Silent Hill 4: The Room
by Konami
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: KonamiRelease Date: 2006-06-15
Platform: PlayStation2
Model: 83717200826
Publisher: Konami
Product features:
- Face giant mutant wasps and dogs as you navigate through horrific, alien dimensions
- Terrifying and more powerful new zombies that can walk through walls and float through the air
- A cast of mysterious new characters -- some of whom will try to block your way
- Stranger creatures are waiting for you, as you unravel a horrible story
Video Game Reviews of Silent Hill 4: The Room
Customer Review: Still a Good Game...
Summary: 4 Stars
Many Silent Hill fans feel that the series ended after SH3, and after playing Silent Hill 4: The Room, I can sort of see their point. The first three made a very nice trilogy (as is often the case, the second one was best), and any additions to the franchise seem beside the point. SH4 does its own thing, mutates certain aspects of the classic Silent Hill gameplay, and doesn't even visit the town of Silent Hill. My expectations were low. And yet, I enjoyed the game considerably and actually had fun with the aspects of gameplay that others complained about. Go figure.
Our hero this time around is Henry Townshend, a reclusive twentysomething who's just moved into Room 302 of the South Ashfield Heights apartment complex. His life is just peachy, until he wakes up one morning to discover that the door has been chained shut and no one outside the apartment can hear him. Then the nightmares start. Then, five days later, a hole suddenly appears in Henry's bathroom wall. With nothing to lose, he climbs inside and begins a nightmarish adventure through a series of twisted realities. Ah, but along the way, he encounters holes which lead back to Room 302. This is the game's most dramatic gimmick: players must return again and again to the apartment to heal, save the game, store items, and even solve puzzles. Gameplay switches to first-person in Room 302, third-person everywhere else. It's true that this back-and-forthing gets tedious, but it helps with the game's atmosphere: after fighting monsters and ghosts for awhile, it's nice to return to the safe cocoon of home. And it makes it all the more freaky and distressing when Room 302 starts to.....change.
Gradually, a plot takes shape -- a good plot, actually, involving a series of murders and a sinister figure named Walter Sullivan. What's the connection between Sullivan, Room 302, and the Silent Hill cult? The answer is pretty twisted. In the process of learning the truth, Henry moves through several environments that are, unfortunately, kind of uninspired (except for a nifty waterlogged prison). As in any SH game, he finds various helpful items and weapons, and the game actually ups the combat by adding a health meter and the ability to deliver more powerful attacks. Also, Henry has a limited inventory (a la Resident Evil) and must store extra items in his apartment. I enjoyed this because it added an element of strategy: which items should be equipped when? Others may hate it; such is life.
It's a solid game overall, though far from perfect. Henry is a pretty boring protagonist, utterly lacking the intrigue of earlier SH heroes. The game cops out by having you revisit previous areas for most of the second half, and also ends the tradition of isolation by saddling you with a female sidekick. And, of course, there are the ghosts, a persistent and infuriating type of foe that follows you everywhere, harms you just by being nearby, and can only be neutralized through a complicated process involving various "special" items that clog up your inventory. Luckily, the other creatures are pretty freaky and owe much to the minimalist designs of SH2. The music and sound are good as ever, and the game uses lots of blurry and grainy effects to enhance the sense of unreality and dread. After the rather overblown SH3, it's nice to see a return to subtle, cerebral horrors. Yes, the gameplay is tedious at times, but the atmosphere is dead-on in most respects. And as I like these games for their atmosphere, I was satisfied.
I must warn readers: the altered gameplay aspects that I liked may have other people tearing their hair out. However, once you accept that this is a different kind of Silent Hill game, you'll realize that at heart, it's just as rich and unsettling as previous games. I would say that it's worth your time.
Description of Silent Hill 4: The Room
Silent Hill 4: The Room offers a new cast and story, full of dark mysteries and horrendous new creatures. Henry Townshend is trapped in a cursedapartment. Mysterious portals have appeared in them, leading him to disturbing alternate worlds. This game is a terrifying experience that fans and newcomers will never forget.All Games
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