Silent Hill f 's Japan Setting Was Absolutely Crucial To The Story Being Told, Says Developers

While Silent Hill as a series has a lingering air of Americana about it, that doesn't mean it has to be locked into it. The latest title, Silent Hill f, shows that the rules of what makes a Silent Hill game are less concrete than you might think- ditching the era and even country to share its own specific brand of horror: being a woman in 1960s Japan.

Note: In-development screenshots of Silent Hill f are used in this feature

The Beauty of Silent Hill f

Game scriptwriter and When They Cry series author Ryukishi07 said the dramatic change of setting was absolutely necessary for the story he wanted to tell.

"There is no room for imagination in the modern world, but if we set the story background in a time too far away from now, the players will feel detached. For me, the time where people are familiar with while still have room for imagination for Silent Hill f, will fall in the 1960s", he says.

However, it wasn't just about a game where bad things happen to women. As he explained the concept of the game, he painted the mental image of what we believe to be the game's true mission: using these hardships to explore the unique strengths of its cast of characters.

As Hinako runs away and fights off enemies based on traditional Japanese folklore, it's hard to not see it as an old-vs-new allegory- as you play a modern (for the time) girl literally going up against depictions of women that are centuries old.

"The 1960s in Japan was a time when prejudice and pressure against women were extremely strong", he adds.

"In that era, Hinako is portrayed as a woman who possesses the strength to resist such external pressures. Flowers also symbolize the beauty of women".

It just wouldn't be Silent Hill without focusing down on its main character and their specific relation to the game's themes. According to Ryukishi07, all of these were taken into account with Hinako- figuring out the cogs of how she works down to her inner conflicts and even her relationship with her family and friends.

Combining Beauty And Horror

This wasn't just Ryukishi07's solo work, though. Many fans might remember the haunting reveal teaser for Silent Hill f- a dreadful mix of horror and flowers. According to Ryukishi07, the idea of combining horror and beauty was only decided after the game's enemy designer, kera joined in- further pushing the idea of flowers being a driving motif for the games.

"It was after kera joined,and after a lot of discussions that we consent on the concept "Horror & Beauty", and the studio who made the first trailer, added a lot of floral elements to the video, the concept of [Silent Hill f] became even more clearly defined."

Defeating Fear With A Lead Pipe

Of course, it's not enough to just be scared- Silent Hill f is still a game, after all. While many horror scholars are skeptical on a game being able to be both terrifying and action-packed, it's a goal Silent Hill f is shooting for nontheless.

"Horror is tension", says Al Yang from Neobards. "For me, the key to horror is keeping the player constantly tense".

He also maintained that having players having to worry about keeping their own "flame of life" would keep their tension alive. Even though the game features more involved combat than something you'd typically expect from a schoolgirl roaming a haunted locale, that doesn't mean she's doing air combos on ghosts: you need to make sure you have enough resources to get through the areas.

"To evoke this sense of tension, we've put a lot of thought into the combat system", he says. "Players need to pay attention to weapon durability, health, and stamina".

Of course, if you're looking for challenge instead of horror, there's also high-skill options for the player:

"To maintain game balance, systems such as "perfect dodge" and "counter" have been introduced in combat", he says,

Additionally, the team also confirmed harder difficulty modes would be waiting for players after beating the game the first time.

From its creepy atmosphere to its haunting visuals, Silent Hill f looks like it could be a strong contender for one of the most aesthetically powerful horror games in recent years- a bold step forward for a series that's spent the better part of the decade in the opposite visual realm.

Silent Hill f launches September 25th, with early access being available from September 23rd. Our thanks to Konami for the chance to talk with the team behind such a curious title and to the panel for talking about their upcoming game.