Silent Hill: Townfall will launch on PlayStation 5 on September 24, bringing the series into a full-length first-person format for the first time. In a new interview, Konami producer Motoi Okamoto and Screen Burn Interactive writer and director Jon McKellan discussed the Scottish setting, the game’s CRTV device, its combat options, and the role of sound in building tension.
The developers shared those details through the official PlayStation interview. Screen Burn was introduced to Konami by Annapurna Interactive, which co-published the game. Okamoto also pointed to the studio’s previous work on Stories Untold and Observation as part of the reason Konami trusted the team with the series.
A Scottish setting built from personal experience
Townfall takes place in Scotland, where Screen Burn’s team grew up. McKellan said that familiarity helped the studio create a setting it understood in detail instead of building a location from a distance. Scotland’s frequent fog also made it a natural match for the series’ unsettling atmosphere.
Konami’s approach to the series gives its partner studios room to interpret what makes a Silent Hill game work. Okamoto explained that teams receive internal story guidelines, but are also expected to study the franchise and form their own understanding of its themes and identity.
The CRTV replaces the series’ familiar radio
The CRTV began as a standard radio during development. Screen Burn eventually turned it into a visual tool that can display video signals as well as produce sound. That change allowed the device to connect directly to storytelling, stealth, and other parts of play.
Players will need to rely on the CRTV even though its analog technology can feel unstable and difficult to trust. The team designed the game around that tension, using familiar retro hardware as something that can help Simon survive while also leaving him uncertain about what the device is showing him.
The first-person view was closely tied to the CRTV’s design. Okamoto said the move to first person was not the result of direct technical exchange with Silent Hill: The Short Message, which also used that perspective in 2024. McKellan added that the CRTV’s mechanics would not have worked in the same way from another viewpoint.
Combat gives players more than one answer
The creatures in Townfall are meant to feel dangerous, but Screen Burn does not want every encounter to have a single solution. Players can choose how to handle threats and decide whether a particular situation calls for stealth, combat, or another approach.
The game’s red-and-black color scheme also carries meaning beyond its visual impact. McKellan said the two colors are tied closely to Simon and will take on deeper importance as the story progresses.
Actions will shape the endings
Townfall will not determine its conclusion through one final decision. The player’s behavior across the entire playthrough will affect which ending they reach.
Three main endings will be available during a first run. A secret ending will require players to clear the game once before it becomes accessible, meaning the primary conclusions will not require several complete playthroughs.
DualSense features support the horror
On PS5, adaptive triggers will communicate the weight of firearms through the DualSense controller. Haptic feedback will also reproduce the footsteps of certain approaching creatures, giving players an audio-visual warning that they can feel in their hands.
Motion controls will support aiming, map handling, and puzzles involving the CRTV. Players can tilt the device to search for a signal, mirroring the familiar motion of raising a phone while looking for reception.
Sound will carry extra weight because the first-person camera limits how much of the surroundings Simon can see. The developers said they created situations where subtle noises and distant cues can reveal threats outside the player’s field of view.
Silent Hill: Townfall will arrive on PS5 on September 24. Share your thoughts on the CRTV, the Scottish setting, and the game’s first-person direction in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
Silent Hill: Townfall
Developed by Screen Burn
Silent Hill: Townfall is a full-length, self-contained psychological horror set against the cold, isolated backdrop of Scotland, 1996.
Players can explore St. Amelia, where fog-soaked streets, abandoned communities, and forgotten corners tell their story through atmosphere and history. Reality and delusion subtly intertwine to lure players into the depths of St. Amelia's grounded, tangible world.
- Genre: Puzzle, Adventure
- Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Perspective: First person
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2026-09-24
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive, Konami
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Age Rating:
