Silent Hill: Townfall is the most Scottish game I've ever played and the most effective horror game I've seen in ages: 'It made sense for us to dig deep into our upbringings, into our past, and try and build a place that felt believable'

Silent Hill: Townfall is a game that feels incredibly Scottish and perfectly captures the unsettling psychological horror that the series is known for. The developers, Screen Burn, a local studio known for their frights and mysteries, decided to create St. Amelia, a fictional town in Scotland, by digging deep into their own upbringings and experiences.

This helped them build a believable and relatable setting that resonates with players. The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by the 1990s, a time when technology was still in its infancy and the world was a bit more nostalgic. The game features analogue tools like CRTV and chunky portable TVs, which add to the sense of realism and help create an unsettling atmosphere.

The weather in St. Amelia is also a crucial element, as it is always foggy and grey, adding to the overall mood of the game. Scotland in videogames is often portrayed as a brief aside or an exaggerated version of the country, but Townfall takes a more confident and understated approach to its Scottishness, making it feel authentic and genuine.