Just a couple of weeks ago we touched base on a new 2D side scroller horror game called “Silver Pines”. Developed by Wych Elm Games and published by Team17, the game promised to be a cross between “Silent Hill” and “Alan Wake”. Which anyone who’s played either one of those games knows that’s a bold statement. Both games offer their own signature blend of psychological horror that knows how to get under your skin, usually forcing the protagonist (and the player) to face their inner demons.
Silver Pines uses a deceivingly simple missing persons mystery as its foundation. Like most neo-noir films, the story takes countless twists and turns adding to the mystery. Themes of murder, coercion, manipulation and a multitude of abuses are uncovered as you peel back layers of secrets and dark truths. But as you continue to discover leads to your ultimate goal, nothing is what it seems, and you start to realize certain truths were best left hidden.
As we try to shine light on the mysteries of Silver Pines, we’re going to see if the story manages to carry the weight of its inspirations. If the atmosphere digs into our psyche, having us question our sanity. How the gameplay translates to 2D and if its perspective limits the experience or adds to the tension. And if the game’s graphic novel art style compliments the increasingly dark narrative.
So, without any more delay. Let’s all put on our dusty trench coats and play detective.
Story
You play as Red Walker; a private investigator hired to search for a missing musician named Eddie Velvet. You randomly wake up in a diner just outside the town with zero recollection of how you arrived. As you wipe the sleep from your eyes and attempt to brush off the mental fog you hear a phone ringing in the distance outside. Answering the phone, you are greeted by your employer, Hank Jackman. Your objective is simple; find Velvet by any means necessary and report back to Jackman.
As you arrive in town you come across evacuation notices and the streets are almost completely deserted due to an impending storm that threatens the area. The few remaining residents that stayed behind are surprised to find you wandering around. Some are friendly, pleading that you leave for your safety, while others are not so open with another stranger poking around the town. As you begin your investigation, you soon realize that something more sinister is hiding underneath the blankets of pleasantries and contempt.
The last time anyone saw Eddie Velvet he was performing at a local bar, The Red Rabbit Club. He was seen talking to a young woman named Alice Baker. The townsfolk saw this as more than just your typical groupie/ musician relationship. Gossip followed the couple with rumors that Eddie wanted to take Alice away from Silver Pines. That they were falling in love, and he promised her a better life, one that she couldn’t get stuck in a small mountain town. But as the couple take a trip up to the snow-covered summit, only Eddie returns. Alice is nowhere to be found and many suspect foul play. With the town now against Eddie, most rally for a public prosecution. They blame Eddie for her disappearance, regardless of if there is no evidence to prove he did anything wrong.
Now, Eddie is the one who’s gone. Many think he simply left due to the mounting accusations. With the storm rushing closer as time marches on, Walker has little time to find Velvet. Did Eddie kill that poor girl, or is something much worse at play?
Atmosphere
This game does a near-perfect job of making Walker and ultimately the player feel uneasy throughout the whole experience. I was concerned with a lack of townspeople to interact with if the tension would become stale. I’m happy to say that is far from the case. The abandoned town is a character just as much as the residents, and Silver Pines doesn’t want you there. It makes this known very quickly in how antagonistic the place feels. Every dark corner of a room, down every seedy alley, Silver Pines wants you gone… or dead. At first, the choice seems to be yours. A little nudge here and there to get you to leave. But as time goes on and more of the truth surfaces, you soon realize that you can’t leave, at least not alive.
Obviously, the claustrophobic nature of the setting pulls a lot of weight, that’s not the only thing keeping the tension as thick as the fog. You do have to deal with monsters. These monsters seem to do more than just damage Walker’s health. Other than the first instance of memory loss, these creatures cause him headaches and it’s driving him mad. Now to be clear, there isn’t a sanity mechanic in this game. Which is a shame, because it probably would have done wonders.
But Walker himself begins to suffer mentally. He starts to question his reality. How do these monsters exist? How are they connected to the town? Why do the townspeople all act as if they’re hiding something? And what does this all have to do with Eddie?
Gameplay
Anyone who grew up playing 2D side-scrollers will be familiar with the general gameplay of Silver Pines. You basically travel side to side, from one end of an area to the other. Most areas are also vertical, allowing you to travel either up to other higher sections or further down to basements and even the sewers. Each main area in the game has several puzzles and locked doors or blocked pathways that you must find your way around to progress.
