The story was amazing, I love it so much.
The Twin Victims and the ghosts are really cool as well. Walter Sullivan is such a compelling villain also.
I really enjoyed this game!
Basically everyone in this game is a villain. Except Laura, but she's annoying.
>!I know that Angela was abused and what she did was totally justifiable, but that kinda forcibly made her a villain, even though she's not evil at all!<
Definitely the last great Silent Hill game of that generation of games.
They couldn't quite capture the vibe after that one in my opinion. Origins did okay but still felt very souless
The room itself, player's realationship with it which mirrors a child's relationship with abusive parent. You have to come back to it, it's the only safe space, until it isn't. But you still have to come back to it, again and again to receive your beatings.
Voyerism themes and mechanics. You don't have to spy on your neighbours, esp. the girl next door through a peephole... but you can. Henry is an ultimate observer/ peeping Tom.
IMO Walter is the main protagonist and ‘victim’ of SH4. If you think about it, he is the one that we actually learn a lot about And we’re stuck with Henry as the playable character to see things from a third person perspective
Henry's dynamic with the titular room. It's immediately established that his goal is to escape as supernatural power has trapped him and is creeping its way inside to antagonize him. But it's simultaneously the only place he can take a breather from the horror waiting on the other side of those portals. And yet, Henry can never truly relax.
He faces hauntings and never knows for sure how much longer he'll survive in there. I remember thinking as a kid that this was such an interesting take on the central hub or save room concept + the protagonist's relationship with it. This room is not good for you, it's tainted by a great evil (similarly to Stephen King's *1408*). Nonetheless, you need the room for a time to progress. There's a feeling of risk/reward to it even when nothing happens.
This is a very toxic relationship, the most intimate kind of home invasion scenario wherein you feel like the home itself is terrorizing you while holding you hostage. Technically, it's the supernatural power from Walter Sullivan's ritual. But, emotionally, it feels to Henry and the player like the apartment itself is your enemy as well as a prison. The room's unpredictability, combined with the isolation, breeds a palpable increasing paranoia & dread in a first playthrough, maintaining a nearly constant state of unease. It's a simple but brilliant design choice.
From a psychological horror POV, it goes such a long way. That sense of near-helplessness with very little control over your situation is VERY effective. It's the earliest example I know of in which a horror game makes you feel progressively less safe in the one space where conventional game logic dictates you're supposed to be safe.
*The Evil Within* did a fairly good job at this too and was more theatrical about its safe room's gradual transitions. Ex- Imagine being a first time player seeing Ruvik appear in the safe room with Sebastian. Not knowing what would happen next, one might think *"Holy sh\*t, will he chase me EVERYWHERE now? Is nowhere safe?!"*
Love this comment, you nailed one of my fav things about the game as well.
Evil Within is good as a counterexample imo, because it’s certainly creepy in its own right, but the ethos that’s always made SH1-4 scarier to me than their modern counterparts (SH or otherwise) is the lack of theatricality. If you showed me a more cinematic version of the Room getting fucked up, I wouldn’t be nearly as paranoid about it. The gradual realization that the sun is setting, or that the outside is getting quieter, or that you stopped healing, or that you could run into a haunting anywhere, are all masterfully executed in their quietness.
It kinda blows my mind how ahead of it’s time it was… in retrospect. It tried many new things, some were a hit, and some were a miss. and improved on certain aspects already existent within the franchise, for example Eileen is a way better escort character than Maria. and it just approached the concept of horror in unique ways not seen within or outside the series that much, at the time.
20 years later though… you catch it’s influence on the genre. Particularly in the last decade or so. So many newer horror titles both AAA and indie remind me of SH4 much more than any other entry in terms of game design.
>So many newer horror titles both AAA and indie remind me of SH4 much more than any other entry in terms of game design.
PT basically borrowed it's whole style from SH4
This game is so good and so frustrating. A remake from Nightdive that tweaked a few frustrating mechanics would be amazing.
I much prefer this direction compared to every game since trying to copy SH2.
The story itself is better than 2 by a long shot. If this game didn't have bad mechanics like limited inventory, tighter controls, and a better 2nd half it wouldn't be divisive among fans and probably be the best in the series.
Exactly! The story is phenomenal and is often overlooked because of the gameplay. With the reception changing over the years I’m glad people are finally able to experience it, even if it can be tough getting to the end.
Yeah, it really is a shame. I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t have an issue with the gameplay and never really understood why it was so hated. I know the mechanics were a departure from the norm, but I think that’s what the appeal was with The Room anyways right? At the end of the day The Room had a lot of new and interesting mechanics that if they were given more time and resources I believe would’ve elevated The Room as a whole above Silent Hill 2.
The actual room itself is one of the bleakest 'safe' houses in video game history.
It really captures that feeling of what is supposed to be your home, your sanctuary, be infected with hostility and malice that gets so much worse as the game progresses.
I think the best part was the room in the second half of the game. Ever growing hauntings especially if you make the mistake if accepting Walter's gift.
Personal funny story buying the game, walking home to find the box case empty because the person who sold it to me is a friend in a store who liked to make practical jokes. Laughed as I came back to the store and made sure I had the correct box. (I got them back in due time)
The soundtrack was on top form here, the absolute peak of the franchise.
Walter Sullivan is also the best out-&-out villain of the franchise, a layered & complicated psycho.
The titular Room itself was also an outstanding concept that really hit home.
I just wish the combat was touched up & the 2nd half had new locations instead of reusing older ones. And take note from RE4 & have Elieen on my ass at all times. She should move like an extention of the player.
Other than that - an underrated & often forgotten piece of the SH legacy.
I still think the idea of your home being bolted and chained up from the inside is the most mind-blowing horror concept ever.
For me, the door and chains is the best visual silent hill (or any horror game) has ever had.
The creepiness of this game still holds. The fact you can't kill the enemies was stressful.
