Silent Hill f Will Be The First Game In The Series To Receive An 18+ rating In Japan

March 13th, Konami hosted a SILENT HILL Transmission, mostly focusing on the upcoming project, Silent Hill f. Still in development, this will be the first new original Silent Hill game release in 13 years, following 2012's Downpour. f is one of the four new projects Konami announced in 2022, which included the Silent Hill 2 Remake. With this new entry, Konami may be pushing limits on the psychological horror elements the Silent Hill series is known for.

This Silent Hill game will be developed by NeoBards Entertainment, who has a history of working with Capcom's survival horror series, Resident Evil (Resident Evil: Resistance and Resident Evil Re:Verse). It will be written by Ryukishi07, the creator of the popular Japanese light novel and anime series When They Cry, which is fitting, as there can be some parallels between the surreal psychological horror elements. The creature and character designs are handled by Japanese artist Kera (Romancing SaGa, Lord of Vermillion).

Speaking of said themes, Silent Hill f takes place in 1960's Japan where Hinako Shimizu resides. Her hometown of Ebisugaoka becomes rapidly enshrouded in a fog that unleashes horrifying monsters in which she must find a way to survive. Throughout the trailer, her school uniform is becoming more tattered and torn, her body is increasingly covered in more wounds, and her mental strain appears to be deteriorating. Perhaps the most bold element of the game's rating includes the advisory regarding the content. From the official Silent Hill f website come the following warning:

This game contains depictions of gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence.

This game is set in Japan in the 1960s and contains depictions based on the customs and culture of that time. These depictions do not reflect the opinions or values of the developers or any individuals involved.

Silent Hill has always tackled heavy themes, so it's great prudence this issue precludes the release of this game. Cirrently, Silent Hill f has no release date, but is in development for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Steam, and Epic Games Store.