The world of survival horror has become increasingly stacked in recent years, with the rampant success of Resident Evil franchise and, more recently, the return of Silent Hill. The latter is in a much more interesting position, as after the release of Silent Hill 2 remake, it seems the Konami throttle is on full blast, with two brand new games in it Silent Hill f and now Townfall launched in such a short time. But while the speed of development is great for horror fans like myself, I think rushing out titles can actually be detrimental in the long term for a series, especially one as popular and beloved as Silent Hill.
As great as our psychotic Japanese adventure was, I and many other players had significant issues with the gameplay side of things, more specifically the combat and focus on action. Many of the scarier elements were diminished by the almost soul-like combat Silent Hill band as a result, an otherwise incredible game that could have potentially set a new high for the IP felt far more frustrating than it needed to be. To turn our attention to Silent Hill: TownfallI think the developers of this new game need to learn from the criticisms being held f from being considered a masterpiece. Both games represent experiments in uncharted waters, with Silent Hill f trying to see how a melee-centric experience might play out within Silent Hill the universe and Townfall wants to bring the franchise to a first-person perspective that it had previously overlooked. But if the experiment is going to work, and if the developers want to keep the series' near-perfect record going, I'd argue that now is the perfect time to show that they're willing to learn from their mistakes and stick to the roots of what made the misty horror icon so terrifying in the first place.
Silent Hill: Townfall should focus on horror, not action
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Image via Konami, Annapurna Interactive -
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Survival horror is a two-sided coin that must follow some very basic principles. I would define the genre as focusing on suspense and problem solving, while having a healthy dose of resource management and combat to complement the narrative focus. IN Silent Hill fwe saw a lot of great elements, from the story to the world building, but when I played through it for the first time, I couldn't help but feel that things felt too game-like. If the goal is to scare, unnerve, and unnerve, then it's pretty hard to achieve those sensations when half your time is spent staring at four different meters and managing a backpack of consumables, and the other half is focused on timing deviations and punching enemies into the ground over and over again.
If Silent Hill f had followed the formula seen in Silent Hill 2 remake, with a minimal HUD and a much greater emphasis on puzzles and exploration, then I think you can consider the two games to be on par in terms of quality and enjoyment. But as it stands, the action-heavy melee comes in Silent Hill f actively works towards the themes and concepts of the franchise and the wider genre, adding far more moments of annoyance than suspense and dread. In the case of Silent Hill: Townfallis important that the plot is kept to a healthy amount that never takes center stage in the experience. From the trailers we've seen plenty of puzzles and some pretty spooky enemies, so we'll have to fight our way through the island to make it out alive. But even if we get our guns back, I still can't help but feel a little concerned that fighting enemies will become more important than fighting your own willpower.
Part of what makes me believe the game will be more f than 2 is the wording used to describe the game. The developers note that the combat is strategic and there is room for a lot of choice, meaning you can either decide to sneak past enemies or take them up close. Adjectives like frantic also lead me to believe that the fights will be a bit more chaotic and thus less controlled, but you can still block and use several different weapons, both ranged and melee, to dictate the pace of each encounter. In many ways it sounds to me like a middle ground between the last two Silent Hill game, giving you a little more freedom of action in fights but not leaning all the way into the parries and perfectly timed diversions. Still, it's unclear how much influence the previous games will have on it, or if it will be able to stand on its own two feet and focus more on the horror basics that many have come to love.
Silent Hill: Townfall's first-person perspective bodes well for horror
Ignore the different setting and fresh protagonist, the biggest change with Silent Hill: Townfall must be the first person perspective. No other game in Silent Hill catalog has used a behind-the-eyes camera angle, with older entries either having fixed cameras or a third-person view that has since become a staple of the genre. This is perhaps the most important factor in deciding how Townfall will play and how it will be received, because all of a sudden every setting and every encounter will feel much more intimate and immersive, two things the series already does quite well thanks to the oppressive atmosphere and eerie nature of the world around you. First-person also means you can't use any traditional third-person tricks, like peeking around corners or seeing things from behind, and so, provided the combat is satisfying but simple, I think there's a world where Townfall could be one of the best games in the franchise.
Another justification for that point comes from looking at the other top dog in the survival horror landscape. RE7 took a bold step in a new direction, substituting third-person and fixed cameras for a close-up perspective, while cranking up the horror elements to eleven. As bad as that move might have been, it ultimately revived an otherwise moribund franchise and ushered us into a new golden age that's still thriving nearly a decade later. Now I'm not saying that Silent Hill is dying or in need of a big sales boost, but I think it's worth noting how important big changes like this are to the future of an IP. If the experiment pays off, we could see a whole series of first person Silent Hill games, each more terrifying than the last, but if it flops and somehow feels worse than Silent Hill fthen the developers may have to go back to the drawing board. Either way I'm excited Silent Hill: Townfall and super interested to see where the franchise goes next with this newfound streak of success.
Silent Hill: Townfall
- Released
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September 24, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, strong language, violence
- Developer
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Screen burn