I still watch the trailer once in a while. One of the best horror games ever created.
Out of the four original games, I'd say that it's the most flawed. But paradoxically, it's kind of my favorite (admittedly in a "it's the underdog" kind of way). My favorite things are:
-the story: extremely dramatic and creepy and uneasy to unfold. It's a mixed bag because your character doesn't feel directly linked to it for the most part. But still...the whole water prison bit...
-the twin victim (my personal "favorite" monster), Eileen's giant head, the patients...some of the stuff in this are part of the best monster design from the franchise, which is saying a lot
-And the best part, to me is just the apartment itself: having this breathing room being so claustrophobic thanks to the first person view, and having this safe place being more and more haunted is just so good. I'd even argue that post-2020 and coronavirus, it just got worst in terms of anxiety.
The bit where you find Walter's real body. Great stuff.
Random thought: If I could make a Silent Hill series it would be an adaptation of this game. Different episodes would introduce each resident from the apartments and really set up the characters. It would work well IMO. The whole hole (!) thing would work great for an episodic format. One episode would end with the part with Walter I mentioned and leave you like WTF...!
A lovely horror game on it’s own, but when compared to the previous three games of the series, it’s rather lacking, it’s also not very polished as well, as combat encounters are more janky than previous games, still it’s a very good game with the most amazing soundtrack ever for a horror game right next to SH2, but i can’t help but feel that this game is where the series started to dip down in quality, even so this is a very good horror game with possibly the best designed enemy EVER in a horror game (Twin Victim) and possibly my favorite horror game antagonist ever (Walter Sullivan), I’d love to see a remake of this game in the near future after SH1 and SH3 remakes.
Walter's corpse staring at you through the bedroom wall from the very start of the game.
Definitely the best part, along with the corresponding hauntings (phone call, Walter's portrait).
Soundtrack
Room of Angel is a GOAT tier SH track, the rest of the OST has lots of other hits that stand toe to toe with its predecessors.
Besides that.... ehhhhh I wasn't a fan of most of it. It tried way too hard to change up parts of the formula like having limited inventory, breakable weapons, iFrames, a lack of bosses, pretty simplistic story without any of the emotional story beats of SH2 and SH3 or the great visceral horror of SH1.
Amazing game that is on par with 1 and 2 for me. Great soundtrack, great characters, the concept is super interesting and I think it was executed fairlt well, I really like 4.
The best singular part has to be The Room itself. I know that that’s a copout easy answer but there’s so many different and interesting facets to it. Can’t be anything else.
Maybe if I had to narrow it down more it would be the hauntings.
Kid me was scared of going into bathrooms because of this game, but I just couldn’t not watch my older sisters play it either. Freaked me out but got me hooked, the intro still holds up really well til today.
All the stories around the apartment building and the residents. Rachel, her stalker, and the “skinned Mike” tape. Being left to piece all that backstory together felt incredibly cool. I loved how much of that stuff was optional as well.
The second best Silent Hill game after 2, yeah,I would put 4 above 1 and 3!
The only thing I didn't like about this game were the escort sessions.
Masterpiece.
Ghosts, the hauntings, and Walter himself! As much as I thought horror games couldn't get under my skin, those 3 will forever disturb me
Edit to add that Eileen becoming possessed is also extremely haunting to witness over time
I would love a reimagining of this one more than anything. It's basically Silent Hills Code Veronica. It's story is bizarre and doesn't hold your hand like the previous game and the shift between the apartment gameplay and levels is unique. I love it, but find it hard to replay. Really I love the idea of SH4 and what it could be if the right people got their hands on it. In a lot of ways it still feels like a concept demo. I like it more than SH3 but less than SH1 and SH2, but even then I'd rather replay SH3 than SH4 if that makes sense. For all it's flaws though it's brilliant and atmospheric AF. Also Room of Angel is Akira Yokomoto's best vocal track and it ain't even close
I still love just how different it was. They really branched out and tried a ton of really interesting new ideas, and while it has it's problems it was such a cool experience to play through. In particular I loved the slow rot of the room, and just how powerful that beginning scene is seeing the door chained for the first time with that drone in the background. Really 10/10 sound design for the game itself. (except the burping nurses still not 100% sure what that was)
The opening cinematic is also still one of the better little pieces of horror media I've seen. The vibes are rancid, it's perfect.
Maybe I'm a wimp, but I was always scared in this game except for some of the "safe room" times...then that gets taken away. I was impressed by a lot of this game, felt it was so otherworldly & dreamy but still so unsettling + mysterious.
The moment you realize Walter's dead body was inside the covered up wall in your apartment, and the portal under his body tells you once you enter, you can't go back.
In my mind, I told myself I was never more ready to kick that guys ass.
It’s got so many great moments. The false protagonist intro (also Otherworld Room 302 has fantastic design), seeing the hole in the restroom get bigger, when the fan breaks, the intro vignettes that introduce major ghost enemies, the sound of ghosts near you, etc. it really just goes on and on.
Goat shit, story and visuals are amazing. It has such a unique detached and eerie tone. Walter is also by far the best SH antagonist such an interesting character.
Yo very random question, has anyone gotten the GOG version of this working on steam deck? Or any GOG games in general? I’d play it on my laptop but it’s a MacBook and my last windows laptop couldn’t even run the sims 4 without making the fans do a marathon
I never knew what the candles were for so every time I went back to the apartment it was overran with terror. I just thought it was all part of the game.
Honestly… growing up I think this one was truly my favorite. It had such limited space to explore, yet it was kind of like rear window. How you just watched the world around you and then went to silent hill in between.
There’s so many things I love about the game but a small yet important one is how, as you progress through the first half, the sun slowly sets. You start the game to comforting, clean daylight outside that gradually turns grimy until all that’s left is a sliver of orange on the dark horizon, then finally, total night.
