Knock Knock… Who’s there?
Silent Hill is one of the most cherished and beloved franchises of all time. The series has made an exponential comeback, with the absolutely phenomenal remake of Silent Hill 2 in 2024. That being said, to call it a comeback, you would have to come back(duh). But from what exactly? Let me explain- Silent Hill 1-3 are usually considered the golden era of the series. Afterwards, it became a slippery slope into the valley of mediocrity. Silent Hill: Origins being received well enough, Homecoming getting mixed reception, while Downpour just flat out sucked. Before this, there was one last outing that the original Team Silent would deliver to the world. Largely considered the black sheep of the original franchise, we would get the silent swansong, Silent Hill 4: The Room (oh hai Mark). In all seriousness, Silent Hill 4 is definitely the outlier in the original quadrilogy. While it’s a tad out of the box, even for this series, this game actually holds a special place in my heart. This was actually the first Silent Hill I ever played, which by extension makes it the first horror game I (meaningfully) played as well. Let us discuss what this game did right, and the things it got terribly wrong.
The game features our protagonist, Henry Townsend in a very peculiar situation. One day, he wakes up from a nightmare, and finds his door has been chained from the inside, with an ominous message, “ Don’t go out Walter”.His door won’t open, the TV is broken, the telephone is disconnected, and his neighbors can’t hear his screams for help. It’s as if his room has been swallowed by another dimension. What awaits him on the other side is a nightmare beyond imagination – a world of horror and torment unlike anything he has ever seen. As the mystery unfolds, questions arise: Why is he trapped in his apartment? Why is reality becoming more and more distorted? And who is this “Walter”? If there is one area this game shines, it’s the narrative. You really feel like you’re delving deeper and deeper into this eerie conspiracy wondering where the game will take you next.
The design is textbook Silent Hill. This world is grim and disturbing. You will find yourself in blood and rust covered environments crawling with deformed monstrosities around every corner. Traversal feels like you are being engulfed in the world of a mad man. The levels all look great, however you play through each level twice, with different objectives, of course. When I first played it, I honestly didn’t mind. In hindsight, I can see how this cuts corners. Some of the most disturbing and quite irritating foes are the ghosts. The ghosts in this game will float around like a puppet on invisible strings, moaning in pain as they close in on you. One can be effective, but multiple quickly becomes frustrating. Not to mention they cannot be killed, only stunned. Only the “Sword of Obedience” can put them down for good. These items are very few and far between, so in that case, you are just better off running for it.
Now for where it starts to become a tad shaky, its gameplay. SH4 more-or-less plays the same as the previous games, but with some noticeable alterations – some not for the better. The character moves fine and the tank controls are dropped in favor of an analogue style. I never cared for the tank style, so I actually welcome that change. The same can not be said for inventory. In previous games you could (rather nonsensically) carry as many items as you wished. Here, you are limited to only 12 objects and you can’t discard them once you pick them up. The only way to make room in your inventory is to go back to your apartment and put them in your storage container. Saving your progress also requires you to make your way back to your apartment, as that is your only save point. This leads to excessive backtracking and admittedly dampers the pacing. The second half of the game becomes a giant escort mission. Eileen’s AI is decent enough but you can not tell her to wait and she can’t go up or down ladders. This makes traversing with her a pain. She can’t be killed, but the amount of damage she takes does have an impact on the ending, so keep her safe.
Akira Yamaoka’s soundtrack has never disappointed and this game is no exception. While the game has its hiccups, this is some of the best music in the entire franchise. The themes include abandonment, despair, the thought of always being watched and salvation. Listening to this feels like you are diving further and further into this chaotic and somber world. I know it’s a hot take but I dare say this soundtrack is almost as good as Silent Hill 2.
SH4 is far from perfect, but it managed to deliver some genuinely creative and freighting ideas. You are going to look at me like I have 3 heads, but this is actually my favorite entry in the series. Disclaimer: it is not the best as that will always go to SH2, but this is the one I enjoy playing the most – even with the obvious issues and drawbacks. A solid story and phenomenal score tip the scale in its favor. Even though it wasn’t the most warmly received, it has since been reevaluated and is considered a flawed would-be-masterpiece. We can hope that if it’s ever remade, they can take notes and deliver this to its full potential. Sadly this, along with the rest of the original series, is locked away on the PS2-era consoles. So anyone trying to play it, good luck. These copies are becoming outrageously expensive. If you can find a copy for a reasonable price, see what all the fuss is about. Grab a pipe, go through the hole and see the madness unfold.
We miss you Team Silent,
Fil
Verdict: 8/10