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[Night_Trekker]

Silent Hill 4 is technically not as solid a game as SH3, for a variety of reasons. But I think it's the more ambitious and creative of the two. 3 felt just like the devs took what they did in 2 and made it bigger and better, mechanically. 4 dares to go somewhere new. It doesn't all work, but I appreciate the effort.

The central hub of the game, the titular room, is a great idea, and it's used well, though backtracking to the room to drop items that don't stack (for whatever reason) is annoying. The themes of isolation, loneliness, and consequential voyeurism were well explored. I liked the breakable weapons idea that was introduced here, even though I never ended up using them all, and I missed the firearms variety. (But maybe that's a good thing after the fucking automatic from 3.) Because Henry is an everyman, the secondary characters got more fleshing out than they might have in a traditional narrative, which I thought was cool and led to some memorable scenes. (Other characters get no development, but with a cast this big, that's probably unavoidable.)

And on and on. For everything the game tries to do, it seems like there's some way in which it fails, even if only slightly. But that's okay. The experience was worth it. (The lack of a UFO ending is not okay, though. For shame, Team Silent.)

It truly is the last great, "real" Silent Hill game. I enjoyed Origins for what it was (a "me too" entry that was at its best when it wasn't trying to tie itself to earlier games in the series), and I think Shattered Memories is a great game, if not a great SH game. I'm probably never going to give Homecoming and Downpour a shot, and I'll avoid Book of Memories like my life depends on it.

 

[dukeoflegs]

I really need to go back and play through this game. I ended up getting stuck on a boss fight because i didn't gather enough ammo and put myself in a state where I couldn't go back and collect more.
My favorite memory was that the first E3 I went to was the one where they had this on the floor. They made a little apartment that you could go into and play the game. Great memories.

 

[noquarter]

Me and a friend played this when it first came out. Both of us liked Silent Hill games and Resident Evil, and we played them together when they came out. At first, I was really turned off by the controls and how bright the game is. When you are in the apartment in the beginning, there is nothing scary about it. Just seems like he is stupid and can't open the door. This caused me to dismiss the game pretty quickly. I think he ended up playing later, but I was just not wanting to play it.

A few months later, he suggested we give the game another chance. I really didn't want to, but he convinced me. And I was surprised to see that as the game goes on, it gets really interesting. Just the random stuff you find in your apartment, and how it changes over time. The way the connected it to Silent Hill, even though it was forced, it really was pretty interesting. The different levels, very different from each other, but you don't feel like the game just threw you in a random spot. It sort of makes sense to go to them.

I've been wanting to replay this game again, and think I will attempt to hook up my XBox or find a PS2 copy.

 

[Bergerac]

Ahh. Yes, I suppose that is true, though I find SH1 to have the best soundtrack, but I could see liking 2's more. I think my biggest problem with 2 was it didn't seem nearly as oppressive as SH1. I only first played the games a few years ago, but SH1 legit freaked me out, where 2 seemed more ambient in it's atmosphere rather than terrorizing. Even the arguable freakiest areas of SH2 (prison, catacombs, etc) didn't hold a candle to a place like "Nowhere" or some of the outdoor otherworld sections in SH1.

I'd agree with that, SH2 is very much about ambient disturbance and SH3 took the franchise back to intensity. Though I think with the ambient nature of the game, certainly in my experience, and somewhat similar to REmake, it was very easy to sit and play and have friends watch. Perhaps it reached more people through similarly shared experiences.

EDIT: Funnily enough the post above has immediately echoed this.

 

[Terrible_Majesty]

I always wanted to get into the Silent Hill series, and recently after playing a lot of RE2 and 3 I've wanted to even more but have no way of doing so my 60gb ps3 died so I can't get the HD collection or PS2 versions, and the first Silent Hill stubbornly refuses to be up on the VIta store. Sigh. Guess I'll hold out hope for a PS4 version or PSNow.

I believe the consensus is to get the original ps2 versions. Heard the HD collection was awful. I bought a ps2 slim for that purpose. So many games.

 

[Bergerac]

I have to admit I've only played through it once, maybe twice, despite buying it at launch. Hard to believe that's been ten years, despite even having a launch 60GB PS3 that could play it once my PS2 started to have issues.

Funnily enough, in terms of initial exposure, the launch trailer I believe I streamed off a site, maybe IGN and my internet being what it was back then it was bordering on a slide show with the audio mostly playing normally, which actually made the trailer even weirder. For instance the bit with the two headed baby thing charging towards the screen, that stopped in the first frame and didn't show the charging, being dark and pixelated I just saw two white porcelain masked faces hovering in the dark distance which made it even creepier. I didn't get a good look at what it actually was, just mktion blur of the faces lurking with the audio on top.

