Silent Hill 4

[Neverseen 0]

For me, Silent Hill has always been a very special series. Whereas its `influence`, Capcom`s Biohazard (Resident Evil) series resorted to highly obvious monster-pops-out-of-nowhere tactics to scare its players, Konami`s take on the so-called survival horror genre offered a far different way to terrorize gamers. During the early days of the original Silent Hill`s development, I distinctly recall an interview whereby the team admitted that their goal was to depict hell itself; they had asked various individuals what their ideas of the devil’s playground were, and proceeded to use them. Furthermore any number of inspiration sources were consulted as well, books, movies, stories, etc. (In my own opinion, watching the late 1980`s movie Jacob’s Ladder offers a great deal of where the Silent Hill team got their ideas, especially in the DVD version’s deleted scenes). Silent Hill 4: The Room troubled me from the very first press announcement; Silent Hill 3 was still fresh in everyone’s minds when Konami brings word of yet another installment in the series, one which would be released not even a year after the last. The fact that very little in terms of graphical changes and techniques would be changed from Silent Hill 3 annoyed me, as well as the fact that (in my honest opinion), Silent Hill 3 was a truly horrible game through and through. Though I went into the release week of Silent Hill 4 with little hype, I obviously decided to give the game a chance hoping it would prove my pre-conceptions wrong. Stores were overstocked with copies of the game and the people I saw inside were hardly helping to deplete those supplies. I guess the thing is that, no one really cares about the Silent Hill series and hence the release are generally quite calm periods of time, unlike say, a Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or Super Robot Wars game. To my great displeasure, everything I heared about Silent Hill 4 was indeed true if not worse, and makes for one of the most disappointing and downright annoying games I have ever played in my life.

[ultimategamers 0]

I didn't care for this game as much as the other three either. I didn't like the idea of going through almost the whole entire game all over again. I fealt that they sort of rushed through to make this game as quickly as possible. The story and graphics aren't that bad its just ashame that the gameplay didn't catch me like the others did. I didn't even like the story for Silent Hill 2 all that much but I was able to stick through that game entirely in about 2 days. For some reason I havn't been able to beat this game and I agree if SH5 was set up like this I'm defidently not going to purchase it either. Because of this game I'm probably only going to rent the next installment first before purchasing.Other than that this game still kept true to some of the aspects of Silent Hill, I just don't know what it lacked that kept me from finishing it.

[Midnight Martyr 0]

I have enjoyed the Silent Hill series since Silent Hill 2. At the time, 2 and especially 1, were very frightening to me, now I have to go back to both when I get the time. 3 is my favorite, and I played 4 not too long ago.The best thing about this series is both the atmosphere and the music. Akira Yamaoka is my favorite! I have been listening to the SH4 OST this week, as I previously ignored it, and had no idea what I had been missing out on.I think I was last at the part with all those elevators.. right after the prison with water.

[Herbert1405241469 0]

I picked up the second one, but I wasn't nuts about it. I thought the concept for The Room was interesting, but I never looked into the game itself past the preview I saw on TechTV. Like another poster mentioned, it reminded him of Saw. Well if there's any truth to that, I think I'm going to have to look into it a bit more in depth I enjoyed Saw not for the gruesome violence, but (though some people would disagree due to some slightly unbelievable circumstances) I thought the plot was pretty cool.

 

After playing Silent Hill 2, I went online looking for more about the story, just because the whole thing didn't make a lot of sense. I usually hate coming into a game series in the middle of it, but I don't believe they ever made the first one for PC (I'm a PC gamer).

 

I guess the only question I have is "Do they exclaim why your character is subjected to this torment of 'the room?'" Because that's the one thing (besides the annoying cinematic camera angles ) that turned me off from playing any of the other Silent Hill games was that I never really got why any of this had to happen. I've read that he was being tormented by past regrets or guilt or something, and that anything in Silent Hill that a person sees is a represenation of some psycological something-or-other. I don't know, bottom line, should I invest time and money in this game? are the contols and stuff better than previous Silent Hill games, or is it pretty much the same: creepy fog, F*ed up monsters, etc.?

[iGuest 3]

I feel like the series died around 4 or 5. It just wasn't scary anymore after 3. I loved the ones with the nurses, that was the best one over them all. I hope part 6 of Silent Hill can find it's way again and do a great job. I'll be lookin forward to it >_<

[smyke 0]

the game is not bad... it still can scare you, but it can't compare with silent hill 3, a game that, when played at night with your headphones turned up, it can prove a serious test for your heart... i mean, especialy in those corridors.... but... returning to the topic, if you are a fan of teh series, it's a game you will like, if you didn't play any of the other games, it's not a a great game for you...

[iGuest 3]

Silent Hill 4 is pretty crazy. It can pull out a sweat in me when I' m playing at night, pretty amazing concepts they put in there. Though I still say Silent Hill 2 is the best in the series. They just had everything that was able to scare me and make we wonder when I sleep. If a game can do that to me, then I consider that worth buying and playing one in awhile even after the death of the system.

