Dodges and counterattacks do not yet make a horror game similar to a FromSoftware project.
Silent Hill f game director Motoi Okamoto, in a recent interview with IGN, strongly rejected comparisons of his project with soulslikes, despite the presence of dodging and counterattack mechanics in the game. According to him, the term "soulslike", which is actively used on the Internet, is "not entirely fair" to the new project in the cult horror series.
Okamoto emphasized that Silent Hill f is focused on creating a unique atmosphere of horror and tension, rather than following the patterns characteristic of games inspired by FromSoftware projects.
We want players to feel on edge, to feel the tension associated with having to watch the state of their candle so that it doesn't go out.
Okamoto-san also added that the combat mechanics are designed to enhance the feeling of anxiety, not to copy the dynamics of soulslikes.