S   I   L   E   N   T      H   I   L   L      4
T   H   E      R   O   O   M
--------------------------------------------
Game/Walkthrough Specs
Platform: Xbox, Playstation 2, PC
Developer: Konami (2004)
Genre: Survival/Psychological Horror
Rating: M (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence,
Sexual Themes, Cynthia Velasquez)
Author: Georgi Samaras
E-mail: SophiaLee04@yahoo.com
Version: 1.00
Last Updated: September 5, 2009
--------------------------------------------
Contents
Introduction ..................... [int]
Controls ......................... [con]
Game Mechanics ................... [gmc]
Monsters ......................... [mon]
Walkthrough
Room 302 ....................... [rm1]
Subway World, Pt. 1 ............ [sw1]
Forest World, Pt. 1 ............ [fw1]
Water Prison World, Pt. 1 ...... [wp1]
Building World, Pt. 1 .......... [bw1]
Apartment World, Pt. 1 ......... [aw1]
Hospital World ................. [hw1]
Subway World, Pt. 2 ............ [sw2]
Forest World, Pt. 2 ............ [fw2]
Water Prison World, Pt. 2 ...... [wp2]
Building World, Pt. 2 .......... [bw2]
Room 302 of the Past ........... [r3p]
South Ashfield Heights ......... [ash]
Endings .......................... [end]
Hauntings ........................ [hnt]
10-Star Speed Run ................ [spr]
New Game +/Ranking Bonuses ....... [ngp]
Trivia and Observations .......... [tri]
Miscellaneous .................... [mis]
To make getting around the guide easier, I've implemented a keyword search
feature.  Just copy and paste the three-letter keyword (complete with the
brackets) of the section you want into your browser's Find feature (Ctrl+F)
and it should take you where you want to go.
--------------------------------------------
Introduction                       [int]
Imagine being stuck in your apartment for nearly a week.  Imagine that, no
matter how much noise you make, no one can hear you.  Imagine finding a hole
in your bathroom wall that seems to be your only escape.  Such is the premise
for Silent Hill 4: The Room.  What did not start as a Silent Hill game
quickly turned into one of the series' more controversial titles: it seems
that most are either crazy about it or hate it with a passion.  Personally,
I love it, and I want to help people get the most out of it, so I'm going to
try to go the extra mile to make this guide worth your time.
Silent Hill 4 is pretty straightforward where gameplay is concerned, but if
you want to understand this game, you have to treat the whole thing as a
puzzle.  For starters, the story encompassing Silent Hill 4 is more than the
game itself; the game is simply where Henry Townsend enters the plot.  In
order that fans may fully understand what has happened before our hapless
protagonist enters the scene, the Japanese SH4 site provided background info
on aspects in the game not fully explored there.  The good folks at
Translated Memories have made this information available to English-speaking
fans, and their efforts can be viewed here (and they deserve many thanks for
all their work):
http://www.translatedmemories.com/
Be warned that this information is full of spoilers for those that haven't
played the game yet.  So why am I bringing it up in the introduction?  You'll
see.  Just keep it in the back of your mind because now we are focused on
getting through the game.  As with my other Silent Hill guides, I will write
as I explore, provide info on bonus material afterwards, and will try to
compile some sometimes useless, sometimes interesting trivia.  For the
record, I'll be doing this all on the Xbox, but there are no differences
between it and the other versions aside from the controls.
One last thing: THIS WALKTHROUGH CONTAINS ENOUGH SPOILER CONTENT TO WARRANT
A WARNING IN ALL CAPS!
--------------------------------------------
Controls                           [con]
left analog stick:
moves Henry in a 2D scheme, meaning he will move forward in whichever
direction you move the stick
move the loading pictures around the screen
right analog stick:
move the camera; note that this is very limited
expand/contract the loading pictures on the screen
d-pad:
move cursors in menus/inventory
left trigger:
position camera behind Henry (in certain instances, the camera cannot
be repositioned)
right trigger:
enter combat stance
Y:
open map/scrapbook screen
cycle between map/scrapbook
open options (from pause menu)
X:
open inventory quickly
use/equip an item from inventory
A:
examine
attack (hold to charge)
zoom in/out of map
B:
cancel
hold to make Henry run
dodge (in combination with the left analog stick and while right trigger
is held)
start:
pause
skip cutscenes
back:
open inventory/pause game and display information on each item
black button:
delete a saved game (only in save menu)
--------------------------------------------
Game Mechanics                     [gmc]
Silent Hill 4 is a little different from previous Silent Hills in the way
the game unfolds.  Here is a quick outline of the major points with which
you should be familiar.  "Quick" meaning we're gonna breeze through the
general stuff and get more in depth in the walkthrough when we encounter
specifics since some mechanics come into play halfway through the game and
bringing them up now may prematurely spoil something.
--------------------------------------------
Room 302
Room 302 is the hub of the story, as well as the hub of the gameplay.
