Silent Hill f isn't afraid to pull you out of your "cultural safe space"

Japanese horror has long been held in regard for its use of spirituality, agonizing tension-building, and social subversion to inspire abject dread in its audience. The original 1998 version of The Ring, Ryu Murakami’s Audition, and pretty much anything ever produced by Junji Ito are all cases in point. Whereas western horror had a penchant for slashers, Japan was always the master of atmosphere. Nowadays, the distinction between the two isn’t so clear, as inspiration has continually cross-pollinated, more so from east to west. Silent Hill has traditionally straddled the two spheres, blending the visceral with the implicit. Silent Hill f can be considered a modest departure from this formula, as NeoBards drags the iconic series away from its western trappings, and back to Japan with plenty of kicking and screaming involved. Speaking to PCGamesN at Gamescom, series producer Motoi Okamoto and game director Ai-Yang explain why it’s bringing Silent Hill home.