Rushed endings

[Mis Krist.]

Clearly I wasn't talking about you, then. To me, bitching/complaining are synonymous and when I use either word it isn't meant in a negative or rude way, regardless of the context of the word. The statement wasn't directed at anybody in this thread as a matter of fact, so chill out, eh?

[Anonymous]

I think that's because it wasn't Henry's battle to fight. He didn't have anything to do with what went on, and he was forced into it. The only outcomes that were available to him were die or survive. He didn't have a daughter to save, a wife to find/truth to uncover, didn't have a father to avenge... he just had to stay alive.

Wait, I think you forgot something. The way I saw the game, when I played through it, was it was Henry's battle to save Eileen. While he discovers himself locked into the room, he has a "series of battles" to fight in a way. His first, was to find a way out of the room... His second, was to save Eileen, and finally his third was to save himself. And, in essence, I imagine that was the way he prioritised things... From what I gathered of the character, he is an intelligent, if not somewhat sentimental person (who keeps a scrapbook now, really?), and I also gathered that he felt something for Eileen, other wise I don't imagine he would have gone to such lengths to attempt to save her... Furthermore, he did have certain truths to uncover, even if this was because they were vital to his--and Eileen's--survival. And this may be a direct result of my view on life, but when something threatens your survival--or the survival of someone you care about, it becomes your battle to fight.

I don't mean to bitch, just that your post didn't seem quite right to me. I hope you can respect that.

[Mis Krist.]

That wasn't Henry's objective at first, though. Eileen tagged along with him halfway through the game. Yeah, you're supposed to look after her and he has to take care of her, but that wasn't what he automatically set out to do. That task fell into his hands because they were the only two people of Walter's chosen victims that were still alive.

Finding a way out of the room - he does find a way. The hole. =P But once he finds that out he gets into an even deeper spot of trouble where he has to survive. Basically, that's what it mostly boils down to - having Eileen with you and taking care of her = keeping her alive. Continuing on with this bizarre nightmare of a serial killer's dreamworld in order to get out = trying to stay alive.

The truth to uncover wasn't Henry's truth. It doesn't personally influence him in any way, since it's all about Walter.. and Henry has no assocation with Walter besides being an unfortunate victim, nor was he out to seek it from the start. Eileen became his responsibility once she survived the attack in her room. He didn't have any other reason to look out for her before then besides worry if she was alright and wonder how she was doing.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining this correctly, but what I meant by that excerpt you quoted is that Henry wasn't destined or predisposed to partake on this long, nightmarish journey from the start. The poor guy just chose the wrong apartment.

[Anonymous]

But taking care of Eileen was Henry's choice. When he found out she was in danger, he seemed to worry less about himself and more about her. Although I can't argue he probably was predestined to such a fate, he did undertake it, of his own will, he went out of his way to get Eileen, and keep her safe... So, he must've had the choice, somewhere. In some ways, the way I viewed the storyline, was that yes, he didn't become a part of it all by choice, but Henry didn't seem like the kind of person who could allow such a thing to continue, especially since his own (21) fate isn't revealed until later. I still think that he, at one point, did set out to help Eileen. A good majority of the game could've easily been "skipped" if he had let her die when she was "supposed to," but he didn't.

Fate didn't put Eileen beside him, he did.

[Fatal_Sims]

I think that's because it wasn't Henry's battle to fight. He didn't have anything to do with what went on, and he was forced into it. The only outcomes that were available to him were die or survive. He didn't have a daughter to save, a wife to find/truth to uncover, didn't have a father to avenge... he just had to stay alive.

Wait, I think you forgot something. The way I saw the game, when I played through it, was it was Henry's battle to save Eileen. While he discovers himself locked into the room, he has a "series of battles" to fight in a way. His first, was to find a way out of the room... His second, was to save Eileen, and finally his third was to save himself. And, in essence, I imagine that was the way he prioritised things... From what I gathered of the character, he is an intelligent, if not somewhat sentimental person (who keeps a scrapbook now, really?), and I also gathered that he felt something for Eileen, other wise I don't imagine he would have gone to such lengths to attempt to save her... Furthermore, he did have certain truths to uncover, even if this was because they were vital to his--and Eileen's--survival. And this may be a direct result of my view on life, but when something threatens your survival--or the survival of someone you care about, it becomes your battle to fight.

I don't mean to bitch, just that your post didn't seem quite right to me. I hope you can respect that.