Every time you finish a section of Otherworld exploration, you are returned
to your apartment to mull over what to do next, save your game, swap out
items, read your mail, spy on your neighbors Rear Window style, or climb in
a hole and keep going with the game.  The camera switches to first-person
view whenever you're in the apartment.  For the beginning half of the
action, your apartment will even slowly refill your health anytime you visit.
On the flip side, certain occurrences in your apartment will drain your
health, so you will have to work to protect your homestead.  Or not.
Henry Townsend may look and act like a blank slate, but there's more to the
man than meets the eye.  Since 302 is his living space and has been for about
two years, if you interact with anything that prompts an eye icon in the
upper left hand corner of the screen, Henry will start talking.  What he has
to say at certain times in the game and when staring at certain objects can
give you lots of insight into the story and what is happening to him.
--------------------------------------------
Saving and Item Storage
Room 302 contains the game's one and only save point: Henry's red bound
notebook on the table in the living room.  This isn't as bad as it sounds.
As mentioned above, you will be making multiple stops in room 302 and can
even make trips back to the room while exploring the Otherworld.  Anytime
you see a hole in the wall, jump in and you will be warped right to your
comfy bed.  This will give you time to heal, save, and rearrange your
inventory.
To do the latter, you need to make a stop at the item box beside the TV.
This large box, not unlike what you'd find in a Resident Evil game, is where
you will store all of your items, as Henry does not have the patented Silent
Hill Portable Black Hole Item Storage System™ that allowed past protagonists
to carry all their stuff at all times.  Henry is only allowed 10 slots for
whatever he needs to defend himself outside the apartment, so choose wisely
or find yourself making a lot of pit stops to the box.
--------------------------------------------
Health and Continue Points
Henry's life gauge is displayed in the upper left hand corner.  It will
change color from blue to yellow to red as he takes damage.  Nutrition drinks
will restore a small amount of health, portable medical kits will restore a
little more, and ampoules will fully replenish your health as well as have
lasting healing effects.  For the first half of the game, room 302 will
slowly replenish your health every time you visit, so there is no need to use
any of your healing supplies.  Save everything you find for the second half
of the game since they are in short supply, especially ampoules.
If you should happen to die, you will not be forced to start over from a
previous save.  Silent Hill 4 uses continue points to allow you to pick up
where you left off upon your horrible demise, and these points are based on
when and where you last entered a hole to room 302.  Depending on your
difficulty setting, the game will even soften up the monsters for you each
time you die and come back.
--------------------------------------------
Combat
Anyone can see that Henry does not spent a lot of time fighting in his daily
routine, but put a 9-iron or rusty axe in anyone's hands and they'll give
you a run for your money when it comes to hitting stuff.  To get ready to
fight, hold in the right trigger.  You can attack two different ways.  One
is by pressing A to get Henry to swing his equipped weapon and continuing to
press it to do a hit combo, which is usually about three swings.
The other way to attack is by pressing and holding A to charge it up.  While
prepping a charge, the little C-shaped meter next to your life gauge will
slowly fill.  When it's full, let go of A and Henry will unleash a powerful
swing.  Compared to simple hits with A, charge hits do about two or three
times more damage.  Certain weapons have different charge attacks that fill
the charge gauge at different speeds.  Some are wide swings, others are full
360 degree turns, and still others are forward thrusts.  Henry is 100%
invincible during a charge attack, making them a viable and wise defensive
maneuver.  Since Silent Hill 4 has a large array of weapons, you should pick
one you are comfortable with based on its damage, speed, and charge attack.
No matter what attack you use to knock your enemy down, 9 times out of 10
they will not be dead, and they will squirm along the floor and make awful
noises to let you know this.  The one thing that can put them down for good
is a stomp from Henry.  If you don't stomp them dead in time, chances are
they will get back up and repeat the combat cycle, just at lower health than
before.
Henry can also perform defensive maneuvers to avoid damage.  To perform a
dodge, press B while the right trigger is held.  Henry will take a small
hop in whichever direction you hold the left analog stick.  This is good for
avoiding attacks, but running out of the way is just as effective.
--------------------------------------------
Difficulty Settings
Because Silent Hill 4 throws more monsters than puzzles your way, the
difficulty settings can have a major effect on your game, puzzle solutions
not being a factor.  The clues, however, are different between Easy/Normal
and Hard.  The next big difference is firearms: the pistol holds 12 bullets
on Easy, 10 on Normal, and only 8 on Hard.  Finally, enemies get
exponentially tougher in Hard mode, being able to take and deal as much as
three times more damage.
The only time you would ever need to strongly consider a higher difficulty
is if you were looking to get a 10-star ranking to unlock two new game
modes.  This is gone into more detail in the New Game + section.  Normal
mode is recommended if you're not going for the high ranking since Hard mode
can be quite aggravating.
--------------------------------------------
Monsters                           [mon]
It wouldn't be Silent Hill without some living, breathing, twisted psychology
lessons trying to kill you.  This installment has some of the creepier
monsters the series has to offer, as well as something new where enemies are
concerned.  Since Henry does not carry a flashlight or radio (which attract
and detect monsters, respectively), he is always a potential walking target,
but there are still ways to avoid fighting and/or get an advantage with
certain enemies.
