Silent Hill 4: The Room

 Xbox
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 43
  3. Negative: 1 out of 43
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  1. Game Over Online
    74
    A damned scary game, and it's one of the better survival horror titles out there because of that. It's good to see its designers taking risks and experimenting with the formula. This time, however, it's kind of a misfire. It's by no means a failure, but it's not a success, either.
  2. My Gamer
    74
    Because of the rather boring combat system, it's a sad fact that Silent Hill 4 really isn't all that scary.
  3. TotalGames.net
    72
    We just can't get that excited about Konami's latest venture. Maybe it's the annoying plot twist that happens halfway through the game - think "Ico" with a plaster cast - that essentially forces you to replay through all the frightening locations you've already visited.
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  5. The Sydney Morning Herald
    70
    One of the most disturbing games of the year. In a good way.
  6. GMR Magazine
    70
    The stellar visuals and spot-on sound design keep these from being too terribly dull, but clumsy combat and woeful repetition will try your patience.
  7. Into Liquid Sky
    67
    The game is too bright. Previous titles used the darkness to instill a mood and sense of horror in things you couldn't see. This time around, you can see everything, even in the distance.
  8. Xbox Nation Magazine
    60
    The first-person view allows only for awkward movement and exploration, with Townshend forced to turn to alter his view. Invincible ghosts prove to be perpetually frustrating, especially in tight spots.
  9. Edge Magazine
    60
    Look at it one way, and it's a choking journey with unprecedented attention to unease and psychological horror, a game framed with unparalleled sophistication. From another angle, it's just a clunky PSone throwback, with all the design wit of a dodo. [Aug 2004, p.92]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. Eurogamer
    60
    It's the weakest of the series by a long way, and an ill-judged attempt to drag a narrative driven adventure game into the realms of sub hackandslash by removing much of the actual thinking and forcing the player to engage in less than challenging puzzles while foisting repetitive and unengaging combat upon them.
  11. games(TM)
    60
    Silent Hill 4 is by far the most atmospheric of the titles to date, and if played under the right conditions will creep out even the most hardened survival horror fan. But being made to traipse over the same levels a second time seems a little lazy and really saps a lot of enjoyment out of the experience. [Sept 2004, p.113]
    All this publication's reviews
  12. Gaming Horizon
    56
    Silent Hill 4 may look pretty on the surface, but after an hour or so you'll have found out that like most pretty things, what's beneath can be pretty disappointing.

Awards & Rankings

61
#61 Best Xbox Game of 2004
47
#47 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2004
9
#9 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2004

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 50
  3. Negative: 6 out of 50
  1. BellaMetallicA
    May 4, 2015
    10
    I am addicted. In my opinion Silent Hill 4 is definitely the best in the series. Very disturbing and frightening, I have played and beatenI am addicted. In my opinion Silent Hill 4 is definitely the best in the series. Very disturbing and frightening, I have played and beaten this epic game hundreds of times and it never gets old. My only complaint is that you only have a limited number of slots for your inventory.… Full Review »
  2. doodlerman
    Jun 11, 2011
    8
    Definitely a disappointment considering it's predecessors, but it's still a damn good horror game (and at least 10x better than Homecoming).Definitely a disappointment considering it's predecessors, but it's still a damn good horror game (and at least 10x better than Homecoming). It takes away some of the most essential items from previous games - the flashlight and the radio, and brings you into the prison of someone else's mind. It isn't directly related to Silent Hill, though the villain of this game is mentioned frequently in Silent Hill 2, and there is also a Room 302 in the first Silent Hill that serves an important purpose (I believe it has a TV that reveals certain secrets). The voice acting has improved in this one and there's a certain incoherent quality to it that creates this sense of chaos all throughout, and can successfully make you feel as desperate to escape as the protagonist is. The sound quality has also improved - it may not be as eerie as previous Silent Hill games, but it sounds like it has been mixed better. Also, due to the lack of a radio, the silent appearances of enemies (especially the Twin Victims which just sit stilly in the distance pointing with the faces of dead babies) - and the introduction of invincible ghosts that can chase you from room to room and moan disturbingly.… Full Review »
  3. BenD.
    Oct 4, 2004
    10
    This game is the best horror game ever made.
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