The endings are like this because this is not Henry's personal world/ have no connection to it. He is almost an innocent bystander that does nothing yet goes to this unusual world. I mean, it wasn't like Silent Hill 1 where Harry went in to the foggy realm because he was searching for his daughter or SH2 where James goes to the town even though Angela warns him not to just to find Mary. Heather goes to Silent HIll in SH3 to avenge the death of his father and it was her own choice. The three games have deeper endings because the main characters want to accomplish/make them physically/psychologically/emotionally whole. However, in SH4, it was NOT Henry's decision to go the otherworld. So, when he went there, he had no intention of going in this world. THAT is why all he does is to FIGHT so that he can SURVIVE.

Yes. It was Henry's decision to take Eileen with him. But common sense now... You are alone in a creepy monster-infested reality. You don't know why you are in there and your mind is completely working just to get out of this reality. Then, you see somebody. Of course, you will want to approach him and you want to join him or you would ask to join you in your search for survival. This is what Henry experiences when he saw Eileen in the window. He wanted to warn Eileen and ask her to join him find a way to survive. Of course, this is so to increase your chances of survival and also the other guy's chances of survival. And of course, Eileen and Henry have NO relationship whatsoever.

So why is Henry saddened when Eileen is sent to the hospital? Simple. He is guilty and feels useless. I mean, if you would know that somebody was going to be murdered and you failed to warn them. You will feel shocked and guilty and very emotional right? Plus, Henry is very EMOTIONAL so that is why he felt strong guilt. When he knew Eileen was alright, he warned Eileen that they have to escape or Walter will kill them. Of course, Eileen will be shocked and will join Henry so that she won't get killed. It just so happens that along the way they developed a stronger relationship. Again, it still is about TRYING TO GET OUT.

So let's see. Henry has no personal/emotional conncection to this world. He has no connection with Eileen. That means that he only wanted to survive and get out. It would make sense that the endings will be about Henry surviving or Walter winning. I mean, Henry doesn't developed and does not have any emotional conncection with the environment and this is why Henry and Eileen simply wished to survive so they help one another. Got it?

[AgentX7k]

Does anyone get the impression that the different endings of sh4 were a last minute idea.

- Probably, it seems like most of the game was rushed at the last minute.

[Devilsknight]

Lets instead ask ourselfs : What other endings would have been "okey" ?
As I see it , the ending was pretty much all they could achive with this story ... Well , that and :

" Oh , Henry wakes up - it was all a dream "

or possible the radio saying :
"A man named Henry was find today in a appartment in South Ashfield ... The man had locked himself in the apparment and smashed his head in servral places in the apparment claiming " there were holes there , I swear ". There was blood on the toilet wall, and also in the closet ... Apperently his owen leaked gas and he started to hallucinate "

[emptimass]

I guess that they could have thrown in a UFO ending for shits and giggles. I know that
they originally had plans for it though did not come through. Personally I was fine with the Good+ ending and the Bad- ending.

The fight with Walter was awesome and to me, the greatest end boss fight of the series.

[der Morgenstern Czigany]

you can get a different ending just by playing differently in the last hour of play.

Technically, cleaning your apartment of spirits is more towards the middlish, close to "beginning." That affects your ending.

[JuriDawn]

Depends on how long it takes you to play the game. It can be beaten in under two hours, and you really don't have to immediately clean out all of the hauntings as soon as they manifest. To consider your apartment cleansed, you only have to get rid of about 80% of the hauntings.

[MisterGrey]

