Silent Hill f, which is available now on PC (via Steam and EGS), PS5, and Xbox Series X, has launched to strong reviews. It currently has an 87 Top Critic Average (out of 99 reviews) with 89% of critics recommending the title. As many are aware, the franchise stalled in the 2010s and has been mounting a comeback over the past few years. Whether that’s ultimately successful or not remains to be seen, but after the reception of the Silent Hill 2 remake and now Silent Hill f, it seems to be on a good track.
Of course, one of the beautiful things about video games is how a 10/10 game to someone may be a 5/10 to someone else. It’s what’s behind the numbers that matters, and by and large, Silent Hill f reviews showcase the potential strengths and potential weaknesses of the title for anyone. Game Rant’s managing editor Dalton Cooper, who understands horror games more than anyone I know, gave it a 10/10.
In our Silent Hill f review, he wrote, “It features challenging puzzles, gruesome monsters, and a ton of replay value wrapped in stunning graphics, great performance, and smart quality-of-life features that ensure it meets today’s standards. Silent Hill f is a masterful horror game that stands tall alongside the likes of Silent Hill 2 and other survival-horror classics.” On combat, which appears to be the most contentious aspect of the new entry, he also wrote that “[Combat] won me over thanks to the clever twists that are used to expand on it and the strength of the enemy encounters,” despite being initially hesitant about this direction.
Because of how wildly opinions can sway on video games, it’s always worth checking out what others think, and there’s hardly a better place for that than Steam reviews.
Silent Hill f Steam Reviews Are Very Positive
As of this writing, there are 1816 reviews of Silent Hill f on Steam with 86% of them being positive. That lines up pretty well with critic reviews, which is not always the case. Overall, this currently gives the game a Very Positive rating on Steam, and by the simple nature of this, many reviews don’t agree about its quality as a horror/Silent Hill game. Looking at both can go a long way in informing someone’s opinion on whether or not they should buy the game, as what is a deal-breaker for some may not be for others.
For the selection of reviews, we wanted to provide a balance of positive and negative reviews, all of which with enough hours to have plausibly beaten the game.
Silent Hill f's Positive Steam Reviews
Lady Maria's Review
This review, seemingly in a big picture sort of way, highlights how it handles the harsh themes (not uncommon in Silent Hill) in smart and mature ways. It does describe the combat as wonky, but also as something that grew on them.
Ciri's Review
This review cites the writing skills (and thus story) as a display, specifically how well done the combination of horror and small town setting is. It also suggests that it is as scary as anyone would expect a Silent Hill game to be.
Ukie's Review
This review praises the story, level design, and atmosphere, while outlining how it fits into their mold of a Silent Hill game (imperfect combat included).
JP's Review
JP’s review echoes the sentiments of the others, while also highlighting how the signature approach to Silent Hill f‘s endings emphasizes a strong replay value for them.
Zetsumei's Review
This final review called it a game of the year for 2025 (of which there are many this year) and how it is a strong entry in the iconic franchise. It also says that no one should worry about the Japanese setting, as opposed to one in the USA, since that is a bit of a tradition for the Silent Hill franchise.
Summary of Positive Steam Review Selection
As a whole, it seems that many of Silent Hill f‘s key points (monster design, story, atmosphere, setting, replay value) are appreciated. Even in the most positive reviews, it seems the combat being “wonky” is at least a consistent feeling. For these reviews, this is not a dealbreaker for the overall quality of the game, however. That’s not true for everyone, and as such, it’s highly recommended to check out the combat to see if that is something that jives with. The release date trailer seems to give the best official look at Silent Hill f‘s combat and gameplay, although it is slightly more exaggerated in-game.
Silent Hill f's Negative Steam Reviews
Negative Review After 11 Hours
This review highlights a possible distinction that is an okay (6/10) horror game but a bad (2/10) Silent Hill game. It distinguishes the hallmarks of the franchise, saying that just having psychological horror and spooky monsters doesn’t make it Silent Hill. As such, it may be advisable that someone seriously consider what they define as a Silent Hill game before delving into the new entry. Many do disagree, but since that definition is personal (to some degree), it’s understandable that there may be conflicting accounts.
Negative Review After 12 Hours
While combat is not a dealbreaker for all, it does seem to be the case here. Combat, as well as the stamina meter, seems to have detracted from Silent Hill f for this player. There is a through-line notion that combat comes up a fair bit during puzzle solving, so that’s something to consider before purchasing as well.
Negative Review After 13 Hours
This review may be negative, but it is not so in every aspect of the game. It is not as convinced that it is not a Silent Hill game, by definition, and enjoys the story. Combat and gameplay at large, however, seem to be a big reason for this review trending negatively.
Negative Review After 14 Hours
While this review is negative, it does suggest buying the game on sale. Combat rears its head again, but the review also suggests that the back half of the game is not as good as the first half.
A Completely Disappointed Negative Review
While some reviews do see some good things in the game, this one expresses severe disappointment with the whole because of its story, combat, and Silent Hill branding.
Summary of the Negative Reviews
This may be a small selection from many, many more reviews, but there are a few key points that seem worth highlighting as a whole:
- The reception of the story seems to be highly subjective, as is often the case with any good story.
- Combat is often a big point of contention and a concession, even in the positive reviews.
- Is it Silent Hill? That is a big question proposed in some of these reviews, and so it may be worth seeing how your definition of a Silent Hill game lines up with other reviews on Steam or otherwise.
Is Silent Hill f Worth It?
Overall, no game is going to appeal to everyone—and I am not here to tell you how to spend your hard-earned money. I understand the appeal and the contentions with Silent Hill f, but personally, the appeal of its story and themes outweigh the lackluster combat. Whether or not they live up to Silent Hill‘s brand may vary from person to person, and I think that’s a good thing. If there were no debate over what Silent Hill was, there would be no “core” identity of any sort. But if you are considering buying Silent Hill f, I hope you consider both your personal tastes as well as the pros and cons established in reviews. And if you go in blind (which would also mean you are not here in all likelihood), that’s awesome. Sometimes that’s the best way.