Video Game Review: Silver Pines (2026)
Inspiration, influences, love letters, homages. Everything pulls from something in one form or another. Take away too much and you end up with a pastiche. But filtered down into the right amount, and you end up with something familiar, yet singular in its identity. Wych Elm Games, the developers behind the new indie survival horror metroidvania, Silver Pines, are not shy about the bevy of influences that make up their debut release. And while I’ve made no secret of my interest in the indie game since its announcement a few years ago (to say nothing of my coverage of the game both here and beyond), I’m happy to say that my journey through this dark and dilapidated northwestern town was its own aberrant brand of delight and intrigue.
Silver Pines follows Red Walker, a private investigator who wakes up in the titular town to find a missing musician by the name of Eddie Velvet. Guided by a mysterious benefactor over the pay phone known as “Mr. Jackman”, Red’s journey takes him into the dark heart of Silver Pines during an incoming storm as he discovers its secrets, tragic history, and stranger citizens who decided to remain behind. It’s a narrative that has more than a few familiar beats to those who know the genre and has played in this particular sandbox before, but it’s also not without its own unique brand of Swedish charm (much like how the Finnish devs at Remedy put their own brand of humor and culture within their games).
Speaking of unique, it’s hard to talk about the game without citing the influences of other franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Equally so does the shadow of Twin Peaks and David Lynch’s aberrant brand of surreal horror loom over the game as well. And yet the developers at Wych Elm have taken all these ingredients and filtered them down into something very much their own, and a lot of that has to do with the team’s choice in art direction. By rotoscoping the game’s animation — a painstaking process that requires animators to go frame by frame to draw over motion picture footage — the game’s art style approximates a neo-noir aesthetic that is then sent into horrific overdrive given the gestures towards macabre artists like Francis Bacon and Francisco Goya. Walker will find himself scouring for clues in an abandoned apartment complex one moment, only to then end up in the building’s flooded basement facing down all manner of shadowy creatures as he’s flash-banged by red-tinged nightmarish visions. It’s a striking visual tightrope that ties the aesthetics of the game together exceptionally well, especially as the surreal nightmare becomes more apparent.
Narratively speaking, the game takes its time to dole out the mystery over the course of its story. After the initial introduction in the town’s Outskirts; the Downtown, Riverside, and Church Hill area of the game is where players will find themselves for the majority of their playtime as they collect bells to activate a sky ride that will take them up to Silver Pines nearby mountain peak. As Walker scavenges about, newspaper clippings, missing person notices, flyers, and fictional TV shows like ‘Terminal Drive’ and the X-Files-esque, ‘The Omega Report’ are the primary storytelling vehicle of which expands upon the titular town and its residents. It's a slow burn, with some of these elements connecting to the larger plot at hand. But most of it is additional texture to a town whose best days are far behind it. By the time I rolled credits on the game, there was a real sense of inevitable tragedy to the town, its people, and Eddie Velvet. No spoilers here, but the developers wisely forgo handholding in both gameplay and narrative as they trust players to put two and two together in order to decipher how certain events play out. Not every tale will go answered, and not every detail will be resolved. It’s a commitment that I must commend even as there’s more than enough mystery left on the table should the developers wish to do so down the line.
As previously mentioned, Silver Pines is a survival horror experience and that means scavenging for resources like ammo, health, mementos for light build-crafting, and weapon upgrades. Walker’s arsenal in particular is wide and varied. From boxcutters, crowbars, and molotov cocktails, to revolvers, handguns, nail guns, and submachine guns; Walker has all manner of tools necessary to fend off Silver Pines’ monstrous surprises. And if nothing else I can only assume the developers are massive fans of shotguns given the many variations of the weapon type found throughout the game. Double-barrel, automatic, to even lever-action; if you’re a fan of the boomstick for close encounters, Wych Elm has you covered. The mementos found throughout also offer some fun, if limited build-crafting as well. Want to go all in on ranged weapons? Have at it. Into melee combat and dodging? Or do you want to do a mix of both? The choice is yours. The combat is tense but plays exceptionally well and is varied enough without players feeling overpowered or underpowered at any given moment.
Given Red Walker is a small-time private dick hunting for clues to solve a larger mystery, it makes sense that there are some light puzzle elements scattered throughout to break up the combat. These puzzles will be found in a variety of classic survival horror staples: sewers, derelict Town Halls, funeral homes, shady motels, and much more. Each comes with their own story that furthers the game’s world-building, and while I had a tendency to overthink a few of these puzzles, they are relatively simple solves as long as one is curious enough to browse around. With that exploration comes the metroidvania aspect of the game. If you’re familiar enough with the sub-genre, then you know some areas will be locked off until the proper tools are found. Some of these items are essential to player progression and can be found through gradual narrative progression while others are just a bit off the beaten path but never too far away if one has a keen eye. For the complete Silver Pines experience it’s worth seeking out these small treasures because it furthers Walker’s gameplay experience and narrative journey simultaneously. It especially helps as players delve into the latter half of the game where bigger and faster foes pop up more frequently.
For the purposes of this review, I played on the recommended difficulty of ‘Survival Horror’ which kept me on my toes just enough to switch up between my guns and melee weapons, while also trying to avoid fights when necessary. That bit about sneaking around for resource management was especially useful when pertaining to the game’s boss fights. While these segments are usually telegraphed by the crimson “Otherworld” that signaled an incoming end to the level, these combat encounters did a solid job of testing my ability to juggle healing, multiple enemies, weapon reloading, and the crucial dodge mechanic. So like most games within this genre, when coming upon these concluding segments it helps to save a fair amount so you don’t lose hours of progress upon death. On that note about saving, I quite loved how the save mechanic present functioned within the game. Using a series of strategically placed pay phones scattered throughout the town, players make a phone call to Mr. Jackman, filling him in on the events so far. It’s a great narrative tool to remind players where they are in the story and what’s going on, while functioning at times like a Safe Room in Resident Evil (accompanied with its own musical sting no less), only instead of ink ribbons, here players have to part with their hard-earned cash found throughout the town.
In this narrow corridor before the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, what Silver Pines best represents is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to experience a throwback to the survival-horror of yore. A smaller experience for certain, but one in which I am currently deep within a second playthrough with about 40 hours logged into the game overall. Valued on the lower end at $25.00 at launch, Wych Elm’s debut game is one that respects players time and investment while still delivering a melancholic tale full of tense combat and rain drenched northwestern dread.
If you enjoyed similar throwbacks like Signalis, Crow Country, or even bigger games like Alan Wake 2, then you owe it to yourself to give Silver Pines a try. It’s visually striking with punchy combat, an atmospheric and moody score alongside stellar voice acting by the likes of Gavin Drea, Suanne Braun, YouTuber Suzi Hunter, and others. And what’s better? It doesn’t overstay its welcome. The demo is out as of this writing on the game’s first level in the Outskirts, so why not give it a spin? After all, everyone is entitled to one good scare.
Silver Pines releases on all platforms October 8th.
