Silent Hill 4: The Room
Henry Townshend stands inside his apartment on the 17th of June, 2004. The door is locked from the outside with no way to call for help. A hole appears in the bathroom wall that leads to a different world. This space serves as the only place where Henry can save his progress or store items. For the first half of the game, this room heals him when he returns. Later, the same walls begin to bleed and drain his health instead.
An undead serial killer named Walter Sullivan seeks to complete a murder ritual using twenty-one victims. He believes his biological mother resides within Henry's apartment after being abandoned there at birth. Walter has already committed twenty murders before targeting Eileen Galvin. A child manifestation of himself stops the killing just before the final act. The ghosts of previous victims appear as immortal enemies that can hurt Henry unless specific items are used to exorcise them.
Neighbor Eileen Galvin joins Henry to fight back against the supernatural forces. She cannot die while accompanying him but takes damage that causes her to become possessed. If she receives a firearm, she succumbs to possession immediately. Her survival status during the final boss fight determines which of four possible endings occurs. One ending shows her dead on the radio while another depicts her planning to return to the building with flowers.
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo formed Team Silent to develop the fourth installment in 2003. They intended to shift the series toward action-oriented gameplay rather than traditional puzzle-solving mechanics. The developers chose to make the apartment the central hub instead of exploring a town like previous games. This decision created a claustrophobic horror experience where the player navigates holes in the wall to reach other dimensions. The game was released in Japan on June 17 and in North America on September 7.
The narrative draws thematic influence from Mark Z. Danielewski's novel House of Leaves published in 2000. The architecture of the apartment mirrors non-Euclidean spaces found within that book. Ryū Murakami's 1980 novel Coin Locker Babies inspired the premise of an abandoned child seeking his mother. The film Jacob's Ladder from 1990 influenced the protagonist Henry Townshend who shares a likeness to actor Peter Krause. Other inspirations include Stephen King novels and the television series Twin Peaks running from 1990 to 1991.
Composer Akira Yamaoka created an atmospheric score featuring vocals by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Joe Romersa. The soundtrack was released alongside the game in 2004 with thirteen exclusive tracks for the American version. A second disc containing music played along to traditional Japanese stories appeared only in the Japanese release. Several tracks were later featured in the Silent Hill Experience promotional UMD. A remix of the song Your Rain appeared on Konami's Dance Dance Revolution Extreme.
Review aggregator Metacritic shows an average score rating of 76 out of 100 for both the PS2 and Xbox versions. Critics praised the atmosphere but divided over the departure from traditional puzzle-solving mechanics. IGN named it the best PlayStation 2 adventure game at E3 2004 before its release. Sales topped charts in Japan with 41,000 copies sold during a video game sales slump. Some reviewers found the combat focus necessary while others called the puzzles obscure or non-lateral.
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Common questions
What happens to Henry Townshend on the 17th of June 2004 in Silent Hill 4 The Room?
Henry Townshend finds himself trapped inside his apartment with a locked door and no way to call for help. A hole appears in the bathroom wall that leads to a different world where he can save progress or store items.
Who is Walter Sullivan in Silent Hill 4 The Room and what does he want?
Walter Sullivan is an undead serial killer who seeks to complete a murder ritual using twenty-one victims. He believes his biological mother resides within Henry's apartment after being abandoned there at birth.
How many possible endings exist for Silent Hill 4 The Room based on Eileen Galvin?
Four possible endings occur depending on whether Eileen Galvin survives the final boss fight. One ending shows her dead on the radio while another depicts her planning to return to the building with flowers.
When was Silent Hill 4 The Room released by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo?
The game was released in Japan on June 17 and in North America on September 7. Team Silent developed the fourth installment in 2003 before its release.
What books influenced the narrative of Silent Hill 4 The Room?
Mark Z. Danielewski's novel House of Leaves published in 2000 inspired the non-Euclidean architecture of the apartment. Ryū Murakami's 1980 novel Coin Locker Babies provided the premise of an abandoned child seeking his mother.