Silver Pines Gets Positive Reviews Ahead of This Week’s Release

Tomorrow, October 8, marks the release of Silver Pines—an atmospheric platformer from Wych Elm, published by Team17. Few people have likely heard of this upcoming project, but now that the game has received its first reviews, it has gained more widespread attention.

Game critics have already shared their opinions on Silver Pines, giving the game fairly high ratings. It has been praised for the atmosphere, the successful blend of Metroidvania and survival horror, as well as its appealing visuals and soundtrack. Silver Pines currently has a score of 85 on Metacritic and 87 on OpenCritic, with a 96% “Critics Recommend” rating, making it a highly acclaimed title. You can check out some of the brief reviews below:

DualShockers – 95/100:

Silver Pines is a cerebrally divine love letter to David Lynch and all the narrative trademarks he was known for, from the cult classic Twin Peaks to Blue Velvet and Lost Highway. It digs even deeper to its spiritual successor Silent Hill, from the fog-filled streets to the nightmares that lurk with bared teeth, and embraces all those inspirations with the utmost grace and respect while still very much telling its own story. Combat can take a bit to get used to, but feels satisfying after a while with plenty of options at Walker's disposal. Meanwhile, the core investigation aspect of the game is well-executed if a bit unforgiving to the distracted player.

GamesRadar+ - 90/100:

Compelling, atmospheric, and brilliant, Silver Pines is a dive into mystery that's hard to put down and even harder to let go. It makes you feel like a detective, an action hero, and a man on the brink of uncovering horrifying darkness all at once.

SteamDeckHQ – 90/100:

Silver Pines is a great survival-horror that came just at the perfect time. The story is intriguing, the atmosphere is gloomy and creepy, the puzzles are intricate and interesting, and the combat is decent and enjoyable. The minor missed steps with its story and aiming guns are easily forgiven when looking at the bigger picture, and it’s hard not to love it.

Guardian – 80/100:

Silver Pines is a game to sit back and wallow in, like a private eye, kicking off his wingtip shoes and pulling that bottle of bourbon from the bottom drawer as rain trickles down the window and sodium street lights paint the walls a sickly shade of yellow.

• CGM – 10/10
• Radio Times – 10/10
• KonsoliFIN – 9.5/10
• Meristation – 9/10
• GameSpew – 9/10
• Digital Chumps – 9/10
• Gaming Boulevard – 9/10
• PSU – 8.5/10
• VDGMS – 8/10
• Gamesurf – 8/10

Despite mostly positive reviews, Silver Pines has a number of shortcomings. In their reviews, gaming journalists point out the less-than-intuitive control system and the sometimes-clunky combat system. They also specifically mention the puzzles, which aren’t always easy to figure out, and the repetitive nature of the enemies.

Silver Pines will release on October 8 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Switch 2. You can also try out the free demo version to see if you definitely want to purchase the game.