I finished Silent Hill 4 once again and I still don't get why all the fans are whining about that Silent Hill 4 is a bad game and so on... I believe Team Silent did an excellent job in doing something new and fresh as they originally intended.

This game basically subverts our expectations in many ways like
- no visits in Silent Hill
- environments are bright
- basic equipments are gone (flashlight, radio)
- our hero is an introvert, dull character (like most of us, just look at yourself)

My only concern is that every time a developer team tries something different, there would be always a fan who will be displeased.

I've just read an article that Silent Hill 5 would have been featured a creepy sunny Otherworld lol. It's a pity it never happened as the original team disbanded.

If a new Silent Hill game were come out I would see something original instead of the usual personal demons stuff and dead relatives. An elderly couple for example who had lost everything to the bank and lives in poverty as beggars. Or someone with a fatal cancer doesn't want to die. Or just an average guy who started to experience nightmare sequences during every day activities in the middle of a bustling city. Whatever basically...

I am curious what you think

I like bold risks in video games. I think the direction SH4 was going in was one worth exploring and the game has some truly inspired ideas and moments.

But it's also held back by a lot of frustrating design choices, average at best level design, barely existent puzzles, and one of the worst second halves I've seen. I respect the game more than I like it. Though admittedly I haven't played it in a very long time, I do think I want to return to it sometime in the near-ish future. Maybe my feelings on some of it will have changed.

The gameplay may be a bit shambolic but the symbolism and imagery in the game is up there with the best in the franchise. I've always loved 4 in all its weirdness.

You summarized well how I feel, "respect" is the best word.

I love the idea that your own home becomes Silent Hill.

You can watch people from your window going about their normal lives... yet you're stuck in an endless nightmare you cannot awake from. Not to mention that the psychopath who is out to kill you was located inside your apartment the whole time. You know, this basic premise is more than enough to send shivers on my spine.

I agree that the gameplay was not that great, there should have been less focus on the combat and more on the evasion of the ghost victims. And yes, more puzzles and exploration.

In my opinion, Silent Hill 4 is an underrated gem worth trying out. If you don't mind the above mentioned shortcomings of this title, you will enjoy the game.

It's my favourite after SH2. I know Henry's weird and the ghosts are incredibly annoying, but in terms of graphical capacity, story, and enemy design - not to mention the OST - it's freakin' incredible.

And now that the game has been rereleased on GOG, a whole new generation of gamers can get to know it!

I've always liked SH4 even though it's not one of my top favorites. It's got an intriguing story, and I love the design of the water prison and the concepts behind it. Not a huge fan of playing through all the levels twice or of the super annoying ghosts, but those aren't deal breakers for me and I still include the game in my series play-throughs.

I wonder how it's done since its GOG rerelease.