T_H_O_M_A_S's review of Silent Hill 4: The Room.

When I think of SH4, I think gray. From the concrete environments to the ghostly enemies to the color of Henry's shirt, everything in this game is a dismal gray. Gray is generally a pretty ugly color to look at, but SH4 is trying to be an ugly game. Every time I think about an aspect of SH4 that irks me, I keep coming back to that sentiment. It is trying to be ugly. Item management is a monotonous chore, the characters are dull, and the prolonged escort mission that is the game's latter half is exasperating. But these negative qualities (intentional or not) add to the game's "gray" feeling. SH4's strongest asset is its plot and tone, both of which I'd describe as "oppressively bleak," and that bleakness wouldn't be as palpable if the game was traditionally fun to play. SH4 is interesting, weird, and really creepy, but it can frustrate. It's up to the individual whether that frustration adds to the experience or detracts from it.