When Capcom remade the seminal survival-horror game Resident Evil 2 in 2019, it heralded the start of a hugely successful run of remakes including 2023 masterpiece Resident Evil 4. All eyes were on rival publisher Konami, then, to reboot their once-huge Silent Hill series which had floundered for more than a decade after the company infamously shifted its focus away from video games (and split acrimoniously with Metal Gear Solid/Death Stranding auteur Hideo Kojima).

Everything changed last year, with developer Bloober Team’s hugely successful expanded remake of Silent Hill 2 representing the vanguard of Konami’s triumphant return to the series. A remake of the very first game is also in the works (and boy will it need work), but in the meantime we have Silent Hill F, a brand-new game, to look forward to.

Departing from the foggy streets of the original US-set town, Silent Hill F will transport players to 1960s Japan with gameplay that blends traditional psychological scares with Japanese folklore and body horror. New character Hinako must work her way through a fresh misty environment, solving puzzles and battling monsters; quite how the new town will relate to its titular counterpart is unclear (perhaps they’re twinned?). In our four-star review of last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake, we took issue with the overwhelming number of enemies. Recent previews have raised concerns among some that the game might be much more combat-focused than before, with debate raging over whether or not Silent Hill is turning into a Soulslike franchise. Hopefully a balance can be struck between scares and thrills.

Silent Hill f is out on PC, PS5 and Xbox series X/S on Thursday 25 September.