An ordinary apartment. “Khrushchev” or skyscraper, shabby walls or renovation. For all of us, an apartment is something ordinary, homely and harmless. Home is a fortress, home is protection in the night, home is a reliable friend.
And it becomes doubly creepy if suddenly a new element of the interior appears in the house, small, almost invisible. Chains on the front door from the inside. When windows can’t be broken. When the neighbors don’t hear your screams. When the phone and TV do not work.
An old acquaintance suddenly turns into a hostile and almost animate insidious creature. You are locked by someone unknown. Who did it? How to fix it?
And every night the same nightmare is dreaming, turning into an equally nightmare reality.
Visiting Kafka
You can’t make such creepy games. With “Silent Hill 4: The Room”, the developers are completely loose and have lost all sense of proportion. No, I understand that the genre obliges to sculpt something terrible, but not to the same extent! The developers threw all their resources to heighten the fear of the players: mysterious sounds, frightening video sequences, Freudian associations. In the manual for “Silent Hill 3” I vainly mentioned “The Bell” by Hideo Nakata. The Japanese here used this film of their compatriot to the full, from the “naughty” TV set to the long-haired brunette witch. Everything here is aimed at scaring the player: the game puts on the nerves, causes nervousness and a feeling of dreary horror.
Even a few jokes don’t change the situation. Playing “Silent Hill 4: The Room” is really scary, and this feeling is fueled by the developers, nurtured and nurtured by them, so that about the middle of the game the player himself tore off the headphones from his head, said: “God knows what it is!” – and went to the cinema for a comedy.
Konami has made another creepy game in the best traditions of the small town series. But was it really impossible to make her not so … clinging to the nerves? AND?
& & &
However, a funny thing came out with the plot. First, he’s pretty straightforward, even surprisingly simple for Konami. There are few mysteries and questions left after the game ends. Almost immediately, all the secrets were quickly uncovered by fans of the series. And the reason for all the problems sounds not at all in Japanese: the crazy guy takes apartment 302 for his own mother. As the saying goes, “hello tree!”.
Secondly, the action of “Silent Hill” has nothing to do with the town of the same name. The entire game takes place in Ashfield, a small town near Silent Hill. This has never happened before.
The Order cult, running around with Alessa, and trouble with Samael remained in Silent Hill 3. Here the plot, as in “Silent Hill 2”, takes a step sideways. But the main character Henry is not James Sunderland. If he was a tragic hero, then Henry is a simple shirt-guy who deals with evil because it prevents him from going to work. Henry saves a girl from the clutches of a monster just because she is a neighbor, not a stranger. Lives nearby – why not save?
Fans of the series were expecting a little different. Reviews about the game are ambiguous, but critics find fault only with the plot and some new, not always successful, concepts. Otherwise, “The Room” is traditionally perfect.
True, when porting the game to our native PC platform, someone pretty much cheated. The game immediately got three huge flaws:
Nightmare management
Remember how convenient it was to rotate with the mouse in the third part of the game. Remember and immediately forget – now turns will be done only from the keyboard. Taking into account the curve calculation of the direction of rotation (from the screen, not from the character), you will have to re-learn to walk. Note that you cannot fix the camera on the character!
Until the end of the game, I was not able to completely get rid of the character’s fretting. Like a drunk, he began to shoot in the opposite direction from the monster, bump into the wall at turns and turn around when changing the camera.
Prefix save
We all remember that in Sb you could save anywhere in the game. Special red save runes were rudiments from Playstation 2. Here, to save, you need to find the hole leading to the apartment, find the red book by the window in the apartment and record the game there. Don’t tell me about the benefits of rare “saves”. It was just someone who was lazy!
System time errors
Minor glitches with the system time of the computer led to the fact that sometimes the game slows down noticeably. No, it doesn’t bother. It is much worse to observe how, during scripted scenes, the speech of the characters is played long before the end of the scene, and the characters continue to silently move their lips on the screen like fish. Only sign language translation saves.
With all this annoyance, I just can’t give the game the Crown, although it deserves it. Why, one wonders, did they do this? Why cheat with the transfer to the PC? Someone on the forum wittily replied: “So that the proprietors are not offended.”.
Innovations
In each game in the series, the developers tried something new. The first part is not like the second, the second is different from the third. What can we expect from “The Room”? First of all, restrictions.
When developers want to shift the gameplay in the right direction, they gently restrict players. A simple example: “Doom III” made it dark for players to be careful. It was forbidden to shoot with a flashlight so that they would be more afraid. The Japanese from Konami do about the same, but a little thinner..
