![]() The game definitely does a good job about establishing that it's not a Silent Hill game in terms of the story - it has a ton of its own worldbuilding that really establishes it as (hopefully the first) in a fresh new horror IP, and the enemies are just a little too dangerous compared to the more slow-paced SH monsters. In fact, I'd say he hit a massive home run for my own needs (which are always satisfied by foggy towns and nightmarish horror). With all that being said, I mean nothing negative toward the developer. Reminds me of the SH Historical Society: Look at these screenshots and you'll see what I mean thematically as well: One area in particular has very prominent spinning industrial fans, including the dramatic shadows they cast. There's a gigantic hulking red enemy who shows up from time to time and you cannot hurt him whatsoever. Throughout the game you regularly encounter a figure that ominously stalks you from a distance. Just look at that inventory screen layout. The radio emits static when you're near an enemy. ![]() Some of the main areas you'll explore include an abandoned school, a prison, a hospital, apartment buildings, and a church.Įarly in the game you pick up a portable radio. There are air-raid sirens throughout the town that go off when the "anomalies" appear. ![]() You're walking around an abandoned town almost always covered in fog.Ībandoned cars litter the streets in that oh-so-familiar way. But almost simultaneously, I had pangs of feeling like it was just too close to Silent Hill, at least in terms of pure atmosphere. Most of the time I felt like I was genuinely playing a first-person Silent Hill game - a real one, straight out of the heads of Team Silent - and it was like the embrace of a true love long forgotten. Narratively it stands on its own two feet quite well compared to something like Lone Survivor which basically just rehashes the "maybe you're not well in the head" thing, and really does a good job establishing its own universe through lots of the usual notes and abandoned audio recordings.Įven so, I felt weirdly conflicted playing it. The horror ranges from "oh shit, it's chasing me," to some real mindfuckery with messages appearing on walls when you turn around, doors leading to places they shouldn't, and of course having a big mystery to solve about exactly what happened to the town and what's going on. There's a lot to explore and a ton of optional buildings, similar to Downpour. I honestly really liked this game (at the final area right now). Enemies are a lot faster and stronger than you, so having a sledgehammer or a pipe is a bare minimum amount of comfort. You get a map of the town (with certain streets named after writers, of course) and you're off.Ĭombat feels very much like a first-person SH0 - lots and lots of breakable melee weapons. The cool thing is, once the game starts you have full control over where you're going, and only a little hand-holding as to where to look. To escape through the main gate, you need to gather eight (ish?) pieces of a character's "citizenship card," each of which is located in a different part of the town. I'm almost positive it's the work of one guy, which is absolutely amazing because it's hugely detailed in every way.įor those who don't know, Welcome to Hanwell is a first-person open world horror where you wake up in a morgue and are trying to escape a perpetually-foggy (and very British) town that is crawling with grotesque, barely-human "anomalies."Īnd it looks like Silent Hill from across the pond. Jump in, turn out the lights and discover the terrifying world of Hanwell.From what little I know of the game's development (picked it up on a blind whim since I'm always hungry for more of the spookies), it's either a sole developer project or the result of a small indie studio. Each location holds its own backstory, leading to your arrival. ![]() From residential homes, old English pubs, parks, stores, supermarkets and government buildings, all the way to the infamous HCPP research center. There is an entire city to explore, featuring different environments each more distinct than the last. What you do with them is up to you, be resourceful and pick up whatever you can find in order to fight them. They occasionally get into the once protected buildings. Unexplained noises, something in the corner of your eye or laying just beyond the shadows create an atmosphere that will keep you constantly on edge. There is something deeply unsettling about Hanwell. Strung together by the remnants of Hanwell. Explore a dense open world of terror, every building a unique location with its own story to tell. Hanwell, once a safe haven from the horrors of the world, now a cesspit of anomalous scum. ![]()
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