In true Metroidvania fashion, some areas are blocked off entirely until you acquire necessary items or abilities to progress. For example, the flashlight. If you look at your starting inventory, you will notice that you do not have a flashlight. At first this isn’t a problem; most buildings have some light sources peppered throughout. But eventually, you will enter an area that will be too dark to see. The game then prevents you from going further until you find the flashlight somewhere in the town.
The inspirations to Silent Hill are noticeable from the jump. But it even takes inspirations further on some creature designs and its combat. To be clear, combat is not clunky in Silver Pines as it is in old Silent Hill games. This is more in the fact that the game utilizes melee weapons as much as firearms. There is a large variety of weapons you come across in the game. Everything from box cutters, crowbars, and sledgehammers to different pistols, shotguns and rifles. The one great thing about the melee weapons is they also have practical use in the world. For instance, the box cutter can also cut through tarps sealing areas of the town, opening exploration when cut open.
There are also a decent number of collectibles in the game. The primary collectible you come across is named “Mementos”. They are little trinkets that seem to carry some narrative significance to the events. But they also have passive buff and debuff attributes to the character. Buffs such as take 10% less damage, or dodge faster. But some of these also have debuffs like you can strike with a melee weapon faster, but the weapon degrades faster as well. There are also “Vessel Shards” that when four are collected and combined it adds extra slots of how many Mementos you can equip at a time.
Inventory management is also a concern. The allotted space in the beginning is small, but you can find Hip Packs that add to your overall inventory space. You will also come across coffee machines that when a singular cup is brewed, it upgrades your overall stamina. Which becomes very important as supplies are limited. Ammo and health items are scarce, and you’ll find yourself swinging away broken melee weapons in a panic often, which takes up a lot of stamina.
To be extra clear here, the combat in this game is not unfair, but it isn’t easy either. I played under the recommended “Survival Horror” difficulty setting and having to make choices over buying ammo, health or repair kits felt important. Also, choosing when to fight off enemies or run. Some areas require you to constantly backtrack and revisit, do you memorize patterns and run past creatures? Or do you risk resources clearing a room? These choices did make certain areas frustrating to deal with, especially when the number of enemies outweighs your resources and you haven’t saved in a while. But luckily those moments were few and far between.
Saving your progress is interesting in this game as you must use a payphone to call your employer with an update on your task. You must have at least a dollar to make the call, so choosing how much money you spend at any given time becomes another important choice. Luckily, most payphones have a coin left behind in the change return slot that you can use as a free call.
Choices are not just regulated to inventory and combat. There are three possible endings to Silver Pines. And in true Silent Hill fashion, a happy or “good” ending all depends on how you feel about them. Even the obvious choice leaves you contemplating why you decided that, and then there’s the not too obvious choices. These require a more thorough attention to detail and exploration but offer more in terms of story.
Graphics
The art style of this game is simply gorgeous. As mentioned in our preview a couple of weeks ago, Silver Pines has a graphic novel aesthetic, and it just looks beautiful. The art is like “30 Days of Night” and similar horror comics. An animated hand drawn look that fits the horror noir story perfectly. Chat bubbles pop up as you talk to residents and the profile photos change as they speak to you, hinting at mood and emotions. The game is fully voice acted, but to see the drawn faces distort adds an extra layer to the overall experience.
The lighting in this game is also top notch. In moments of panic and desperation I either swung too wildly at a creature to just hit a lamp or shoot out a fluorescent lighting fixture when I aimed too high and the light acts appropriately. Especially with the swinging fluorescent light casting shadows on the walls and floor.
Final Thoughts
From the second I saw screenshots and previews of Silver Pines; I had a feeling we had something special. This game ended up exceeding every possible expectation I could have. From the Metroidvania level design rewarding exploration and curiosity to the foreboding feeling of constant dread throughout. Even with the bleak tone and oppressive setting, I didn’t want to leave Silver Pines. It ended up becoming a game that will stay with me long after the credits rolled.
Here’s hoping the developer and the publisher decide to do a limited physical release (looking at you Limited Run Games). This is a game I NEED on my shelf and deserves a revisit. Seeing what Wych Elm Games achieved makes me wonder what a Silent Hill experience would be in their hands. In any case, I’m excited for whatever else they come up with next.
I give Silver Pines 4.5 Dollar Coins Out of 5
Steam Review Code Provided by Wych Elm Games and Team17
Silver Pines Is Out Now For PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store
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