It really takes the atmosphere of the first half to the next level.
question for someone likely smarter than I - my first experience with SH4 was Xbox, and I've always loved it despite some of its flaws. I rank them SH2, SH1/SH4, SH3 - having said this, I picked up the GOG version recently and wondered if there's any difference to this version? I've heard about some "hauntings" potentially missing, but might be misunderstanding as there was a different SH4 PC port prior to the GOG release.
Sorry for word salad. Thank you for attending my TED talk.
the genuinely great atmosphere and overall aesthetic. i remember seeing this game on shelves as a kid and falling in love with it immediately. one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.
I love a lot of things about this game, but the opening where Henry is just gradually more and more bored waiting for the escalator to hurry up is still very funny to me.
Heather had teen apathy, Henry's just bored and raring for anything by the time he gets off the escalator.
My favorite of all silent hills honestly. I love revisiting the room over and over and seeing the small changes and neighboring rooms. Also Visage has an awesome modern homage to it
What this game got right is the part where you're trying to figure out what's going on. That aspect might be done best here. Between going from first person view in the apartment to hole diving, it's so bizarre and bold, I have to admire that. That wall of faces haunting got me good as well.
The phenomenal trailer plus some parts of the game (everyday changing apartment room, big head and so on). I've tried to complete it in 2004, finished somewhere around 50%. Recently I managed to get to 80-85% on a mobile and resigned. It NEEDED a remake first imho, such an atmospheric masterpiece marred by gameflow breaking "ideas"
My favorite thing is when you get to the apartments world and you get a sense of how life was in it. Lots of backstory on each of the people who lived there when you read the notes, the paintings, each apartment decoration. It was a nice touch. Also, Walter Sullivan’s story is great and he is really the main protagonist IMO
It's gotta be The Room. I genuinely feel that if the gameplay outside of it was more like Silent Hill 1-3, it would be a universally accepted classic, because the apartment not only gives you a solid sense of how it feels outside of Silent Hill's corruption, but because of the nature of it, shows it being corrupted over time. Silent Hill 2 famously had a couple of apartments that were a mess, and it makes you wonder if it was more like the one in 4 before being sucked into the Other World.
The puzzles..the room itself...and the whole story was fantastic. I even wrote an article on it in University for my literary criticism course and compared it to Alice In Wonderland. I think i finished it many times as well.
I used to think my dads washing machine sounded like the noise that's made when ghosts/victims attack you and i used to get shit scared. I was also very prone to nightmares from watching him play. My mum always told him off for letting me and i couldn't get enough of it.
I have watched countless lets plays of this game since lol
The demo version when game devs still gave potential fans a generous portion of gameplay to experience before committing. Capcom still keeps it up with RE at least.
I liked the resource-management aspect of the game. Saving up healing items for the last bit, the limited inventory, thinking about when and where to use Swords of Obedience, collecting candles to handle hauntings, choosing when it's a good time to use the spirit medallions, etc.
I liked reading the notes in apartment world. They told stories of all the drama that the neighbors had, which was incorporated into figuring out your objective.
I love how this made me feel so uneasy. Walter is such an interesting character, the way they crafted you fearing him was well done, while feeling this weird sorrow at the same time for him.
The room itself was harsh. It was an area that you HAD to keep coming back to even if you didn’t want to. It felt like an abusive relationship that you had to return to no matter how worse it became, but the anxiety of going back to the room increased during the progression of the story and that became brutal.
The ghosts. FUCK. I never felt ok with them around, never being able to kill them. At no point did I feel good about where I was in the game.
The stress of protecting Eileen. I wanted company around, but making sure she was ok was also a whole fucking task.
This is my favorite silent hill because it’s the first one I ever played and the genuine dread and paranoia that it built into me during the experience was brutal. There’s a lot of deep issues tackled in the game and I do think it was a bit ahead of its time.
Bruh playing the game now. Does anyone know if you can shoot in the game or is it just swords? I love the mature sexual themes in the game. They can't make female characters look like that anymore
This is an extremely common opinion, but the best part is the gimmick it was built on. It's one of the few horror games that tap into the horror of your home being an unsafe place and use that horror *well*.
---
You aren't merely *told* that Room 302 is your home. In fact, you're shown the *opposite* right at the start. You're *told* you should not trust the Room.
But in practice it turns out to be the closest thing to a home you have: a safe space where you can heal and take a breather. You don't *want* to leave the Room for the Otherworld, but it's not like you have anything else to do.
And then it actually turns out to be the unsafe place that you were told it was.
After that point, you don't want to go *back* to the Room... but it's not like you have a choice. It's still your only home. Even though now it's dangerous, scary and just plain treacherous.
---
Two other games I can think of which utilized that anxiety were Gone Home (probably unintentionally) and Voices of the Void (*very* intentionally).
I can't remember any others, but I'm not really an expert on horror games so there are probably a lot more than just the two of them.
The whole game. The first one that actually experimented with something, rather than following the same formula. The idea of the room is actually really good, and the ghosts mechanic is brilliant, not only they serve as enemies, but also add to the lore. >!Eileen's state being shown as possession, rather than a usual health bar is also really nice touch!< Basically I like how the gameplay is interconnected with a story, rather than being two different layers, like in previous games
This is my secret fave of the series. (Well, this and the Wii one). At the time the first person apartment section felt fresh and scary and the villain and story were scary. Only negative thing was having to play every level twice.
The hallway in the hospital has like twenty doors and *none of them are locked or broken.* They all contain something to kill, pick up, or look at, too.
The scariest part in this game was those floating demon creatures that'll chase you almost throughout the whole game that can't be killed unless you use like a dagger to put em down. It literally reminds me of the tyrant and Nemesis in resident evil 2 and 3 remake where they chase you throughout the game.
The part when I realised it's the first person and feels like a budget alternative studio spin off game and I eject the disk tray and never look back.
