Silent Hill 4: The Room Preview

By Kristan Reed Published 12 January, 2004

Konami's claustrophobic PS2/Xbox survival horror title is unveiled.

Being locked in your own cursed pad is something I can relate to. A typical day here at EG generally doesn't involve a whole lot of outdoor activity unless we need emergency supplies, and issues with the sticking front door meant that a recent birthday turned into a farce as no one could get in or out. True story. The fact that Silent Hill 4: The Room appears to have been based on the life and times of Eurogamer can only be a good thing.

So, trapped in his own "cursed apartment" the latest in Konami's survival horror wheeze - out later this year on PS2 and Xbox - sees the latest unfortunate lead character Henry Townshend forced to endure a world of fear, apprehension and terror against a myriad of locked doors, unnerving other-worldly noises, and a new family of strange slimy creatures with limbs protruding from inappropriate places.

A day in the life of an everyday fellow with portals in his apartment

'Silent Hill 4: The Room' Screenshot 1

Five minutes of typically grainy footage was shown off to the assembled press late on Friday night, and gave little clues as to the series' alleged "new direction", with the sinister, scratchy graphical style and bleak, unsettling mood that has entranced many of you over recent years apparently unchanged. According to the accompanying press blurb, it's only when Henry begins exploring 'mysterious portals' in his humble abode (I'd say that was bloody mysterious, wouldn't you?) that it leads the hapless chap into "disturbing alternate worlds".

Naturally, the poor fellow has to uncover the reason why he's trapped (presumably in his own drug addled psychosis), and the traditional Silent Hill gameplay kicks in with its fair share of brain taxing puzzles, grotesquely vile undead creatures (such as a beautiful two headed-baby/birdchild) to do battle with, as well as the usual oddball cast to help/hinder you every step of the way. It doesn't look or sound like a radical departure from the previous titles in the series, but given how good they were, that's not something we're upset about. As with the other Silent Hills, the stories and characters are independent from any of the previous games, so newcomers needn't feel put off by entering the series at this point. If anything Konami should just drop the number, as it's misleading.

It wasn't especially evident from watching the video (which Konami reckons will hit the net in the coming days, so you can judge for yourselves) but KCET is using "all new technology" that enables the team to create "a host of unique effects designed to add to the game’s oppressive atmosphere", which is nice. By the sound of it, the plan is to dynamically alter the environments, which fans will recall happened on one memorable occasion in Silent Hill 3. With reality firmly tainted, it could well be the most unsettling episode yet.

First person horrors

'Silent Hill 4: The Room' Screenshot 2

The one radical change to the latest in the series is the addition of a first person perspective, hinting that the combat mechanic may resemble a traditional FPS rather than the notoriously unreliable third person camera swinging bugbears that often have us waking up at night in a cold sweat. It could also affect the puzzle mechanic if players are called upon to look around more, so we'll look forward to seeing how that pans out. So far Konami is keeping tight lipped on most aspects of the game, and it's unlikely we'll have a chance to get a hands-on until around E3, but judging from the intricately designed environments, it'll make a pleasant change to see them in all their glory for once.

But after last year's decision to release SH3 in PAL territories first, it would appear that normal service will be resumed for The Room, with a PAL release following shortly after the Japan and US releases. Formal dates have yet to be confirmed as yet, but it's looking likely to be towards the back end of the year, with September mooted as the preferred date.

In the absence of any more concrete information at the moment you'll just have to take Konami's word for it as being " one of the scariest games you will ever play" with "beautifully designed environments, a haunting soundtrack and a roster of macabre and misshapen monsters". They also said something about "worst nightmares", but surely they can't have played some of the awful festering tripe that comes into our offices on a daily basis. Colour us interested.

A good year for the undead

All round, it's shaping up to be a vintage year for horror-adventure fans, with Project Zero 2 coming soon, not to mention two Resident Evil titles, Forbidden Siren, The Suffering and now Konami's latest, and possibly best example. Expect us to pick the bones over their rotting corpses over the coming months as we scrabble furiously to pluck playable code from the dying fingers of our long-suffering PR chums in our mindless, relentless pursuit of terror.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (49) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Killerbee #1 8 years ago

    Boo!

