Reviewed On: PC
Code provided by the publisher.
If there’s one thing that Silent Hill games are good at doing, it’s being terrifying. Silent Hill: Townfall is better at being terrifying than almost any other game I’ve played recently. Much like other Silent Hill entries, the story being told is an allegory, this time for terminal illness. Of all the issues the Silent Hill franchise has tackled, this has to be the scariest and most relatable. Not because it’s something we all personally go through, but because almost all of us know somebody who has, or it’s simply a general fear we carry through life.
This translates beautifully into the game. From surgical horror to the general sadness surrounding its monsters, nothing about Townfall feels “okay” or safe. Even during moments of rest or quiet, there’s an uneasy feeling that never goes away. It lingers. This game has an extremely slow start. It was so slow that I initially thought my game had glitched. However, it’s simply an introduction to the game’s atmosphere. Your slow trek into town shows you the beauty of this world before throwing you into its horrors.
This game is absolutely gorgeous, and it runs like a dream. I played Townfall with the graphics maxed out on a 5070, and I could not have asked for better performance. With the thick fog, you’d expect some hiccups, but the game never feels taxed or choppy. The fog itself is beautiful and eerie. The engine makes it feel real. It isn’t just a visual effect included because this is Silent Hill. The fog feels like a living being of its own, immersing you to a terrifying extent. Because the game takes place in a small coastal town in Scotland, you begin your journey on the docks. I found myself in awe of the realism, which I wasn’t expecting. From the reflections in the puddles to the ripples in the water caused by waves crashing against the rocky shore, this game is gorgeous, and that beauty makes the horror even scarier.
Speaking of horror, the monster designs in Townfall rank extremely high on the horror scale for me. The game’s allegory for terminal illness is very apparent in its creature designs. From mental illness to lung disease, these creatures are manifestations of the real-life terrors you might encounter in a hospital. They’re truly frightening, and they add to the game’s heart-pounding atmosphere.
Silent Hill: Townfall is a very slow-burning addition to the series, and it takes the franchise back to its roots a bit. This is not a combat-focused game. In fact, you could technically benefit from avoiding combat altogether. The game expects you to recognize patterns and remain stealthy. Depending on your chosen difficulty, monsters are strategically placed throughout the map. My playthrough was on Normal, and I think that’s the sweet spot. Easier modes feature fewer monsters, while harder difficulties have almost too many. This makes the game feel more stressful than fun. On Normal, if you’re careful, there is just the right number of monsters, balanced with enough areas that allow you to breathe.
With the game being so light on combat, it goes hard on the puzzles. I’m not only talking about the traditional, solvable puzzles, either. Many of the stealth sections that require you to sneak past monsters can be viewed as puzzles of their own. They require precise timing and specific stop-and-go points to navigate successfully. The traditional puzzles range from very easy to a real pain in the butt. I especially enjoy the puzzles that require you to pay attention to your surroundings while using the CRT radio, such as the one in the pharmacy. They make great use of the CRT and encourage you to read into details you might otherwise never notice.
Speaking of the CRT radio, this game doesn’t hold your hand AT ALL. There’s practically no guidance beyond environmental details and some red scribbles on the map. You’ll tune your CRT to certain channels that reveal where to go, but the game doesn’t explicitly tell you what to do. I absolutely love that. If you don’t figure out what you’re supposed to be doing, there’s no character saying, “Hmm, I wonder what would happen if we went this way.” The game expects you to use cognitive thinking and find your own way through. I think more games would benefit from that approach.
Verdict
With all that being said, this Silent Hill is NOT meant for everybody. This game was built from the ground up for horror fans, and I couldn’t be happier. A game made for everybody is a game made for nobody. In my opinion, that statement is especially true when it comes to horror.
Silent Hill: Townfall is so unapologetically scary that many players might not be able to handle the first section, let alone the entire game. I couldn’t ask for a better horror game at a better time (spooky season is right around the corner). If you’re a Silent Hill or horror fan, you’ll absolutely love Silent Hill: Townfall. If you’re neither, you’ll probably get bored because, in some ways, it is a walking simulator. However, with its horrifying stealth sequences and clever puzzle-solving, this is exactly what Silent Hill: Townfall needed to be, and I am more than happy with it.
