Silent Hill 4: The Room – Room 302
Unlike that last game, The Room’s haunted house is a bit more literal. Released in 2004, Silent Hill 4 follows Henry Townshend, a man who finds himself trapped in his apartment after his front door gets pretty thoroughly locked from the inside.
In the beginning, Room 302 is Townshend’s prison, a place he feels he needs to escape from. This is nearly impossible, partly due to that chained and bolted door I mentioned earlier, but also because the room looks to be strangely disconnected from the outside world. When Henry finds a way to escape, he discovers the horrors waiting for him outside his room. At that moment, Room 302 becomes his sanctuary — albeit temporarily, as the room, too, becomes hostile.
The legacy The Room left behind might not have been a great one, as it marked the beginning of the end for the Silent Hill franchise, but it has plenty of strengths, too. There’s that fantastically atmospheric opening that’s backed by another great Akira Yamaoka track (and elevated by vocals from the always wonderful Mary Elizabeth McGlynn).
It also may very well have one of my favorite array of monsters. The Twins never fail to freak me out.
