The Silent Hill series is one of the most iconic PlayStation ‘scare’ franchises due to the tense atmospheres across most of the games. Renowned for the use of fog, the once-dormant IP returned with Silent Hill 2 in 2024 – which landed at #2 on my Game of the Year list and performed well across the board. Navigating the streets of Silent Hill with current generation graphics and enhanced sound design was a delight, and then we had Silent Hill f release in 2025. The latter departed from the iconic town to show that this series is not reliant on a single location or time, taking us to Japan and adopting a more combat-focused approach. Now it’s 2026 and Silent Hill: Townfall has released – another title that moves away from Silent Hill to take place in 1996 Scotland with our puzzled hero Simon. While setting is different, the iconic fog, tense navigation through dreary streets and a mysterious story about loss are all present in first-person perspective (taking inspiration from recent Resident Evil). This is very much a return to the survival-horror focus. Does Simon (and the eery Scotland setting) succeed? Read on.
There will be no story spoilers in this review of course, but the opening hour or so is fair game as it sets up the narrative and provides no grounded reveals. We begin our journey with Simon climbing out of the ocean into the town of St. Amelia with the remains of an IV drip in his hand. He’s lost, we’re lost, but it appears he is seeking a loved one named Zoe. Much like the initial stages of Resident Evil 7-9, your first-person movement through this wonderfully captured town with no weapons or understanding of what lies around the corner fills the player with dread. The use of lighting – specifically red lights that fill the fog – sets the early scares as the horror of the streets starts to reveal itself through otherworldly figures. The game is broken up into parts – like chapters – and usually takes place is a specific setting such as a hospital. Through multiple viewpoints, areas and puzzle-riddled rooms, there is a heap of variety that plays in well to the overall narrative.
The gameplay in the opening moments is basically move and scan rooms. Soon enough, you’ll encounter axe-headed enemies and zombie-like enemies with a clear emphasis on stealth rather than combat. Though don’t be disappointed – there are weapons, with your first being a plank of wood that can both attack and defend. Fighting back involves hitting and blocking, though all weapons have degradation or ammo so conservation is essential. Enemies follow a path and can be avoided – the seams will show after dealing with enough of them – though Townfall loves to place you in tight spaces with specific hiding spots that are not safe houses. I spent my first few encounters dodging the monstrosities, though soon preferred to dispose of them to allow better (and calmer) exploration. At a point, I did realise that I likely did not have enough weaponry to dispose of every creature – though you bet I did try. Trying to snap off a headshot, only to completely miss, happened many times due to feeling the pressure of the moment. If all options were depleted, I then engaged with the stealth mechanic. The difficult aspect of stealth is that once you are spotted, enemies can have ranged attacks and will follow you until you’re well out of sight. They’ll even open doors, which I learned the hard way. Even saving isn’t safe! Trying to complete a puzzle while a horrific beast is breathing down your neck is exactly what these games are about.
A core mechanic in this game is the CRTV. This is 1996 remember, so no snazzy smartphones with unlimited apps to save the day. The CRTV has a range of functions and shows small videos, though its best function is to track where the monsters are hiding. This comes in the form of a curved bar, showing direction. While it is a handy tool, you can often hear or see the beasts and therefore at times I went through large areas without using it. The main use is just to know there’s something in the vicinity through a triggered sound, which can take away from the natural discovery of a creepy figure in a house. This is probably an area I didn’t gel with, as you have to hold L1 (PS5) and then slide with the shoulder buttons to find a specific spot on the device. In moments where you want to simply roam or discover, it includes minor frustration. Yet the distinction of technology trying to find its way did fill me full of nostalgia.
Puzzles. Oh yes, there’s puzzles. Some puzzles, such as patient-saving surgery, span full sequences. There are puzzles that are fairly light, and others that are meaty and even obtuse if wanting to move the story forward. There were times that I thought I’d exhausted all options, only to remember the emails on a computer that could be checked. Now, it is worth noting that there is a mode (alongside difficulty options) that highlights all important information in red to assist. I did not use this feature, though I did test it to see how it worked and realised that the highlights do plenty of the heavy lifting for you if keen to spend more time sneaking, fighting or exploring. This shows that accessibility remains core to experience, welcoming players more intent on specific aspects of Silent Hill.
The locations really need their own paragraph. Walking through fog filled towns is one aspect, but the sheer detail in rooms and on the streets creates a pure ‘lived in’ feel. Posters up on walls, candy machines, dirty plates in the sink, crumpled sheets – every single room or location was unique, the detail down to the ash in the tray or marking on furniture. Align this to the intricate maps (the mapping system is best in class, updating whenever entering a room or trying a locked door) and well-planned navigation routes, and you have a team that has clearly emphasised look and feel to really ramp up that tense atmosphere through presentation.
Performance-wise, on the PS5, this is really one of the more realistic environments you will see in a video game – connecting to my paragraph above. Between the location graphics and the sound design, I am wowed by a smaller team pulling off such a sensory delight. Now, some monster designs and the look of the lead character Simon do not always boast this technical power seen elsewhere. But in a first-person game, this is not really an issue. I loved just looking through gardens and taking screenshots of everyday items. I absolutely filled my captures folder with random shots that on reflection, could be mistaken for real world environments. Bins, bathrooms and doors – boring to an everyman – now take up a new folder on my desktop.
Silent Hill: Townfall is yet another example of the series leaping into the current generation with a clear story to tell. The mystery, the survival-horror and the classic fog all combine to create a 12-hour (varying) ride through very tense scenarios. While Silent Hill 2 Remake remains my ultimate highlight in the series, Townfall is a much better representation of Silent Hill vibes compared to the recent Silent Hill f and really opens the door to experimentation. Where will the series go next?
Pros
Tense scenarios
Fantastic sound design
Are those streets and rooms real??
Cons
Puzzles can be too long and involved
Some tedium late-game
