The importance of major horror game franchises is at an all-time high.

For the third consecutive year, I’ve found myself on edge thanks to a new entry in the Silent Hill series. First, it was the modern remake of Silent Hill 2, followed by the Japan-inspired spinoff Silent Hill F. Now, I’m cautiously navigating a quaint Scottish town in Silent Hill: Townfall, desperately trying to avoid being torn apart by the demonic entities lurking in the shadows. It’s impressive to see a franchise that once seemed nearly defunct make such a strong comeback. Coupled with Resident Evil’s resurgence across both games and film, we now have two of gaming’s most iconic horror franchises thriving simultaneously.

Resident Evil’s revival has been a gradual process, kicking off with Resident Evil 7 nearly a decade ago. This installment revitalized the series with a first-person perspective that intensified the horror experience. Since then, the developers have effectively alternated between remaking classic titles like Resident Evil 4 and introducing fresh concepts, such as the vampire-infused Village. This approach has allowed for more experimentation within the mainline series; for example, this year’s Requiem boldly combined action with first-person horror elements.

While Resident Evil has had its share of uneven adaptations, like the forgettable live-action series, there’s hope for improvement. Recently, a reboot of the film series premiered, simply titled Resident Evil, directed by Zach Cregger. This new take offers a fresh perspective on the zombie saga, focusing on a hapless delivery driver who embodies the struggles of a player who isn’t great at survival horror. Much like the Exit 8 movie, this film explores the source material through the player’s lens, resulting in a mix of humor and terror — complete with gore dripping from ceilings and a particularly unsettling long-limbed baby. It also achieved the best box office opening in the franchise’s history.

Silent Hill has experienced a similar revival, albeit on a smaller scale. After a long hiatus following the cancellation of Silent Hills in 2015, Konami hinted at a franchise comeback with several announcements in 2022. Not every release has been a hit — a film earlier this year went largely unnoticed, and the interactive TV series Ascension was a peculiar misstep — but the gaming side of Silent Hill has been thriving. The remake of Silent Hill 2 reintroduced one of the series’ most cherished titles to a new audience, while Silent Hill F provided a fresh and terrifying experience with its unique setting and RPG elements.

Townfall expands the boundaries of what a Silent Hill game can be. Launching this week on PS5 and PC, it’s developed by Screen Burn, an indie studio known for titles like Observation. You step into the shoes of Simon, who arrives in a small Scottish town that feels eerily deserted and is enveloped in the classic Silent Hill fog. To make matters worse, grotesque creatures reminiscent of Hellraiser roam the streets. Your mission is to uncover the town’s dark secrets while evading these mutated horrors.

What stands out about Townfall is its gameplay style. It shares similarities with “walking simulator” games like Firewatch and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, focusing on exploration and organic storytelling. This involves rummaging through abandoned homes and medical facilities, piecing together the town’s horrific past through files and phone messages. The game then layers in traditional horror elements.

While there is some light combat, the emphasis is primarily on stealth. To progress, you’ll often need to sneak past erratic monsters that hunt blindly, screeching and writhing in agony. This mechanic is reminiscent of Alien: Isolation, where you use a handheld device to track enemy locations and can hide in closets or sheds to avoid detection. It’s genuinely terrifying and retains the essence of a Silent Hill game, even with its gameplay and setting shifts.

The resurgence of Resident Evil and Silent Hill comes at an exhilarating time for the horror genre, with notable successes in theaters and a wave of promising streaming series. The genre is experiencing a renaissance, and both franchises are hitting their stride just when it matters most.