With any Silent Hill game, the possibilities are truly endless. Not all of them take place in the same region, and the last two entries, Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall, both offer something completely different. The former is set in rural Japan in the 1960s, while the latter takes place in St. Amelia, Scotland, in 1996.
Even the eras differ, let alone the settings, giving each team a different set of stories to draw on. This time in Townfall, protagonist Simon Ordell tries to solve the mystery of a sleepy seaside town while escaping horrors along the way. It’s a bit of give-and-take, but the atmosphere really elevates Townfall in the end.
Who Are You Going To Call
As Simon wakes up in what should be an idyllic town in Scotland, a familiar fog rolls in. This is Silent Hill, but it’s not exactly the same experience you might be expecting, even based on the expectations set by Silent Hill f most recently. Simon’s viewpoint is entirely through a first-person lens, and his equipment is mostly detritus, and a lo-fi CRT handheld.
Simon has limited weaponry to fend off fiends, starting with a big plank that serves as a shield and a weapon to swing. It’s not the best tool for taking on tons of enemies head-to-head, but since Townfall is a more relaxed experience, you won’t do that often. Instead, Townfall focuses on exploration, puzzle-solving, navigation, and light stealth/combat.
This vibe differs even from some of the lower-key Silent Hill games in the series, so it’s important to set your expectations going in. As for me, I had a blast mapping and scoping out St. Amelia, learning its ins and outs as I discovered more about Simon’s backstory and the few other players present after the fog fully enveloped the town.
Light Puzzling Amid A Beautiful Seaside Town
The smaller, more intimate setting features a handful of smart puzzles that task players with finding keys for various locks, some of which are a bit out-there and require critical thinking. For instance, one early puzzle has very little signposting, relying on the player’s knowledge of using the CRTV to divine a lock combination from multiple vague photos.
It was a refreshing change of pace compared to other similar games that just breadcrumbed everything out for you, especially when it came time to solve the aforementioned puzzle. Old-school adventure game fans will find a lot to love in Townfall, even to the chagrin of classic Silent Hill fans.
While the town is small-ish, it’s labyrinthine. Many routes are not accessible at the start of the game, and need to be unlocked through story progression or optional means (like breaking or unlatching locks). You navigate through it using a lifelike map brochure, which you can pull out at the touch of a button.
Simon uses various markings to hint at places he needs to go, but they often provide no other instruction. Because of this relaxed format, you can explore St. Amelia at your own pace, discovering healing items and keys that may come in handy later. Running and hiding is also a viable option, creating some tense moments with typically sparing enemy encounters.
On one occasion, I ran full speed down a market street into a family clinic while being chased by an abomination, then quickly closed the door and locked it as they banged on the window. Using a phone number I found in another puzzle, I called someone and got an idea of where to go next.
A lot of progression in Silent Hill: Townfall feels organic, even with a stringent chapter-based structure on the backend. The town is lovely and a fantastic break from the bloated open-world format of many other AAA projects. It’s based on a real town in Scotland (called St Monans), and it shows. It’s certainly earned its place in the Silent Hill canon.
The Many Flavors Of Silent Hill
With that format in mind, Townfall has some give-and-take. Sometimes things drag, and select revelations after a lengthy puzzle session aren’t as enlightening as they should be. The 1996 setting does some heavy lifting, and it’s very clear that it’s important to the team, and plays a direct part in the narrative.
Townfall‘s slower presentation might turn off a lot of fans, and it doesn’t always work, but it worked well enough that I was inspired to go back through the game after I finished. If you’re looking for a new survival horror game and are fine with some first-person scares, Silent Hill: Townfall is a conditional recommendation waiting in the wings. Just know it won’t be a classic Silent Hill experience, as far as mainline entries go.
