How do you think they could of have improved Silent Hill 4?

Post by **Cohen330** » 31 Jul 2008

...who cares? just play the game??

Post by **Cohen330** » 09 Aug 2008

If it felt more like a "Silent Hill" game, that would be nice. I don't think it's a bad game, though.

Post by **simeonalo** » 25 Sep 2009

Tell and share about what you think Team Silent/Konami should of have done to help improve Silent Hill 4, before they released it.

-If this has already been discussed, tell me and close this thread.-

Post by **SpaceProg** » 25 Sep 2009

- Less travelling back and forth between the Otherworld and the Apartment.
- Allowing lesser ghosts to be "killed". The stronger boss ones could still haunt you unless you stabbed them with the Sword of Obedience.
- Unlimited inventory like the previous games.
- Some darker areas, needing use of a flashlight.
- More random sound and action scares, and less "walk over a certain part of the floor and you hear a howl/roar/chains/loud noise" which you can predict every time.

... That's all I can think of to make it better in my eyes.

Post by **crucifix** » 25 Sep 2009

improvement would be bringing back the flashlight, allowing 3D control (i don't remember this being an option, but i could be wrong), staying the fuck away from revisiting areas and long escort missions, ditching the first-person view in the apartment, and having a bit more of a reason than "this guy's in the wrong place at the wrong time."

oh, and scrapping those godawful dying sounds of the sniffer dogs. i'd rather they be mute than that terrible piece of overused clipart-noise.

Post by **SpaceProg** » 25 Sep 2009

Ah yeah, less escorting. I thought SH2 had just the right amount of that.

Post by **SilentMadness** » 25 Sep 2009

the storyline can stay but EVERYTHING ELSE must go!!

-The first thing to do is have an unlimited inventory so i can keep the pistol that I would have oh so much loved to use more often. Besides, each bullet case should count as one section, keep it organized!

-Instead of holding down the button for 5 seconds to make a charged swing, while you stand there waiting for monsters to swipe at you, eaither get rid of the super charge all together or make a seperate button for instant hit. It was pointless waiting for a charged attack as it took a long time for henry to get it set while monsters were attacking you.

-Anything that is run on a loop i.e sounds, animation (hauntings and looking out at eileen's or the front door com to mind) make it less obvious of the skipping. Whenever this certain animation ends, everything freezed and then restarts, incliuding the sound, making everything very obvious. another example of that would be the "monkey" creatures, (yeah, the ones that sound so much like a primate) they have a constant loop of the same grunts and moans. At least have a little more variety. Which come to my next list:

-Be more creative for sounds that are unfimiliar. I shouldn't have to stomp on a sniffer and say, "oh, they got that sound from a cougar". It's supposed to be an orginal sound, maybe take that cougar sound, lower the pitch, add a cow sound and it would probably be more convincing.

If they had improved these things, I would have put it as my favorites

Dr. Eggnog · Post by **Dr. Eggnog** » 25 Sep 2009

I never found the unlimited inventory annoying, I typically always had enough room. I also didn't mind the fact that they redid levels, except that most of them weren't as good the second time around (especially water prison and building). As for Elieen, I hated her until I got good at ditching her. Then she got much less annoying.

I don't know, what I really didn't like about SH4 was that it just didn't suck me in to the story or the gameplay. The first game sucked me into the gameplay and level design, SH2 the story, and SH3 the gameplay and/or story depending on my mood (I have a love/hate relationship with that game).

Post by **AuraTwilight** » 25 Sep 2009

Less whining from the unpleasable asshole fans.

Post by **SpaceProg** » 25 Sep 2009

Me-owwww...

Post by **Nillin** » 25 Sep 2009

For the most part, I agree with Aura. xD

But if I had to choose something, I'd agree with the "less visits to the apartment" thing. Honestly, I would've enjoyed it more if you only went back to the apartment between the worlds. I think it would've flowed better overall. To make that work though, you'd have to get rid of the limited inventory, which I also thought was a little annoying. That's about it though. I really enjoyed the game. Not my favorite Silent Hill, but a damn good one.

Post by **SpaceProg** » 26 Sep 2009

True. On its own, it's a good game. When I compare it to the other SH games though, that's when it becomes kinda mediocre by comparison in my opinion. Still though, I've yet to play a Silent Hill game that I 'hate'.

Post by **simeonalo** » 27 Sep 2009

AuraTwilight wrote:Less whining from the unpleasable asshole fans.

Im not whining about the game. Im asking people who they think it should of been improved. I actually enjoy the fourth game.

Post by **adm1r** » 27 Sep 2009

I like the storyline in SH4 and the fact that you are in the room and no one can see you or hear you is frightening.Kinda like me...all day in the room,no one visiting me,listening...

:p.But i would change anoying sounds that some monster are producing and i know they are part of the story,but i think it would be better without ghost (or they could make them killable) because i hate running from them.

