A real fest for Silver Pines
Steam Next Fest is over, and it turned out very good for Silver Pines.
Last weekend I finally found the time and the opportunity to sit down with it. And it seems very promising!
Silver Pines is made by Wych Elm, a five-person team working remotely out of Norway and Sweden. It is very nice to see something we can already call a success coming out of Scandinavia, and on the back of this demo, this looks like an obvious hit with very positive demo ratings on steam.
They are experienced developers, the people at Wych Elm have Helldivers 2 and the BAFTA-winning Yoku’s Island Express behind them, with Team17 publishing.
A dreamy, nightmarish town
The demo sets an eerie tone immediately, with a mysterious phone call that frames the whole thing, just after Red Walker, the private investigator searching for Eddie Velvet, is awoken in a small cafe.
He does not really know or remember why he is there or what he is doing, while the voice on the other end is demanding. That alone establishes the dreamy, or maybe nightmarish, vibe.
From there you explore the city of Silver Pines in classic metroidvania style, and the navigation around the city is solved in a smart way with 3D navigation in a 2D map.
As I have said before, there is clear inspiration here from Twin Peaks, Resident Evil, Alan Wake and Wayward Pines. The view from the harbor really took me back to the first installment of Alan Wake.
I do not know what to call this eerie atmosphere, but I love how it feels. An overwhelming sense of eeriness and unfriendliness, something strange or paranormal always present.
The city is mostly empty of people, but I was happy that I found another person early on, even though he only told me that everyone should be evacuated at this point.
The guard making sure everyone has evacuated from the island. / Credit Wych Elm / Team17, YouTube
The art sells the atmosphere
A big part of why all of this works is the art. It is really good, and it really sells the atmosphere.
Wych Elm has done the tedious work of rotoscoping, an old school animation technique that was used a lot in games back in the 80s. You draw frame by frame over real footage, and it gives the characters a unique and handmade flair that you rarely see anymore.
The art does a lot of the heavy lifting in setting the mood. / Credit Wych Elm / Team17, YouTube
Clever, old-school mechanics
Wych Elm has done some cool things with untraditional mechanics. You save the game at the pay phone, and as every millennial (and older) will remember, you need a dime to use it.
Where do you find coins, you might ask? Well, that’s up to the player to figure out.
Inventory management also becomes important quickly, and you get the sense it will be central to the full game. Once you get your hands on guns, you also learn that reloading needs more planning than the heat of combat allows for.
Combining items with other items is central to these kinds of games. You also see the limited inventory on the top right. / Credit Wych Elm / Team17, YouTube
Great reception on Steam
During my time with the demo I did not notice any bugs, and Silver Pines strikes me as very polished, especially considering it does not launch until October 8. On the strength of this demo, I think we have a very good game on our hands when it finally lands.
Silver Pines has great reception on Steam at the time of writing | Credit Steam
A great reception, so big congratulations to the team at Wych Elm!
The Silver Pines gameplay trailer / Credit Wych Elm.
