The idea of linking the classic psychological horror series Silent Hill to the “Soulslike” subgenre might sound strange, but producer Motoi Okamoto felt the need to clear up some confusion among fans.
As Konami already revealed, Silent Hill f will feature more combat than previous chapters, with the goal of making it more engaging and accessible to a younger and wider audience. During Gamescom 2025 and other events, gameplay sequences showed how combat has become a more central part of the experience. The presence of dodges, parries, and counterattacks with strict timing led some players to compare it to the Soulslike genre.
Addressing the issue, Okamoto was clear: Silent Hill f will be more action-oriented than its predecessors, but it is absolutely not a Soulslike. He said labeling it that way is “disingenuous.”
“This is one of the things that we see — the term soulslike — being thrown around on the internet quite a bit,” Okamoto explained in an interview with IGN. He continued:
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.’
Okamoto also reminded fans that many mechanics in Silent Hill f come directly from earlier entries in the series, long before the rise of Soulslike games, and have always been part of the action-horror genre.
“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. These things aren’t new and exclusive to Soulslike games,” he concluded. “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 will be available on September 25 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
