Silver Pines is a great survival horror throwback with an unexpected Metroidvania twist, but it makes me glad the genre’s moved on
Silver Pines, a new survival horror game from developer Wych Elm Games, blends classic horror gameplay with Metroidvania-style exploration. Set in the 1950s, the game follows private investigator Red Walker as he investigates a small town called Silver Pines ahead of an oncoming storm. The game opens in a darkened diner, establishing an atmospheric, unsettling tone throughout its exploration-focused design.
The reviewer praises Silver Pines for its effective combination of taut survival horror mechanics and interconnected world exploration, along with its moody small-town ambience. However, the game’s save system—which uses typewriters and phone boxes scattered throughout the world, similar to classic survival horror titles from the 1990s—proves frustrating by modern standards. These design choices are intentional throwbacks to earlier horror games, but the reviewer’s reaction suggests they feel such conventions have been rightfully abandoned as the genre evolved. While acknowledging Silver Pines as a well-executed homage to survival horror’s roots, the review indicates that modern game design has moved beyond such limitations for valid reasons.