First gameplay trailer of Silent Hill: Townfall reveals that it’s a first-person game
The Scottish-developed Silent Hill game also reimagines the series’ iconic radio
The first gameplay trailer for Silent Hill: Townfall has been released, revealing that the game is played in a first-person perspective.
Originally announced back in October 2022, Silent Hill: Townfall is being published by Annapurna and Konami, and is being developed by Scottish studio Screen Burn.
The studio was previously known as NoCode, and previously released Stories Untold and Observation (both of which were published by Devolver Digital).
The new trailer shows the game being played in a first-person viewpoint, and reveals its protagonist, a man called Simon Ordell.
Simon owns a device called the CRTV, which writer/director Jon McKellan says is a reimagining of the iconic radio seen (and heard) in many Silent Hill games.
“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,” McKellan said on the official PlayStation Blog.
“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.”
According to McKellan, the decision to go first-person means players can study the narrative better, while “narrative-driven puzzles feel tactile and intricate”.
“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,” he said.”
