Are you struggling to find the correct Ema on the Silent Hill f Shrine Path? During your harrowing journeys into the Otherworld, you’ll face the daunting task of deciphering a cryptic Ema puzzle to progress. This isn’t just about finding the right combination; it’s about doing so while being relentlessly pursued by nightmarish creatures. Keeping your wits sharp and your inventory ready is crucial for survival.
Unlocking the Shrine Vault requires you to solve a mysterious riddle, a true hallmark of any Silent Hill experience. Your childhood toy, surprisingly, holds the key, or, even better, we can simply provide you with all the answers! Below, you’ll find comprehensive solutions to the Silent Hill f Ema puzzle, detailed instructions on how to unlock the gates, and effective strategies for fending off the monsters.
Finding the Correct Ema
Upon approaching the Inari shrine, your childhood toy will be waiting, an Ema by its side. This Ema bears a riddle that subtly guides you toward the specific Ema you need to find. The correct Ema are distinguishable by an icon on their back, which corresponds to the Shrine Vault lock.
There are three distinct areas where these Ema can be found, as indicated on the map above. Once you interact with an Ema in a particular location, that spot becomes inactive. Turning over an Ema reveals one of the three crucial icons required for the gate combination. Thankfully, you don’t need to commit these images to memory; they are conveniently recorded in your in-game journal, presented in the correct order.
During your initial playthrough, after successfully locating all three Ema, remember to interact with the final Ema wall once more. Doing so will reward you with a valuable Silent Hill f Omamori—specifically, the Cat.
Hard Mode Riddle and Solution
‘Lightning cast down from the heavens split asunder the decayed tree. From the earth grows kudzu, the prophet of eternal prosperity.’
For this riddle, you’ll be looking for Ema that depict lightning, a tree, and a kudzu plant.
Lost in the Fog Riddle and Solution
‘The Yokai of the Carriage had their heads removed.
The Yokai of the Umbrella, their arms.
And the Yokai of the Kettle, their legs.’
In this mode, the correct Ema are uniquely distinctive. They portray the Yokai mentioned in the riddle: two figures in a carriage, a triangular umbrella Yokai, and a running Yokai with three legs.
Shrine Vault Combination Lock
In your very first playthrough, after finding the third Ema, you will also acquire the necessary component for the Shrine Vault’s combination lock. With all three Ema collected, head back to the Shrine Vault entrance and input the combination now clearly marked in your journal.
Story and Hard modes make this process quite user-friendly, as the journal provides the exact sequence. However, the ‘Lost in the Fog’ mode presents a slightly tougher challenge, with its solution shown in the image above. To understand how we arrived at this solution, continue reading.
Lost in the Fog Combination
The ‘Lost in the Fog’ mode intensifies the puzzle, with each Ema having four related icons, requiring you to carefully deduce the correct one. The key to the solution lies in the number of ‘sacrifices’ mentioned in each image’s description.
Specifically, the riddle mentions two heads, four arms, and three legs. This translates to selecting the second icon for the Carriage Yokai, the fourth icon for the Umbrella Yokai, and finally, the third icon for the Kettle Yokai.
Reaching the Inari Statues
This segment of the game often appears more challenging than it truly is. As you’re pursued by grotesque monsters, your sanity will rapidly deplete. Therefore, resist the urge to engage in combat; instead, focus solely on running. Be sure to time your dodges effectively when enemies close in behind you. If your sanity drops dangerously low, use an item like Divine Water or Kudzu Tea to restore it. Your objective is simply to get close enough to the Inari statues to trigger the upcoming cutscene.
Once you’ve found the correct Ema and successfully opened the Shrine Vault, you can finally escape the Otherworld and continue your unsettling journey through Ebisugaoka. Prepare for more trials, as several classic Silent Hill mid-game bosses will inevitably cross your path. If you find yourself struggling, our dedicated guide to defeating the Rinko boss is available, and don’t forget to check out our Silent Hill f review for our overall impressions of the game.