--------------------------------------------
Sniffer Dogs
Dogs are a staple in the Silent Hill enemy roster.  Sniffer dogs look like
ordinary mutts except that they have a terrible skin condition and
extraordinarily long tongues that act like straws.  They attack by lunging
at Henry and biting.  You can try to outrun them, but they are good at
keeping up.
The best way to deal with Sniffers is to walk around them so as not to
attract their attention.  You can also attack and kill one dog and use it as
bait to draw out the others since any dead bodies will attract any and all
Sniffers in the area.  When you hear the tell-tale slurping noises, they are
no longer interested in Henry until he either attacks them or runs right into
them.
Sniffer dogs come in two varieties: male and female.  Females have a red
tint to their skin and are more aggressive than males, opting to chomp on
Henry's legs to keep him from running.  They are a little harder to sneak
past for this reason.
--------------------------------------------
Wall Men
Wall Men are what they sound like: humanoid figures that emerge from the
wall to swipe at Henry with their long arms.  They make distinctive noises
when they do this, so it's hard not to miss them.  Because they are stuck in
one place, you would not think they'd pose a large threat.  However, the game
has devised multiple ways to put you right in their path and make them
potentially lethal.
If you cannot avoid a Wall Man, you have three options.  One is to wait for
him to stop swinging his long arms in time to run past him.  A second is to
grab a melee weapon, wait for him to stop swinging, and then go in swinging
yourself.  Your attacks should disrupt the monster enough to keep him from
countering.  The third is the safest: use a gun to attack from a distance.
--------------------------------------------
Hummers
Hummers look like bats and are absolutely no threat.  They hang out on
ceilings and walls and will buzz around Henry, causing very slight damage on
contact.  One swing from any weapon will knock them to the ground and leave
them in the perfect position for a stomp.
--------------------------------------------
Double Heads and Bottoms
One of the creepiest Silent Hill monsters (in my opinion) the Double Head is
actually twins Billy and Miriam Locane, hacked apart by Walter Sullivan (as
mentioned in Silent Hill 2) and apparently brought back together.  With no
feet, the Double Head walks around on its two large hands.  When it spies
Henry, it will balance on one hand and use the other to point in his
direction, and if you stand around it long enough, it will start whispering
"Receiver".
They are about as dangerous as they are disturbing.  They can perform long
distance lunges and close range arm swipes.  Taking them out with a firearm
is the safest way to get rid of them, but they are not overly aggressive so
you should be able to approach them with a melee weapon safely while they're
pointing or walking around.  Since they are humanoid, one hit from the stun
gun will knock them down.
Towards the end of the game, Double Heads will get a bit of a makeover and
gain some strength, becoming monsters called Bottoms.  These newer Double
Heads are a fleshy color all over, easily recognizable.  Take care of them
the same way, just with more care.
--------------------------------------------
Tremors
Tremors look like oversized leeches.  They are another non-threat, as the
only time they will ever do Henry harm is if he accidentally manages to walk
right into one.  They come in different colors, but that really doesn't
matter.  If you see one on the floor, hit A to stomp it and leave a really
impressive splatter behind.  If they are on the wall, swipe them with a
weapon to knock them off and then stomp them, or use a charge attack to
decorate the wall with their guts.
--------------------------------------------
Toadstools
Toadstools are long, stalk-like creatures that grow out of the ground and
cannot move.  Like Tremors, Toadstools can only do damage if you happen to
walk right into one.  Unlike Tremors, they do not require a stomp to kill.
One swing of any weapon will do the trick.  Toadstools love to block
passageways but make a distinct noise, so if you hear something unfamiliar,
look ahead before running.
--------------------------------------------
Gum Heads
Ape-like monsters that walk around on their hind legs, Gum Heads like to
appear in places with narrow corridors, stairs, and doors that they can
purposefully block.  They can lunge at you, bite you, and just be generally
irritating.  There are two different types, the more aggressive one being a
two-toned color.  Their most dangerous attributes are their ability to
wield weapons and steal yours, and their penchant for appearing in groups.
Usually it's safer to avoid fighting and run: even when they are standing
right in front of a door, Henry can still open it.  Because they are
humanoid, one hit from the stun gun will instantly knock them down.  The stun
gun doesn't have a charge attack, so it's a little tough to get the timing
down, but this little weapon will be a lifesaver when Gum Heads attack.
--------------------------------------------
Patients
Patients are both hilarious and dangerous.  They carry a blunt weapon in one
hand and love to swing it wildly and quickly, resulting in a multi-hit combo
that can kill Henry in one go if you're not careful.  That is really their
only attack (they also rarely perform a downward overhead swipe with their
weapon), but it is really all they need.
