I am thrilled to finally be able to deliver updates on Silent Hill: Townfall, following our announcement back in 2022. Screen Burn may be a small development team, but they have taken their time to craft a game that we can now present with confidence. In today’s State of Play, we revealed a new trailer that gives you a glimpse into the world that awaits. Please enjoy.
To explain more, I will hand it over to Jon McKellan, Writer and Director at Screen Burn Interactive on Silent Hill: Townfall.
A new chapter
With Silent Hill: Townfall, we at Screen Burn Interactive wanted to both evolve the unique narrative design that we had experimented with in our past games while pushing into ambitious territory, with a new town to explore, horrific enemies to fight and evade, and story-driven puzzles that help deliver a new but distinctly Silent Hill tale of mystery, tragedy and loss.
With our first full trailer release, we have shown a slice of what to expect, answered some long lingering questions, and likely raised some new ones too…
The CRTV – reimagining the iconic radio
The new trailer picks up where the 2022 teaser trailer left off, showing an old pocket television playing cryptic video signals on its display. This time, though, we get to meet its owner, Simon Ordell, and see the device in action.
Drawing on our previous experience designing interactive ‘retro’ user interfaces and VHS-style aesthetics, we wanted to take the handheld radio – an iconic tool of the Silent Hill series – and evolve it in our own way. The result of that evolution is the “CRTV” – a lovingly crafted device that uses real retro technology and innovative techniques to produce the gritty, authentic audio and video used throughout the game.
While the Silent Hill radio has often been a passive device, alerting the player to nearby enemies through the sound of static, the CRTV takes this concept further. Not only is it a useful tool in encounters – allowing Simon to ‘see’ through the environment and locate nearby threats – but it also picks up signals from around the town that unveil more of the story and even help guide Simon through some of the other challenges he faces.
A terrifying point of view
As shown in the latter part of the reveal trailer, the gameplay is experienced directly through the protagonist’s eyes in first person, in a change that we felt best matched our narrative, puzzle and design intentions.
Environments feel rich with detail as players search for clues, while narrative-driven puzzles feel tactile and intricate, requiring an attention to detail that only this viewpoint could provide.
The CRTV especially could only truly work in first person, allowing the player to raise it into view while they explore, tune into signals and discover broadcasts, and gain an advantage in otherwise terrifying situations.
Horror-oriented Combat – knowing when not to fight
This perspective also lends itself well to our new brand of combat, where violence is visceral and nerve-wracking, and there is no third-person perspective separating you from the horrors of the town.
While there are many different melee and ranged weapons to use in a pinch, sometimes fighting isn’t the best option. Using a combination of the CRTV, some environmental opportunities, and an intuitive peek system, stealth is an equally important strategy needed to survive.
With these varied gameplay options comes varied challenges from the enemies themselves. Draw too much attention and they will dynamically hunt the player, using their senses to track them down as best they can. Having the options to run, distract, hide or take on the enemies in combat – as well as switching tactics if things don’t go as planned – is a vital part of what we consider a truly horror-centric encounter design.
PlayStation 5 – feeling them draw near
To round off the experience, we’ve looked to make the best of the DualSense wireless controller in Silent Hill: Townfall, leveraging its many features to weave intricacies into interactions, add weight to the feel of combat, and amplify the tension of encounters dynamically.
Being stalked by a terrifying enemy through the streets of the town is one thing, but feeling its footsteps rumble as it moves closer to your hiding spot out of sight is another entirely!
That’s all from myself today, so I would like to hand things back over to Silent Hill Series Producer Motoi Okamoto.
While the story and setting may differ from Silent Hill 2 or Silent Hill f, this game will still retain the feeling of Silent Hill that players are familiar with. A rich narrative, challenging puzzles, and moments of quick-thinking during stealth come together to craft a truly artisan experience. This game shines as one of the most aesthetic and sophisticated entries in the series.
Players who seek a more refined experience will especially appreciate this game, as it offers intellectual discoveries through puzzles and analysis, while the town’s atmosphere and the portrayal of the Otherworld will entertain players through its aestheticism.
Wishlists are open today on PlayStation Store. Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming release for Silent Hill: Townfall.
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Author: Motoi Okamoto