  • Zero Beat #2 8 years ago

    The blood, THE BLOOD! IT'S COMING TO GET ME!

    .mirrorS arE morE fuN thaN televisioN
    Mirra claimed my girlfriend had turned evil, joined him.
    .shE haS dieD heR haiR reD
    *SCREAM*
    I smashed the mirror. I'd kill them all.

  • krudster #3 8 years ago

    Yeah, my sentiments exactly.

  • renzo #4 8 years ago

    So September release date for PAL-land?

  • UncleLou #5 8 years ago

    Excellent!

    /remembers he hasn't quite finished SH3


    And I like the captions! :-)

  • Blerk #6 8 years ago

    out later this year on PS2 and Xbox

    Oh! What happened to Xbox Silent Hill 3, then?

    Anyway... w00t! Silent Hill is excellent.

  • itamae #7 8 years ago

    Oh boy oh boy oh boy, cannot wait to play this.

    Here's my wish list for SH4:
    -More endings than SH3
    -Less action than SH3
    -A nice cardboard box like the one SH2 came in
    -More of the disturbing "wait a second, that wasn't here one minute ago" moments from SH1

    But I'm afraid I'll be buying this even if they totally screw up the game...

  • renzo #8 8 years ago

    "But I'm afraid I'll be buying this even if they totally screw up the game..."

    Yep, that's what happens when you become a "fan of the series". :-)

  • ssuellid #9 8 years ago

    Get a candle and rub it around the door and door frame chaps. Its the best thing to do with a door that has expanded from the wet and is sticking.

  • itamae #10 8 years ago

    "Yep, that's what happens when you become a "fan of the series". :-)"

    I know, I'm such a weak man. I should have stopped buying Tomb Raider after the first three games. ;)

  • feki #11 8 years ago

    "The game will feature a stronger emphasis on action than previous entries and will include real-time weapon and item selection." according to gamespot according to Yamaoka.

    I don't want action, not that much. I want the under-your-skin-creepiness that almost stopped me from playing through part 2. Notasmuch the blood-and-gore-and-rust as the feeling of 'somethings seriously f*cked. how can that little kid there know about these things', f.x. oh. and maria. gah. and eddy. ick.

    Oh, and the Yamaoka-genius music, of course.

    Then again. I wouldn't mind a graphically enhanced and a few extras on the side re-version of silent hill 1.

    And yeah, it's looking to be a good year for horror. Fatal Frame/Project Zero 2 is scary as hell.
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/04 @ 13:15

  • skalmanxl #12 8 years ago

    It's great to see that Konami is doing a new direction with the series. It's the thing that kept all of them fresh for so long. Each game is not like the earlier. Plus they depict diffrent, unrelated characters in each game.

    Instead of trucking around in the same old tire tracks with the same thing (resident Evil).

  • max #13 8 years ago

    Get a candle and rub it around the door and door frame chaps. Its the best thing to do with a door that has expanded from the wet and is sticking.

    You can do the same with a bar of soap, or some handwash. Worked miracles on my door this winter.

  • bungalooBunny #14 8 years ago

    First person mode?! Isn't this too much a la Project Zero? Let's hope the ENTIRE game isn't in FP.

    Looks good though.

  • gravity0 #15 8 years ago

    I'm reminded of Joe's Apartment, for some reason.

  • renzo #16 8 years ago

    "First person mode?! Isn't this too much a la Project Zero? Let's hope the ENTIRE game isn't in FP."

    The 1st-person mode is only when you're in his apartment. Once you go through the portals, it switches back to the traditional 3rd-person view.

  • Feanor #17 8 years ago

    "As with the other Silent Hills, the stories and characters are independent from any of the previous games, so newcomers needn't feel put off by entering the series at this point."

    I think SH 3 was a continuation of the story from the original Silent Hill on the PlayStation.

