Throughout the years, I've learned a great deal from playing games. Before Mario and his adventures on the Nintendo, for example, I had no idea that eating flowers would make me pyrokinetic. Without Grand Theft Auto III, I never would have learned that soliciting a prostitute would actually make me healthier instead of increasing my likelihood of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. And thank God for first person shooters for showing me that it doesn't take any formal training to utilize military hardware. That being said, the single most important thing I've learned since becoming a full time gamer is this; stay the hell away from Silent Hill. Harry Mason, James Sunderland, and Heather Morris (previous main characters) all eventually came to this one great epiphany, and sadly it will take our new Joe Average, Henry Townshend, all of Silent Hill 4: The Room, to realize this for himself. Its Time to get an education, Mr.Townshend.

Gameplay:

The first thing worth noting though is that SH4 does indeed take place in a room. The game begins shortly after Henry discovers that he has been locked inside his own apartment. Someone - or something - has gone to great measures to ensure that Henry can't leave his own home. To make matters worse, bad stuff is starting to happen in room 302.really, really bad stuff. This time it isn't enough to have to traipse through gorgeously rendered environments trying to survive with only your wits and a steel pipe. Now you have to traipse through gorgeously rendered environments trying to survive with only your wits and a steel pipe while you're being chased by murderous, invincible spirits bent on your demise; but wait, environments? Doesn't Silent Hill 4 take place in Henry's less-than-spacious apartment? Indeed, and thus, the plot thickens.

The appearance of a mysterious hole in his bathroom prompts Henry to try and escape his apartment-prison by climbing through it. Of course, this is Silent Hill, and that means it's never that easy. And that goes for combat. If you thought Silent Hill 3 was hard, then you'd better get ready for an exercise in patience. Gone are the days of the unlimited item storage and stacking ammunition. Not only are the enemies now considerably tougher, but they're much more numerous, as well. To make matters worse, Konami was nice enough to add a new kind of enemy. While veterans of the series may recognize the new versions of old monsters (the dog enemy, the flying enemy, the really weird big thing that hurts like hell when it hits you), both veterans and newbies alike will be thrown for a loop by the new "spirits." Spirits are, not surprisingly, ghost enemies trapped in Silent Hill's "otherworld," and guess what? They don't like you, or your mother. Spirits are invincible, and your only real option when confronted by one is to run. You can stun them with holy objects, but ultimately you can't kill them, making some of the maneuvering later on in the game teeth-gratingly difficult. With three spirits, two dogs, and seemingly dozens of those winged creatures, things can get pretty hairy. What further complicates things is the aforementioned elimination of an unlimited inventory. You have essentially ten slots, but those ten slots must be balanced for plot items, healing items, and weapons and ammunition. Item management is key. Taking a more powerful handgun may seem great, but once you run out of bullets - if you can find any - you'll be stuck with an empty gun, amounting to trash taking up much needed space. The new inventory is somewhat understandable, but that doesn't mean it makes things more fun. With the ramped up difficulty and Silent Hill forcing you to tote, at one point in the game, five plot items things get rather complicated.

Graphics:

SH4 is still fun, and many of the critics who hated the first three games' 3D movement system will be relieved to hear that there is a new set in place. Things become increasingly interesting in that, between the different worlds you'll visit, you spend a large portion of the game playing from a First Person view in your apartment. In many, many instances, this First Person view will immerse you in the game to a disturbing effect and crank the fear factor up from "scary" to "mess yourself." The visuals go a long way in helping that. As mentioned, the environments are beautiful, but what really stands out is the visual sheen on the character models in Silent Hill 4. Everyone from Henry to the disgusting monsters looks gorgeous, and they all move incredibly well, looking natural (if you can call a two-headed, six-foot tall baby that moves on two hands "natural") and fluid. It's impressive just how well Konami made this game look with it being made for both the PS2 and Xbox.

Sound:

The sound in Silent Hill 4, Like its predecessors, it's absolutely stunning. SH4 features some the great vocalists from Silent Hill 3 and the always jaw-dropping background music and sound effects, The Room's audio goes beyond top notch. The voice acting is superb, and again sucks you in and makes you feel like you're a part of the game, not merely playing it.

Overall:

To make things sweeter, Silent Hill 4 has tons of unlockables that are up for grabs to players with the patience and skill to procure them. Combine this with the visuals, sound, and overall atmosphere that the Silent Hill series has always had, Silent Hill 4: The Room is a must-have for anyone that professes to be a fan of the survival-horror genre. Be warned, however, that this game is not for the weak at heart. It will scare you. But like a good horror flick, you'll love every minute of it, especially without the usual stupid teenagers getting killed.