Konami has re-released cult classic horror game Silent Hill 4: The Room on GOG for $9.99.
“Henry Townshend finds himself trapped in his apartment and the only escape is through a mysterious portal that leads to a horrifying alternate reality,” reads a description of the game on GOG’s website. “With gruesome sights around every corner and his sanity being tested, he must find his way out of this nightmare. Enter The Room, a thrilling story in the most terrifying game series of all time.”
The game’s description mentions basic features and plot points, but there are no references to any enhancements specific to this release. That would seem to suggest that this is merely a re-release of the original Silent Hill 4 PC port which hasn’t been available via digital marketplaces for quite some time.
That would make a lot of sense considering that Konami recently re-released the original PC ports of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2 (as well as a Contra/Castlevania collection and the original Metal Gear). As we noted in our report on those ports, slapping a price tag on whatever old Konami games people love, throwing it out the window, and calling it a day has kind of become the business model for a once-proud game studio who has stepped away from making notable new games in recent years in favor of chasing that sweet DLC, re-release, and Pachinko machine money.
Even still, you shouldn’t let any of that distract you from the fact that Silent Hill 4 is a very interesting game. Released in 2004, the game focused on protagonist Henry Townshend who has been locked in his apartment by a mysterious force. The only escape is a hole that has appeared in his home which transports him to various nightmarish hellscapes.
While Silent Hill 4 was criticized for its gameplay shortcomings and occasionally botched attempts at managing its ambitious premise, it was praised for its fascinating atmosphere, incredible story, and unique attempt to shake up the lore of the Silent Hill universe. There’s really no other Silent Hill game like it (even when the title does clearly pay homage to previous installments), which makes it both a notable entry into the franchise and one of those games that all horror enthusiasts should play after they’ve sampled some of the S-tier classics of the genre.
Meanwhile, we’ll be here wondering if the Silent Hill franchise has a future following the P.T./Silent Hills/Hideo Kojima debacle.