Key information
Wych Elm's debut game Silver Pines is a Twin Peaks-inspired, neo-noir detective mystery mixed with survival horror. The reviewer states they are about three hours into the game, tracking down a missing musician in a dilapidated rural town just as a bad storm approaches.
The reviewer notes that the title experiments by combining horror, two-dimensional exploration, and point-and-click puzzling. The rotoscoped character movements create an uncomfortable atmosphere, and combat features slow boxcutter swings and ammo-deprived shooting that makes enemies feel threatening.
Positive judgments include praise for the expressive visual style, the missing-person tale, and the default Survival Horror difficulty, which creates tense resource management. However, the reviewer criticizes the game for becoming a vast, backtrack-heavy maze of frustrating dead ends, tedious item hunts, and vexing trial-and-error puzzles once the town opens up.
The reviewer mentions that some obtuseness was unintentional, noting that developers Wych Elm stated they were looking at reworking a confusing swimming scene. While the reviewer is curious about the missing musician and the hostile town, they suggest they might wait for guides before returning, given the crowded autumn release schedule.