Shooting them from a distance is obviously a plus, but when this is not an
option, use a weapon's charge attack to avoid and disrupt their combo and
start your own.  Like the other humanoid monsters, the stun gun will work
wonders if you can only get close enough to safely make contact.  They make
a rather unique sound when hit.  Push a Patient down a flight of stairs and
you have a prime example of Silent Hill 4's own brand of humor.  Patients
are also the only monsters that require two stomps to fully kill (one will
do the job, but they'll keep squirming unless you give them two).
--------------------------------------------
Wheelchairs
Yes, you read that right.  Haunted wheelchairs are an enemy in Silent Hill 4.
They cannot be killed since they are not alive to start, and they will cause
Henry to get a headache if he is anywhere near them.  They can also open
doors, and if they should happen to run into Henry, they will instantly
throw him to the floor.
Luckily, they do not appear too often, and there are several ways to deal
with them.  One is using a series of attacks (preferably charged to avoid
damage) to stun them long enough to pass safely.  The other is to equip a
saint medallion to bypass the headache and run.  Wheelchairs in Hard mode
move quicker and don't stay stunned for long.
--------------------------------------------
Ghosts
Ghosts are unique to Silent Hill 4 and are an absolute pain in the rear.  For
starters, they cannot be killed because, well, they are already dead.  Next,
it takes a lot of hits from a weapon to knock one down, and when you do get
one on the floor, it won't be long before it's back up.  Then there's their
attacks.  Each ghost has a different one: some will attempt to smack Henry
with objects they carry, some will drive their arms through Henry's chest -
which looks quite painful - and others will think of more creative ways to
harm you based on the way they died.  Furthermore, ghosts can enter any room
they like by melting through the walls, so they can follow you all over a
specific area if they so choose. Finally, simply being near a ghost will
cause Henry to get a headache and take damage.
So how to deal with the ghostly menace?  There are four items that allow
Henry to fight back.  Saint medallions can be equipped and will ward off any
headaches ghosts may cause by keeping them at bay.  However, the medallions
will break after a period of use.  Holy candles do the same but only work in
a single spot and until they burn out.  Silver bullets are the best offensive
weapon against ghosts: they can down a spectre in a single shot.  The
drawback is that there are only two such bullets in the entire game, and the
ghosts will still recover from the shot, just very slowly.  Swords of
Obedience are the best defense when it comes to ghosts.  They reward the time
and effort it takes to knock a ghost to the floor by pinning it where it
lands and keeping it there indefinitely, as well as nullifying their ability
to deal damage with headaches.  Swords are not a weapon by themselves; they
can only be used when you successfully knock a ghost to the ground.  They can
be reclaimed, but as soon as they are, the ghosts they were pinning are let
free.  There are only five swords in the entire game, so you need to choose
wisely or reclaim some to deal with the more troublesome dead people.  If all
else fails, run, Henry, run.
Ghosts are the reason I posted the link to Translated Memories in the
introduction since they are actual characters in this twisted little story.
They each have a name, a background, and a tale to tell when it comes to
their deaths.  Not all of them are encountered in the game though, just
enough to make your life miserable.
--------------------------------------------
Walkthrough
This walkthrough was written while playing on Hard mode.  For completion's
sake, I've played through multiple times to note differences for Normal and
Easy mode as well, so all this means is that my fighting strategy is a
little more cautious.
--------------------------------------------
Room 302                           [rm1]
Be sure to leave the game on the title screen for a bit to see an awesome intro
video.
We start off with a nightmare sequence.  At least, we can only assume it is
since no one in their right mind would let their apartment get this bad.  Be
sure to examine everything in Henry's room to start (there are five things he
will say no matter what you examine, after that he will talk specifically about
whatever you look at), and you'll quickly notice that something is very wrong:
he doesn't recognize any of his stuff.
Move out into the hall and make your way to the living room.  Not much to do
out here: the TV is stuck on static, Henry doesn't recognize any of his items
out here either, and the front door seems to be nonexistent.  Be sure to take a
look at the picture book on the coffee table, and examine the picture of Henry
on the wall to learn that he doesn't even recognize himself!  Beside the
picture of the 21 corpses is a stain on the wall that draws the camera to it.
Walk back towards the bedroom and the opening credits are prompted.
Afterwards, we properly meet Henry.  Examine the phone by the bed to initiate a
scene; if you don't, Henry will by himself.  A mysterious female voice asks us
for help and then we are free to examine the apartment again.  Henry is quite
the photographer, so be sure to take a look at all the pictures scattered
around.  There's lots of easter eggs therein.
If you move close to the windows, you will automatically look outside and get a
clear view of a woman pacing the entrance to the subway.  Cancel out of that to
get a more free look at the rest of Ashfield.  Use your windows for easy access
to your fellow tenants' personal lives across the way, and feel free to mash
the A button to bang on the window pane, even though no one can hear your cries
for help.
If you look across the street to the billboard for Bar Southfield, you should
see a number: 555-3750.  Since we're desperate for any human contact, try
calling it.
