After three playthroughs, I think I have finally come to what I would consider the definitive ending for Silent Hill f. The road to get here was repetitive and a little tedious, but it was (mostly) worth it. There's even more to unpack here, so prepare for more rambling.

To address the gameplay one last time, the third playthrough definitely is less exploration driven than the first two. The game is gracious enough to give you early access to the unpurified sword, and the statues have already been taken care of, so that's two things you no longer need to worry about. The remaining requirements are pretty easy to fulfill as long as you are paying attention, so this run is really more about finding the last few notes you need to complete the diaries. Since I had access to the unpurified sword, I decided to try it out and MAN it does some serious damage! This thing was able to take out monsters that I wouldn't have even bothered fighting, and it does it all in just a few swings. It makes combat a lot easier, although it still carries a lot of the clunkiness that the other weapons have. As for upgrades, you get access to a FIFTH omamori slot, which gives you even more perks for this run. I was so close to finding all of the ema for upgrades, but it seems like I'm still missing ONE that prevented me from unlocking the trophy.

All of these gameplay additions and modifiers are nice, and they definitely help you progress faster, but overall you really are playing through the exact same game for a third time. I was hoping that there may be some more substantial differences for the third playthrough, but no. You are doing all of the same levels, all of the same bosses, and all of the same main objectives that you did before. I've become pretty good at this game, so many of it's flaws that I've covered before have become less ergegious to me, but that doesn't mean they just go away. All of the problems I've had are still there, they're just easier to deal with now. It can still be annoying to dodge, the camera can sometimes be a problem, attacks don't always feel right, and fighting multiple enemies at once still isn't something I really enjoy doing. I can do all of these things fairly easily now, but they are still not something I look forward to. Another thing I didn't look forward to was trudging through all of the same locations for a third time. At least the second playthrough had the statues and the secret room in the other world, this playthrough changes up nothing. This can make replays feel kind of dull sometimes, as you solve the same puzzles, fight the same enemies, and rewatch many of the same cutscenes.

So, without changes to the gameplay and puzzles, the only thing left is the story. I'd say that for the first half of the game, the story basically stays the exact same as the second playthrough. You get the same cutscenes, and dialogue for everything up until the time you get the wolf arm. Once that happens, you start finding new notes and diary entries that really change how you see the story. At this point, I had already known what to expect when it came to the main story, but where this playthrough really changes things up is how the other characters are written. We finally learn a lot about how every truly feels once they've had a chance to calm down, and it turns out that Hinako wasn't as alone as she initially thought. It really shifts the dynamic that she has with everybody, and it shows just how difficult this choice is for her. It moves the story away from some of it's broader critiques of 60s Japanese culture (don't worry, they are still present), and towards a more personal struggle for Hinako's future. It was these pieces of lore and backstory that really kept me going as I continued, and reading the complete diary entries for Hinako's friends and family help paint a more complex but complete picture of her situation. Things are not always as simple as they seem, and every character is given so much depth when it seemed like they were all so simple minded before. They all have their faults, but in the end they really did care about Hinako. The ending just helps to drive this point home; Fox Mask is finally given the crucial backstory and motivation that I've been looking for, and thankfully his character was also given the depth he needed to be more than a simple manipulator. In many ways, Fox Mask and Hinako are very similar: controlled by forces stronger than them that wish to force them into making a choice that neither are sure they even want to make yet. In the end, both realize that what they really want is the freedom to choose when they are ready, and I feel that it was a great way to wrap up the storyline.

I will say that the ending itself was a little confusing at first, but I think that it isn't meant to be taken too literally. I think that, like many elements of Silent Hill f, what really matters is the underlying message beneath the metaphor. With that said, I am glad the game did explain the supernatural elements of the story, I was really worried that it would just leave those plot points alone.

As much as I enjoyed the story, and the new revelations that this playthrough brought with it, I still can't say that I enjoy how Silent Hill f went about telling this story. Simply put, this method of storytelling feels like the game is artificially extending it's playtime. You HAVE to replay the game to actually see what is going on, but the game doesn't really do a whole lot to make these playthroughs feel different. You are doing the same things everytime, and that gets old. It all feels like needless padding, especially because the default ending is such a red herring. I think that should have been an optional ending if the player performs badly, with the "good" and "bad" endings occurring by default depending on the conditions the player meets. Silent Hill games have always had multiple endings, but the main ones were always available from the start, and they actually felt like conclusive endings. Any of the extra NG+ endings were always meant to showcase something completely different, whether it was more supernatural, or more comedic. Locking the true ending behind not one, but TWO playthroughs just feels kind of scummy, the game is not short enough, or mechanically interesting enough to warrant that. This isn't Returnal, where every stage changes to create a new experience, and this isn't Nier Automata, which let's you play as new characters. The replays are going to be the most contentious thing about this game for years to come, and I feel bad for anyone who tries to talk about this game's story after only playing through it once. It's not their fault they don't fully understand it, it's the game's fault. Although I was personally fine with playing the game multiple times, I really can't blame anyone for not doing so, especially if they didn't like the combat. There was a better way for them to go about doing this, I just know it.

Overall, Silent Hill f is a game I feel somewhat mixed on. Its a very unique take on not just Silent Hill, but the modern day survival horror genre. There isn't anything like it today, and I can appreciate an original game in this day and age. I think that it is a good game, there are just a lot of things that hold it back from being one of the series best. I'm sure it ranks well above the games released after 4, but I'm not sure that it's as good as the original team silent games, or the Silent Hill 2 remake. Those are huge examples to live up to though, so props to Neobards for making a Silent Hill game that they can confidently say is their own. Despite my hang ups with the game, I still enjoyed my time with it, and I think that the experience will stay with me for a long while.

Am I crazy enough to go for another trip through Ebisugaoka? I'm tempted to do so just for the few remaining trophies, and the other two endings, but I'm starting to get tired of this town. Perhaps I should take a note from Hinako, and give myself time to think. There are so many other games I want to get to, and I've gotten most of the answers I was looking for. I think I'm ready to move on from Ebisugaoka, at least for now. One day I'll be back, but for now I'll say sayonara to Silent Hill f.

7.5/10