With multiple endings, new cinematics, bosses, weapons, and collectibles to find in Ebisugaoka, calling it a day and moving on to your next game is arguably the worst way to experience the game’s story. But why is that so? That’s what we’re here to show you.

Let’s dive right in.

Every End Is A New Beginning

The different endings you can achieve are probably the most important aspects that justify playing through Silent Hill f more than once, twice, or even thrice, based on just how much you would like to learn about Hinako, Fox Mask, her parents, and even Shu in one of the endings we found quite memorable. Of course, each one is bittersweet with one notable exception, and really subjective.

Each of these conclusions to the tale gives you a lot to think about, and you really must unlock them all to figure out which one of them actually fits your interpretations of the story you experienced. It all comes down to how you want to see Hinako rebel against her family and society’s wishes, and see her take control over her own agency.

It’s brilliant that Konami and NeoBards found different ways to bring haunting themes and twists to each one. We already know that rolling the credits for the first time paints her as the most dangerous monster of the story. She was her own worst enemy all along, her substance abuse leading to her falling to the darkest corners of her personality. She came to see even her own friends, once an outlet for her anger and frustration, as threats to be callously removed from the board.

Her suspicions extended to Fox Mask, implied to be a future husband from an arranged marriage she may have been forced into by her parents. But would Hinako, whose kindness and concern for the people around her, resort to such violent means? It was seriously clever of Konami to make the Red Pills the cause of her violent tendencies, bringing substance abuse into the chaos of a rebellious teenager’s mind. Having players locked away from other potential endings was a great way to make them have a red pill moment of their own, after all.

But of course, the first ending you get is probably the worst one of the lot. It’s typical Silent Hill, and the fact that New Game Plus is your ticket to more nuanced, complex ones is kind of par for the course at this point. With new cutscenes giving you new perspectives, new items that unlock new possibilities, and new quests that can help unlock different story beats, you’re certainly going to want to take a few more runs through Ebisugaoka.

There are three other endings to Hinako’s adventure, each bringing opportunities to further reflect on Hinako and her troubled family dynamic. Does she relent and give in to her parents’ wishes, leaving her old life and friends behind for a new one with Fox Mask? Does she reject her marriage and take control of her destiny? Does she manage to reconcile her good and bad sides and come out stronger for it?

At its heart, Hinako’s story is one about having control over your own life and choices. Extending that choice to its players is an absolutely fascinating attempt from Konami to break the fourth wall in a manner that’s both subtle and so well-integrated into the story it’s trying to tell. It’s up to you to take control and decide what you want to do with what the game gives you.

Choosing not to engage further with the story is also an option, by that logic. But doing so locks you away from experiencing the true potential of what Silent Hill f brings to the table. And like Hinako, it would be a shame for you to make choices that lock you away from better things to come. Despite your own agency, not choosing to have another go at the story isn’t really an option.

But the story and endings are not the only reason you should dive back into Silent Hill f.

Armed With Knowledge

It’s brilliant that in a story about agency and an individual having the power to shape their own destiny, going back to it with the knowledge and tools to actualize that control becomes an option. New Game Plus lets you retain your Faith levels, stats, your Omamori, and a few key items. That lets you take on the adventure armed with all the knowledge you’ve accrued, along with a better grasp of its combat and your own build.

But it doesn’t stop there. There are new items to discover, and new collectibles which could potentially lead you towards one of the aforementioned endings. There’s also the “Lost in the Fog” difficulty option, along with altered enemy difficulties and even a few new bosses that are tied to individual ending routes.

You’re not going to derive all the value you can get from Silent Hill f’s price tag if you choose not to go past the first ending, as only subsequent playthroughs let you explore and engage with all of this additional content. It’s also quite a challenge to avoid using Red Pills since it is a requirement on one or two endings, ensuring that Hinako doesn’t fall prey to her more violent tendencies, thanks to her substance abuse.

With new areas to explore, new questlines and lore drops, and an increased level cap, New Game Plus and maybe even another run or two are exactly what you need to get the most out of your time in Ebisugaoka. I’m particularly impressed by how Konami and NeoBards encourage players to engage with a combat system that many thought would take away from the Silent Hill experience.

