<s>
The	O
fourth	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
June	O
and	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
in	O
September	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
2	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
GOG.com	O
with	O
patches	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
playable	O
on	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
10	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
previous	O
installments	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
set	O
primarily	O
in	O
the	O
town	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
,	O
this	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
southern	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
fictional	O
city	O
of	O
Ashfield	O
,	O
and	O
follows	O
Henry	O
Townshend	O
as	O
he	O
attempts	O
to	O
escape	O
from	O
his	O
locked-down	O
apartment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
features	O
an	O
altered	O
gameplay	O
style	O
with	O
third-person	O
navigation	O
and	O
plot	O
elements	O
taken	O
from	O
previous	O
installments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
objective	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Room	I-Application
is	O
to	O
guide	O
player	O
character	O
Henry	O
Townshend	O
as	O
he	O
seeks	O
to	O
escape	O
from	O
his	O
apartment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
main	O
levels	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
the	O
player	O
uses	O
the	O
usual	O
third-person	O
view	O
of	O
the	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
emphasizes	O
combat	O
during	O
gameplay	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
near-absence	O
of	O
complex	O
puzzles	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
simple	O
item-seeking	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	O
in	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
follows	O
the	O
pattern	O
set	O
by	O
the	O
other	O
games	O
with	O
a	O
few	O
key	O
differences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
protagonist	O
and	O
player	O
character	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
Henry	O
Townshend	O
,	O
a	O
resident	O
of	O
the	O
South	O
Ashfield	O
Heights	O
Apartments	O
building	O
in	O
the	O
fictitious	O
town	O
of	O
Ashfield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Room	I-Application
incorporates	O
two	O
unseen	O
,	O
minor	O
characters	O
from	O
previous	O
installments	O
:	O
investigative	O
journalist	O
Joseph	O
Schreiber	O
and	O
deceased	O
serial	O
killer	O
Walter	O
Sullivan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joseph	O
was	O
first	O
referenced	O
in	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
3	I-Application
with	O
a	O
magazine	O
article	O
he	O
has	O
written	O
condemning	O
the	O
"	O
Hope	O
House	O
"	O
orphanage	O
run	O
by	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
's	O
religious	O
cult	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
protagonist	O
,	O
Heather	O
,	O
can	O
discover	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Walter	O
is	O
referenced	O
in	O
a	O
newspaper	O
article	O
detailing	O
his	O
suicide	O
in	O
his	O
jail	O
cell	O
after	O
his	O
murder	O
of	O
two	O
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
events	O
repeat	O
with	O
the	O
next	O
few	O
people	O
Henry	O
finds	O
:	O
Jasper	O
Gein	O
,	O
a	O
man	O
fascinated	O
with	O
the	O
paranormal	O
and	O
the	O
cult	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
;	O
Andrew	O
DeSalvo	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
employee	O
of	O
an	O
orphanage	O
run	O
by	O
the	O
aforementioned	O
cult	O
;	O
and	O
Richard	O
Braintree	O
,	O
a	O
resident	O
in	O
Henry	O
's	O
apartment	O
complex	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
the	O
fourth	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
game	O
by	O
Konami	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
Tokyo	O
's	O
development	O
group	O
Team	O
Silent	O
began	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
alongside	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
intentions	O
of	O
creating	O
a	O
new	O
style	O
of	O
game	O
that	O
would	O
take	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
a	O
different	O
direction	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
what	O
has	O
been	O
popularized	O
around	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
was	O
always	O
meant	O
to	O
be	O
connected	O
to	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
and	O
not	O
an	O
unrelated	O
separate	O
horror	O
game	O
that	O
later	O
became	O
a	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
title	O
,	O
although	O
different	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
and	O
change	O
were	O
intended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Room	I-Application
was	O
released	O
alongside	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
composed	O
by	O
Akira	O
Yamaoka	O
with	O
vocals	O
by	O
Mary	O
Elizabeth	O
McGlynn	O
and	O
Joe	O
Romersa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remix	O
of	O
the	O
song	O
"	O
Your	O
Rain	O
"	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
used	O
on	O
Konami	O
's	O
Dance	B-Application
Dance	I-Application
Revolution	I-Application
Extreme	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
tracks	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
also	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
Experience	O
promotional	O
UMD	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Room	I-Application
was	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
June	O
17	O
,	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
,	O
alongside	O
its	O
two	O
PS2	B-Device
predecessors	O
,	O
was	O
rereleased	O
in	O
2006	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
