Best Game Direction comes down to clarity of vision, and Silent Hill f delivers it from start to finish. By shifting the series to 1960s Japan, the team commits fully to a setting, tone, and thematic focus that shape every part of the experience. From monster design to soundscape to narrative structure, each element reinforces Hinako’s story and trauma. Even when individual mechanics don’t land for everyone, the overall direction never wavers. Silent Hill f feels deliberate, confident, and unified, making it our pick for Best Game Direction in 2025.
Best Game Direction – Silent Hill f
Spencer: It almost feels strange to say that it’s good to see a distinctly “Japanese” Silent Hill, given it’s always been a Japanese franchise, but previous entries did indeed focus on more American settings and stories. As such, seeing a truly chilling Silent Hill story take place in 1960s Japan was both refreshing and memorable. Hinako is a fantastic protagonist who has to deal with both realistic and supernatural trauma again and again, making each ending its own type of tragic in a way that feels unlike previous Silent Hill games. All this to say, Silent Hill is back, baby.
Diego: Making a horror game that’s truly scary is difficult, but making one that also aligns narratively, tonally, and aesthetically with its franchise, all while still standing on its own, is even harder. Silent Hill f manages to do all of that. When I wasn’t playing this game, all I was doing was thinking about it, whether that was trying to break down the meaning of some of the monster design in relation to Hinako’s trauma or some of the theming that the game was going for. It’s not often you get a game where they had a very clear vision of what it should be and actually managed to deliver on that, but NeoBards managed it. There’s just so much to chew on while playing Silent Hill f, and it’s a game that stays with you for days after beating it.
James: Game direction can often feel hard to define, but that’s not the case with Silent Hill f. The dreary 1960s Japan setting, combined with the nature-forward monster designs, comes together with the story to create a complete vision. I might not have loved the combat, but every part of Hinako’s journey–the sounds, the environments, and the puzzles–all come together to create a powerful story.
Samantha: For a while, it was hard to be a Silent Hill fan when the series spent so long trapped in limbo, but we’re finally seeing a resurgence. I had high hopes for Silent Hill f when it was announced with Ryukishi07 as the writer, but even if that made me confident about the writing, I still worried about whether the rest of the game would hold up. Fortunately, it did. I didn’t love every aspect of Silent Hill f, but it has a great game direction that makes it one of the strongest entries the series has seen in years.