You’re going to have to use its mechanics quite well, and perhaps stock up on valuable healing items in your inventory, if you want to avoid using Red Capsules in a run. That means a solid grasp of the combat system’s foundations and a willingness to dive deeper into enemy animations, attack timings, parry windows, and the optimal use of Focus and Sanity to come out on top. It’s a clever way to stay true to the franchise’s traditions while also putting the spotlight on its new mechanics.

Revisiting the story with all of these intelligent tweaks means that your second time with Hinako could look, feel, and play out like a different game altogether. There’s also the detail that more endings unlock as you complete them, leading you to dive right back in for another run.

Like the Dark World that Hinako visits at crucial moments, Silent Hill f is designed to reel you into Ebisugaoka’s twisted world, and keep you there for as long as it can. You might argue that designing the game this way takes control away from the player, forcing them to experience the game a certain way when they first take it on, and I’d agree. But it’s a minor loss of agency at the outset in exchange for a much better payoff in the grand scale of things.

That trade-off is what makes each playthrough of Silent Hill f special. Knowing that Hinako could be her own worst enemy if you don’t take the time to nudge her along a better path makes the experience more immersive and engaging the next time you play it. It’s an excellent intersection of everything that makes the franchise as popular as it is, and it’s done so effortlessly that you don’t see its beauty until you roll the credits for the first time.

Stepping Stones to Success

Konami must be commended for achieving such a fine balance between the many elements that build a survival horror experience. The adventure is baked into the game’s environments, mechanics, and story in a way that stays with its players long after they witness each of its endings, even the returning UFO gag one.

It’s a haunting examination of how one’s mental health relies on one’s own determination and the discipline to pursue what they hold most dear. For Hinako and the ones guiding her through the darkest corners of her psyche, it’s about pushing past fear and becoming better as a result.

Silent Hill f is not just an examination of Hinako’s crumbling mental state. It’s about how one can overcome their own insecurities and rise above them as a result. As anyone who has faced such struggles can attest, it’s about trying and failing, only to come back stronger and more self-aware as a result. Konami has cleverly captured that loop, and its latest addition to a beloved franchise takes things up a notch as a result.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

This Silent Hill f guide serves as an explainer for what you need to do to see every possible ending for the game in chronological order with the minimum number of full playthroughs.

Default Regular Ending

This ending is what every player will achieve on their very first playthrough, regardless of difficulty. It will also be the ending for all NG+ and NG+2 runs if certain specific criteria are not met for their exclusive alternate endings.

Like all endings it shares its name with its trophy/achievement: “Coming Home To Roost”.

New Game Plus Ending #1

This is a joke ending that can only be reached in NG+. Chronologically, you can get this ending well before the others, as it brings the run to an abrupt end well before the true finale of the story.

Begin by listening in on any one of the three UFO broadcasts fully. The first one of these can be heard on a radio secreted in a tiny niche that you crouch to enter just after the initial combat encounter.

Next, view all three of the film posters titled “The Great Space Invasion” in their correct numbered order. All of these are located in Ebisugaoka over multiple visits.

Finally, interact with the film review of “The Great Space Invasion”.

Ideally, you will make a save right before the third step, so that you can reload it and continue on your true story progression path for NG+ endings #2 and #3. However, note that those two also require that you never consume Red Capsules at any point in the playthrough.

This ending is considered to be a humorous unofficial ending, and unlocks the trophy/achievement “The Great Space Invasion!”.

If you reload a save file with this ending completed, you can acquire a powerful secret weapon: the PP-8001, which is kind of a lightsaber katana. To get it, simply view any single one of the three film posters again, with the obvious choice being the very first one in Ebisugaoka.

The next two New Game Plus endings are interchangeable in their order, and can be done on the same run with some careful manual saving.

New Game Plus Ending #2

The first of the true NG+ endings requires you to fulfil certain conditions over the course of your playthrough.

First, refrain from consuming any Red Capsules for the entire run.