Post by **pisces9397** » 27 Sep 2009

I liked most everything, but the sound effects MUST GO! The sniffer dog (of course), and the god-awful patient burping noise. Other than that it's one of my favorites. (especially near Halloween)

Dr. Eggnog · Post by **Dr. Eggnog** » 27 Sep 2009

Yeah, the sound effects and the controls are where the game feels the most rushed.

Post by **11x20** » 28 Sep 2009

The flashlight would be cool to have-- the world of SH4 would have been scary as shit if everything were as dark as in SH2 and SH3.

Other than that, there isn't much that I really would change. The "repetition" that many complain about is actually pretty justified by the story, though I would have liked to see more boss battles or maybe have Walter be a little more threatening. Even in Hard mode, it really wasn't that hard to just run away or knock him on his ass. So that made the big bad villain a little less scary.

The sound effects were pretty rushed, too. I mean, overall, I do get the vibe that the game was rushed and didn't get as much love as SH3... then again, SH3 had whole levels copypasta'd in... XD

I would love to see a remake of SH4 if they ever started remaking the games, but not so much a "remake"; more of an expanded edition, like a director's cut. More storyline being dispensed through things other than Notes and Memos. It wasn't hard to read the Memos, but I do know that this game has an amazing storyline and some people are either too stupid or too lazy to take 5 seconds and read few paragraphs of text. Then they are all like,

"DERP, WHUTS GOIN ON LAWL THIS GAEM SUX"

When the last battle comes along. Seriously, have you ever tried getting some of your friends to play through it for the awesome story, but the whole thing just goes over their heads because they are too attention-deficit to just -read- the damn memos?

On another note, some of the things described in the memos would have made awesome cutscenes. It would have been cool to play as Joseph too, for a portion, or maybe even flip back and forth at some points.

That's all I have to b&m about, though. SH4's still my favorite in the series.

As much as I love it, I am -always- totally effin' down for an expanded edition.

Post by **frontlines208** » 29 Sep 2009

A thing I think would've been better is if they made the twin victims make the same baby screeching sound that they did in the trailer. Instead they make this deep rumbling sound.

Post by **alone in the town** » 29 Sep 2009

If they'd have offered an optional tank control scheme.

I hate the 2D control method so much it's not funny.

Post by **Chrysaor** » 08 Oct 2009

I don't think there was a damn thing they could've done to make Silent Hill 4 a better game, aside from making Eileen's AI better (Give her an auto-track function, or something to make absolutely sure she will follow you and not get hung up on the environment).

I have to admit that at first, I was put off by the changes they made in the game (like any loyal fan), but after I had played through it for a while, I realized how much genius really went into the mechanics themselves.

Silent Hill 4 is the only game to really toy with your psychology like it does. In exploring the maternal relationship, or a lack thereof, it actually tries to mirror some of the feelings that the antagonist, Walter, might have, in you. Let me try to break this down for you. This may contain a few spoilers.

You are 'born' into the world of Silent Hill 4 as Walter was, in Room 302. At first, you are put off in the traditional Silent Hill fashion, with Jimmy Stone coming through the wall after you. I think that this is actually significant, since it attempts to put the 'fear of birth' in you. When you venture out through the hole in your bathroom wall, you come to a realization that the outside world is much more terrifying. You would much rather be in the relative calm of your room, even if it is a bit far removed from normal. Room 302 will replenish your health. You can still go there and listen to the radio. Look out the window, and see people living their lives. Attempt to play peeping Tom on your neighbor. You dread going back into the world, and leaving your 'mother's' embrace. You realize that you have to, but you don't want to. It's simply a need to progress.

Now, halfway through the game, the hauntings begin. In all essence, your 'mother' is stripped from you. You are offered no protection, no healing, no comfort. You are haunted at every turn. This brings an overwhelming sense of dread, as the thing you have learned to depend on throughout the game is now gone, leaving you alone. You can no longer escape the invulnerable ghosts, or take any sort of a break from the madness. The last light in the darkness is literally Eileen, and I think this gives her character much more meaning as well.

No other Silent Hill literally made you feel the emotions of a character. You don't know what it's like to house a demonic god, or be at the hands of abuse from a cultist who sees you as nothing more than a catalyst. You don't know what it's like to murder your own wife. But in Silent Hill 4, now you know what it's like to lose your only protection in a world full of hostility. To create this genius psychological effect in you, the limited inventory was necessary. You came back to your apartment often, either to feel some sense of relief that it's your only solace, or to feel dread that what you once loved was taken away from you. The invulnerable enemies had you dreading stepping out into the world even moreso than if you could kill all of them (Which would make the game far too easy, because of the upgraded combat). The fact that you couldn't really afford to shoot anything didn't give you the peace of mind of being able to hide behind a gun. You had to risk your life and limb at all times, basically.

Silent Hill 4 is genius. Anyone who can't realize this has no appreciation for true art.