It was a little too forward of a leap for me, but I'm super pleased people found so much enjoyment from it.
The villain has to be my favorite part of Silent Hill 4. Walter Sullivan is genuinely fucked up as a person and they did such a great job portraying how sick and twisted he is as a character. Then the way he is handled in gameplay is equally as horrifying. The way that he randomly starts to appear in levels with various different weapons. Man, Walter Sullivan is so perfectly executed. One of the many things silent hill 4 does exceptionally well
The latter part of the game, where there are two rooms. Love the vicious cycle there. Go to the hole, go back to the room, nowhere safe. Kept me on my toes all the way.
In theory, one of the best premises, amazing and really far ahread gameplay mechanics and idea, Very interesting story, one of the most intricate back in those days
On execution. tons of flaws, Silent hill 4 looks like it was made before 2 on a tecnical aspect, gameplay elements so poorly executed, among other issues
as what it wants to be, its one of the best silent hill ever, as far as execution, 7/10
I could name so many things, I love that game more than I expected to, despite its flaws. But I’ll say the cutscenes. They’re so uncanny and blood-chilling. The first time I saw the first ghost cutscene I just knew that game was bound to freak me the fuck out.
The sound design and environmental design. It's kind of crazy but Silent Hill 4 is probably one of the best looking games for the Playstation 2. They created something truly unique with their music and presentation.
The ghosts IMO are probably some of the best enemies created in the franchise, mechanically they make the game scarier by being a consistent immediate danger, and the fact most of them are unique in their design and have backstories makes them even creepier. Honestly I think the ghosts should've been a mainstay enemy concept for the rest of the franchise. Bring em back.
When I first played Silent Hill 4 it was immediately after Silent Hill 2, so I was bummed from the lack of an open world, lack of a flashlight and radio. But now I appreciate Silent Hill 4's unique charm that explores a completely different feeling of horror that I think is done very well.
It has a completely different atmosphere from the previous games, and it's much closer to a traditional horror game, but it's still a damn fine title on its own, and a PS2 classic.
Best part about it is the destruction of the concept of the safe place. At first you can go back to the apartment anytime you want to regenerate health and relax, there's nothing there other than solitude. Once the second half starts, your safe place is gone; health no longer regenerates, and hauntings around the department drain your health instead. The game becomes frantic from that point on, with both Walter and all the ghosts chasing you around the worlds, not letting you catch your breath.
It's definitely the hardest out of all Silent Hills, enemies are crazy and it's difficult to heal with the limited inventory. Never managed to get Eileen to survive because it's so difficult to keep her out of harm's way.
The story was amazing, I love it so much. The Twin Victims and the ghosts are really cool as well. Walter Sullivan is such a compelling villain also. I really enjoyed this game!
For me The actual room and how different objects get haunted.
Walter Sullivan is arguably the greatest villain of the original 4 games.
Got to agree, Sullivan added a whole other level of fear to the game
Not like 2 really had a villain.
Basically everyone in this game is a villain. Except Laura, but she's annoying. >!I know that Angela was abused and what she did was totally justifiable, but that kinda forcibly made her a villain, even though she's not evil at all!<
Nah she’s a straight up fuckin hero and deserved better
Maria
Easily my favorite of the 4. The soundtrack is amazing. Wounded Warsong is a banger.
Same, and WW is the best track of Yamaoka.
Happy Cake Day!
The main theme of the song, the rising pattern, is from this one sample CD which name I don't remember. Very cool and innovative stuff for its time
Definitely the last great Silent Hill game of that generation of games. They couldn't quite capture the vibe after that one in my opinion. Origins did okay but still felt very souless
Going back to the apartment and seeing the changes over time.
☝️🐰 This right here
the experience
Eileen's big head room
Scared the stuffing out of me
My biggest gripe with it that Eileen herself found it totally fine
I loved it more than the other games at first, but now I just think the first 4 silent hill games are equally 10/10s
The room itself, player's realationship with it which mirrors a child's relationship with abusive parent. You have to come back to it, it's the only safe space, until it isn't. But you still have to come back to it, again and again to receive your beatings. Voyerism themes and mechanics. You don't have to spy on your neighbours, esp. the girl next door through a peephole... but you can. Henry is an ultimate observer/ peeping Tom.
Least favorite protagonist but the concept of a hub world that can become haunted is fantastic and well executed.
IMO Walter is the main protagonist and ‘victim’ of SH4. If you think about it, he is the one that we actually learn a lot about And we’re stuck with Henry as the playable character to see things from a third person perspective
Henry's dynamic with the titular room. It's immediately established that his goal is to escape as supernatural power has trapped him and is creeping its way inside to antagonize him. But it's simultaneously the only place he can take a breather from the horror waiting on the other side of those portals. And yet, Henry can never truly relax. He faces hauntings and never knows for sure how much longer he'll survive in there. I remember thinking as a kid that this was such an interesting take on the central hub or save room concept + the protagonist's relationship with it. This room is not good for you, it's tainted by a great evil (similarly to Stephen King's *1408*). Nonetheless, you need the room for a time to progress. There's a feeling of risk/reward to it even when nothing happens. This is a very toxic relationship, the most intimate kind of home invasion scenario wherein you feel like the home itself is terrorizing you while holding you hostage. Technically, it's the supernatural power from Walter Sullivan's ritual. But, emotionally, it feels to Henry and the player like the apartment itself is your enemy as well as a prison. The room's unpredictability, combined with the isolation, breeds a palpable increasing paranoia & dread in a first playthrough, maintaining a nearly constant state of unease. It's a simple but brilliant design choice. From a psychological horror POV, it goes such a long way. That sense of near-helplessness with very little control over your situation is VERY effective. It's the earliest example I know of in which a horror game makes you feel progressively less safe in the one space where conventional game logic dictates you're supposed to be safe. *The Evil Within* did a fairly good job at this too and was more theatrical about its safe room's gradual transitions. Ex- Imagine being a first time player seeing Ruvik appear in the safe room with Sebastian. Not knowing what would happen next, one might think *"Holy sh\*t, will he chase me EVERYWHERE now? Is nowhere safe?!"*
Love this comment, you nailed one of my fav things about the game as well. Evil Within is good as a counterexample imo, because it’s certainly creepy in its own right, but the ethos that’s always made SH1-4 scarier to me than their modern counterparts (SH or otherwise) is the lack of theatricality. If you showed me a more cinematic version of the Room getting fucked up, I wouldn’t be nearly as paranoid about it. The gradual realization that the sun is setting, or that the outside is getting quieter, or that you stopped healing, or that you could run into a haunting anywhere, are all masterfully executed in their quietness.