Secondly, either do not acquire the Sacred Sword at all, or acquire it and then purify it later. The former choice is not recommended as the Sacred Sword is a very handy, powerful weapon for combat encounters.

Purification of the Sacred Sword requires you to obtain the Agura no Hotei-sama located in the Hermitage of Crimson Water, which is accessed via the Main Hall – 1st Floor. You will also need to solve the Crimson Water Puzzle here.

Finally, perform the actual purification ritual of the Sacred Sword in a now reddened trough at the shrine located in northern Ebisugaoka.

Ideally, you will make a manual save at some point before performing the purification ritual in order to reload it and continue onwards through the story progression path for NG+ ending #3.

This ending is considered to be the bad ending, and unlocks the trophy/achievement “Fox’s Wedding”.

New Game Plus Ending #3

The second of the true NG+ exclusive endings can be acquired with only a slight modification to the criteria for the other true ending, making it possible to achieve by creating a save at the right moment.

Once again, refrain from consuming any Red Capsules for the full playthrough.

Get a hold of the Sacred Sword by making offerings at the various Jizo Statues scattered throughout Ebisugaoka, but do not purify it when presented with the opportunity to do so. This means that you can acquire the Agura no Hotei-sama and even solve the Crimson Water Puzzle, but simply avoid purifying the Sacred Sword in the trough/basin of blood at the shrine in northern Ebisugaoka.

This ending is considered to be the good ending from the perspective of Hinako, and unlocks the trophy/achievement “The Fox Wets Its Tail”.

New Game Plus 2 Ending

The fifth and final ending is only obtainable on NG+2, and requires two out of three full and proper endings on the same save file. This effectively excludes the joke ending known as “The Great Space Invasion!”, as it is not considered a full playthrough.

While viewing your save files, note the distinct markings denoting endings on the right of the save.

Yet again, refrain from consuming any Red Capsules over the course of the entire playthrough.

Get and purify the Sacred Sword in the bloodied shrine.

Make an offering of the Brooch to the secret Ancient Jizo Statue in Ebisugaoka, located on the mountain path between the home of Shu and Shimizu Residence.

This ending is considered to be the true ending to the game, and unlocks the trophy/achievement “Ebisugaoka In Silence”.

Those are all five of the endings for Silent Hill f and how to ideally unlock them with the minimum number of full playthroughs.

Okamoto addressed the fact that Silent Hill f’s emphasis on challenging combat might be divisive, but “Of course, that doesn’t mean every future Silent Hill will be like Silent Hill f.” Rather, he notes that “Each one will have its own distinct flavor. We want to keep experimenting and be ambitious, both in terms of gameplay design and storytelling, so please look forward to the next Silent Hill as well.”

He further elaborated on this idea in a social media post, noting that Konami wants to approach new styles of gameplay with future Silent Hill titles. He did, however, note that some elements would be carried over, with the most important one of these being a high quality story.

“As mentioned in the interview, not all future Silent Hill games will have gameplay like f; rather, we aim to create a series that is always challenging in a positive way, offering a different flavor of gameplay with each title,” he wrote.

“Of course, some things will remain unchanged, and the most important of these is the quality of the story. We firmly believe that a psychological story is essential to the essence of Silent Hill, and we will continue to focus on this aspect, confidently delivering it in future works.”

Silent Hill f was released in September on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and it has already proven itself to be quite a hit. According to a report from just a couple of days ago, Konami noted that it had already sold more than a million copies, before also going on to mention that it was selling at a quicker pace than last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake. For context, Silent Hill 2 had managed to sell more than a million copies in its first week, before eventually crossing the 2 million mark in the span of a few months.

Okamoto has also made a note of Silent Hill f’s success and positive reception, while also noting that Higurashi When They Cry creator Ryukishi07 handling the narrative for the title was the right call.

“I’m thrilled that [Silent Hill f] received a Metascore of 86, tying with the Silent Hill 2 remake,” wrote Okamoto on X. “With Japan as the setting, Mr. Ryukishi07 handling the scenario, and a combat-focused game design, I had a feeling it might divide opinions given all the challenging elements, but I’m truly grateful for such high praise.”

