Silent Hill: Townfall [REVIEW] – Tuning into Horror

Man, what a revival it has been for the Silent Hill series, and after the brilliant Silent Hill 2 Remake and the equally excellent Silent Hill F, we now have Silent Hill Townfall. Developed by Screen Burn (whose previous works include the delightfully eerie Stories Untold and Observation), this new instalment does something different with the established formula by shifting the perspective and relocating the horror, all whilst maintaining that classic Silent Hill tension and atmosphere.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The story of Silent Hill Townfall kicks off in 1996 in the fictional Scottish town of St Amelia, with players stepping into the shoes of Simon Ordell – a bloke who wakes up on a dock with an IV line in his arm and absolutely no idea how he got there… standard Sunday morning in Scotland, am I right? From there, you find yourself trying to piece together a local tragedy while confronting the usual psychological demons the series is famous for. It makes for a tantalising story that, par for the series, is never black-and-white, and whilst it does give you plenty of clues as to what’s going on as you play, you never feel like you fully understand the bigger picture. That’s not a flaw, by the way, but instead something that helps make the game feel… well… like a Silent Hill game. There’s a constant sense of dread and it truly delves into the human psyche though, and with an intriguing supporting cast with their own demons, it’s hard not to stay invested up until the very end.

Alongside Simon, you also experience the town through the eyes of two other playable characters… but I don’t want to go into detail of that. All three are dealing with their own trauma, and figuring out how their lives overlap is a massive part of what makes the narrative so compelling. And sure, the first character switch-up comes early on in the game, but I still they’re better to discover yourself. It’s a really interesting dynamic, with their perspective on the events around them helping bring an additional level of depth to the storytelling and the tragedy that is unfolding around them. They play quite differently too, especially later in the game where you find yourself better equipped to deal with some of the more persistent threats in the game…

When it comes to actually playing the game, Silent Hill Townfall makes a massive departure by moving entirely into first person. This perspective change makes creeping through narrow corridors INCREDIBLY stressful, but in all of the right ways. You’ll often hear things before you see them, meaning you can lean around corners to check for threats… which is essential because the game pushes you heavily towards stealth, for better or worse.

“Silent Hill Townfall offers an alluring experience that manages to feel unique whilst still maintaining that classic Silent Hill sense of horror.“

Combat is something you generally want to avoid, because your melee weapons will eventually snap in your hands. You do get firearms eventually, but ammo is ridiculously scarce and the loud bangs will draw every monster in the area straight to your location, meaning they’re more of a last resort than anything. Because of this, running or hiding is almost always your best bet against the grotesque creatures roaming the streets.

Luckily, you do have one other trick up your sleeve. Simon has a chunky 90s portable television, which tunes into radio frequencies to track monsters through the static or pick up audio clues for puzzles. It’s a really cool idea that can make for some incredibly tense moments, but some inconsistencies with the stealth mechanics can make for some frustrating moments. Enemy detection can feel a bit random, meaning you might get spotted even when you feel perfectly hidden behind cover, whilst it’s really hard to keep track of movement patterns (especially when dealing with multiple enemies at once.) The biggest annoyance, however, is a specific invincible stalker enemy that instantly kills you if it gets too close. It tends to hang around areas for far too long, turning genuine fear into pure annoyance as you find yourself waiting in a hiding space for it to leave… only for it to immediately notice you because it isn’t always clear when you’re safely hidden. These sections were some of the worst in what is otherwise a very enjoyable experience, but I’ll give you some advice: the flare gun you come across can be really effective for dealing with this creature, so use it wisely.

It is worth noting that survival in general is pretty gruelling. Health items are rare, ammo is a limited resource, and the game uses an old school manual save system tied to landline phones scattered around the map (with a nod to the red squares, of course). You can find IV bags that act as a one-time revival item on the spot, but if you do not have one, death sends you straight back to your last phone call. It’s not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s balanced enough to maintain tension… well… outside of that one stupid invincible enemy (I’m sorry, I’ll stop going on about it now).

Check out some screenshots down below:

One area in which the game absolutely shines is the puzzle design, which is absolutely top tier. They are clever, multi-layered, and refuse to hold your hand, with players having to scour every document they find to pick up on every little clue they can possibly find. You will find yourself cleaning corrupted data off floppy disks, keeping track of a patient’s vitals during a medical puzzle, studying pictures hung on the walls in a house, and even performing some weird blood transfusion. Yeah, they’re all very Silent Hill-esque in design, but they really are brilliant.

Visually, St Amelia is stunning, looking practically photorealistic on the PlayStation 5 Pro despite a few minor frame stutters here and there. One thing that I can appreciate is how the team at Screen Burn have absolutely nailed the gloomy British aesthetic… it’s just so goddamn accurate. The audio design matches this energy with a brilliantly depressing soundtrack and stellar voice acting from the main cast, with the cinematic presence outstanding throughout.

Developer: Screen Burn
Publisher: Konami, Annapurna Interactive
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PC
Website: https://www.konami.com/games/silenthill/townfall/