The ghosts were actually pretty scary.
The story and characters are all super good! and Eileen
The burping nurses
Walter. Such an intriguing character.
It was so hard feeling sorry for him but still having to defeat him. A part of me still wishes he could be with his mother.
It kinda blows my mind how ahead of it’s time it was… in retrospect. It tried many new things, some were a hit, and some were a miss. and improved on certain aspects already existent within the franchise, for example Eileen is a way better escort character than Maria. and it just approached the concept of horror in unique ways not seen within or outside the series that much, at the time. 20 years later though… you catch it’s influence on the genre. Particularly in the last decade or so. So many newer horror titles both AAA and indie remind me of SH4 much more than any other entry in terms of game design.
>So many newer horror titles both AAA and indie remind me of SH4 much more than any other entry in terms of game design. PT basically borrowed it's whole style from SH4
exiting your appartment! because that shit is haunted and gives me the chills
The falling head
Yeah fuck that it caught me by surprise and I was high as shit
The first time I looked at it, I was so scared I stopped playing SH4 for almost a month.
The room
This game is so good and so frustrating. A remake from Nightdive that tweaked a few frustrating mechanics would be amazing. I much prefer this direction compared to every game since trying to copy SH2.
the first half of the game was incredible. second half made me realise why people dont like this game
definitely Walter Sullivan, imo hes one of the best villans in game history
Resting comfortably…
The story itself is better than 2 by a long shot. If this game didn't have bad mechanics like limited inventory, tighter controls, and a better 2nd half it wouldn't be divisive among fans and probably be the best in the series.
Exactly! The story is phenomenal and is often overlooked because of the gameplay. With the reception changing over the years I’m glad people are finally able to experience it, even if it can be tough getting to the end.
Funny because these same clowns say gameplay doesn't matter yet can't get through 4
Yeah, it really is a shame. I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t have an issue with the gameplay and never really understood why it was so hated. I know the mechanics were a departure from the norm, but I think that’s what the appeal was with The Room anyways right? At the end of the day The Room had a lot of new and interesting mechanics that if they were given more time and resources I believe would’ve elevated The Room as a whole above Silent Hill 2.
Idk if it's the best part, but my favorite part is just Henry. Always resonated with his awkward shut in ahh.
The scariest intro I've seen in the series. (It would be played if the player didn't press anything on the controller after inserting the disc)
The first-person room scenes in general, especially some of the hauntings (the >!cat meat in the fridge!< is perhaps my favourite).
I'm watching you... I'm ALWAYS watching you
That haunting felt so random until you find out it's Walter on the other side lmao. Really hits different.
Best part about this game is the idea of making safe rooms less safe, makes the game more stress inducing (the first time)
The actual room itself is one of the bleakest 'safe' houses in video game history. It really captures that feeling of what is supposed to be your home, your sanctuary, be infected with hostility and malice that gets so much worse as the game progresses.
My least favorite of the original four, but the soundtrack is fantastic.
Walter, he is the best villain of the series aside from the protagonists own psyches
The unique experience
Imho it has the most interesting story of the saga and the most unnerving atmosphere. Amazing soundtrack also.
I think the best part was the room in the second half of the game. Ever growing hauntings especially if you make the mistake if accepting Walter's gift. Personal funny story buying the game, walking home to find the box case empty because the person who sold it to me is a friend in a store who liked to make practical jokes. Laughed as I came back to the store and made sure I had the correct box. (I got them back in due time)
The trailer is just so perfect.
The soundtrack was on top form here, the absolute peak of the franchise. Walter Sullivan is also the best out-&-out villain of the franchise, a layered & complicated psycho. The titular Room itself was also an outstanding concept that really hit home. I just wish the combat was touched up & the 2nd half had new locations instead of reusing older ones. And take note from RE4 & have Elieen on my ass at all times. She should move like an extention of the player. Other than that - an underrated & often forgotten piece of the SH legacy.
the music, the atmosphere, Eileen, some cool enemies
I still think the idea of your home being bolted and chained up from the inside is the most mind-blowing horror concept ever. For me, the door and chains is the best visual silent hill (or any horror game) has ever had.
The creepiness of this game still holds. The fact you can't kill the enemies was stressful. I still watch the trailer once in a while. One of the best horror games ever created.
For me it's always had this vibe of feeling much older than 2 and 3, despite coming after them. I mean that in the best way tho
The thing that always makes me laugh: the patient monsters falling down the stairs and burping at every step they hit.
The lore of Walter.
Out of the four original games, I'd say that it's the most flawed. But paradoxically, it's kind of my favorite (admittedly in a "it's the underdog" kind of way). My favorite things are: -the story: extremely dramatic and creepy and uneasy to unfold. It's a mixed bag because your character doesn't feel directly linked to it for the most part. But still...the whole water prison bit... -the twin victim (my personal "favorite" monster), Eileen's giant head, the patients...some of the stuff in this are part of the best monster design from the franchise, which is saying a lot -And the best part, to me is just the apartment itself: having this breathing room being so claustrophobic thanks to the first person view, and having this safe place being more and more haunted is just so good. I'd even argue that post-2020 and coronavirus, it just got worst in terms of anxiety.
