Much like the franchise itself, for years Silent Hill existed as an opaque figure embedded in fog, with only crackling radio static confirming its existence. Konami wasn’t sure what to do with it beyond Pyramid Head cameos in kart racers and Bomberman party games. But, like a repressed memory that suddenly manifests as a monster compelling you to address your unresolved trauma, Silent Hill is back, and Townfall, the third Silent Hill game in as many years, continues the impressive return-to-form streak. Simon Ordell’s journey through the Scottish town of St. Amelia in 1996 is not without its shortcomings, but the experience is an affecting one buoyed by the first-person perspective.
Silent Hill has dabbled in first-person before with Silent Hill 4: The Room, 2024's experimental The Short Message, and the whole P.T. debacle. Townfall, however, is the first time the franchise has fully embraced the perspective. The view makes the game unique within the Silent Hill oeuvre. Through Simon’s eyes, St. Amelia is overbearing and imposing in all the intended ways. That the game looks great also helps. The claustrophobic interiors are full of details that reward inspection, and you can practically taste the fog while exploring outdoors. The peeking mechanic is also expertly integrated and makes it feel like you truly are cowering and exposing as little of yourself as possible while staying quiet and keeping an eye on monsters.
The broad story, at least structurally, will be familiar to Silent Hill players. Townfall may take place in St. Amelia, but there is no question that this is a Silent Hill game. Simon and others are confronting their inner demons in a foggy town, and what exactly is happening or why the streets are littered with monsters is never truly clear. You do know, however, that something is off and the only way out is through.
Uncharacteristically, compared to past Silent Hills, the individual plots that have led to the emotional distress of Townfall’s cast are more transparent. There are fewer questions about why characters feel what they’re feeling. It eliminates some of the dreamlike qualities that make these games ethereal and mysterious, but I am not opposed to more clarity, as sometimes information is withheld unnecessarily. The narrative balance Townfall strikes is commendable.
Simon has an era-appropriate portable television that lets him track monsters through the screen’s static, and it does a good job of letting you monitor creatures’ whereabouts while maintaining intensity. Combat is heavily discouraged, with perhaps the fewest number of bullets in any Silent Hill game and melee weapons that expire quickly. As a result, Townfall is a stealth game, but the inconsistency in enemy detection made the reviewer reload saves often, which diminished the mood of the encounters. Moments of frustration arose, particularly with an invincible monster that instantly killed the player if caught, leading to boredom and annoyance rather than fear.
Konami’s renewed efforts with Silent Hill are finding developers like Screen Burn Interactive that understand what makes the franchise so intriguing and are producing unique experiences within an admittedly undefined structure. The franchise is about loneliness and trauma and how that affects your emotional state of mind. Townfall presents these emotions well, and the only frustrations arose when grappling with some of its unbalanced video game mechanics. The game was reviewed on PlayStation 5 and scored 8.25 out of 10.