In the living room, Henry will automatically get us acquainted with the item
box by the TV.  Get used to it.  Move over to the windows to pick up the BOOK
SCRAP behind the bookshelf.  The next item of interest is the fridge.  In it
are a WINE BOTTLE (our first weapon) and some CHOCOLATE MILK.  You'll soon find
that the milk really doesn't serve a purpose since Henry won't drink it or
comment on its potential usefulness.  Maybe he will later, so shove it in the
item box or keep it on you.  Doesn't matter.  Finally, approach the front door.
Make special note of the hand prints on the wall outside, 15 in all.
Before you go off to investigate that sudden noise, grab the FIRST LETTER from
under the door.  Get used to checking the peep hole in your door and underneath
it because the door is one of your only windows to the outside world right now.
Or maybe not so much.  If you enter the bathroom (across from the bedroom),
you'll spy a hole in the wall.  Let's do the logical thing and climb in it, but
not before grabbing the STEEL PIPE (a slightly better weapon than that bottle).
--------------------------------------------
Subway World, Pt. 1                 [sw1]
Keep the left stick held up to climb through the hole to emerge in a dingy
looking area with an escalator to nowhere.  Start walking, and take a time-out
to check your map.  It starts blank but will fill in as Henry draws it.  He's
good at multi-tasking like that.  For now, all you have to do is go straight to
run into another poor lost soul.
Cynthia's going to follow us for a bit.  A very short bit.  As soon as you
approach the restrooms, she'll duck in to the women's room, most likely to
regret her latest alcoholic adventure in the projectile sense.  Henry's reward
for waiting for her is a trio of Sniffer dogs, one of which is already taken
care of for us.  If you want to get the hang of Silent Hill 4's combat system,
now is a great time to start.  Since the dogs are distracted, go ahead and
practice charge attacks on them and then give some normal A combos a go when
they turn their attention on you.  However, it's also wise to just *walk*
around them to the women's room to check on Cynthia.  They will completely
ignore you if you walk.
Cynthia's gone, but there's a hole here instead.  Jump in, and we're back home.
Nothing of note in the apartment except Henry's shelf by the kitchen has been
moved.  Straighten it to find a PISTOL, a message carved in the wall, and a
peep hole looking right in on your neighbor Eileen's bedroom.  Along with the
front door, you should get in the habit of peeping on Eileen when you return to
your room.  To see if she's safe, of course.
Answer the phone and then head back to the bathroom to catch up with Cynthia.
Take the LYNCH STREET LINE COIN from the bloody Cynthia mannequin and head out.
If the Sniffers are still there, walk all the way to your left to exit lest you
disturb them.  Or you can run really fast.  It doesn't matter since we're not
coming back this way.
In this new area, there's a Sniffer dog hiding by the turnstiles.  Keep walking
past this area to a new hall south of here.  Two Sniffer dogs and a giant worm
thing are here.  Kill one dog and let the other drink its fill.  PISTOL BULLETS
are tucked away on the stairway to the right at the end of the hall, by the
giant worm.  Speaking of, the worm is harmless.  You can attack it if you like,
but nothing will come of it.  You can take your wine bottle to it until it
breaks, making it a deadlier weapon.  Even broken, it won't have a charge
attack though.
Go back to the turnstiles and look for the Lynch Street Line to the north.  To
use your coin, you need to stand in front of the little mechanism to the side
of the turnstile, not the actual place where you enter.  Descend the stairs for
a surprise.
Meet your first ghosts.  The bald guy is Jimmy Stone, the other guy is Toby
Archbolt, and they will both slowly kill you should you stay too close to them.
Keep running and go down the stairs to your right to reach the subway platform.
(There was a small hallway to your left, but nothing is there.)
Cynthia is here, trapped in one of the subway cars just down the stairs.  The
switch to open the door is in the engine on the other end of the platform.  Be
quick because Jimmy and Toby are following you.  Hit the red button in the last
car and Cynthia will be free to catch up to you on the platform.  She will
follow you the rest of the way around here, but don't worry about her.  She
won't be harmed by the ghosts and will be really good about keeping up with
you.
A new ghost has joined the party: Sharon Blake is easily recognized by her
classy dress and sun hat combo.  She is weaker than most ghosts, but you should
still run from her, as she likes to punch her hands through people's chests.
Make your way down to where Cynthia was being held and enter the open subway
car.  You may have noticed a vending machine with some strange graffiti on it;
keep it in mind because we'll be back for it later.
We are now in a maze of subway cars.  Our goal is the other side of the
platform, and yes, Sharon followed us on the train.  I'm going to give
directions based on Henry's position, since bringing up the map all the time is
a pain.  Go right, up, and left to enter the next car.  There's a box here with
symbols on it matching the vending machine.  Still nothing we can do about it
now.  Go up through the door and keep going straight to the next car.  Go right
when you can, up a bit, and then right again to enter the next car.  Sharon's
probably there waiting for you.  If she gets too close for comfort, feel free
to give her a few whacks with your pipe.
Go down to the next car, left, down, and right to the next.  Head down once
more and look to the right for the platform.  Jimmy and Sharon are here.  As
you head south, look for some stairs leading up to some PISTOL BULLETS.  Now
beat feet to the far south and enter the door at the end of the platform.
