In this spoiler-free review, I explain why this is the most personal horror game I've ever played

I’ve just finished playing Silent Hill: Townfall, and it’s a masterclass on what a modern horror game can be. At least, it is for me. From its perfectly observed setting in Scotland to an all-too-real sense of a community that’s collapsed in the face of a disaster, this game grabbed me on a deeply personal level and pulled me in as no other Silent Hill game has done before.

Set in the fictional Scottish harbor town of St Amelia in 1996, Silent Hill: Townfall follows the journey of Simon Ordell, who, after pulling himself out of the sea at the start of the game, proceeds to unravel the mystery of what’s happened in the town, what role he played and crucially how he can put things right.

From the shambling monsters with planks morphing out of their heads to the impenetrable fog obscuring most of your way forward, Townfall is in many ways classic Silent Hill despite being something of a smaller-scoped spinoff, much like last year’s Silent Hill f. Like its predecessors, gameplay relies on puzzle-solving, exploration and using a mixture of stealth and combat (using limited resources) to either avoid or take down enemies.

So, par for the course for Silent Hill then? In many ways, yes; there’s certainly enough hallmarks of the franchise to keep regulars happy and, much like I found in 2017’s Resident Evil 7 , a shift from an over-the-shoulder to a first-person perspective only helps to immerse you more in the game.

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