‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Reviews Praise Atmosphere, Story — But Stealth and Combat Draw Criticism

Critics are largely praising Silent Hill: Townfall, the latest entry in Konami’s long-running survival horror franchise, ahead of its September 24 release, with reviewers highlighting its atmosphere, puzzle design and storytelling while flagging frustrations with its stealth and combat systems.

The game currently holds an average score in the low 80s across major review aggregators — 82 on OpenCritic, where it carries a “Strong” rating and is recommended by 85% of critics, and roughly 81 on Metacritic. Those numbers place it slightly behind last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake (87) and the 2025 spin-off Silent Hill (86), though still comfortably within the range of a well-reviewed entry in the series.

Developed by Scottish studio Screen Burn — formerly known as No Code, the team behind 2019’s Observation — Townfall marks the first major Silent Hill title told from a first-person perspective. It moves the action away from the series’ namesake American town, instead setting the story in St. Amelia, a fictional coastal village in Scotland loosely modeled on the real-life Fife hamlet of St. Monans. Players take on the role of Simon Ordell, who wakes up in the abandoned town searching for a woman named Zoe, uncovering the mystery of what happened to St. Amelia’s residents and a corporation the town appears to have been protesting.

Reviewers pointed to the game’s world-building and visual design as standout strengths. Outlets described the town’s fog-drenched streets and weathered buildings as immersive and authentic, and repeatedly praised the lighting and atmosphere. Several critics also highlighted the game’s puzzle design as a highlight, calling the challenges creative and true to the series’ tradition of rewarding careful exploration over hand-holding.

Some reviewers argued Townfall comes closer than any other recent entry to matching the franchise’s most acclaimed installments, Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, praising how its first-person perspective heightens the horror without sacrificing the series’ trademark ambiguity and psychological weight.

The game’s combat and stealth mechanics drew more mixed reactions. Several reviewers noted that melee weapons degrade with use, and that ammunition and replacement weapons are deliberately scarce, pushing players toward avoidance over confrontation — a design choice some found tense and effective, and others found frustrating.

VGC’s review summed up the tension directly, calling the game outstanding horror but noting stealth sections it found infuriating at times. Other outlets flagged early technical hiccups, including frame-rate drops on both PC and PS5 during pre-release testing, as a possible concern heading into launch.

Despite those criticisms, the overall critical reception suggests Townfall continues the momentum of Konami’s ongoing revival of the Silent Hill franchise, following the well-received Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill. An initial playthrough runs roughly 10 to 15 hours, depending on playstyle, and the game includes multiple endings and a New Game Plus mode, encouraging replays. Silent Hill: Townfall launches September 24 on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC, get your copy now.