Cynthia will not follow, and if you try to go back to find her, she won't be
there.
There's a hole here.  Use it to return to the apartment if you need to.  Go
down the ladder to a fleshy hallway.  If you look at your map, you should see a
ladder east of you.  Climb it, get the PISTOL BULLETS, and unlock the door here
for easy access later.  Go back down.
Now head south down the hall between the two ladders.  Run because Toby and
Sharon have followed you.  The door down here leads to another platform with a
Sniffer dog.  Again, if you walk, it won't pay you any mind.  Cynthia comes on
the intercom down the platform and seems to be in trouble.  We should save her,
maybe.  But before that, look for an open train car along the platform.  Inside
is a slew of Sniffers.  Try and coax at least one out to the platform because
fighting in the car is very difficult.  Once you get one, the others should
come out.  Feel free to attack them as they leave the car, or just let them be
to eat.
Now, what were they guarding?  Look inside the train car for a 9-IRON on a
seat.  Golf clubs are more powerful than your standard melee weapons.  The
catch is that they break after a number of uses.  There's a lot of these
floating around, so use 'em when you get 'em.  When broken, they remain in your
inventory but are completely useless.  Ditch them in the box.  Further down
this train is an engine car missing some parts.  Nothing we can do about it
now.  Exit.
Continue on down the platform to spy a NUTRITION DRINK by some escalators.
Opposite that is a hole.  I highly recommend going back to the room and healing
since the next part can be hazardous to your health.  Keep the nutrition drink
to play it safe, too.
Up either escalator is a gauntlet.  There are Wall Men lining the walls, just
waiting for Henry to come within their range.  You can play this section a
couple different ways.  One is to wait for a Wall Man to swipe and then quickly
run past him.  This is hard because they will sometimes swipe once, other times
they will take multiple swings in a row.  It is hard to tell, and you may just
end up getting slapped, which will send Henry hurtling down the escalator, only
to have it bring him right back to the Wall Man that just gave him a piece of
its mind (if you're on the "up" escalator, that is).
The other approach is to use a weapon to stun the Wall Men long enough to run
past.  This is much safer and is much easier when you have a firearm.  If you
are low on bullets, you will have to resort to melee, so use charge attacks to
stay invincible long enough to slap the Wall Men silly.  Since the escalator is
always moving and there are sometimes two Wall Men right next to each other,
you will have to stay mobile to resume smacking a specific Wall Man, or you'll
just have to forgo the charge attacks and just keep mashing A to keep Henry
swinging.
This early part in the game is usually why I don't play Hard mode.  It sucks.
However, I managed to survive this time by constantly holding down the B button
and having Henry run close to the side of the escalator away from the wall.
I'd have him run down when I saw a Wall Man swing and then quickly move forward
when they stopped or retracted into the wall.  Sure, I kissed the floor a
couple times, but I was also able to evade a few swipes by running like a
crazy bastard.
Up top, if you run down the Lynch Street Line to the north, you can pick up
some PISTOL BULLETS.  Go up the other set of stairs quickly because Jimmy is
here.
If you check your map, you'll see we're now in the other turnstile in one of
the beginning areas of the subway.  If you check the floor, you'll see Cynthia
has scattered her crap all over the ground.  Check the nearby office door to
remove the TEMPTATION PLACARD.  Then enter for a scene.  I'd feel more upset
about this turn of events if it didn't happen to such beautiful music.
Afterwards, we are automatically taken back to the apartment.  Rubberneck as
best you can out the window and then get your bearings.  Henry will have new
stuff to say concerning the items in his living space, the most intriguing
being what he says about the photos on his table by the Eileen peep hole.  ("I
was that age once too..."  Sounds like two people talking, yeah?)  Dump the
Temptation Placard and Lynch Street Line coin in the box, grab the RED DIARY -
APRIL 8 entry under the door, and check the peep hole to see something new has
appeared on the wall opposite: a bloody handprint, nice and fresh.  Nothing
else to do but jump in the hole, which has gotten a little bigger.
--------------------------------------------
Forest World, Pt. 1                 [fw1]
Welcome to a forest.  This is actually one of my favorite sections of the game.
I dig the ambience.  Walking forward, you may notice Henry turn his head to
look at the tree stumps here.  There is writing on them, but he can't read it.
There's a lot of this around the entire area; nothing to do but ignore it for
now.
There's a hole in this next area.  We just came from the apartment; they
wouldn't give us a way back so soon unless there were a reason to use it,
right?  Case in point: if you go back to 302, someone will be ringing your
doorbell.  Attempt to answer for a scene.
Back in the great outdoors, there's a door nearby with "Danger.  Do not enter."
written on it.  Enter anyway.  In this area, Hummers will swoop down from the
ceiling.  Even on Hard mode, they do piddly damage.  Pick up the PISTOL BULLETS
at the bottom of the ramp and move on.
