with trauma. You go through the same events, but this time you are supposed to pay more attention, and in the process, you always figure out things you did not pay attention to and appreciate how much indifference has become a problem in this case now.
When I reached the final ending, I did not feel that I was just a reader of a horror story. I felt that I was also a participant in a cycle of deep self-contemplation. Along with the main character, I went through a process of deep self-humiliation. I also felt the immense pain and the inability to see how easy it was to trample upon such feelings that someone so close to her could do. One of the rare things a game does is that it makes the player want to finish the game, not because of some obligation, but because of a strong wish to know the real story behind it. This game was one of such examples.
Of Lenses and Interpretations
It could be quite frustrating analyzing the discussions around the game 'Silent Hill ’, having to hear the criticism about the work being termed as “woke” and being far "too political.” All I could do was respond with utter astonishment. It portrays her as a daydreamer, a girl who wants to play, a girl who wishes to step out of her room and go to a rest area, and imagines fighting aliens with all her friends. When this child’s wish is being crushed, and she is being neglected, the game presents this as a tragedy, and it is devastating and equally essential.
It is not excessive to portray child marriages, or children who are being grossly abused, as terrifying. It is not excessive to portray a child who is being abused of her deserved right to be happy as “a child.” If at all, this is the most humane and grounded theme the series has dealt with in recent years. It has simply become a political issue, and it has taken out the emotions entirely. It isn’t about ‘woken’ culture. It is about compassion.
Conclusion
If you enjoy psychological horror games, are prepared to experience a bit of discomfort in the name of introspection, and are looking to feel simultaneously fascinated and uneasy, then this game comes highly recommended. It lingers in your mind, it aches, and is something that is deeply remarkable.
In the end, Silent Hill f simply confirms that the series is no longer a singular place, rather a wound, and that sometimes, the most stunning blossoms can emerge from the most profound of injuries.
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