• The list of items for the character is now called up in real time and is limited to ten items. Everything would be fine, but now each clip for a pistol occupies a separate cell – you can’t take an arsenal with you. So unobtrusively we are hinted that we should not forget about hand-to-hand combat. The hint was successful – now most of the game will have to go to the enemy “with a drekol”. Moreover, there are only two types of firearms: a pistol and a revolver.
• Wanting to complicate the game, the developers have introduced into it numerous immortal enemies. Only fast legs and sometimes special artifacts will save you from evil ghosts. There are simply no means of struggle against high-speed wheelchairs. The main villain in the last third of the game will now and then attack the hero. Where are those carefree times when any nurse could be finished off with a heel? (By the way, now the fallen enemy sometimes does not need a “blow of mercy”.)
• The apartment of the protagonist is now a “base” where you can drop unnecessary things into a bottomless chest, read new notes under the door, save and look out the window. The opportunity to do this appears several times at each level. In the first half of the game, the apartment can even play the role of an endless first aid kit. Willy-nilly, “Unreal 2” comes to mind.
• The number of puzzles has been reduced and simplified. Now there is no division into difficulty levels by riddles.
• Secret clothes and weapons can be counted on one hand. A couple of guns, a couple of clothes. I don’t recognize Konami!
• “Medium” and “heavy” game modes are noticeably heavier. If in “Silent Hill 3” the game could be completed at the intermediate level without any particular difficulties, then I advise you to play “The Room” only on the “easy” one. Think about control problems, spare fingers and nerves.
• Among the four possible endings of the game, amateurs did not find a joke ending with the participation of UFOs and aliens. In all three previous series, it was. I don’t recognize Konami again!
Weapon
Almost all weapons in the game are designed for close combat. A pistol and revolver are huddled somewhere in the corner, and a distant and unattainable secret submachine gun looms in the distance. Wine Bottle You will find a wine bottle in the refrigerator. It can be fought, but only a masochist will use it when there is already a water pipe. After a couple of blows, such a “weapon” will fail. The Water Pipe Your very first weapon, a classic from the Silent Hill series. Weak, but good for a start. Moreover, you still have nothing else at the very beginning. Pistol A good thing – it hits far away, does not allow enemies to approach the character. But, given the shortage of cartridges and the fact that they quickly clog the duffel bag, it is not very useful to call it.
However, you still have no choice, so use the pistol in moderation. Remember – every cartridge you save makes life easier for you in the second half of the game. Golf clubs Come across the game often, deliver good quick hits. They just love to break down in the midst of a battle Electrocutioner Semi-secret weapon that you can find in prison. One shock blows off the hooves of a medium-sized enemy. To do this, you need to come close to him – some are annoyed. And the shocker is charged after the discharge for a long time. Aluminum Bat A slow but powerful weapon. With the appearance of a bit in your arsenal, the pipe is completely outdated. Golf clubs hit harder, so make sure you run out of golf clubs before reaching for the bat. Cardboard cutter The famous weapon of mass destruction, the cardboard cutter. The game is present only for a joke. Hoe Garden tools in the service of good. Not a bad melee weapon with good range. You will find it in the “Building” level. Rusty Ax An ax, and even a rusty one, is a good help in battle. But we must remember that he hits a very short distance (even less than a bat). Some people may not like this much. Dichlorvos Is it only concern about the hairstyle of enemies that you can justify the use of spray in the game. Put it in the chest and never take it out again. Torch In “Doom III” the main character could fight with a flashlight, here Henry can fight with a torch with the same results – that is, none. Pick of Despair A wonderful weapon! Huge destructive power and decent scope. The only drawback of the pickaxe is the very slow swing. Let the enemies despair. Revolver Richard A good alternative to the pistol. You will find this revolver in room 207 when you are on the “apartment” level. The revolver reloads more slowly, has less ammo in the drum. However, one shot destructive power is much better than that of a pistol. This medicine is prescribed for the most difficult enemies at the end of the game. Chainsaw A secret weapon that can only be obtained after completing the game. They say it’s a good thing, but you can’t compare it to the Doom chainsaw. Submachine Gun A secret weapon that can only be obtained after completing the game. What prevented the developer from leaving it in a regular game is the mystery of a mysterious Japanese soul. Handbag (Eileen) In the hospital, Eileen, once in your team, will be able to fight off the dead with her handbag. The effect of this improvised weapon is small, but for lack of a better one, it will do..
