Elden Ring. Just the mention of this game is enough to tell the world that you take gaming seriously. And if you’ve somehow completed it, beaten Malenia Blade of Miquella, and faced the Elden Beast, congratulations and welcome to the club. When I finally rolled credits after more than 130 hours of wandering The Lands Between, I swore I’d never touch a Souls game again. It was exhausting, punishing, and yet deeply rewarding.
SurveyWhat I didn’t realise at that time was that finishing Elden Ring would completely rewire the way I play games. That realisation didn’t come immediately — it came when I picked up the newly launched Silent Hill f, a game I had been waiting for as a long-time fan of the franchise.
Silent Hill f is different from past entries. It’s set in 1960s Japan, it plays with psychological horror in a new way, and it’s more narrative-heavy than combat-heavy. But the real difference, at least for me, was internal. I wasn’t just playing Silent Hill f. I was playing it as someone who had already survived Elden Ring. And that changed everything. Here is how.
Also read: Silent Hill f review: Every horror video game lover’s nightmare just got real
Exploration feels second nature
Elden Ring never holds your hand. There’s no neat map to begin with, no glowing markers that tell you exactly where to go. You earn your map pieces as you explore, you rely on your memory, and you learn to look at the environment as a guide. By the time I picked up Silent Hill f, I was already conditioned to sweep every corner of a space, look behind doors, and never miss a hidden item.
So when Silent Hill f offered me a map with marked objectives, it felt almost too easy. Exploration didn’t intimidate me anymore but felt like an advantage I knew how to use. My Elden Ring habits had turned me into a meticulous scavenger.
Combat becomes about rhythm, not panic
Elden Ring teaches you the most important thing about combat – every fight is a dance. Attacks have to be timed, dodges have to be perfect, and panic leads to mistakes. Silent Hill f doesn’t have the same style of combat, but it has the same pressure. Your swings are slower, your enemies are relentless and scary, and you can’t just button-mash your way through.
In the past, I might have fumbled through encounters, but Elden Ring trained me to think in terms of rhythm; when to attack, when to wait, when to run. That instinct carried over, making Silent Hill f’s monsters far less intimidating than they would have been otherwise.
Patience becomes your greatest weapon
Anyone who has died to the same Elden Ring boss fifty times knows this truth: patience is part of the grind. Pre-Elden Ring me would have quit after a few failed attempts, maybe rage-quit and switched games altogether. But Post-Elden Ring me? I’m calmer and stubborn. I don’t mind failing again and again because I know the eventual win will be worth it.
Silent Hill f thrives on pressure. It wants you to feel cornered, overwhelmed, and hopeless. But thanks to Elden Ring, I knew how to push back. Losing wasn’t the end but just part of the process.
Saving becomes a practice
One of the most brutal lessons Elden Ring teaches is the cost of failure. If you don’t reach a Site of Grace or forget to save, everything you just achieved can vanish. Silent Hill f works on a similar principle. If you forget to save, the game doesn’t bail you out with generous checkpoints. You go back.
And that was fine by me as I had already been trained ( Still remember missing the first Site of Grace in Elden Ring and regretting it later) So now, I save in every game religiously, plan my runs carefully, and realise the importance of every little step. Elden Ring made me disciplined, and Silent Hill f simply reminded me of how useful that discipline can be.
Knowing when not to fight
Another major lesson from Elden Ring was that not every enemy needs to be killed. Some fights are simply not worth the resources or the risk. Sneaking past enemies, sprinting to a Site of Grace, or saving your items for bigger battles is often the smarter move.
This carried over perfectly into Silent Hill f. Instead of wasting precious items and risking death in tight corridors, I often chose to sneak past enemies and conserve my resources. Elden Ring taught me that survival isn’t about killing everything in sight but about picking your battles.
So, it won’t be wrong to say that beating Elden Ring changes your relationship with games in general. You start approaching them differently – more patiently, strategically, and attentively. Silent Hill f wasn’t an easy game, but I felt strangely prepared for it because I had already endured Elden Ring’s gauntlet.
So for those wondering why Elden Ring is special, my answer is simple: because it doesn’t just challenge you in the moment. It transforms the way you play everything else.
Also read: Forza Horizon 6 showcased during Tokyo Games Show 2025, all details
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Divyanshi Sharma
Divyanshi Sharma is a media and communications professional with over 8 years of experience in the industry. With a strong background in tech journalism, she has covered everything from the latest gadgets to gaming trends and brings a sharp editorial lens to every story. She holds a master’s diploma in mass communication and a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Her love for writing and gaming began early—often skipping classes to try out the latest titles—which naturally evolved into a career at the intersection of technology and storytelling. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her exploring virtual worlds on her console or PC, or testing out a new laptop she managed to get her hands on. View Full Profile