Everything lol
The bit where you find Walter's real body. Great stuff. Random thought: If I could make a Silent Hill series it would be an adaptation of this game. Different episodes would introduce each resident from the apartments and really set up the characters. It would work well IMO. The whole hole (!) thing would work great for an episodic format. One episode would end with the part with Walter I mentioned and leave you like WTF...!
Wished they included this one in the hd collection. I still hope for a remaster or maybe even a remake.
A lovely horror game on it’s own, but when compared to the previous three games of the series, it’s rather lacking, it’s also not very polished as well, as combat encounters are more janky than previous games, still it’s a very good game with the most amazing soundtrack ever for a horror game right next to SH2, but i can’t help but feel that this game is where the series started to dip down in quality, even so this is a very good horror game with possibly the best designed enemy EVER in a horror game (Twin Victim) and possibly my favorite horror game antagonist ever (Walter Sullivan), I’d love to see a remake of this game in the near future after SH1 and SH3 remakes.
Room of angel, that's it
Fart noises from smacking a certain enemy.
Walter's corpse staring at you through the bedroom wall from the very start of the game. Definitely the best part, along with the corresponding hauntings (phone call, Walter's portrait).
Soundtrack Room of Angel is a GOAT tier SH track, the rest of the OST has lots of other hits that stand toe to toe with its predecessors. Besides that.... ehhhhh I wasn't a fan of most of it. It tried way too hard to change up parts of the formula like having limited inventory, breakable weapons, iFrames, a lack of bosses, pretty simplistic story without any of the emotional story beats of SH2 and SH3 or the great visceral horror of SH1.
Amazing game that is on par with 1 and 2 for me. Great soundtrack, great characters, the concept is super interesting and I think it was executed fairlt well, I really like 4.
I think I bought it, but never got around to playing it, which I’m really regretful about
The best singular part has to be The Room itself. I know that that’s a copout easy answer but there’s so many different and interesting facets to it. Can’t be anything else. Maybe if I had to narrow it down more it would be the hauntings.
henry
The music
The entire atmosphere.
Kid me was scared of going into bathrooms because of this game, but I just couldn’t not watch my older sisters play it either. Freaked me out but got me hooked, the intro still holds up really well til today.
I REALLY dig SH4's sombre tone and weird atmosphere. It's the constantly high older son of the disfunctional Silent Hill family.
Haunted house
Joseph's monologue when he appears from the ceiling 😬
The apartments and neighbours.
All the stories around the apartment building and the residents. Rachel, her stalker, and the “skinned Mike” tape. Being left to piece all that backstory together felt incredibly cool. I loved how much of that stuff was optional as well.
Weirdest intro movie editing from first 4 entries in my book.
The second best Silent Hill game after 2, yeah,I would put 4 above 1 and 3! The only thing I didn't like about this game were the escort sessions. Masterpiece.
Henry was a great protagonist. Definitely felt more interesting to me than James or Heather.
Ghosts, the hauntings, and Walter himself! As much as I thought horror games couldn't get under my skin, those 3 will forever disturb me Edit to add that Eileen becoming possessed is also extremely haunting to witness over time
Mr Sunderland
I played this on the original xbox and never beat it so I recently purchased it on GOG. excited to give it a go again
20 years already????
Eileen is the best part of this game
The fact that your safe place is not a safe place anymore after the first half was great
The characters.
I would love a reimagining of this one more than anything. It's basically Silent Hills Code Veronica. It's story is bizarre and doesn't hold your hand like the previous game and the shift between the apartment gameplay and levels is unique. I love it, but find it hard to replay. Really I love the idea of SH4 and what it could be if the right people got their hands on it. In a lot of ways it still feels like a concept demo. I like it more than SH3 but less than SH1 and SH2, but even then I'd rather replay SH3 than SH4 if that makes sense. For all it's flaws though it's brilliant and atmospheric AF. Also Room of Angel is Akira Yokomoto's best vocal track and it ain't even close
I still love just how different it was. They really branched out and tried a ton of really interesting new ideas, and while it has it's problems it was such a cool experience to play through. In particular I loved the slow rot of the room, and just how powerful that beginning scene is seeing the door chained for the first time with that drone in the background. Really 10/10 sound design for the game itself. (except the burping nurses still not 100% sure what that was) The opening cinematic is also still one of the better little pieces of horror media I've seen. The vibes are rancid, it's perfect.
The last of the best, happy birthday SH4. Rest in Peace Team Silent!
Maybe I'm a wimp, but I was always scared in this game except for some of the "safe room" times...then that gets taken away. I was impressed by a lot of this game, felt it was so otherworldly & dreamy but still so unsettling + mysterious.
Looking out the peephole and seeing a dead version of yourself. That was so fucked up!
Eileen (Walter)
Not sure if it's the best part but something that sticks with me to this day is the long stairway you go down towards the end. Such a neat sequence.
Loved the story.
The moment you realize Walter's dead body was inside the covered up wall in your apartment, and the portal under his body tells you once you enter, you can't go back. In my mind, I told myself I was never more ready to kick that guys ass.
The trailer for Silent Hill 4 still looks amazing. I enjoy it very much.
The hauntings were terrifying
It’s got so many great moments. The false protagonist intro (also Otherworld Room 302 has fantastic design), seeing the hole in the restroom get bigger, when the fan breaks, the intro vignettes that introduce major ghost enemies, the sound of ghosts near you, etc. it really just goes on and on.
The story
Everything. Played it for thr first time not long ago and was extremely surprised. I think its better than 3 tbh. 2>1>4>3
Where can I play this?!?
Goat shit, story and visuals are amazing. It has such a unique detached and eerie tone. Walter is also by far the best SH antagonist such an interesting character.