Henry cannot use the purse. However, any weapon that the partner uses is virtually in his duffel bag and clogs up the free space. Whip (Eileen) Whip for jockeys. Better than a purse, though. You will find it on your second metro visit. Chains (Eileen) These can be found in the basket on the second visit to the forest. A very good weapon for Eileen. Baton (Eileen) A police baton for a girl, it can be found on the second visit to the prison in the guard room on the third floor. Silver Bullets There are very few silver bullets in the game. But they are very useful, since only with the help of a silver bullet can you make a ghost fall and pretend to be dead for a few minutes. During this time, you can do a lot – for example, thrust the sword of obedience into the villain. Sword of Obedience The only way to get rid of the ghost’s intrusive attention in a level is to knock him down and pin him to the floor with the sword of obedience. The ghost will spin like a butterfly on a pin, but will not be able to get off. Unfortunately, there are few swords in the game – only five. There are many more ghosts, so you have to choose – who to pin and whom to leave. Choose the scariest and most annoying ones, for example, the long-haired witch from the subway. Holy medallions A special protective device that protects from ghosts. Unfortunately, the amulet breaks after a certain “service life”. Therefore, I advise you not to use medallions at the levels, leaving them exclusively for apartment 302. Sacred candles After about half of the game, room 302 will no longer be a safe haven for you. Spirits will begin to penetrate into it, move into things and get you. But there is a way to drive out the spirits. These are sacred candles. Place such a candle next to the object that the spirit possessed. Burn. Do not move away from the candle until it has completely burned out. Voila!
“As you find a candle, take care of it. Nothing else will help you from evil spirits …”.
Enemies of the Dogs If you’ve played the previous Silent Hill series, you will probably recognize the dogs. With slight variations, they went through the entire series. I remember the last time they showed off their split heads. Here they look like ordinary burnt dogs with long tongues..
Dogs differ in two types: yellow and pink. Pink ones are more dangerous, they, without thinking twice, cling to the leg and gnaw for a long time. Yellow ones with red tongues are slightly less dangerous: they walk around you for a long time, often miss when jumping. Fight with both those and others is better with melee weapons. Calculate the moment when the dog is about to jump and bounce. Be sure to finish off a dog that has fallen after several blows with his heel.
This is important: do not forget that the behavior of enemies changes, and it depends on the difficulty level you choose. Bats The skull of a long-billed bird, the body of a bat. Small, but very harmful, like in “Ragnarok Online”. If you are attacked by a flock of three or more mice, then you are unlikely to get out of the fight without loss. Usually, with one blow, the mouse falls to the ground and waits for your heel. Don’t make her wait long.
This is important: sometimes, with the same swing, you can hit two enemies at once, if they are next to each other. This is especially true in the case of mice. Reader, use this! Walls Walls Walls are a kind of golems. They grow up from the wall to the waist and begin to swing their long clawed paws haphazardly. Not only is the blow of the wallman unhealthy – it also knocks Henry off his feet. But you can slip between blows if you timing well. You can fight the wall-makers with a good long “jerk” or with a pistol. Sometimes in the game there are also gray monsters – stronger and more aggressive fellow wall-makers. A bunch of wall mounts A kind of mini-boss, you will meet at the end of the second visit to the building. In order to defeat several golems in a bundle at once without much difficulty, you need to find the main one. It’s easy to recognize him: if you hit him, all the wall-makers suffer at once.
It is better to use a pistol to deal with the ligament. Toadstools Practically harmless, long, blood-red plants with rounded “head” ends. If you step on a toadstool, your health will decrease. Toadstools can almost always be circumvented. If you can’t get around – get your weapon and start weeding.
This is important: if you want to improve your game score, always kill toadstools. They will go to the total count of killed enemies.
Toadstools have a white variety. There are no differences from red. Destroyed in exactly the same way. Slugs Slugs are crawling on floors and walls. They strive to fall from the ceiling. If you touch the slug, then health is lost. Go around them whenever possible. If slugs openly interfere with life (for example, they close the passage to the plot-important refrigerator), then trample them with your feet without mercy. Children The most “mental” enemy in the game. It looks like two children’s heads walking on two hands. The details of the anatomy are hidden by a dark veil. Noticing Henry, the children point a finger at him, and then run up and begin to beat with their hands. It is not so difficult to get rid of one pair of children, but in the game there are situations when there are two or three children at once. The best weapon against them is a long club, a pistol, or a stun gun. Dropping children on the ground, do not forget about the heel.
Towards the end of the game, you will start to meet “modified” children without raincoats. They move faster and hit harder. The most annoying thing is that after being stunned, these guys get up quickly, so don’t waste your time. Monkeys Monkeys with human faces and second heads dangling somewhere in the chest area. They are very agile, but before the attack they like to jump in front of Henry, opening up for the attack. Hit them with sticks and crush fallen heels.
Groups of monkeys are very dangerous. Try to separate them from one another and consistently send them to the world of eternal bananas.
