Silent Hill 4: The Room

Rating:
Summary: Does anyone actually know if this is the PC version?
Review: I have all the SH games for PC so far, and I am planning of course getting this little diddy. However, like when I was about to order SH3 from amazon, I wasnt sure if I should when its barely in the catalog like this (When it was blank like this, then to its later iteration, much of info changed, and even on big places like amazon, screw up happpen). So if someone has bought this and can actually say "Yup its PC, and shes a workin", then huzzah.

Rating:
Summary: Great looking game with poor controls and camera angles
Review: I have played and completed the PC versions of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, and they are both great games. I am a huge fan of the entire Silent Hill game series, especially SH2. However, Silent Hill 4 is dramatically hampered by not only unbelievably terrible character movement controls (whether using a mouse/keyboard combination, or a PC gamepad), but the computer selected camera that follows the main character around makes the game truly unplayable. The camera will many times "decide" to be in front of the character (pointing *towards* his face) during critical or exploratory situations, while at other times it will be hovering *over* him. Both camera angles make it almost impossible to see more than a few inches in front of your character. This is incredibly annoying, and gets you killed a lot, and takes much of the fun out of looking around and checking things out -- because you simply can't easily do it. (There is a key that is suppose to force the camera back behind the character, but it rarely works as it should). This is one of the few major PC games that I have attempted to play for a few days, but found it so un-enjoyable that I have uninstalled it from my computer. I never thought I would do that to any Silent Hill game!

Rating:
Summary: Silent Hill 4 for PC Stinks! I Should've Got the PS2 Version
Review: I've had Silent Hill 4 installed on my PC now for about a week. And it sucks! The controls are very hard to manage without a joystick or something. I was using the default controls which consist of using your keyboard and mouse (sometimes at the same time!). Also, the spoken dialog is heard about 15 seconds prior to the character's mouths actually moving. The spoken dialog is also heard about 15 seconds prior to seeing it spelled out in subtitles. I don't know what is causing this large delay, but it sucks!

Even though I haven't played a PS2 version of this game, I'm sure it has to be much better in terms of control and the dialog problem. I have played ALL the other Silent Hill games for the PS1 and PS2, and I never had a problem with them.

I visited the various tech support sites listed in the instruction manual to get help with the sound/dialog problem, but there is absolutely no help for SH4 tech problems (as of yet). Perhaps this is because the game is still relatively new, and PC players of the game are still in the process of getting royally pissed off like I just did.

Only buy the PC version of Silent Hill 4 if you have a joystick or something. Using the keyboard and mouse controls is just too difficult and very frustrating. Better yet, stick with the PS2 version! Believe me, you'll be glad you did!!

P.S. Anybody wanna buy a slightly used "Silent Hill 4" for the PC? (ha ha ha!)

Rating:
Summary: Someone has a slow computer...
Review: Our local store over here on base in Korea finally got this game in for the PC, so, naturally, I bought it. This is by far the best silent HIll game out now. The whole plot line is great. Players of past Silent Hill games should know who Walter Sullivan is. This game references the past games a lot, but the kicker is that the story goes into more background on the cult of SH. My review now:

1. Controls - Admitted, the controls can be a little awkward at first like any new game you buy for a pc. But you get used to it. The controls are arranged like most other games, so I have no complaint here. Whoever complained about the controls (you know who you are), then stop playing pc games and stay with console games. Most PC games rely on the keyboard and mouse as controllers.
2. Graphics and Dialogue - As always, the graphics are killer. This one was pretty morbid. Dark as well. But that's all the SH games. It was better this round as well. Slow computer? Turn shadows off, etc. But you lose some of the cool scenes. When the hauntings begin, the graphics go a little blurry to enhance the haunting effect. Way cool. Blood is up as well. The dialogues are great and fit the various characters. Slow computer, again? Guess what, the spoken dialogue in the cut-scenes are going to come after the lips move. Deal with it. My system is fine with handling the dialogues matching the cut-scenes.
Enemies - I don't want to tell you all about the enemies. Let's just say they are more challenging. I recommend playing in easy mode to practice moving before you go into normal or hard mode. Those sniffers and ghosts can be a pain in the arse. Speaking of ghosts (this I will warn you about cause it was irritating at first), you can't kill them. You can beat them down until they stop moving for a brief period of time, or you can run past them. They have a sword to stick in them to keep them from getting back up, but save these. You'll have 'prime' ghosts you'll want to stick because they won't stay down no matter how much you beat on them. All in all, very challenging and exciting.

What more can I say. this is the best in the series and it comes on one DVD instead of multiple cd's like past games. I just wish they would release the very first Silent Hill on the PC so I can complete my collection. I don't play console games.

Get it, play it, have weird dreams just like Henry...

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely amazing(although not totally Silent Hill)!!!
Review: This game is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!! I got it 3 days ago and managed to clear it twice!However,it's not easy at all.The points I'll have to mention are:
1:It doesn't have the awaited silent hill gameplay,as stuff like "I explore a room and it doesn't have anything and when I try to get out...BOO!I scared you" are all gone!I can't say I didn't enjoy them in previous games but a little change now and then is good :)

2:Action level is next to ridiculous(Normal)at the first half of the game and I got a bit disappointed.On the other half however,I got really glad that I managed to finish the game!It gets really hard on the way.

3:Riddles are more than easy.I don't know about hard mode yet but in normal mode ANYONE can move on.There are in fact no riddles.Just a question now and then "How do I move on?Oh,yeah, right!" To summarize I'd say that the game guides you all the way leaving nothing for you to guess.

4:If you take a general look at the game, you will easily understand that especially due to point 1 and 3 we are talking mostly about a movie rather than a game.Yes,a movie in which you just help the main character.It's far more serious than the previous ones(which by the way I loved) but it has all the psychological terror needed to make a movie that could make "Seven" look like "Sailor Moon". The whole storyline is amazing(at the occult side) combining certain rituals and ceremonies with the paranormal.Sound is of course amazing once more.(Akira Yamaoka rules!)

In general,I would recommend this game to anyone that likes psychological terror,although some classic Silent gamers will not like that the town of Silent Hill is actually playing a second role(not in the history,but on the action level)Finally,I'll have to congratulate the production as except everything else,they made a really big game so that we can enjoy many hours of gameplay!

BUY IT!You won't regret it!