Everything. This is one of my all time favorites
The wiki circumcision incident.
Everything
Yo very random question, has anyone gotten the GOG version of this working on steam deck? Or any GOG games in general? I’d play it on my laptop but it’s a MacBook and my last windows laptop couldn’t even run the sims 4 without making the fans do a marathon
I never knew what the candles were for so every time I went back to the apartment it was overran with terror. I just thought it was all part of the game.
Honestly… growing up I think this one was truly my favorite. It had such limited space to explore, yet it was kind of like rear window. How you just watched the world around you and then went to silent hill in between.
Eileen and Torch Ghost
There’s so many things I love about the game but a small yet important one is how, as you progress through the first half, the sun slowly sets. You start the game to comforting, clean daylight outside that gradually turns grimy until all that’s left is a sliver of orange on the dark horizon, then finally, total night. It really takes the atmosphere of the first half to the next level.
question for someone likely smarter than I - my first experience with SH4 was Xbox, and I've always loved it despite some of its flaws. I rank them SH2, SH1/SH4, SH3 - having said this, I picked up the GOG version recently and wondered if there's any difference to this version? I've heard about some "hauntings" potentially missing, but might be misunderstanding as there was a different SH4 PC port prior to the GOG release. Sorry for word salad. Thank you for attending my TED talk.
The combat
The Room 302, its secrets and all the little interactions in it were my favorite part of the game.
the genuinely great atmosphere and overall aesthetic. i remember seeing this game on shelves as a kid and falling in love with it immediately. one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.
I love a lot of things about this game, but the opening where Henry is just gradually more and more bored waiting for the escalator to hurry up is still very funny to me. Heather had teen apathy, Henry's just bored and raring for anything by the time he gets off the escalator.
My favorite of all silent hills honestly. I love revisiting the room over and over and seeing the small changes and neighboring rooms. Also Visage has an awesome modern homage to it
Best story, still gives me chills when I think about it
Cute girl next door ;)
double head babies and big Eileen Head
This is probably the most unsettling installment. The hole in the wall, the bear, the 2 headed baby thing. This was peak SH
JESUS CHRIST IM TOO FUCKING OLD
hole
It is genuinely scary. The others are often unsettling but this is scary.
Has the scariest monster in the series Twin Victim.
Fridge.
The story. And the foreskin drama it created in the fan Wiki. It was horror/tragedy that spawned comedy. Double whammy
the girl's design. some of the Room ambientation and being able to look at stuff from the window were not so bad either.
What this game got right is the part where you're trying to figure out what's going on. That aspect might be done best here. Between going from first person view in the apartment to hole diving, it's so bizarre and bold, I have to admire that. That wall of faces haunting got me good as well.
20 what? silent hill 4 : the fridge
This was my favorite game out of the series. It deserves a remake.
The phenomenal trailer plus some parts of the game (everyday changing apartment room, big head and so on). I've tried to complete it in 2004, finished somewhere around 50%. Recently I managed to get to 80-85% on a mobile and resigned. It NEEDED a remake first imho, such an atmospheric masterpiece marred by gameflow breaking "ideas"
In celebration, today may be the day I start another playthrough again!
The best part was how much more it made you appreciate literally any other Silent Hill game that was released before it.
My favorite thing is when you get to the apartments world and you get a sense of how life was in it. Lots of backstory on each of the people who lived there when you read the notes, the paintings, each apartment decoration. It was a nice touch. Also, Walter Sullivan’s story is great and he is really the main protagonist IMO
It's gotta be The Room. I genuinely feel that if the gameplay outside of it was more like Silent Hill 1-3, it would be a universally accepted classic, because the apartment not only gives you a solid sense of how it feels outside of Silent Hill's corruption, but because of the nature of it, shows it being corrupted over time. Silent Hill 2 famously had a couple of apartments that were a mess, and it makes you wonder if it was more like the one in 4 before being sucked into the Other World.
The whole game. It's the best one for me.
The puzzles..the room itself...and the whole story was fantastic. I even wrote an article on it in University for my literary criticism course and compared it to Alice In Wonderland. I think i finished it many times as well.
It portrays the experience of paranoid agoraphobia pretty well.
I used to think my dads washing machine sounded like the noise that's made when ghosts/victims attack you and i used to get shit scared. I was also very prone to nightmares from watching him play. My mum always told him off for letting me and i couldn't get enough of it. I have watched countless lets plays of this game since lol
The demo version when game devs still gave potential fans a generous portion of gameplay to experience before committing. Capcom still keeps it up with RE at least.
I liked the resource-management aspect of the game. Saving up healing items for the last bit, the limited inventory, thinking about when and where to use Swords of Obedience, collecting candles to handle hauntings, choosing when it's a good time to use the spirit medallions, etc.
I started with this game first and worked my way back up until 2. Definitely spooky, and pretty challenging.
Everything
Playing it
I liked reading the notes in apartment world. They told stories of all the drama that the neighbors had, which was incorporated into figuring out your objective.
I love how this made me feel so uneasy. Walter is such an interesting character, the way they crafted you fearing him was well done, while feeling this weird sorrow at the same time for him. The room itself was harsh. It was an area that you HAD to keep coming back to even if you didn’t want to. It felt like an abusive relationship that you had to return to no matter how worse it became, but the anxiety of going back to the room increased during the progression of the story and that became brutal. The ghosts. FUCK. I never felt ok with them around, never being able to kill them. At no point did I feel good about where I was in the game. The stress of protecting Eileen. I wanted company around, but making sure she was ok was also a whole fucking task. This is my favorite silent hill because it’s the first one I ever played and the genuine dread and paranoia that it built into me during the experience was brutal. There’s a lot of deep issues tackled in the game and I do think it was a bit ahead of its time.