When I played it I'd also not much experience of first person games at that point and I found the change to that style of gameplay in the apartment even more jarring and wasn't very keen on those sections.

Throughout the game, I really didn't like the reuse of levels, or inventory and breaking weapons (I've never liked breaking weapons in any game, especially Dead Rising - I loathe that game). The ghosts and the medals and candles and everything I just felt like all of the items weren't of much help. I was generally disappointed with a lot of the enemies in the game and I've always hated invincible enemies and 'chased' sections (they're my escort missions). To top it off I wasn't impressed by the final fight and felt it was really visually subpar for SH (interesting aside, in the 'graphics don't really matter' argument I always felt this one franchise was the exception to the rule because its visuals are integral).

To top it off I really didn't like the soundtrack. I didn't like where SH3 started to take the scores even further to instrumental rock tracks and I hate the MEM songs, always have. The odd guitar track I didn't mind but SH, to me, should focus on the synth drones and piano beats.

That said I loved the story and the bleakness of the game, and when I got to the hospital back at the time I was like, 'Ok, it's the hospital, this better deliver'. It delivered.

The wheelchairs were hilarious and when I got to the Eileen room (my most fun memory from SH4), the camera is looking in reverse at Henry at the door and you just hear her moaning. I actually just stopped there for literally about 2 minutes just in anticipation, practically rubbing my hands with glee that I knew I was about to see the craziest thing in the game and I wasn't wrong. I was a living breathing 'Dis gon b gud' chair-plant .gif sitting in front of the tv. Walking forward to the camera change, seeing Eileen's head it managed to do the magical thing and surpass my expectations.

I love that they brought Walter Sullivan back and the whole Mother angle is arguably the most surreal story element in any SH, and I think SH4 easily delivers the second best story in the series, though wasn't keen on the SH2 paper clipping retcon in terms of Walter himself. At the same time I loved finding his corpse (though I thought it should've been a bit more messed up and decayed) so feeling a bit paradoxical on that one.

Not keen that it didn't actually lead to Silent Hill though. I think the games should all inevitably lead there as I prescribe to SH2's take that it's the town itself. Never liked the cult stuff in the main story arc.

 

[jacksepticeye]

Not nearly as compelling as it's predecessors. Felt very uneven at times and just didn't grip me like 2 or 3

 

[Haeralis The BRave]

I played this for my month of Halloween marathon last October. I LOVED it. It was so demented and disturbing. The game seemed very cerebral. Walter is truly a fascinating character.

It may have had frustrating gameplay in parts, but to be honest I felt that way about most Silent Hill games. SH4 is second only to SH2, IMO

 

[SerTapTap]

Ahh. Yes, I suppose that is true, though I find SH1 to have the best soundtrack, but I could see liking 2's more. I think my biggest problem with 2 was it didn't seem nearly as oppressive as SH1. I only first played the games a few years ago, but SH1 legit freaked me out, where 2 seemed more ambient in it's atmosphere rather than terrorizing. Even the arguable freakiest areas of SH2 (prison, catacombs, etc) didn't hold a candle to a place like "Nowhere" or some of the outdoor otherworld sections in SH1.

SH1 outdoor otherworld is amazing. One of very few Survival Horror areas to make me run from killable, non-boss enemies. Those gorilla things, man. Nope.

 

[Cajun]

I still consider SH4 to be the scariest game I have ever played. While other games might scare me more as I play them, SH4 is the only game/movie I have ever had a nightmare about. Something about the dream-like qualities in the game(and the fact that it's SH) just left an impression in my mind that stuck with me. I had a nightmare about the game (by far the worst nightmare I've had in my life) around the time the game released, and I vividly remember it to this day.

As far as the game goes, poorly implemented mechanics drag it down to a snail's pace at times. Other than that, a fantastic entry in the series.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Just finished it for the first time. It's definitely up there with the original for me.

1 > 4 > 3 > 2.

I should play Origins next right?

 

[peronmls]

Yes! This game was soo good!!!
(E3 Trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0vPhc63rk8

(Weirdest shit ever)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inYnZzMR_Fs

 

[pinkurocket]

Glad to read some positive posts in here. Silent Hill 4 for me was an amazing experience when I first played it. As much as Silent Hill is all about messing with the subconcious, somehow 4 was able to 'fuck' with me more than the others. Story-wise it's not quite as intriguing as the first 3 games, however the experience is really a Silent Hill of it's own. Very disturbing!

