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In a recent review of Silent Hill: Townfall, the reviewer describes a playthrough starting with a pacifist approach, avoiding weapons like pipes, planks, and pistols. This stealthy strategy abruptly changed upon acquiring a shotgun during Richard's section of the game.
Tasked with ascending a 10-story office building, players encounter a new enemy type called widows, which are bloodied creatures hiding in shadows and attacking with knives. Frustrated by these creatures interrupting loot hunting, the reviewer utilized a large stock of accumulated ammo to clear out every floor with the shotgun.
The reviewer later observed that the defeated widows had photographs of deceased loved ones stapled to their bodies, realizing the character had indirectly caused their deaths due to greed and hubris. Reflecting on these actions, the reviewer felt the shotgun usage was lacking in empathy toward enemies enraged by loss, leading to regret over perpetuating a cycle of anger.
Despite moral questions raised by this sequence, the reviewer praised the section as one of their favourites because developer Screen Burn successfully crafted and conveyed Richard's complex, troubled character in a short time, though it forever changed how the reviewer views shotguns in horror games.
