Silver Pines Review Round-up: A stylish horror Metroidvania critics mostly recommend
Critics found a strong, eerie survival horror Metroidvania with standout atmosphere, even if early combat and enemy design drew caution.
- Developer
- Wych Elm
- Publisher
- Team17
- Release Date
- October 8, 2026
egg.network has not played Silver Pines. This review round-up is built from published critic reviews and official details, linked at the end. The score is the critics' aggregate, not our own.
Critical consensus
Silver Pines has landed in a strong critical position: Metacritic lists it at 84/100, while OpenCritic determined that 96% of critics recommended it. For a survival horror Metroidvania from Wych Elm Games and Team17, that points to a clear consensus rather than a split verdict. Critics generally found a stylish, eerie, systems-driven horror game built around exploration, puzzles, limited resources, and a deeply strange small-town mystery.
The broad takeaway is that critics responded most to the mood and structure. Silver Pines follows private investigator Red Walker as he searches for missing musician Eddie Velvet in the half-abandoned town of Silver Pines. As described by reviewers and preview coverage, the setup leans into a dark-town mystery, with the investigation pulling Walker into a nightmarish descent beyond his control. Multiple outlets connected its tone and setting to David Lynch and Twin Peaks, while its survival horror side drew comparisons to Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
What critics say works
Critics were most positive about the game’s atmosphere, art direction, and the way its horror is wrapped around Metroidvania-style exploration. Bloody Disgusting’s Aaron Boehm praised the demo’s navigation, puzzle design, and art direction, and came away feeling that the game was shaping a surreal narrative while still finding its own identity. That is the key thread running through the praise: Silver Pines wears recognisable influences, but critics found enough personality in its town, structure, and presentation to make the package stand out.
PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown also responded strongly to the visual side, describing the game as visually impressive while highlighting its survival horror fundamentals: limited resources, locked doors, puzzles, healing items, and inventory management. Those systems matter because Silver Pines is not framed as a pure action game. Critics treated it as a game about tension, navigation, and constraint, where ammunition, healing, and inventory space all shape how players move through the town.
The 2D perspective also drew attention because the game does not simply flatten survival horror into a side-scroller. Its navigation moves through streets, rooms, and hallways using map-based turns, while exploration depends on locked doors, hidden paths, and areas that open after new tools or weapons are found. Critics highlighted puzzle design and navigation because those systems appear central to the experience, not side activities.
The game’s map tools were also notable in the coverage. Silver Pines lets players attach photographs as reminders for puzzle locations and items, which fits the investigative premise without abandoning survival horror pressure. Real-time interactions also support that pressure, with manual reloading and code entry happening while enemies remain active. Critics described these systems as part of the game’s identity: a horror Metroidvania where navigation, memory, and resource pressure all overlap.
What critics criticised
The main criticisms were not about the concept, but about some early execution. PC Gamer found the opening hour derivative, suggesting that the game’s influences are especially visible at the start. That matters for a game so openly connected by critics to classic horror and surreal small-town storytelling. The favourable reception suggests many critics felt Silver Pines eventually justified itself, but the early stretch was not universally seen as fresh.
Combat also drew caution. PC Gamer criticised early melee combat as slow, which is an important warning for players expecting sharp, immediate action. Silver Pines includes close-range weapons and firearms, with some weapons doubling as exploration tools, but critics did not frame combat as the main reason to play. Based on the criticism, the game appears better suited to players who enjoy survival horror friction than those who want fast, fluid brawling.
Enemy design was another smaller reservation. Bloody Disgusting was less convinced by the early enemy designs, finding them less distinctive than the rest of the demo. That criticism stands out because the art direction and town atmosphere received praise. In other words, critics seemed more impressed by the world, mood, and structure than by every individual creature shown early on.
Malaysia and SEA player notes
For Malaysian and SEA players, the practical takeaway is platform reach. Silver Pines released on October 8, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows. The core genre mix is also clear: this is a survival horror Metroidvania, not a straightforward action horror game.
That makes it especially relevant for players who enjoy exploration-heavy horror, puzzle routing, locked-door progression, and resource management. Since critics focused on limited inventory, ammunition, healing items, and real-time pressure, this looks like one for players who enjoy being stressed by systems, not just startled by monsters.
Who it is for
Silver Pines sounds best for horror fans who like mystery-box towns, oppressive atmosphere, and progression built around maps, doors, tools, and puzzles. Critics connected its mood to surreal small-town horror and its mechanics to survival horror classics, so the ideal player is someone who enjoys piecing spaces together while managing risk.
It may be less ideal for players who need combat to feel fast from the first hour. The criticism around slow early melee combat is worth taking seriously, especially because combat sits beside exploration rather than clearly above it. Players who bounce off familiar horror influences may also find the opening stretch too recognisable.
Verdict
Critics broadly concluded that Silver Pines is a strong survival horror Metroidvania with style, structure, and atmosphere doing the heavy lifting. Its best-reviewed strengths are the eerie town, puzzle-led navigation, survival systems, and visual identity.
The caveats are specific rather than fatal: a derivative opening, slower early melee combat, and enemy designs that some critics felt lagged behind the rest of the presentation. With an 84/100 Metacritic score and a 96% OpenCritic recommendation rate, the consensus is still clear: critics mostly see Silver Pines as a confident horror release for players who want tension, exploration, and weird-town dread.
Sources
Pros
- Critics praised the eerie town setting and surreal horror tone
- Several previews highlighted the navigation, puzzles, and art direction
- Review aggregators point to a broadly positive critical reception
Cons
- Some critics found the opening hour derivative
- Early melee combat was criticised as slow
- Early enemy designs were seen as less distinctive than the wider presentation
Final Verdict
Silver Pines landed as a well-received survival horror Metroidvania, with critics responding strongly to its atmosphere, art direction, puzzles, and exploration structure. The main reservations centred on familiar early influences, slower melee combat, and enemy designs that some critics felt were weaker than the town itself.