TL;DR
Silent Hill: Townfall is a first-person horror game set in a Scottish village. It excels with terrifying atmosphere, detailed visuals, and standout sound design that makes encounters deeply tense. It is hindered by frustrating multi-enemy combat, unskippable cutscenes after deaths, lack of a jump button, and far-fetched puzzles. It suits horror fans seeking a scary 10-hour mystery, but players who dislike rigid navigation and clunky group combat should skip it.
In Silent Hill: Townfall we play as Simon Ordell, who finds himself in the mysterious village of St. Amelia somewhere in Scotland. Slowly but surely, Simon begins to realize that everything is not quite right. The fog is thick and creatures move in the shadows. To aid him, Simon has an old mini-TV set on which he receives various clues, and slowly but surely, he begins to understand where the mysterious voice is coming from and why his connection to the nurse Zoe is so strong. The creatures hunt him relentlessly and weapons are scarce in St. Amelia, so you need to have nerves of steel to survive.
The origins of the Silent Hill series
The first Silent Hill game was released for Playstation in 1999 and marked the start of over 20 different games, spin-offs, and remakes. Last year, Silent Hill f was released, which was the first not to be set in the USA but in Japan. It was praised for its atmosphere, but the combat was apparently horrible. I haven’t played Silent Hill since playing at a friend’s house about 27 years ago, so I haven’t had much insight into the series since then.
The perspective shift and gameplay feel
Silent Hill: Townfall breaks new ground by not being in a third-person view, as all the games have been before; instead, this time we are in a first-person view. I think it gives the game an extra dimension. Because this game is scary. There are few times that I talk to the screen, but when I manage to escape from a bloodthirsty creature chasing me and I just make it inside and lock the door, the feeling is indescribably euphoric and I absolutely shout with joy. The atmosphere is top-notch with atmospheric sounds, and the graphics are incredibly well-made. Every new area has plenty of detail, and it’s possible to read between the lines regarding what has happened in the town.
Sound design and combat system
In my opinion, the greatest strength of Silent Hill: Townfalls is the sound. Because it creeps around you. The creatures in the fog, the creaks and groans; I really recommend having a good surround system or a pair of proper gaming headphones. There aren’t many weapons in the town, so the basic strategy when you encounter someone is to try to stay away. But once you find something to fight with, I still think the combat system is quite okay. You can parry attacks, but it is difficult to dodge out of the way. Combat can therefore be very frustrating if you face multiple enemies at once.
The IV system and saving
When you play as Simon, he has an IV connected, which gives us a second chance if we are knocked down without having to reload the game. Such bags and contents are found throughout the game. I use them sparingly and try to save as often as possible.
Limitations and frustrating moments
One of the things that bothers me about Silent Hill: Townfall is that this is yet another game where you cannot jump. It sometimes becomes quite frustrating that you have to take extremely long detours with very contrived and far-fetched puzzles to get to a place you could have climbed or jumped to. It disrupts the immersion slightly. The other thing that irritates me is how you save your game. You do this by dialing a number when you find a telephone. So every time you die, you have to replay from where you last saved, and if there are cutscenes, they cannot be skipped. Additionally, some of the puzzles are unnecessarily silly and far-fetched.
Adjustable difficulty
Fortunately, you can customize your experience, as it is possible to change the difficulty level at any time. So if you get stuck and can’t get past an enemy, you can change it whenever you want without having to reload the game.
Platforms and technical modes
Silent Hill: Townfall is currently available only for PC and Playstation 5. I tested it on Playstation 5 Pro and chose, as I always do, Performance mode. The resolution is then 1080p upscaled to 4K and at 60 FPS. I have read that there is no higher resolution on the Pro version compared to the standard Playstation 5, but the FPS is steadier and the textures are more detailed. In Quality mode, the difference between Pro and the standard version is more or less non-existent, but the resolution is 1440p and 30 FPS. Since the game relies on atmosphere rather than action, this is one of the few times I actually opted out of Performance after a while and went with Quality mode. The lower FPS creates a more cinematic feel, and the graphics and atmosphere are the most important parts of the game.
In summary, I really recommend Silent Hill: Townfall. This is by far one of the scariest games I have played, and the mystery keeps you captivated throughout. The playtime is around 10 hours, so it’s not that long, but that’s about as long as my nerves can hold out. So take a trip to the small village of St. Amelia and into the fog if you dare.
Konami sent a review code for this test. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests.
Review Highlights: Q&A
How long does it take to beat the game?
Silent Hill: Townfall takes around 10 hours to complete.
What perspective does the gameplay use?
Unlike previous entries in the series that used a third-person view, this release is played entirely from a first-person perspective.
Which platforms can you play it on?
The game is currently available only for PC and PlayStation 5, with testing conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro.
How does the saving system work?
Saving requires finding a telephone and dialing a number. Dying sends the player back to the last save point, and intervening cutscenes cannot be skipped.
Can you adjust the game's difficulty?
The difficulty level can be changed at any time during gameplay without needing to reload the game.
