With Silent Hill: Townfall out in the wild for a couple of weeks now, and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival launching this week, it seems spooky gaming season is in full swing. But while those two titles, as well as the upcoming Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, have been generating plenty of buzz, another horror entry worthy of your time has just released below the mainstream radar.
Videos by ComicBook.com
We’re talking about Silver Pines, a unique take on the goosebumps-raising subgenre that cleverly mixes Metroidvania elements with more traditional survival horror gameplay. Published by Team17 and Swedish indie developer Wych Elm, the game was recently chosen as one of ComicBook’s upcoming horror romps to look forward to.
Available now, somewhat stealthily, Silver Pines has been receiving rave reviews. In fact, it currently holds an 85% on Metacritic, a higher average than both Silent Hill: Townfall and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, which currently sit at 80% and 69%, respectively. And while it currently only has a handful of Steam user reviews, all of them rank it as “Recommended.”
Silver Pines has received plenty of praise for both its atmospheric setting and engaging storytelling. Players assume the role of private investigator Red Walker, who finds himself in the titular town searching for missing musician Eddie Velvet. While navigating the town’s terrifying streets and uncovering its sinister secrets, the trench-coated protagonist also interacts with a variety of quirky characters. Together, the fictional town, narrative, and colorful cast combine to deliver an experience that evokes the likes of genre favorites Twin Peaks and The X-Files.
In terms of gameplay, Silver Pines offers a solid mix of scavenging scarce resources, managing limited inventory space, and solving progress-blocking puzzles. Of course, enemy encounters – including screen-filling boss baddies – are also present and accounted for, leaving players to carefully evaluate threats and decide if they should quietly evade them or face them head on.
The game’s most striking feature, however, is its imaginative presentation. Framed in a retro 2.5D perspective, Silver Pines complements its neo-noir-inspired aesthetic with hand-painted, rotoscoped animations that pop off the screen… and into your nightmares.
If you’re seeking some scares on a budget, Silver Pines also has your back. The promising indie horror entry is currently 10% off on Steam, where its standard edition is $22.49 and its deluxe version – which also includes a soundtrack and art book – is selling for $28.79. The game is also Steam Deck Verified, so you can definitely play it under the covers with the lights out.
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Switch 2 owners are also welcome to brave the creepy burg, as Silver Pines is on sale for $22.49 across all its supported platforms.
More Gaming
-
Courtesy of Ubisoft
