A good creepy thriller game, but a somewhat hard-to-follow story that's very fragmented. Still good nonetheless.
The good: I like the story.....somewhat. I like the fact that you wake up imprisoned in your own apartment in first person view, kinda adds the feeling that every time you look at that door you wish you yourself could undo the chains and leave. I like the fact that everyone you come in contact with throughout the beginning dies and returns to haunt you later. The melee combat has been greatly improved, even though all Silent Hill's were more focused on using melee weapons. The little power meter that gives you a good hard swing is a welcome addition. And it's good to know there's more than 3 different kinds of enemies, unlike Silent hill 3, where you fought the SAME baddies.....over....and over......and over....and so on in that manner.
The bad: The inventory system sucked so bad. I absolutely HATED the fact that you could not combine your bullets in your inventory. The ghosts were a mixed blessing in the game. You could not kill them, and whenever they were around they drained your life even if they didn't touch you...very annoying, but added a sense of urgency, kind of a "think fast" moment to get the hell out of there. The puzzle solving was rather easy, really dumbed down I thought. Way too much running back and forth, an annoying error that I find in a lot of games.
The rundown: All in all, Silent hill 4 holds it's own along with it's predecessors. Good creepy atmosphere, fun for at least a few days of playing, and a story that tries it's best at doing twists and turns, but not always succeeding. Definitely rent, wouldn't buy for more than maybe $20.