The Silent Hill franchise seems unstoppable lately. Recent news about the Silent Hill remake is making fans hopeful about a 2027 release date, especially since developers have referenced a “one game a year” release model to keep fans hooked. Fans were also fed with the recent Silent Hill Townfall, which was released just a month ago on September 24, 2026.
Staying true to its annual release date premise, Konami released Silent Hill f last year, following the success of its Silent Hill 2 remake. Both games received plenty of gaming accolades, with Silent Hill f receiving a Golden Joystick nomination for Best Storytelling and Luke Roberts earning a BAFTA Games Awards nod for his performance as main character James Sunderland.
The Silent Hill 2 remake followed James as he returned to the town of Silent Hill, in search of his wife, Mary, who sent him a letter bidding him to find her there. Despite the fact that Mary lost her battle with a mysterious illness three years ago, James travels back to Silent Hill, hoping against hope she’ll be there. The question of Mary’s appearance – or lack thereof – in the town remains unanswered until the end, but James certainly isn’t lonely on the way, encountering disturbing, sinister creatures along with companions like Laura, Maria, and Angela.
Silent Hill f came next, centering around teenager Shimizu Hinako, a young woman living in 1960s Japan. This game was the first mainline offering to take place outside the United States, though it wasn’t the first to be set outside of Silent Hill itself. Hinako also finds herself stalked by terrifying monsters, along with a mysterious character typically referred to as Fox Mask, after the elegant vulpine mask hiding his face. She finds reality – and herself – crumbling under the pressure of the society she lives in, as she is torn between her fog-shrouded hometown and the Dark Shrine of another world.
Similar to its mainline predecessor, Silent Hill Townfall is set beyond the Silent Hill town limits sign, and in fact, beyond the borders of the U.S. Townfall takes place in St. Amelia, a little town set on a Scottish island. It follows Simon, who arrives in St. Amelia without any memory of how he arrived there, following the urging of a mysterious voice who says only he can help the townspeople. Unsurprisingly, plenty of monsters abound here, too, though this game has a different approach to dealing with them. While stealth has always been an option, Townfall turned it into a core gameplay mechanic.
How ‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Compares to the Franchise’s Recent Horror Hits
Where all three games shine is their story. Each delves into complex topics of their own, with common themes of grief, guilt, and struggling to align the pieces of their own broken mind. Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill f offer memorable, unique narratives. Townfall is able to stand with them, delivering a story that unfolds slowly, revealing more about Simon and other characters until the full horror is exposed.
Similarly, these stories were brought to life by stellar voice acting performances. Alongside Luke Roberts, both Jovan Adepo as Simon and Konatsu Kato as Hinako gave performances which will undoubtedly linger with players long after the credits roll.
All three games are upheld by excellent performances beyond the main characters, too. Giana Kiehl delivers a heartbreaking turn as Angela in Silent Hill 2, while Natsuki Ōsaki brings crystal-clear life to Hinako’s friend, Shu. In Townfall, Jovan is joined by Terry O’Quinn as Richard, that mysterious voice, and Kezia Burrows as Zoe.
While Townfall holds its own in terms of story and performances, where some might find it falling behind just a little is the stealth mechanic. For the most part, it’s an intriguing challenge to figure out just how to get past the creatures roaming the streets of St. Amelia. Where it becomes difficult to an unpleasant degree is the level which centers around escaping from the Weight. A larger creature than any Simon encounters before, it’s also faster and far more unrelenting, with a pitiless one-hit kill mechanic.
The Weight also appears to be very fond of Simon, in that it lingers far too close to any hiding place he might choose, which means it’s difficult to sneak past him and get where the player needs to go. And if it does succeed in killing Simon, it often spawns right in front of him when the player returns from the death screen. While Townfall does feature a time loop as a crucial plot point, being stuck in this particular loop is more frustrating than fascinating.
Still, Townfall is undoubtedly a worthy successor to the Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill f, especially because of its strong story and voice acting performances. For anyone eagerly awaiting more news of the Silent Hill remake, it’s a great choice.
The post ‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Is a Worthy Successor to ‘Silent Hill 2’ and ‘Silent Hill f,’ but It Has One Big Problem appeared first on vice.