“Even amid the mixed reception, the story has been almost universally acclaimed by all media outlets, so entrusting it to Mr. Ryukishi07 was absolutely the right call. I think this is a work that fans of Mr. Ryukishi07, as well as Silent Hill fans, can both enjoy and recommend.”

For more details about Silent Hill f, check out our review.

Yang spoke about how the fact that the game is more action focused also means that it is easier to bring a new audience into the Silent Hill franchise who might not be fans of the series’ traditional clunky and slow combat. The focus on combat has also given the developers at NeoBards more room to adjust balancing and difficulty settings.

“This entry in the Silent Hill series is more action-focused than previous ones,” said Yang. “But because of this, we tuned our difficulty to be more suitable for players from both classic Silent Hill titles.”

When it comes to difficulty options, the demo for Silent Hill f at Gamescom 2025 seemingly provided three, with Story being the easiest one, meant for newcomers to the franchise. Through these options, NeoBards wants to make the survival horror title more accessible depending on what kind of difficulty players might be more accustomed to.

“We want to give old fans, the classic fans, kind of like, ‘Ah, this is what I came here for, a succulent Silent Hill meal,’ you know,” explained Yang. “But also something for newer fans, or people who want to try something a little bit different. We’re trying to keep the classic Silent Hill vibes and atmosphere, but change the gameplay a little bit. We don’t want everything to be the same.”

When it comes to going with a more action-heavy title for the Silent Hill franchise, Okamoto explained the decision by Konami to team up with NeoBards for the game, citing the fact that it has been teaming up with various studios for quite a few Silent Hill projects, including with Bloober Team for last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake. Through these partnerships, Konami wants each Silent Hill project to offer up its own distinct flavours of survival horror.

“Silent Hill is a type of series that we’ve been partnering with many different groups for,” Okamoto explained. “For the remake, we partnered with Bloober Team. Future titles will probably carry their own flavour, depending on who we will be working with.”

Okamoto had also spoken at length about how slapping the Soulslike label on Silent Hill f wasn’t just misleading, but disingenuous as well. In an interview, he spoke about how Silent Hill games have always featured similar styles of combat, and how Silent Hill 3 even had its own stamina meter.

Silent Hill f is being developed for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details on the upcoming title, check out the recent trailer showcasing the game’s take on the franchise’s traditional Otherworld.

In an interview with IGN at Gamescom 2025, Okamoto spoke about how various aspects of Silent Hill f’s combat system are much older than the Souls series – the initial outing for which was 2009’s Demon’s Souls – and how many titles have used similar styles of combat, including even older Silent Hill games.

“This is one of the things that we see — the term soulslike — being thrown around on the internet quite a bit,” he said. “And I think it’s a label that’s a little bit disingenuous. Modern players will see like, oh there’s a stamina meter, there’s a dodge, and they’re like, ‘Okay, it’s a soulslike.’”

“But to be very honest, a lot of these things we actually pulled from classic Silent Hill titles. Look at Silent Hill 4 — there’s a charge meter for your attacks, kind of like our Focus meter. And even for Silent Hill 3 there’s a stamina meter. You see it later on.”

Okamoto also spoke about how the methodical style of melee combat isn’t exclusive to Souls games, going on to talk about how older action horror games have been using them for a while. He capped off the interview by reiterating that Silent Hill f isn’t aiming to be a Soulslike game, but rather, an action horror title.

“These things aren’t new and exclusive to soulslike games,” he said. “They’ve been a part of action horror games for a very, very long time. If you have these things you’re labeled a soulslike. And we’d like to reiterate we are an action horror game, but we are not a soulslike.”

Silent Hill f is being developed for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for release on September 25. More recently, the horror game got a trailer showcasing the Otherworld areas from the upcoming title. Among the things that protagonist Hinako Shimizu will have to deal with in the Otherworld are strange monsters, surreal voices from the radio, and even some form of her own trauma owing to a twisted depiction of her home.