More Hummers in the next smelly area.  You could even run right past them to
save time.
Something a little more interesting lies ahead: a running car.  Henry will not
have grand theft auto sullying his driving record, so the car stays put.
However, there is something on the driver's seat: examine it twice to get
JASPER'S MEMO PAD.
In the next area is the man himself.  Stand around Jasper long enough and he'll
strike up a conversation.  He's so chilled that he's got a bad stutter (in case
you couldn't tell).  Across from him, behind the candles, is a NUTRITION DRINK.
Past the creepy rocks is an area rife with Sniffer dogs.  There's an obvious
trap along the path here; it's so obvious that it springs itself to save you
the effort.  As for the dogs, simply walk around the outside of the area, along
the trees with little corpses hanging in them.  They shouldn't bother you at
all.  The dogs, not the corpses.
More Sniffers and Hummers are in the next area.  Bypass them both by turning to
the left or right and walking in the grass.  Much safer that way.
This next area is the forest hub, and it just happens to be a creepy abandoned
(and also locked) orphanage complete with a hole in the wall.  Jasper's memo
mentioned this, as well as a lake to the northwest.  I'm up for a good lake
view, so head thataway: straight ahead from where we entered.
Nothing but Hummers in this new area.  Moving along!
Next is a cave, complete with Hummers and dead bodies.
Out the other side is Toluca Lake, as seen in the very beginning of Silent Hill
2.  There's a PORTABLE MEDICAL KIT lying here.  There's also a hole and more
illegible writing.  Backtrack all the way to the orphanage.
Let's hit the southwest next.  The first area is just ambience.  The next area
holds a new ghost.  This is Steve Garland.  He's holding a weapon (a pooper
scooper to be precise; he owned a pet shop), so run past him in a wide arc so
he can't hit you with it.  There's a hole by the door if you need it.
After entering the door here, you need to actually walk forward to initiate the
cutscene.  We're now presented with one of Silent Hill's major themes: children
are evil.  Sure that little kid hasn't done anything yet, but I don't trust him
one bit.  Why?  Because he's in a Silent Hill game.  Scope out the open grave
here and backtrack.
Jasper will now be hanging around the orphanage entrance.  He's got something
we apparently can't do without.  But he wants to trade for something.
Something he can drink.  Something he can drink that is chocolate flavored.
Go back to 302 and grab the chocolate milk if you didn't keep it on you.  "Use"
it next to Jasper to trade for the BLOOD-INSCRIBED SPADE.  It says we should
dig opposite the lake, so head down the southeast path from the hub.
There's Sniffers here as well as Hummers in the trees.  Do the walking thing or
shoot a dog and use it to distract the others.
Nothing in the next area but bloody, bandaged trees.
After that, we come to a small area.  Circle around the trees ahead to find a
tree root that looks like an arm.  Use the spade from your inventory to dig up
the RUSTED BLOODY KEY.  Holding this, we are doomed to wander for eternity.
Try to go back the way you came to find what this means: the previous area has
gotten a blur filter and will loop endlessly, meaning we are trapped.  What to
do, what to do?  We need to dump the key somewhere, and throwing it the length
of the forest is not an option.  Go back to the tree area and continue east.
There is a hole here.  We're saved!  Steve is here.  Crap!  Pick up the 6-IRON
and dive in the hole.  Dump the cursed key in your item box and head back out.
Careful of the last area before you get back to the hub: the Sniffers there
mean business.  There's a female among them, and she'll chomp your leg to set
you up for hurt from the males.  Jump in the hole at Wish House and retrieve
the key, then use it to open the orphanage.
Jasper will follow you inside.  There's some children's drawings on the table
to your right and an interesting memo on the floor nearby.  Head to the back of
the room and read the HOLY SCRIPTURE SCRAP.  You should hear a door open and
close while reading.  Look to the right to see Jasper gone and smoke emerging
from the open room nearby.  Get the SOURCE PLACARD and watch the scene.
Afterwards, do the usual examinations (Henry seems to be showing signs of
memory loss), then answer the door to see we've got the super, Frank
Sunderland, on our case now.  Look at the photo over the couch to learn that
he's just broken up over the fact that his son and daughter-in-law are missing
since their last visit to Silent Hill.  Dump the Source Placard and any healing
items you have, then jump in the hole once more.
--------------------------------------------
Water Prison World, Pt. 1           [wp1]
We wake up to someone screaming for someone to let them out.  He should join
the club.  Check your map to learn that we are in a circular room.  Circle
around to find the guy screaming for help and you'll then see that it is a
prison.  Henry, ever the stoic hero, will not even talk to the guy, whoever he
is, but we should probably free him anyway.  Maybe.
To make exploring the cell floors easier, I'm going to refer to the rooms on a
clock face basis.  For example, our hysteric friend is at 5:00.  To give you
the authentic feel of being watched while wallowing in a prison cell, you will
sometimes see and hear a shadow walk past the peep holes in each cell.  The
graffiti and notes left by the kids trapped inside can be a little depressing.
And also funny.
