Silver Pines, a 2D detective horror game, gets positive reviews ahead of 8 October launch
The Guardian and Radio Times both review Silver Pines, a 2D Metroidvania-style detective and survival horror game from Wych Elm Games, and both are strongly positive. Both stress its style and its debt to Twin Peaks and the X-Files.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Silver Pines is a 2D detective game that mixes Metroidvania-style exploration with survival horror, and it is due out on 8 October. Radio TimesN “Silver Pines launches on 8 October for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. We reviewed on Switch 2.” Read at Radio Times ↗ The GuardianLC “Silver Pines is a dark Metroidvania-style adventure” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2The Guardian credits the developer as the Scandinavian studio Wych Elm Games, with Team 17 listed as publisher, and lists PC, PS5 and Switch 2 versions; Radio Times also lists Xbox Series X/S. The GuardianLC “Developed by Scandinavian studio Wych Elm Games” Read at The Guardian ↗ Radio TimesN “Silver Pines launches on 8 October for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Mixed · 2The player investigates the disappearance of the musician Eddie Velvet in a town being evacuated ahead of a storm, taking calls from a mysterious client on payphones. Radio TimesN “a strange voice on a pay phone quickly gets you up to speed and launches you into an investigation to find Eddie Velvet” Read at Radio Times ↗ The GuardianLC “your only contact with your client is via the payphones dotted around town, where you can also save your progress” Read at The Guardian ↗
Left · 1The Guardian's Keith Stuart says the player controls a shambling private eye, Red Walker, and describes the game as a "stylish, neo-noir detective drama". The review praises its rotoscoped animation, parallax scrolling, lighting and a soundtrack it likens to Angelo Badalamenti and Vangelis. The GuardianLC “you play as shambling private eye, Red Walker”“Using rotoscoping to create the lead character's animation”“parallax scrolling is used to brilliant effect” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The Guardian says the format is familiar from point-and-click adventures and is "not doing anything wildly original". It adds that the puzzles can be obtuse and combat is tense, with weapons that break and limited ammunition. It says the difficulty can be turned down for players who want the story. The GuardianLC “it's not doing anything wildly original with the formula”“The puzzles can be obtuse”“you can turn the difficulty right down if it's the story you want to experience” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 1Radio Times' Ben Rayner calls it a "taut survival horror" and "a love letter to art itself". The review praises a blend of 3D and 2D graphics, character portraits in the style of Dave McKean, a screen that warps and hums near creatures, and a minimal, dread-setting soundtrack. Radio TimesN “Silver Pines is a taut survival horror stretched onto the bones of a Metroidvania.”“character portraits echoing the style of artists like Dave McKean”“the screen will warp and hum as your near the creatures” Read at Radio Times ↗
Centre · 1Radio Times highlights mechanics such as repairing breakable melee weapons like a boxcutter with duct tape, timed reload dials, equippable keepsakes that give buffs, and Polaroid photos that are added to the map and help solve puzzles. It also notes a fair amount of backtracking. Radio TimesN “melee weapons like a boxcutter. They’ll dish some damage, until they break, needing you to do a quick repair with some duct tape or similar.”“you can take a Polaroid picture at any point which will get added to your map”“you’ll do a fair amount of back tracking through Silver Pines” Read at Radio Times ↗ Mixed · 2Both reviews place the game among screen and game influences. The Guardian cites Silent Hill, David Lynch, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, the X-Files and Angel Heart, while Radio Times cites Twin Peaks, the X-Files, Alan Wake, Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Remedy's games. The GuardianLC “from Blue Velvet to Twin Peaks (you drink coffee to increase your stamina), from the X-Files to Alan Parker’s hellish Angel Heart” Read at The Guardian ↗ Radio TimesN “it was easy to make comparisons to Alan Wake and Silent Hill” Read at Radio Times ↗ Mixed · 2Both reviews conclude that the game is more than the sum of its influences. The Guardian calls it "much more than an amalgam of familiar adventure tropes", while Radio Times says it is "a great game in its own right" and that the developers "totally stick the landing". The GuardianLC “what makes this game much more than an amalgam of familiar adventure tropes is its brilliant sense of style” Read at The Guardian ↗ Radio TimesN “This is a great game in its own right”“the developers totally stick the landing” Read at Radio Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Guardian reviews it as a stylish neo-noir detective drama and leads with the mood and setting. It places the game in a lineage of film noir and 80s and 90s neo-noir culture.
- Emphasis
- Visual style, noir aesthetics, rotoscoped animation, soundtrack and mythology. It also notes that the format is familiar and that some puzzles are obtuse.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Xbox Series X/S version or the 8 October release date in the text available.
- Charged language
- “stylish, neo-noir detective drama”“brilliant sense of style”“Lovecraftian monstrosity”
- For example
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“This is a design team that really understands the aesthetics of film noir” — The Guardian
“it's not doing anything wildly original with the formula” — The Guardian
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Radio Times pitches it to fans of Twin Peaks and the X-Files and frames it as survival horror built on a Metroidvania structure. Its verdict is that the game transcends its influences.
- Emphasis
- Art style, sound design and mechanics such as weapon repair, reload dials, Polaroids and keepsakes. It also stresses the Remedy, Alan Wake and Silent Hill influences.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little on the story's characters, such as the protagonist's name, and does not mention that the puzzles can be obtuse or that the format is unoriginal.
- Charged language
- “a love letter to art itself”“totally stick the landing”“X-Files fans will love this spooky 2D game”
- For example
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“it'd be a disservice to the team behind Silver Pines to purely lean on those comparisons in this review” — Radio Times
“Silver Pines launches on 8 October for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.” — Radio Times
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Silver Pines is a 2D Metroidvania-style detective and survival horror game in which the player searches for the missing musician Eddie Velvet.
- The town is being evacuated because of an incoming storm.
- Both reviews are strongly positive and compare the game to Twin Peaks and the X-Files.
- Combat uses breakable melee weapons and firearms.
Where accounts differ
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How original the game is
- Left
- The Guardian says the format is familiar and "not doing anything wildly original", but that its style and mythology lift it above its tropes.
- Centre
- Radio Times says that despite its clear inspirations it is "more than the sum of its parts" and feels "fresh and engrossing".
Silver Pines product
Both reviewers present the game as a distinctive, atmospheric detective horror that draws on Twin Peaks, the X-Files and survival horror classics but succeeds on its own terms.
“it all comes together to make something that feels fresh and engrossing” — Radio Times
“Silver Pines is a game to sit back and wallow in” — The Guardian
Left1 article
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The GuardianLC · · Opinion
Silver Pines review – a stylish, neo-noir detective drama
Sympathetic Warm review praising the game's noir style, pacing and mythology while noting that its formula is familiar and some puzzles are obtuse.
Centre1 article
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Radio TimesN · · Opinion
Silver Pines review: X-Files fans will love this spooky 2D game
Celebratory Enthusiastic review aimed at Twin Peaks and X-Files fans that says the game transcends its influences and 'sticks the landing'.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 6 Oct 14:00 First Radio TimesN Silver Pines review: X-Files fans will love this spooky 2D game Opinion
- 6 Oct 14:00 First The GuardianLC Silver Pines review – a stylish, neo-noir detective drama Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.