As for gameplay, details about the combat in Silent Hill f were revealed back in August, including how the game’s weapon durability system works, and how players can make use of resources they find in the world and a crafting system to repair and upgrade these weapons. The title will also feature a progression system that revolves around special currency and equipment that can raise Hinako’s stats.

Okamoto had also previously spoken about how Silent Hill f will feature more action gameplay elements than the series is typically known for.

However, a new trailer reveal is also confirmed for August 19th at Gamescom Opening Night Live. It’s thus possible that the duo will break it down further while offering new details. However, they could also showcase some fresh gameplay. Either way, it’s even more for fans to look forward to ahead of the game’s launch.

Silent Hill f releases on September 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Digital Deluxe Edition owners receive early access on September 23rd alongside other bonuses, including an item pack, two bonus outfits, a digital soundtrack and a digital artbook. Stay tuned for more details from Gamescom and check out everything we know about the combat and puzzles.

The writer explained that, originally, he wanted to set the game in Shizuoka Prefecture, since the name could be translated to mean either Quiet Hill or Silent Hill. However, the presence of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture put a stop to that, since its presence in the skyline wouldn’t match the atmosphere that Silent Hill f is going for.

“When creating the story, we first wanted all the staff to have a common understanding of where the game was set,” Ryukishi said. “To achieve this, we used real locations as the basis for our imagery.”

“In fact, since this is Silent Hill, we actually visited Shizuoka Prefecture as a potential location,” he continued. “However, when we actually went there, we felt that the presence of Mount Fuji as seen from Shizuoka was too overbearing and it didn’t seem suitable for a Silent Hill setting.”

“Mount Fuji looms over the entire area, so its presence would overwhelm the foggy atmosphere of the work. After visiting several other locations, I felt that the grid-like townscape of Kanayama was an interesting shape, so I suggested that.”

In the same interview, Ryukishi07 had also spoken about how Silent Hill f will meld two distinct styles of horror: psychological and supernatural. He described this blend of the horror styles in a strange way, referring to it as being like “salad dressing” where players will have difficulty in figuring out what is supernatural, and what is just the result of psychological problems.

Expanding on his “salad dressing” metaphor, he explained that supernatural and psychological elements would act like distinct ingredients of a salad dressing – like oil and vinegar. While he didn’t go into too many details about what this might mean, his explanation indicated that players might end up having a hard time distinguishing between the supernatural elements of the game from the various kinds of psychological terror that is likely also lurking behind dark corners.

Recently, more details about Silent Hill f have been revealed, ranging from information about its combat system and exploration, to even how some of its puzzles work. The details were revealed courtesy of a preview event where publications were allowed to spend some time playing what has been described as roughly a third of the whole game. Check out details in our coverage.

Silent Hill f is under development for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and will be hitting store shelves on September 25. The title is being developed by NeoBards, and is being made with Unreal Engine 5.

One of the key things that the writer used to draw contrast between Silent Hill f and last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake is the fact that the upcoming horror game will allow players to spend quite a bit of time outdoors. While Silent Hill 2 had players explore dilapidated buildings and creepy hospitals, Silent Hill f will instead let players roam around the town of Ebisugaoka in the shoes of protagonist Hinako.

Silent Hill f also seemingly makes use of quite a few uncanny details to amplify its atmosphere, even in the early parts of the game covered by the preview. The writer provides an example of how, as they were exploring the town, one of the puzzles they needed to solve involved finding a key to be able to continue to the next area. Returning to a hallway after getting this key instantly had a door suddenly swing open without any prompting or interaction.

When it comes to actual combat, Silent Hill f will allow players to make use of melee weapons that also happen to have limited durability. Using a weapon repeatedly will cause it to wear down, and eventually break. To give players enough ways to get out of a jam, however, Hinako can equip up to three weapons at the same time, allowing players to either distribute the wear and tear on their weapons, or to quickly switch to a new one when their weapon breaks down. Interestingly, the durability of weapons also shows on the weapon itself; a baseball bat, for example, will start getting cracks, and pipes will get bent as you use them.

Broken weapons can also be made usable again through repair kits. Finding these is described by the writer as being an “integral part” of how the game expects players to manage their resources throughout their time spent exploring Ebisugaoka.