The game wasn't perfect even when I remember it shrouded in nostalgia, it had some annoying gameplay moments and mechanics. But I really really love SH4's atmosphere and delivery.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

SH1 outdoor otherworld is amazing. One of very few Survival Horror areas to make me run from killable, non-boss enemies. Those gorilla things, man. Nope.

Yeah, I avoided them like the plague, but more cause I knew they would eat up my precious ammo. It was them flying things that freaked me out the most.

 

[Dusk Golem]

I felt because of P.T., it was appropriate to bump this. The new Silent Hill definitely reminds a lot of this game.

 

[JLeack]

I loved this game. The apartment felt so haunted. I loved how unsettled I felt as the game went on.

 

[Afrocious]

I think the game goes to hell halfway through with the world tour/revisiting previous areas.

 

[Fancy Clown]

I felt because of P.T., it was appropriate to bump this. The new Silent Hill definitely reminds a lot of this game.

How so? I'm curious because I haven't played Silent Hill 4 (only the first Silent Hill, actually) but I have played P.T.

 

[Dusk Golem]

How so? I'm curious because I haven't played Silent Hill 4 (only the first Silent Hill, actually) but I have played P.T.

In Silent Hill 4, there's first-person segments of you exploring your apartment as weird events go down. Over the course of the game, your apartment gets weirder and weirder, and various hauntings happen, many of which are randomized. Part of the gameplay is finding secrets in your apartment.

It's your central hub in the game, the main gameplay takes place in surreal dream-like worlds themed after things like forest orphanage or water prison, but there are various holes to return back to your apartment from the main game, and in your apartment there is a growing hole in your bathroom wall making creepy noises that lets you crawl into these weird dream-like worlds.

 

[Fancy Clown]

In Silent Hill 4, there's first-person segments of you exploring your apartment as weird events go down. Over the course of the game, your apartment gets weirder and weirder, and various hauntings happen, many of which are randomized. Part of the gameplay is finding secrets in your apartment.

Definitely sounds like PT haha. Ok I've definitely heard about that stuff happening in SH4, but I don't think I knew it was first person. The whole concept behind your home getting warped as you play is amazing. I would certainly be ok if Silent HIlls did something similar.

 

[Dusk Golem]

Definitely sounds like PT haha. Ok I've definitely heard about that stuff happening in SH4, but I don't think I knew it was first person. The whole concept behind your home getting warped as you play is amazing. I would certainly be ok if Silent HIlls did something similar.

It was interesting, I'm intrigued if it was inspired because some things in P.T. remind very heavily of Silent Hill 4 in particular.

If you haven't seen it, watch the extended Silent Hill 4 E3 trailer. It does a good job at capturing the weird surrealist quality of the game.

 

[sn00zer]

Really really hope the game switches between first and third pers like SH4, was used to great effect in that game, and easily its best feature.

 

[Bladenic]

The story is absolutely one of the creepiest game stories I've ever read about. I just read about it because I never got to play the game, however, I did play the demo. It was very creepy, the room stuff was great. If it gets released on PSN I'll totally buy it.

 

[Fancy Clown]

It was interesting, I'm intrigued if it was inspired because some things in P.T. remind very heavily of Silent Hill 4 in particular.

If you haven't seen it, watch the extended Silent Hill 4 E3 trailer. It does a good job at capturing the weird surrealist quality of the game.

Wow that's great. Beautiful and disturbing in equal measure (also probably the most unique trailer for a game I've ever seen). There was definitely some things in that video that also reminded me of PT like the new report, like the radio going on about fathers killing their families in PT.

I've really got to figure out a way to play SH2-4 after I get around to beating the first one.

 

[BeberMan]

Never forget -

It's funny, but I always seem to love what other people hate, on top of loving what they already love(I'm a lucky gamer).
So while I played and loved Shattered Memories, 2, 3, 4, Homecoming and Downpur, the 4th installment is the best for me, followed by the incredibly under appreciated Homecoming. The room was incredibly interesting and creepy, the story was(for once) actually understandable and it just felt unique.
That tape was so unnerving, 4:16.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

The story is absolutely one of the creepiest game stories I've ever read about. I just read about it because I never got to play the game, however, I did play the demo. It was very creepy, the room stuff was great. If it gets released on PSN I'll totally buy it.

It's on JPSN with a full English option.

 

[Dusk Golem]

An odd bump for this topic, but I thought this video was a very good breakdown on the good and bad of Silent Hill 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzP6AVjti7A