The	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
Collection	O
European	O
boxset	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
tie-in	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
film	O
,	O
and	O
again	O
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
confirmed	O
that	O
their	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
console	O
is	O
backward	B-General_Concept
compatible	I-General_Concept
with	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Xbox	B-Application
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
previews	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Room	I-Application
provided	O
at	O
E3	O
2004	O
led	O
IGN	O
to	O
name	O
it	O
the	O
best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
adventure	O
game	O
in	O
show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
its	O
release	O
in	O
2004	O
the	O
game	O
also	O
attracted	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
mainstream	O
news	O
outlets	O
CNN	B-Architecture
,	O
the	O
BBC	O
and	O
The	O
Times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
topped	O
game	O
sales	O
charts	O
in	O
Japan	O
during	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
sales	O
slump	O
,	O
but	O
dropped	O
to	O
tenth	O
place	O
one	O
week	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
shows	O
an	O
average	O
score	O
rating	O
of	O
76	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
versions	O
,	O
indicating	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marc	O
Saltzman	O
of	O
CNN	B-Architecture
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
Unlike	O
Hollywood	O
horror	O
movies	O
that	O
often	O
get	O
worse	O
with	O
each	O
new	O
sequel	O
(	O
Friday	O
the	O
13th	O
Part	O
VIII	O
:	O
Jason	O
Takes	O
Manhattan	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
,	O
Konami	O
's	O
scary	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
series	O
gets	O
better	O
--	O
and	O
creepier	O
--	O
with	O
age	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Video	O
game	O
magazine	O
Game	O
Informer	O
praised	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Room	I-Application
,	O
stating	O
that	O
its	O
"	O
disarming	O
voyeurism	O
,	O
bizarre	O
camera	O
angles	O
,	O
and	O
exceptionally	O
well-placed	O
tension	O
is	O
what	O
the	O
series	O
has	O
been	O
trying	O
to	O
do	O
all	O
along	O
,	O
but	O
The	O
Room	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
entry	O
to	O
do	O
it	O
right	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
,	O
IGN	O
's	O
Douglass	O
C	O
.	O
Perry	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
familiarity	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
as	O
compared	O
with	O
the	O
other	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
storylines	O
detracted	O
from	O
its	O
horror	O
appeal	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
cared	O
about	O
its	O
characters	O
more	O
than	O
in	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Bethany	O
Massimilla	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
game	O
looks	O
its	O
best	O
in	O
corroded	O
,	O
bloody	O
,	O
gritty	O
environments	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
damp	O
,	O
steel	O
halls	O
of	O
the	O
water	B-Application
prison	I-Application
or	O
the	O
subterranean	O
subway	O
layers	O
that	O
,	O
at	O
one	O
point	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
are	O
walled	O
in	O
living	O
,	O
moving	O
flesh	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kristan	O
Reed	O
of	O
Eurogamer	O
expressed	O
disappointment	O
with	O
the	O
degree	O
to	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
been	O
geared	O
as	O
a	O
combat	O
game	O
with	O
an	O
absence	O
of	O
standard	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
puzzles	O
,	O
while	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
Bryn	O
Williams	O
worried	O
that	O
the	O
puzzles	O
 '	O
obscurity	O
and	O
"	O
non-lateral	O
"	O
nature	O
might	O
discourage	O
more	O
casual	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ben	O
"	O
Yahtzee	O
"	O
Croshaw	O
of	O
Zero	O
Punctuation	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
his	O
favourite	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
games	O
for	O
its	O
story	O
and	O
atmosphere	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
"	O
Room	O
"	O
concept	O
is	O
masterful	O
horror	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
invokes	O
the	O
spirit	O
of	O
[	O
Silent	O
Hill ]	O
without	O
needing	O
to	O
physically	O
go	O
to	O
the	O
eponymous	O
town	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
its	O
sound	O
design	O
and	O
its	O
gameplay	O
,	O
specifically	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
make	O
"	O
the	O
entire	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
 [ ... ] 	O
a	O
fucking	O
escort	O
quest	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nevertheless	O
,	O
Croshaw	O
compared	O
it	O
favorably	O
to	O
later	O
installments	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
arguing	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
pulls	O
off	O
the	O
surreal	O
,	O
oppressive	O
,	O
dingy	O
atmosphere	O
of	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
better	O
than	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
Western	O
titles	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
sheer	O
originality	O
automatically	O
makes	O
it	O
more	O
deserving	O
of	O
attention	O
than	O
Silent	B-Application
Hills	I-Application
2.5	B-Application
,	O
2.6	B-Application
,	O
and	O
2.7	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
4	I-Application
was	O
a	O
nominee	O
for	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
2004	O
"	O
Best	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Myst	B-Application
IV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Revelation	I-Application
.	O
</s>
