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SILENT HILL: Townfall drops players into the shoes of Simon, a protagonist wrapped in mystery from the very first moments. Questions swirl around who he is, what ties him to the town, and how the NPCs he encounters fit into his past. Rather than answering these questions upfront, the preview leans into that uncertainty, giving players just enough to stay curious without spelling things out. Here is a look at what stood out after spending time with the game ahead of its release
A First-Person Shift and A Protagonist Who Feels Exposed
Townfall marks the first time a mainline Silent Hill game is played entirely in first person. According to McKellan, this decision came down to two main factors. The first was the setting itself, since the cramped streets and small buildings of the town made a first-person view feel like a natural fit for the claustrophobic tone the team wanted.
Simon breaks from the mold of past Silent Hill protagonists in one clear way: he feels genuinely vulnerable. There is no swinging a weapon freely or relying on a steady arsenal. Without a wood plank in hand, players are essentially defenseless against whatever is stalking them. The plank itself is not a permanent solution either, since both blocking and attacking wear down its durability over time. Once it breaks, players are left exposed again, which keeps tension high throughout exploration.
Combat, Puzzles, and Scarcity
Firearms exist in the game, but they are far from a comfortable safety net. Handgun bullets are extremely rare, and enemies take a surprising amount of punishment to go down. Landing two perfect headshots is enough to kill an enemy, but missing that mark means needing up to four hits elsewhere on the body. This design choice appears intentional, pushing players to feel fear and hesitation rather than confidence when facing a threat. On top of the scarcity, the gun itself carries real weight. Playing from a first person perspective, combined with the recoil of the revolver, makes every shot feel heavy and deliberate rather than casual.
One of the more interesting additions to Townfall is the CRTV gadget. It becomes an essential tool for players, offering subtle hints about where to go or what to do next without holding their hand too obviously. Beyond guidance, the gadget can also scan the surrounding area for enemies. When it detects one, it turns red and reveals the enemy’s silhouette, giving players a brief window to react or plan their next move.
Given the reputation Silent Hill has built around its puzzles, there was an expectation that Townfall’s puzzles would be difficult to a frustrating degree. That was not the case during the preview. The puzzles encountered felt fair and solvable, striking a balance that keeps players engaged without leaving them stuck for too long.
Because Simon spends so much of his time without a reliable weapon, or with a wood plank running low on durability, stealth becomes a frequent necessity rather than an option. The game includes designated hiding spots scattered throughout the map, such as closets, where players can duck out of sight when things get dangerous. Beyond hiding, the environment itself becomes a tool. Players can throw bottles or bricks to create noise and lure enemies away from their path, or make use of other environmental elements, like triggering a car alarm by throwing an object at it, to distract nearby threats and slip past unnoticed.
The preview showed off a handful of enemy types, and one in particular stood out. This enemy has a blade or piece of metal fused directly into its face, which it uses much like an axe. The unsettling design fits the tone of the game and adds some variety to the threats players need to avoid or outmaneuver.
A Restrained Approach to Horror
Notably, the preview build did not lean on jumpscares to generate tension. Instead, the fear comes from vulnerability, resource scarcity, and the constant possibility of running into something dangerous with little means to fight back. This restraint stands out, since jumpscares are often seen as an easy shortcut in horror games.
Based on what was shown, SILENT HILL: Townfall appears to be leaning heavily into vulnerability and scarcity as its core tension builders, backed by tools like the CRTV gadget and a strong emphasis on stealth and environmental interaction. Combined with fair puzzle design and a restrained approach to scares, the preview suggests a survival horror experience built around making players feel genuinely unsafe rather than empowered.