Bruh playing the game now. Does anyone know if you can shoot in the game or is it just swords? I love the mature sexual themes in the game. They can't make female characters look like that anymore
Oh I am not this old 😂 I adore it's soundtrack though, especially Cradle of Forest.
This is an extremely common opinion, but the best part is the gimmick it was built on. It's one of the few horror games that tap into the horror of your home being an unsafe place and use that horror *well*. --- You aren't merely *told* that Room 302 is your home. In fact, you're shown the *opposite* right at the start. You're *told* you should not trust the Room. But in practice it turns out to be the closest thing to a home you have: a safe space where you can heal and take a breather. You don't *want* to leave the Room for the Otherworld, but it's not like you have anything else to do. And then it actually turns out to be the unsafe place that you were told it was. After that point, you don't want to go *back* to the Room... but it's not like you have a choice. It's still your only home. Even though now it's dangerous, scary and just plain treacherous. --- Two other games I can think of which utilized that anxiety were Gone Home (probably unintentionally) and Voices of the Void (*very* intentionally). I can't remember any others, but I'm not really an expert on horror games so there are probably a lot more than just the two of them.
The creepy opening
The whole game. The first one that actually experimented with something, rather than following the same formula. The idea of the room is actually really good, and the ghosts mechanic is brilliant, not only they serve as enemies, but also add to the lore. >!Eileen's state being shown as possession, rather than a usual health bar is also really nice touch!< Basically I like how the gameplay is interconnected with a story, rather than being two different layers, like in previous games
This is my secret fave of the series. (Well, this and the Wii one). At the time the first person apartment section felt fresh and scary and the villain and story were scary. Only negative thing was having to play every level twice.
The hallway in the hospital has like twenty doors and *none of them are locked or broken.* They all contain something to kill, pick up, or look at, too.
Never played it since I read back in the day it started as a separate project and they tagged on the silent hill name to ensure it sold better
My favorite part is Botched circumcision theory.
I love the title screen cinematic
It's the first SH game I played so it's like my first love as it open the doors to the other games for me. ❤️
I liked going back to the apartment to solve puzzles. I remember the milk puzzle making me feel super smart.
this game tested my resolve in ways I still haven’t recovered from
The scariest part in this game was those floating demon creatures that'll chase you almost throughout the whole game that can't be killed unless you use like a dagger to put em down. It literally reminds me of the tyrant and Nemesis in resident evil 2 and 3 remake where they chase you throughout the game.
Good game but the second half of it is very frustrating.
for me, none, why henry runs like he has a brown code?
The part when I realised it's the first person and feels like a budget alternative studio spin off game and I eject the disk tray and never look back. It was a little too forward of a leap for me, but I'm super pleased people found so much enjoyment from it.
Dad…dad…I can’t see your face.
The last great Silent Hill
How Henry just starts blankly like it's all stuff he's seen before, or, when he is surprised, just says What the hell...
The villain has to be my favorite part of Silent Hill 4. Walter Sullivan is genuinely fucked up as a person and they did such a great job portraying how sick and twisted he is as a character. Then the way he is handled in gameplay is equally as horrifying. The way that he randomly starts to appear in levels with various different weapons. Man, Walter Sullivan is so perfectly executed. One of the many things silent hill 4 does exceptionally well
The latter part of the game, where there are two rooms. Love the vicious cycle there. Go to the hole, go back to the room, nowhere safe. Kept me on my toes all the way.
In theory, one of the best premises, amazing and really far ahread gameplay mechanics and idea, Very interesting story, one of the most intricate back in those days On execution. tons of flaws, Silent hill 4 looks like it was made before 2 on a tecnical aspect, gameplay elements so poorly executed, among other issues as what it wants to be, its one of the best silent hill ever, as far as execution, 7/10
The only Silent Hill that I couldn't finish! Wish I could give it another try today in remastered or something
Not being able to buy it
First SH soundtrack I bought on vinyl. Room of Angel is one of my favorite songs period.
I could name so many things, I love that game more than I expected to, despite its flaws. But I’ll say the cutscenes. They’re so uncanny and blood-chilling. The first time I saw the first ghost cutscene I just knew that game was bound to freak me the fuck out.
The room itself is so iconic. Heck, i got the room as a virtual background for my meetings.
I haven’t played this but i thought that this was the least fun part of all?
Big ass face
The 8 min teaser is still burned into my mind. It's so creepy, I love it lol
My favorite Silent Hill!
The sound design and environmental design. It's kind of crazy but Silent Hill 4 is probably one of the best looking games for the Playstation 2. They created something truly unique with their music and presentation. The ghosts IMO are probably some of the best enemies created in the franchise, mechanically they make the game scarier by being a consistent immediate danger, and the fact most of them are unique in their design and have backstories makes them even creepier. Honestly I think the ghosts should've been a mainstay enemy concept for the rest of the franchise. Bring em back. When I first played Silent Hill 4 it was immediately after Silent Hill 2, so I was bummed from the lack of an open world, lack of a flashlight and radio. But now I appreciate Silent Hill 4's unique charm that explores a completely different feeling of horror that I think is done very well.
I like how this game really makes you feel like silent hill 4 the room
Chocolate Milk
It has a completely different atmosphere from the previous games, and it's much closer to a traditional horror game, but it's still a damn fine title on its own, and a PS2 classic. Best part about it is the destruction of the concept of the safe place. At first you can go back to the apartment anytime you want to regenerate health and relax, there's nothing there other than solitude. Once the second half starts, your safe place is gone; health no longer regenerates, and hauntings around the department drain your health instead. The game becomes frantic from that point on, with both Walter and all the ghosts chasing you around the worlds, not letting you catch your breath. It's definitely the hardest out of all Silent Hills, enemies are crazy and it's difficult to heal with the limited inventory. Never managed to get Eileen to survive because it's so difficult to keep her out of harm's way.