Big news just dropped by Konami for horror lovers everywhere: SILENT HILL f is now available at GOG, the much-loved, DRM-free digital storefront. So any poor soul who has been struck by the official tweet-invoking phrase “the beauty in terror” can now go and grab it right away-SILENT HILL f is still available in Standard edition, Deluxe edition, and Deluxe Upgrade for those who already possess the base game. This is just major for game preservationists wanting to own their games and be free of online checks, eh?
But, the reaction of the players has been downright…splitting the sides apart. Cool announcement indeed, whereas the comment section is an entire universe wherein some people are really excited, with ElMundoDeLChino thanking Konami for helping “make this dream come true” and adding “long live to games preservation.” That was very well received by the GOG community, well known for wanting games to live forever, no strings attached. Vlad chimed in, “Yes! Thank you @Konami & @GOGcom! ❤️,” so love has been shared.
But, contrary to that, the champagne didn’t go pop for every single person. Albeit some would call the GOG release perhaps quite late in the day. “I’m surprised that it wasn’t on GOG at the same time it was released on Steam. It looks like maybe, GOG is a little bit behind the eight ball,” William Douglas was quoted as saying. Bro Tan just kept it real by saying, “A bit late to arrive.” Ouch. That irregularity in timing actually stirs quite a bit of wondering.
Talking of price, RoninHealer really made a salient point by saying: “Regional prices are broken. Its more expensive in Mexico than in USA, the regional pricing on steam was acceptable.” That’s a big oof for all international gamers hoping for a fair deal. And elianzarate9 asked one question on the minds of many, “What is the difference if i buy this game on gog or steam? Is the same price.” Indeed! The difference is if you buy on GOG, it is DRM-free, you actually own it; with steam, it has its own platform locks. But, if there’s no price gap, it’s really a preference thing.
Then, there is the whole tradeoff on performance of the game itself. The comments are filled with technical complaints. Cellarspectre demanded a patch “to disable motion blur on console,” asking, “Why was the game released in this state?” because people were getting headaches. Not great. Vasiliy described the game as “terrible stutters, stutters, stutters, stutters” and that in the second half, it “turns into some kind of disgusting slasher,” while WeboQueso called it “least scary SH game ever. I was just sprinting around bonking everything.” So, there might be a few problems with the game itself, for sure, and not just issues with where you can purchase it.
Then, on a more positive note, the highlight of the discussion. Putting Stir said, “Now add 1, 2 and 3 to GOG,” with faris199819 echoing the sentiment pleading Konami to “port all silent hill games to all consoles and steam pls pls.” The cry for the classics to be more accessible is evidently loud. And of course, with the Silent Hill 2 Remake coming up, comments like youngpontifex’s “You know what we really waiting on though. Hopefully announcement tomorrow :D” let you know where everyone’s eyes are.
So what is the final take? The arrival of SILENT HILL f on GOG is a win for game preservation and choice. It presents a good alternative for players who want to outright own their horror experience. But the community coming together about the late release, price quirks, and in-game technical issues does show that Konami has quite a few things to clear up on. The beauty in terror is now more accessible; maybe the real horror is in the details. At least it’s DRM-free now, which is pretty based if you ask me.
