Silent Hill f is a psychological horror game that not only affects players, but also gradually scars the protagonist. As Hinako, players will be facing various monstrosities in their playthrough. With every attack inflicted on Hinako, her Sanity will gradually deplete until there’s none left. After that, surviving the threats will become alot tougher.
Sanity is a core gameplay mechanic in Silent Hill f, as it isn’t just a bar that you’ll need to preserve, but also lets you pull off powerful moves on the enemies. This guide will detail how the Sanity mechanic works in the game and how to restore it.
How Does Sanity & Focus Work in Silent Hill f?
Sanity is a new mechanic added in Silent Hill f that allows players to use the focus ability and land a powerful strike on enemies. Focused strikes are powerful and need to be charged, and can easily stagger foes. However, using focus frequently will quickly deplete the Sanity bar. Once that happens, any psychological attacks inflicted by enemies will shave off Hinako’s health bar, instead of Sanity.
Focus is an amazing ability that players should use to get the upper hand in combat in Silent Hill f. For starters, it prolongs the parry window, making it easier for players to counter enemy attacks. Players can also hold the focus ability button to charge up the attack dial on the left. Press the light attack button when the dial is full to launch a powerful strike.
Players will lose sanity in the following cases.
- Using the Focus ability depletes the Sanity bar.
- Getting hit with psychological attacks from enemies decreases Sanity.
- Getting hit while using focus reduces max Sanity. (Hard Action difficulty or above)
Almost all enemies have a psychological attack, which can be a charged attack, a grab attack, or a shrieking attack that can stagger Hinako, to mention a few. Apart from attacks (and without spoiling), there are certain sections in the game with a red hue or spider lilies. These sections will periodically deplete Hinako’s Sanity as an urgency (time) mechanic.
How to Restore & Increase Max Sanity in Silent Hill f
Once Sanity is depleted, players should use the following methods to restore it in order to use the Focus ability again in Silent Hill f.
- Avoid using the Focus ability for a while to regenerate Sanity. (Story action difficulty only)
- Rest at a Hokora Shrine to restore both Sanity and Health (Story action difficulty only). On higher difficulties, you can choose the clear mind option and spend some Faith to restore Sanity only.
- Consume items like Divine Water or Ramune to restore max Sanity.
If you want to increase max Sanity in Silent Hill f, here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Use an Omamori charm like “Bamboo” to increase your maximum Sanity. You can get the Bamboo Omamori via the “Draw Omamori” option at a Hokori Shrine.
- Find Blank Ema tablets that you can use at Hokora Shrines to “Pray” and increase your max Sanity stat (costs Faith too).