  • tiddles #18 8 years ago

    It's great to see that Konami is doing a new direction with the series. It's the thing that kept all of them fresh for so long. Each game is not like the earlier. Plus they depict diffrent, unrelated characters in each game.

    Instead of trucking around in the same old tire tracks with the same thing (resident Evil).

    Although in general I'm a fan of the series, I do feel it's in danger of becoming moribund. SH3 was a big let-down for me - although the graphics and production values were excellent, far too much of the same ground was being re-trodden, with the result that the scare factor was way down compared to 1 and 2.

    SH4 looks promising, both in execution and concept, but Konami PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't revisit any of the locations from the previous titles in the series - you've already done them to death, and not in a scary way either...

  • Royal Fool #19 8 years ago

    Is that quote mentioned by Zero Beat from Max Payne 2 by any chance?

    I think SH 3 was a continuation of the story from the original Silent Hill on the PlayStation.

    Yeah, sort of, but you didn't need to know the backstory to enjoy(?) it..

    Know what scene I hated the most in SH2? That puking scene with Eddie. Yuck.

  • Kami #20 8 years ago

    Portals from his flat into main game areas?

    WHy am I reminded of Eternal Darkness??? Not that that is a bad thing...

  • Royal Fool #21 8 years ago

    I find that a very vague connection. If you want to go that far then I could just as well say they were ripping off Sly Raccoon because that game also has a main "hub screen" where you go to missions.

  • RedboX #22 8 years ago

    "Trapped in my flat!,
    only my memories for company,
    Trapped in my flat!,
    hoping someone will come and rescue me."

    <a href=http://www.mousehands.co.uk/rmlyrics/download.php?id=9 >listen</a>

  • countlippe #23 8 years ago

    my hamster has died

  • Hunam85 #24 8 years ago

    Hell fucking yeah!

  • Zero Beat #25 8 years ago

    Is that quote mentioned by Zero Beat from Max Payne 2 by any chance?

    Yes!

    Flesh, THE FLESH!

  • Eraser #26 8 years ago

    I still have Silent Hill 3 on my wish list. SH2 was excellent.

  • Hunam85 #27 8 years ago

    Kinda aprihencious about the 1st person fighting, in my experiences survival horror games usually go bad when they try to deviate from the formula too much...

  • Blerk #28 8 years ago

    Who cares?

  • renzo #29 8 years ago

    People who want to brag about having exclusive games on the one console they own.

  • Blerk #30 8 years ago

    Share the love, that's what I say.

    /liberally distributes love

  • Tiger_Walts #31 8 years ago

    /puts on rain mac

    Don't see it coming out on the Gamecube ;)

  • EVERYGAMER #32 8 years ago

    Why have portals just have the main character look for his keys in an interactive Shenmue type environment. Are they down the back of the sofa? No but you have found a crest with a heart on it, now you can access the bathroom and explore the U-bend for the magnetic key card to access your wardrobe :)

  • Zero Beat #33 8 years ago

    'DON'T FORGET THE MILK"

    For Chibi!

  • mcmonkeyplc #34 8 years ago

    Ou et mon batty box version of Resident evil games, huh, capcom!
    As for this...joygasams, i finally get to be scared shitless through my batty box. (no pun intended)

    Can we have PES as well Pwease, ill be your friend.


    Note to self: must repurchase PS2 when price isnt taking the piss.

  • renzo #35 8 years ago

    If you want PES on the Box then you'd better hope XBoxen buy SH4 in droves so that Konami look kindly upon Xbox owners and consider doing a port.

  • renzo #36 8 years ago

    But considering the 14million copies of Winning Eleven 7 that have already been sold on PS2 alone, I wouldn't hold your breath.

  • safetyboy #37 8 years ago

    I hope they cut back on the endless walking through passageways that saturated SH3. I definately thought SH3 was a bit of a step backwards in game design, for example the puzzle near the start with the books was infuriating in "hard" mode and afterwards there was nothing for ages except corridor after corridor. I got bored before I got nervous. I still don't have a copy, so have'nt completed it and it may get better but I played for a good 5-6 hours and the section I got through I've no intention of playing again, it simply was'nt fun.

