First Impressions
Silent Hill: Townfall is Shaping up to be Something Special
Pros
- The CRTV is a fantastic tool for puzzles
- 90s nostalgia
- Simon's story seems interesting
- St. Amelia's beautiful, somber, vibes
Cons
- Unsure how combat may feel against multiple monsters at the same time
Silent Hill has been on a bit of a hot streak lately, ever since Konami breathed new life into the classic horror series. The series lay dormant since Downpour’s release in 2012, but now, since the excellent Silent Hill 2 Remake release in 2024, we’ve seen a release every year, all of which have hit in different ways. I really got engrossed in last year’s Silent Hill f, despite how different it was, and Townfall looks to be no different.
Despite being a bit of a departure from the rest of the series, featuring a first-person perspective, my main concerns were how much of the Silent Hill series identity this would have. Fortunately, I recently got the chance to go hands-on at Gamescom 2026, and I found the answers to my questions.
St. Amelia has a beautiful look to it.
Somber Vibes
Where better to start than the setting of St. Amelia itself, an isolated Scottish village blanketed in a sea of fog. If you’re a Silent Hill regular, this will already ring alarm bells. Awakening here, you control Simon Ordell, a seemingly recent patient at a hospital due to the tag on his wrist, as he finds himself stranded in this village without a soul in sight.
As you gain control here, you’ll immediately notice that the game is presented in a letterbox format, and despite some complaints about using this format for a game in the past, I must admit, after the initial few mins of my hands-on, I completely forgot about it, for better or worse.
More importantly, I took in my surroundings. St. Amelia is a beautiful but somber town, and it clearly seems like an important event had taken place before Simon’s arrival. Stalls are still up, protest signs are scattered about, and at every corner that you search, something is not quite right. After I made it to the town square, I was interrupted by a phone ringing in the nearby phone box (the 90s vibes are seen throughout Silent Hill Townfall).
The somber vibes of St. Amelia helps to create an unsettling feeling as you explore the streets.
The CRTV has many uses, be it monster detecting or solving puzzles, it’s a great addition.
In My Day
After finding myself in a warped reality, as you expect with Silent Hill, solving a puzzle that had me stumped for a while, and acquiring the CRTV, I found myself back in St. Amelia. The CRTV is just one of the features of Silent Hill Townfall that exudes that 90s feel, and as someone from the U.K and grew up in the 90s, the nostalgia is perhaps the part of Silent Hill Townfall that I love the most.
One of the puzzles tasked me with turning on the power back in a house so I could use the computer in there. To do this, I had to find an electrical card with some credit on it, then flip the switch over to credit to get it all running. I remember these kinds of meters from growing up in the UK, and seeing them here, along with everything else in Townfall, makes it feel far more authentic to me.
But it’s the use of the CRTV during puzzles and exploration where it shines the brightest.
The CRTV functions perfectly too, acting as more than just a monster detector. At any point, you can bring it up and tune it to various signals that can point out hints on where to go next, puzzle tips, or where a monster may be lurking. Although stealth is a completely viable option, you can also just grab a plank of wood and take the fight to the enemy, although durability does exist on these weapons.
But it’s the use of the CRTV during puzzles and exploration where it shines the brightest. One such instance was when I was sent to the pharmacy, and I found a locked employee locker in the staff room. To find the code, I had to tune the CRTV to a specific frequency, which then flashed some images across the screen of posters and objects in the pharmacy. From there, I was able to locate them, find a number associated with each image, and get that locker open. If that’s just one example of how the CRTV will come into play with the puzzles in Townfall, I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me.
Another distinctly Silent Hill trait I encountered during my hands-on was what appears to be the nightmarish Otherworld. Not long after the intro of the game, I was thrust into a place that was lit up in an eerie red color that seemed completely out of place. After some wandering, I found myself in a hotel room that appeared to have some significance to both Simon and another unnamed woman (at the time). To get out of the room, I had to make use of the CRTV and other clues around me to find a code, another puzzle that had me guessing for a while. Of course, there were also more monsters to be found in the Otherworld, which created the tension that I’m looking for from a Silent Hill game.
The Otherworld has an eerie red tint to it this time around.
The monster design is already looking great.
When all was said and done, I left my hands-on with Silent Hill Townfall extremely satisfied. While I was initially worried about how close to traditional Silent Hill this may feel, having had significant time with the game, I couldn’t be more excited and assured that Silent Hill Townfall is shaping up to be something special, and the release date couldn’t come sooner.
That 90s Feeling
After more than an hour with Silent Hill: Townfall, I was left wanting more. Be it the nostalgia from the 90s, the excellent puzzle design, or the intrigue of the narrative that was already set up in the early hours, this looks to be another hit.
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