Silent Hill f will also feature a progression system; players will be able to turn their resources into a currency that can then be turned in at save points to either raise Hinako’s stats, or be turned into equipable items that give Hinako other buffs. This, along with the slow and deliberate nature of the core combat has led the writer to draw comparisons with FromSoftware’s action RPGs. This comparison is further helped by the fact that Hinako can pull off timed dodges and counterattacks, and the fact that each melee weapon tends to have its own unique moveset with light and heavy attacks.

Interestingly, the combat system also has a mechanic dubbed Focus Mode, which ties into the story as it also serves as an indicator of Hinako’s mental state. Using Focus Mode allows players to more easily land counterattacks against enemies and deal higher amounts of damage with charged up power attacks. However, using Focus Mode also depletes a mental energy gauge, which is also affected by finding things throughout the game that scare Hinako.

Silent Hill f will also mark the return of one of the franchise’s key mechanics – the alternate world. The writer described exploring this alternate world and eventually coming face to face with a boss that took them almost an entire hour to beat. The writer noted that they were playing the game on the normal difficulty, while their colleagues playing on Story difficulty also faced enough trouble in the fight to either need a second attempt, or ended up not being able to win the fight before their time with the game expired.

Silent Hill f is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details about the game, check out how the writer describes its blend of different styles of horror as “salad dressing”.

This, he noted, comes down to the fact that he used a different method of writing than what he usually does. Rather than having several different kinds of themes in the game’s story, Ryukishi07 instead focused on a central theme around which the entire story would then be written. Expanding on his “salad dressing” metaphor, he explained that supernatural and psychological elements would act like distinct ingredients of a salad dressing – like oil and vinegar. While he didn’t go into too many details about what this might mean, his explanation indicated that players might end up having a hard time distinguishing between the supernatural elements of the game from the various kinds of psychological terror that is likely also lurking behind dark corners.

For some context, while many Silent Hill games have featured supernatural elements, like the presence of cults and evil deities in Silent Hill 1 and 3, Silent Hill 2, on the other hand, focused purely on psychological horror. Many of the terrors faced by protagonist James Sutherland in Silent Hill 2 were essentially the town of Silent Hill forcing him to come to terms with his own trauma; even the enemies of the game were designed based on his own psychoses. Ryukishi07’s “salad dressing” metaphor might indicate that the game’s story will blend both of these styles of horror together to create even more uncertainty within players’ minds.

Back in June, Ryukishi07 had said that the central themes of the game will be things that the franchise has never tackled before. At the same event, NeoBards senior producer Albert Lee, along with series producer at Konami, Motoi Okamura, spoke about how there was a lot of time spent in coming up with ideas to bring the game’s setting of Showa Era town Ebisugaoka to life. The decision to set the town in 1960s Japan was also part of this back-and-forth, because the studio wanted to present players with an environment that would feel “familiar yet alien”.

Earlier this month, Konami had revealed the opening of Silent Hill f to attendees of Anime Expo 2025. The opening video, which was captured by those in attendance, showcased protagonist Hinako speaking to a doll. Her sister was also present in the opening, dressed in a yukata. Quite a few things about the opening felt mysterious, however, including the fact that the sister’s face was never shown.

Silent Hill f is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 25. Those who pick up the Digital Deluxe Edition will be able to play the games three days before its release.

Capcom’s Project Resistance is the new, asymmetrical multiplayer horror title set in the Resident Evil universe. It pits four survivors against a Mastermind, the latter using zombies and traps to ultimately take down our heroes. Closed beta registration is currently available but how does a typical match play out?

To showcase the same, Capcom has released a video showcasing a full match. Each survivor has their own unique abilities and talents to turn the tides in their favour. Relying on teammates is still required for getting out of traps or when caught by zombies. But as per the developer, Project Resistance can still be played offline in a single-player format.

Project Resistance is coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The closed beta starts on October 4^th and ends on October 7^th for consoles. Stay tuned for more details but in the meantime, check out producer Matt Walker’s comments on how Project Resistance is still inherently “survival horror at its core.”