    However SH2 was superb, if too short, Ideally for me it would be more like the second.

  • renzo #38 8 years ago

    "... but I played for a good 5-6 hours and the section I got through I've no intention of playing again, it simply was'nt fun."

    Hmmm... I finished the game in 5hr52min, and that's with me taking my own sweet time and exploring every nook and cranny, so I'm not sure how you could've spent so much time with the game and not come close to finishing it. I think it is well worth the 5-6hrs it takes to finish it.

  • bungalooBunny #39 8 years ago

    I took just under 6 hours to finish it as well in the first time, exploring included. The puzzles in hard mode were really nasty but the game play didn't change much.

    I actually didn't like SH3's lack of 'town' feel. It made it feel too level-based to me and I thought that vulgarised the game. SH2 at too much walking but SH3 had none at all - pants.

    Have to say this.. isn't Forbidden Siren actually resembling more the original Silent Hill than The Room?

  • safetyboy #40 8 years ago

    Well, you guys must be better gamers than me but I got through SH2 quick enough. Maybe it was less time, I don't have a copy of SH3 I just played it one night at a friends house, but it sure seemed like that long.

    However, I found there was a lot of aimless walking around the locations in this game, the subway station puzzle really bugged me for a lot longer than perhaps it should have done, I felt pretty stupid after that one I'll admit, but then all I seem to remember after that was lots of empty corridors, which I put down to Konami trying to make the game appear larger than it actually was.

    In SH2 I wanted to re-visit the some of the locations straight away upon completing it whereas I found the "puzzle" to "aimless wandering" ratio quite disapointing in SH3.

    I'm quite familiar with this type of game so I'm pretty sure I'm not being dense.

  • nolan #41 8 years ago

    Hope they will come back to sh2 binds.. my 6buttons wingman couldn't handle the stupid binding of sh3

    That and the specs that exploded.

    Talking PC btw

    (yeah they WILL port it mkay?)

  • Kami #42 8 years ago

    Silent Hill 3 happened to be an extremely good game.

    Heres the problem with the Silent Hill series.

    If you liked 1, you didn't like 2...

    If you liked 2, you didn't like 3...

    If you liked 3, you liked 1... and didn't like 2...

    Anyone see a pattern emerging? I've noticed it after a spate of fan reviews I started reading. I find it an extremely odd phenomenen...

    Where do I fall? I really enjoyed SH1... and as such, SH3 seemed like a logical progression. Besides, SH2 for me was just a little stale in the shocks sense... and plot sense... although it wasn't terrible.

    I hope SH4 is very good. It certainly sounds like an advancement which we need... but will it fall into the pattern?

    Hope not... but we'll have to wait and see...

  • Blerk #43 8 years ago

    I liked SH1 and SH2. Does that make me a freak? :-)

  • itamae #44 8 years ago

    I love all three.

    Does that make me a king among freaks? :-)

  • Blerk #45 8 years ago

    I might love all three, but I haven't played SH3 yet. Ask me later. :-)

  • valli #46 8 years ago

    Mee too mee too! All 3½ of them are great (the ½ is SH2: Director's Cut of course)

  • renzo #47 8 years ago

    I loved SH2 and SH3.

    What does that make me again?

  • James_Sunderland #48 6 years ago

    nice review. this game was ok im playin it now. another thing that this game is missin is the darkness. there is too much light everywhere takes the creepiness away. But being locked in your room was an good concept but there was things they should have done differently. My fave is still SH 2. SH 1 is good too. SH 3 was gruesome but it was ok. can someone answer this for me? on SH 2 when u first get your flashlight off that manequin wearing a dress. Can anyone tell me who the dress belongs too. if u dont know go check it out. let me know who u think it is.

  • James_Sunderland #49 6 years ago

    I like em all but SH 2 is the best!!!!