As Silent Hill f enthusiasts eagerly dissect the recent flood of previews (you can read our hands-on preview here), two questions are dominating discussions on social media and fan forums: is the newest core Silent Hill entry actually a 'Soulslike'? And perhaps more fundamentally, what exactly does the term 'Soulslike' mean in today's gaming landscape?

As detailed in IGN's hands-on preview, the combat in Silent Hill f shares a similar close-quarters, weighty feel with the Silent Hill 2 Remake. You dodge using the DualSense's circle button, with light and heavy attacks mapped to R1 and R2 respectively. The combat emphasizes limited reach and deliberate attack animations, creating a realistic sense of heft. Heavy attacks, in particular, are slow and require careful timing, which, as we noted, "reinforces the feeling that protagonist Hinako is just a teenager with limited physical strength."

Beyond that foundation, Silent Hill f introduces timed dodges and parry-based counterattacks, the latter being crucial in fights. Enemies briefly telegraph when a counter is possible, though we observed that "unless you’ve honed your reflexes in games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, reacting in time will be a challenge." This is where the Focus mode comes in. Activated by holding L2, it extends the counterattack window and charges a powerful stagger-inducing attack.

While series producer Motoi Okamoto hasn't outright labeled it a Soulslike, and our own assessment is that it's "by no means a Soulslike," the mere discussion of parries and counters has surprised many Silent Hill fans. The series has never been celebrated for its combat—atmosphere and narrative have always taken precedence. Okamoto's comment that combat was intensified because "challenging action games are gaining popularity with younger audiences today" has left the community deeply divided.

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The legacy of FromSoftware's Souls series extends beyond its own acclaimed catalog, birthing an entire subgenre: the Soulslike. Defining it precisely is challenging, but core tenets often include severe penalties for death, a currency (like Souls) earned from defeated enemies that is vital for progression and lost upon death, deliberate and stamina-managed combat, and checkpoints that respawn defeated foes.

For many players, however, "Soulslike" has become a shorthand for any demanding melee combat that requires learning and predicting enemy attack patterns.

In a Reddit thread titled "Silent Hill f is not 'souls-like' and no one here seems to know what that means," one user expressed frustration: "It's genuinely baffling. This is like second graders calling a toaster a blender. I don't think some people even know what a Soulslike is.

"Having a dodge roll and tough bosses applies to like 90% of third-person action games. You can't be serious. Souls games feature light/heavy attacks, tightly-timed dodges, [...] a huge emphasis on stamina management, shields, posture breaks, and a core loop of defeating enemies for currency.

"Silent Hill f has maybe one or two of those elements. This misleading comparison needs to stop. Anyone looking objectively can see this is nothing like a Soulslike."

This broader confusion over what truly defines a "Soulslike" is a major point of contention for players.

"To be fair, there's no universal agreement on what a Soulslike is," admitted one commenter. "The Soulslike subreddit has daily debates about whether specific games qualify."

"I've spent hundreds of hours on FromSoftware games and Soulslikes like Nioh," said another. "Nothing in the Silent Hill f previews looks like a Soulslike beyond a lock-on and stamina bar—features present in countless games that aren't Soulslikes."

Confusingly, other veterans of Souls-inspired games disagree, leading to heated debates over the genre's essential ingredients. Is it the melee focus? The parry mechanics? Or does any game that forces you to learn enemy patterns qualify?

"I'm still excited for the game, but the Souls combat comparisons are pretty evident," argued one fan. "Invincibility frames on dodges, a lock-on system, light/heavy attacks, challenging multi-attempt boss fights that test your skill... even the combat UI draws clear inspiration from action games."

"People are complaining about the melee focus as if they've forgotten Silent Hill 4," explained another supporter. "Breakable weapons become essential in survival horror when firearms are scarce. This whole debate feels like a repeat of the conversations around the Silent Hill 2 Remake."

Okamoto has stated that the more demanding combat, combined with a visual and auditory "juxtaposition of beauty and terror" and the "terrible beauty of the monster designs," creates a uniquely frightening experience. He even mentions that puzzles are "rooted in psychological anguish." How players ultimately respond to this blend will be revealed when Silent Hill f launches next month.

Silent Hill f transports players to 1960s Japan, following teenager Hinako Shimizu as she battles societal and familial pressures. As shown in the Japanese reveal trailer this past March, it is the first Silent Hill title to receive an 18+ rating in Japan. The game launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on September 25.

For those wondering, Silent Hill f is not a direct sequel to any previous Silent Hill game. It features a completely standalone story "independent from the series," as confirmed by publisher Konami on X/Twitter. This means the latest chapter in the horror franchise—which typically unfolds in a quiet American resort town—is "a completely new title" designed for both series veterans and newcomers to enjoy.