Grab the EXPLORATION MEMO on the ground outside the cell at 4:00.  There's
PISTOL BULLETS and some graffiti in 2:00, and a group of Toadstools live in
11:00.  Just whack them from a distance and try not to accidentally run into
one.  Exit to the south.
There's a hole here.  Take the GUARD'S DIARY on the wall.  (Just what we need,
the game itself telling us the upcoming puzzle is a pain.)  If you go back to
Room 302 now, you should see the TV is stuck on the ant races, as well as the
RED DIARY - APRIL 4 entry under the door.  Now we formally know who this Walter
person is: not just the guy who's locked us in our apartment and written
cryptic messages on the door, but a serial killer as well.  Fantastic.
Jump back into the hole and enter the door to Henry's left since the other one
is locked.  Go down this ramp long enough and you'll encounter Wall Men.  We
don't want that, so run back up the ramp and go down the ladder near the door.
Now, go up the stairs past the locked door to see another ladder in the floor.
Descend and you will have successfully escaped another gauntlet.
Before you go through the door here, go back up the stairs a little ways until
Henry spies something shiny on the floor.  This is a SAINT MEDALLION, a good
defensive item against ghosts and other such paranormal phenomenon, but it is
fragile so I don't advise using it any time soon.  For the record though, you
equip it by pressing X on it in the inventory, like a weapon.  In fact, you can
have a saint medallion and a weapon equipped at the same time.
Don't get too close to the water wheel well in the basement.  There are Hummers
sleeping on the walls inside.  Check the signpost at the northern side of the
water wheel for the WATER PRISON EXIT KEY.  Examine the sign again for the
WATER WHEEL ROOM PLATE MESSAGE.  There's a hole here if you need it, as well as
a door opposite that leads to an Alice in Wonderland-esque oversized door.  Now
that we have a key though, our business lies back upstairs.
Unlock the door across from you in the hole room to go outside.  Like
downstairs, there are ladders to bypass the whole running thing.  If you want
to avoid more annoying-as-hell Hummers, I recommend the ladders.  On the second
floor, we run into the Tremors.  At least, I hope you don't run into them
because that is the only way to get hurt by them.  Have fun stomping their
little guts out, and watch for when they drop from the ceiling.  Watch for
Toadstools as well.  There is actually nothing to pick up or mess with on the
second floor, so you could actually bypass it unless you want to read some
children's scribbles.
The third floor is where it's at.  Walk around the perimeter to see your first
Double Head pointing right at you.  These things can be quite dangerous, not to
mention creepy as all hell, so take them out with a firearm to play it safe.
If you've no bullets, grab your pipe or a golf club and wait for an opening to
get close to start beating it to death.  They're tough too; they can take a
whole handgun clip and then some to down on Hard mode.  Don't think there's
safety in distance either because these things can lunge.  The good news is
that they are not overly aggressive: you can attack them while they're pointing
at you, and they will even slowly walk away from you after you've initiated
combat.  Children don't make good fighters, but they make damn good monsters.
Grab the PRISON DIARY from the room at 4:00.  Watch for Toadstools.  There are
two Wall Men guarding PISTOL BULLETS and some more graffiti in the cell at
1:00.  In the rooms at 10, 8, and 2 o'clock are a sight for sore eyes: a hole,
except these lead down.  Jump down the 8:00 hole: it leads all the way down to
the shower room with two Double Heads in.  Quickly run out the door and climb
up the ladder to the north.
Now you can play the role of the sadistic prison guard by looking through the
peep holes lined up here.  Go ahead and try it on our friend from the start of
the level.  (He's at 5:00.)  In fact, take the time to look through the peep
holes of the rooms you couldn't access; filling out your map will help a little
with the upcoming puzzle.  Grab the 1F SURVEILLANCE ROOM REPORT from the desk
and climb.
Snag the 2F SURVEILLANCE ROOM REPORT on the desk here, and get to peeping.
Then go all the way up top to get the SECRET NUMBER MEMO.  Time for the game's
first (and really, only) difficulty-sensitive puzzle.
--------------------------------------------
The Prison Lighting Puzzle
Normal mode clues:
You are practically handed the solution here, so no excuses!  Here's clue
number 1:
This place continues to deteriorate.  The doors to a number of cells no
longer open.  As a result, the kids inside can no longer go outside.  But
the less they know about that, the better.  I can't open the doors, but
from this room I can watch them get more and more emaciated each day.
With no food and never showering themselves, they turn into smelly little
grey lumps in there.
Following the suggestion of an engineer, we've disposed of the corpses by
digging a hole below the cells.  Since each floor of this building can be
rotated independently, we can dispose of the bodies without the others
noticing by aligning each cell with a body in it vertically.
P.S.
Chief,
I bet you're just dying to see the interrogation room behind the kitchen.
I understand your feelings, but have you noticed?  There are three rooms
with bloody beds.  One is on the 1st floor, one is on the 2nd floor, and
one is on the 3rd floor.  If you line those three rooms up, then it's