The most dangerous monkeys are dark. They usually carry a weapon in their hands: a bat or a club. Without a long conversation, they come up and hit. Wheelchairs Empty wheelchairs roll around the level and get on your nerves.
For the first time they will meet you at the hospital. Stumbling into a wheelchair, Henry loses health and falls. It is impossible to destroy such a carriage, you can only avoid them or “stun” them with a few blows for a while.
Strollers multiply over time. If you stumble in one place for a long time, then the number of them at the level will increase significantly. Fortunately, they are not particularly aggressive or try to corner you. Patients The role of the dead nurses in Silent Hill 4 is played by the same dead patients. You always recognize them by their half-blown head. They are larger than the average person, and each holds a weighty monkey wrench (or something similar). They hit painfully, but move and aim slowly. During the time the patient finds you, takes aim and hits you painfully, you can drop him and hit him with a heel, finishing off.
They pose a danger in groups. Try to keep them separate. If it doesn’t work, just fight as best you can. Ghosts Ghosts are the hallmark of Silent Hill 4. These are very dangerous creatures. Whoever sees how the spirit crawls out of the wall with a howl and screeching, will never forget it. Ghosts hover in the air, legs tucked in. You cannot kill them. You can only stun for a few seconds or pin to the floor with a special sword (these swords in the game can be counted on the fingers of one hand). Silver bullet of spirit can be knocked out for a few minutes.
Ghosts have two types of attacks. The first is a headache. A migraine begins in the main character if a ghost swims up to him (the first sign of a nearby ghost is a noise similar to radio interference) The second attack is more serious – the spirit sticks its hand into Henry’s heart and begins to do something bad there.
The “101st karate technique” works best against spirits. Get out of the places where they live as quickly as possible, and everything will be fine! In the walkthrough, I will mark “spirit-hazardous places”. Walter Sullivan The main game sinister will chase you at the end of the game, jumping out of the most unexpected places. I advise you to run as soon as he shows up. The battle can be won (that is, bring Walter into an unconscious state), but then you still have to flee, quickly doing everything.
One thing is good: your partner in the story, Eileen, will help in battle. Walter won’t attack her.
I have the following joke on the disc insert:
“There is a suspicious radio in Henry’s dwelling. Sometimes some programs are broadcast there, containing hints and complementing the general plot. After the subway, take a chocolate milk drink and keep it in your inventory, save the game and restart. Once loaded, look through the door peephole, and then turn on radio to hear a broadcast from Washington about a three-year-old boy. “
I myself did not succeed, because it was written about a chocolate bar, now I just added that there are no chocolates there, but the drink was meant. Oh those translators.
Passage of the level “Back from the world of construction – 2nd time” can be shortened. After you have come to the level and dealt with the ghost, enter the elevator and go downstairs, go out the door. You and Eileen are in a cubbyhole. Pick up a candle. Eileen should be left here. It’s complicated. The first time I did it by accident. When I wanted to leave her consciously, it didn’t work for a long time. We need to push it into the very corner. Then put a candle between her and yourself and run into the elevator. You are alone in the elevator – fine. Go down the stairs, go to another, distant, go up. You no longer need the ball. You can take it as a keepsake. Move on. We looked at Walter Sullivan – come and get the first aid kit. Eileen, here she is behind bars. Wait for her to see you. The most interesting thing is that while you are looking at it, it cannot pass the grate. It is worth going further to the door, where the ball and the medallion are, Eileen – here she is, you can go further. No ball, no ball, no candle, no stuffed cat you need now.
Don’t rush to ignore the doll that Sullivan is offering you. If you take it and carry it with you all the time (never putting it in a box), then in the final battle you will have a better chance of defeating Sullivan, because from this doll, Eileen moves to the hole more slowly, and Sullivan dies faster. Just do not even think of putting a doll in a chest if you do not want to meet another type of ghosts in your apartment..
The first stage of our game begins in apartment 302. The room looks more like a basement or death room. In general, we come to the wall where there is a drawing in the shape of a face. Then we go to the door and watch the video. It was Henry’s dream. We look around the room and then the peephole. Our beautiful neighbor Eileen collects empty bottles. That would be clean at the entrance. A hole will appear in the wall, in fact, we need to climb there. We will find ourselves in the metro, I will share my experience, the management is not very good, so practice what you go on. Next, watch the video and go to the toilet. What Cynthia actually wants to use the toilet. We kill the dogs, and we go into the women’s toilet. we pass through the hole into the hole. When you find yourself at home save and then listen to Cynthia’s complaint. we pass through the hole, and take tokens for the Lynch Street Line from the dummy. We go to Ling Street. Further it is easy and there are no codes. Walk by yourself.
