Fog so dense you can barely see a step ahead, an isolated town, and grotesque creatures. Konami's iconic Silent Hill franchise left a deep mark on the horror genre with its unique atmosphere focused on psychological horror. Today (August 20), roughly 18 minutes of gameplay footage for its latest title, Silent Hill: Townfall, was revealed.

The most noticeable change in Silent Hill: Townfall is the introduction of a first-person perspective. While previous entries in the series displayed the character and surrounding environment through an over-the-shoulder third-person view, this installment has players exploring a fog-shrouded town directly through the eyes of the protagonist, Simon. Utilizing a limited field of view heightens tension while immersing players by letting them experience exploration, combat, and horror firsthand from Simon's perspective.

The revealed footage opens with a scene crossing a fog-heavy sea to arrive at a harbor. In the following scene, players can see the protagonist picking up a "CRTV" at a location presumed to be a town monument. The CRTV is a new device replacing the radio that played a key role in previous games; players carry it around to tune into specific signals and gather information about their surroundings.

When a signal is picked up in the video, a woman's face appears on screen alongside a message she left behind and clues to find her. Based on the information gathered through the CRTV, players must track down the location emitting the signal.

After locating the source of the signal, full-scale exploration begins. A locked object sits on a dining table, requiring a code to open. Players must actively examine the environment—searching through various documents left around for clues and checking breaker boxes to restore power to unlit rooms. These scenes offer a glimpse into how heavily exploration and environmental investigation will figure into the overall gameplay.

The atmosphere shifts abruptly as soon as players exit the room, with a creature suddenly appearing. It is a humanoid creature bound all over with skin that looks flayed, characterized by a head resembling an axe blade. When evading the creature, the CRTV plays a crucial role once again. Even when it is difficult to see the enemy directly, players can gauge the creature's location and movements through the CRTV.

Combat broadly splits between using melee weapons like wooden planks and ranged weapons like pistols. As in previous entries, pistols boast high stopping power, capable of eliminating an enemy with a single precise headshot. However, because ammunition is scarce, players need to save firearms for emergencies rather than firing recklessly.

Afterwards, the fog suddenly turns red, transitioning the setting into another realm. While no exact name or setting details were revealed, it evokes the "Otherworld" of past entries. The map that could be viewed normally in the real world becomes partially obscured as if covered in black ink, and numerous creatures appear around the player. As a result, players must tread cautiously, step by step, while tracking enemy locations.

The video then moves on to exploring the interior of a building. The creatures that appear here pose a relatively lower threat level compared to earlier enemies. Even when their locations cannot be visually confirmed, players can locate creatures using the CRTV. By checking enemy positions via the CRTV, players move quietly to avoid the creatures while searching every corner of the building and gathering scattered materials.

Through this gameplay video, players can get a clear look at Silent Hill: Townfall's overall exploration and combat mechanics, as well as its new creatures and how to use the key CRTV device. Notably, combining the first-person perspective with the CRTV stands out for providing an experience that makes players feel directly placed in the horrifying situation.

Co-developed by Annapurna Interactive, Screen Burn Interactive, and Konami, the new episodic entry in the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill: Townfall, is scheduled to officially release on September 24 for Steam, Epic Games Store, and PS5.