[reldas 0]

Silent Hill is a town where pure evil permeates the air and the soil and eventually consumes the people. It's a soothing vacation spot that masks demon-worshipping cults and dark purpose. Each of the previous titles in the Silent Hill series of horror games has either outright taken place in the titular small town or has gradually been pulled there through some terrible inertia. Silent Hill 4: The Room breaks this trend, because it takes place in the neighboring city of South Ashfield and centers mainly on an ill-fated apartment building, a cursed apartment, and the man who lives in it. That's not the only series tenet the game breaks. Silent Hill 4 pairs third-person and new first-person gameplay with an emphasis on combat and item management. The resultant hybrid has some flaws, but The Room retains the dark, disturbing soul that is the unsettling center of the Silent Hill experience.The unfortunate hero of Silent Hill 4 is Henry Townshend, a man living what used to be a content life in the city of South Ashfield. One night, Henry begins to experience intense, recurring nightmares and terrible headaches concurrent with his apartment apparently becoming cursed. His phone is dead, his neighbors can't hear him when he calls, his windows are sealed shut by a mysterious force, and his door is blocked as well, albeit by a not-so-mysterious force. Thick chains thoroughly web the only exit, with an important additional detail: They're bolted to the inside of his apartment. Scrawled in red on the door's interior is a note that only says, "Don't go out!! Walter." While exploring the confines of his single-bedroom apartment to fuel his confusion and despair, he discovers a ragged, man-sized hole in his bathroom wall. Faced with a dearth of other options, Henry gathers his courage and crawls through the strange portal, hoping to find an escape route. What he finds instead will lead him on a convoluted journey that will reveal the sordid past of his apartment--Room 302--as well as the identity of Walter, the man responsible for sealing Henry's room.As mentioned previously, Silent Hill 4 encompasses two gameplay modes: a first-person mode that you'll use to guide Henry around his apartment and a third-person mode that you'll use to explore the alternate worlds Henry will visit by entering portals. While in Room 302 and in first-person, you can look around wherever you'd like. When you position Henry's view over an area of note or over an item that he can interact with, a small eyeball icon will appear in a corner of the screen. You can press a button to investigate further. Sometimes you need to be careful about what area you're viewing, because certain parts of the room will have multiple focal points. For example, you can either test a window to try to open it, or you can peek out the window to check out the lovely South Ashfield skyline and the windows of apartments opposite you. At the chained door, you can test the doorknob, check the area at the base for notes slipped underneath, or look through the peephole to keep an eye on what might be going on outside. You can miss certain perspectives if you're not careful, so you'll need to experiment with views at various levels to make sure you're seeing everything, which can get tiresome when you're trying to use the peephole and instead keep reading the message on your door. The apartment itself gradually changes over time, making repeated peeks at various objects in your room worthwhile. In fact, Room 302's degradation as the game progresses is an integral part of Silent Hill 4's experience, since new information slowly comes to light, and things become decidedly more sinister. The more traditional, third-person action sections of Silent Hill 4 take place in various dreamlike, alternate worlds that you'll reach by squeezing through one of Room 302's portals. You'll explore the environs of a subway, a forest cult compound, a hospital, and more as you move on, picking up a number of different weapons, healing items, keys, and other useful knickknacks. Something you'll notice very quickly is that you've got a limit to the number of items you can carry at one time. The game attempts to justify this with a vague statement about not becoming overburdened in this alternate universe, but the outcome is that you're going to spend a lot of time picking things up and then finding a return portal to your room (which contains the only storage solution in the game) so that you can re-sort and then go back. Furthermore, items don't stack. Want to carry two healing drinks of the same type? They each take up a space. Want to bring along 20 additional rounds for your pistol? That's one space for the pistol, and two spaces for the two 10-bullet reloads. As the game wears on--and you've got to carry various keys, puzzle items, a weapon, and a healing item to and fro--this starts to become a chore. You can't discard items, either, so it's not even an option to drop something that's perhaps expendable to pick up something you might need. And when your room becomes a more dangerous place later in the game, having to revisit it often can be a hazard. At least you can try to insure yourself when you go back--Room 302 also has the only save spot in the entire game.All this exploration isn't smooth sailing. Silent Hill 4 sports some creepy-looking baddies that attempt to foil you at every turn. Unlike previous Silent Hill games, in which fighting ultimately could be said to take a backseat, Silent Hill 4 throws enemies at you in sometimes great numbers, forcing you to engage in lots of combat. While avoiding enemies remains an option, it's an increasingly difficult feat to pull off, because you've got what are oftentimes narrow spaces, multiple foes, and an aggressive artificial intelligence that can make blitzing through enemy-ridden areas more health-costly than just squaring up with your steel pipe or pistol and clearing your way. In the later parts of the game, you'll be escorting someone through all this danger, and you'll want to keep her from being attacked too much, so you're painted into a bit of a corner. If you run, you can end up leaving her behind--and she'll get gnawed on.My score 8 out of 10

[funkyfresh 0]

I havent Played Part 4 Yet But From All Im Hearing I Guess Its Worth ItSilent Hill Is Nuts With Their Eerie Sounds And Graphics Thatll MakeYou Not Wanna Go To Sleep Well Im Off To Blockhustlers To Rent It.

[Ghost22 0]

It was interesting when I first started playing it, but it soon got real boring. It's kinda good, but not as good as the previous Silent Hills.

[Ascaron 0]

yeah, this game is very good

[mcloooovin 0]

how much further can they carry this story? the movie was a decent rendition of it. it could've incorporated more of the creepy parts from the game for my taste.