I don't know what it is about the horror genre, but it seems to provide excellent fodder for interesting audiovisual experiences, large and small. This applies especially to Steamwhere indie developers regularly compete for the audience's attention with retro throwbacks, genre fusions, walking simulators and many other creepy diversions. This led to unexpected hits like You signaled and REPO in the past and it looks like Silver pines could reach similar heights.
It takes place in the fictional city that is the namesake of the game, Silver pines is an atmospheric side-scrolling survival horror game that will be released later this year. Looking at the game's Steam page, it seems to mix dark psychological horror with Lynchian absurdity and misguided curiosity, which could be a good fit for Twin Peaks and Alan Wake fans as well as for Silent Hill lovers. Although Silver pines published by the prolific Team17, this is developer Wych Elmo's debut release, which makes it all the more exciting; it is not at all clear what Silver pines it will be like, which cannot be said about most of the horror games that flood the Steam marketplace year after year.
Silver pines have a stunning aesthetic
It's worth mentioning before anything else Silver pines' unique and seductive visual design. Kind of an inversion of an old school horror trick, Silver pines features 3D backgrounds juxtaposed with 2D character models that appear to be animated at a low frame rate to create the feel of a comic book or old cartoon. Inspired by pop art, this comic book shines through the character designs themselves, which are simplistic, high contrast and dramatic.
These characters are pitted against each other Silver pines' various environments that are not only 3D, but surprisingly highly faithful and detailed. Pools of water glisten with reflected light, flocks of birds fly in the background, and some 3D objects such as trees, rocks, and other natural features border on photo-realistic. The visual designs of the characters clash with the environment designs, which makes for a much more textured aesthetic and could actually elevate Silver pinesotherwise the premise.
Silver pinesThe reveal trailer is set to a haunting, gloomy indie rock ballad, though it's unclear if this is representative of the game's final soundtrack.
What is Silver Pines really about?
Private detective Red Walker finds himself in Silver Pines, a half-abandoned, half-forgotten place in the middle of nowhere to track down Eddie Velvet. The musician who disappeared. As the case begins to reveal a dark past, Walker soon slides into a strange and terrifying descent beyond his control.
The above is a start Silver pines Description on Steam and at the moment this is all available information about the game's plot. It's not hard to see Silver pines' inspiration, albeit in this vague synopsis. Walker's slide “into a strange and terrifying descent” certainly sounds like an uncomfortable situation for many people Silent Hill protagonist, especially if said descent is connected to any “dark past”. Is this implied trauma related to Red Walker, Silver Pines, or both? We'll have to wait and see, though, if the game will be anything like that Silent Hillthe third option seems the most likely.
Silver pines' naming conventions are also quite similar Twin PeaksDavid Lynch's incredibly influential 1990s crime drama. Almost too cool monikers like Red Walker and Silver Pines feel like homages to characters like Dale Cooper and the surreal town of Twin Peaks itself. Assumption Silver pineshow it begins as a seemingly straightforward investigation in a sleepy town before devolving into something much more disturbing and potentially supernatural is similar to Twin Peaks also.
Twin Peaks had a huge influence on Alan Wake games, so it is possible that the fellow survival horror Silver pines will have shades of the cult classic Remedy franchise.
Silver Pines promises a fusion of classic survival horror and Metroidvania gameplay elements
As expected from a survival horror game, Silver pines it's as much about foresight and resource management as it is about quick thinking and combat skills. Supplies like ammo and medicine are limited, and while enemies don't seem to attack in massive hordes, each one is generally very strong, energetic, and deadly. In other words, threats are around every corner and slow, methodical or otherwise deliberate play will be rewarded.
Survival horror games tend to have some degree of crossover with metroidvania staples and Silver pines there is no other. Described by Wych Elm as having “metroidvania navigation”, the game's structure is informed by dead ends, locked doors, and other obstacles that at first seem insurmountable. Only through exploration and perhaps some non-linear progression will players have access to a larger portion of the titular city. In theory it should support it Silver pinesSurvival horror aspects because good metroidvania design usually leads to good level design and sometimes even strong resource management systems.
Silver pines hasn't gotten a firm release date yet, though that will hopefully change before long; the game is slated for release in 2026. Until then, we can only speculate on how effective it will be as a survival horror experience, especially when compared to the competition – indie horror is definitely coming into its own. But Silver pinesThe unique visual style and seductive, if mysterious, narrative premise are enough to keep me invested in its development for now.
