With the September 24th release date for Silent Hill: Townfall right around the corner, series producer Motoi Okamoto has provided more details on how developer Screen Burn will make use of the PS5’s features to enhance its scariness and gameplay. He spoke about the studio’s prowess at making horror experiences, and how Silent Hill: Townfall won’t be about jump scares and gore, and instead will focus more on “tension and escalating uncertainty.”
One of the first things described by Okamoto when it came to the PS5’s features is 3D audio. He noted that audio director Byron Bullock worked with composer Pilotpriest to make sure that the horrific environments and their denizens sound appropriately creepy, all of which can be properly delivered through the “complex and finely-tuned” 3D audio system in the PS5.
The raw horsepower of the PS5 that allows for ray-traced lighting hasn’t gone unmentioned either. Okamoto noted that the town’s eerie atmosphere made full use of the technology to render things like soft ambient lighting from the foggy world in the outdoor areas, as well as the flashlight being an integral tool when exploring indoors. Things like flashing alarm lights or the shocking switch over to the franchise’s iconic Otherworld from the blue-grey fog have also made extensive use of ray tracing.
When it comes to gameplay, the DualSense controller’s features will also play an important role. Every swing of a weapon, pull of a trigger, or the thud of heavy footsteps will make use of the controller’s detailed haptic feedback system. Speaking of pulling triggers, the DualSense’s Adaptive Triggers will also offer appropriate feedback when players are engaged in combat. Interestingly, Silent Hill: Townfall will even go as far as using the controller’s built-in motion control options for some gameplay mechanics, like fine-tuning the CRTV or even aiming guns.
Silent Hill: Townfall is being developed for PC and PS5, and its story will take players back to the year 1996, putting them in the shoes of Simon Ordell, who finds himself on the shores of the Scottish town of St. Amelia. Writer Jon McKellan recently spoke about the decision behind the game’s 1996 setting, and how it makes perfect sense for Screen Burn to tap into the analog technology of the time.
“Especially, like, Screen Burn’s history, our games are quite, you know, dealing with archaic technology and old computers, and we were able to bring some of that into Townfall by setting it in a period where that kind of tech is new for Silent Hill, but not too modern.”
“It feels like the right time period for that. A couple of different factors all made the ’90s feel like the right time for horror.”
More recently, Screen Burn gave us another look at Silent Hill: Townfall during Konami’s Press Start showcase from earlier this month. The trailer included a few glimpses at some of the game’s creepy creatures, as well as an appearance by Emmy Award-winning actor Terry O’Quinn. Other cast members, like Jovan Adepo – who plays Simon – were also present in the trailer.