Personally, I would have liked an ending that dealt more with Walter. I suppose this is why "21 Sacraments" is my favorite ending. Walter was the main character; Henry was a two-dimensional at best avatar for the player, to experience Walter's "kingdom." When Walter dies at the end of the "good" endings, I almost feel as if the rest is kind of tacked on to try and give the player closure; what feels to me as false closure. I never felt close to Henry or Eileen; as sick and perverse as it sounds, I identified more with Walter than I did either of the "protagonists." Now when I say identify I don't mean sympathize; I merely mean that, because of the emphasis on Walter, on his past, his quest, I knew more about him as a human being, a fully rounded character, than I did Eileen or Harry. I genuinely liked Walter as a character--a bad character, yes, but a well developed, real character nonetheless. One of the hallmarks of great writing is the ability to convey to the reader the villain's side of the story; to demonstrate that they are a person, too, in spite of whatever monstrosities they might committ. For those who have seen "Donnie Brasco," this film is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Donnie is the good guy; he suffers terribly to bring some very awful characters to justice. And we see these characters do some very awful things, from brutaly beating innocent people to blasting apart their rivals with shotguns and then hacksawing their barely-dead corpses into little bits. Lefty himself boasts to having murdered twenty people at the beginning of the movie, adds three to that list over the course of the film, and is about to add one more at the climax. Yet tell me you didn't feel a lump in your throat when Lefty is about to leave his apartment at the end of the film to meet whatever fate awaits him, stopping only to leave behind his jewelry for his girlfriend and ask her, almost pitifully, if "Donnie" has called. "Donnie" was the main character of the movie, yes, but the heart of it lay with his relationship with Lefty. The filmmakers understood that in order to provide a fitting conclusion they needed to end it on Lefty--which they did. This was an error that Team Silent made with the non-21 Sacraments endings. Ultimately, SH4 was about Walter Sullivan; we begin the game in an aspect of his kingdom (the possessed apartment). We should end it similarly; if not with Walter victorious, than at least with something that closes with focus on him. A discussion between Harry and Eileen about him, perhaps. I don't know. I just know that by sweeping Walter under the rug following the grand finale makes the endings seem empty.

[Berra87]

Deeper endings and more difference between them would have been nice. I first got the "Mother-ending" (which is my personal favourite) and the difference between Mother and Escape ending is nothing. Would've liked a longer "Escape-ending". But the 21 sacraments is good on its own, but could still have been fleashed out more.

[SteffenRye]

the whole game was a different thing. they wanted to change it...and i dont know why, but they wanted it to be different. i guess they got complaints from people that didnt want to play the game again to see a different ending, speaking on what you say..

although, i thought if errg...that girl that fallows henry i forgot her name, if she gets hurt alot during the game, i thot that effects how the game is ended? i mean i havnt beaten the game yet, i really dont want too..the way konami changed it, its kind of boring for me.

Well there are always people that complain, but if they don't wan't to play the game once more just to see different ending, Fine! They aren't true fans, besides as long as they buy the dam thing, it gives Konami, money. No matter if they even open it, and when Konami gets cash. They make more SH games, for us! WEEEE!!!

[volpe3fuego]

Personally, I was disappointed in the happy ending. I didn't expect Henry and Eileen to kiss or go disappearing off into the sunset. But I at least wanted a convo that was a bit longer than,

"Wow, thanks for these flowers. Yeah, think I'll move out"

*nod*

I mean, c'mon now. I at least wanted them to make Henry say SOMETHING at the end! But no, we get a nod. Ah well *shrug* At least I got to see him smile again ^_^ Yeah, I'm weird

[carneeval]

For the other versions of the game, they'd fixed the glitch.

Really?Ha XD I'm glad mine is years old than,I always use that glitch.
**
But I kind of agree,even with the plot of Henry being forced into the situation I really wish there was a little more,and not just 4 endings either.And of course what I think is on most peoples mind, no joke ending.

[KiramidHead]

I've only completed the game once, and I got Eileen's Death. I felt it could have used more than just Henry hearing the radio broadcast and moaning Eileen before passing out. If my mother hadn't been in the room, I'd have yelled "what... the... FUCK!!!!!!" It didn't add any closure, just stopped.

[carneeval]

I would have loved an ending where just Henry died instead of Eileen-Henry is my favorite character and I have a morbid fixation with my favorite characters dying-,ya it's a little impossible but that would have been an interesting twist.
Also with 21 sacraments I'd like to see what happened to the last 2 protagonist's souls,yes that ending is supposed to focus on Walter quote 'winning' but it'd be great to see his world afterwards.

[RinoTheBouncer]

Silent Hill 4 : The Room was a pretty amazing game and the whole Idea was great, it became different and introduced new elements to the game, even the storyline was pretty different from the rest but I must agree that the endings were pretty rushed and as the author said "LAST MINUTE Ideas" ... as well as the whole gameplay after the Hospital section when We meet Eileen, I personally hated revisiting the whole locations again, it felt so repetitive after that.

[Arsonist]

The endings sucked, there's no denying that, but after the scene where Walter reaches out towards the light, calling out for his mother, there really is nothing more to be said. The scenes that follow that one are just an attempt to give some closure on the whole Henry and Eileen thing. Those scenes are unimportant as are the two said characters in the overall big scheme of things.

[Dr. Eggnog]

I would have loved an ending where just Henry died instead of Eileen-Henry is my favorite character and I have a morbid fixation with my favorite characters dying-,ya it's a little impossible but that would have been an interesting twist.

LOL