Silent Hill fis right around the corner, and with the game promising a bold departure for the series, many longtime fans have been wondering what similarities and differences will be present. The biggest difference inSilent Hill fis clear: the setting. Instead of the titular foggy town,Silent Hill ftakes place in a fictional Japanese community. Protagonist Hinako Shimizu leads the story, and a variety of horrifying monsters have already been revealed ahead of launch.
With a brand-new setting and fresh protagonist,Silent Hill fhas the potential to be an exciting change of pace, as the entry is also teasing more combat. Traditionally, theSilent Hillfranchise has been more focused on atmosphere and story over combat, but last year’sSilent Hill 2remake enhanced some of the original game’s fighting mechanics. TheSH2remake didn’t go full-onResident Evilwith its combat, but it was still quite an improvement. Based onSilent Hill f’s trailers, Konami is seemingly leaning further into more combat-focused moments, and if that’s the case, then the game’s bosses hopefully don’t disappoint.
Silent Hill Has a History of Lackluster Boss Fights
The SH2 Remake Flipped the Script
While the combat inBloober Team’sSH2remakeis still rather simple, the developer managed to bring more depth to many of the boss fights. One of the biggest standout fights players experience in the story is with Eddie Dombrowski. The encounter can still be fairly straightforward, but it also features a level of inventiveness and character depth that the original game was lacking. Some fights, like Pyramid Head, can still be slightly underwhelming, but when compared to the first game, theSH2remake really nails bringing some solid boss encounters to a game that puts atmosphere and storytelling first.
Konami recently confirmed that Bloober Team will be returning to remake the firstSilent Hillgame.
Silent Hill f Has Another Chance to Elevate the Franchise’s Handling of Bosses
Right now, the specific bosses have yet to be confirmed by Konami, but there have been some sneak peeks showcased in some ofSilent Hill f’s trailers.Silent Hillhas plenty of iconic villains, andSilent Hill fclearly isn’t skimping on incredible enemy design. However, good design doesn’t mean good combat, so only time will tell how fighting these various enemy types pans out.
With the game’s teased offering of melee weapons, though,Silent Hill fhas the opportunity to present players combat that is both challenging and dynamic. Being forced to get up close and personal with a boss or enemy can bring an extra layer of fear that is often missing fromSilent Hillboss fights.Silent Hill f’s melee is bound to be controversial, but it might also be the key to making boss fights feel far more rewarding and sweat-inducing.
The fictional Japanese town inSilent Hill fis calledEbisugaoka, with the story taking place during the1960s.
Silent Hill f Could Introduce a New Era of Silent Hill
The wait forSilent Hill fis almost over, and it will be fascinating to see if this new direction for the franchise pays off or not. TheSH2remake was a promising start forfutureSilent Hillprojects, but considering that it was a remake, it’s easier to adapt a story that’s already been proven to be successful.
Konami is taking a big leap withSilent Hill f, and it hopefully continues the strong balance of storytelling and compelling boss fights that theSH2remake was able to achieve. All will be revealed on September 23, but until then,Silent Hill fremains an upcoming horror title that raises plenty of intriguing questions.
