SILENT HILL 4: THE ROOM
XBOX Retail vs. OXM Demo Differences

Version 1.00
by Warming Blasters ([email protected])

**********************

1) About this FAQ
2) About SH4: The Room for Xbox
3) General Settings Differences
4) In-Game Differences
5) Not Changed
6) Tips for those sampling the OXM "trial version"
7) Final notes/Credits

**********************

1) About this FAQ
-----------------

This FAQ is an independently owned and created production by me,
Warming  Blasters ([email protected]).  It can be found
exclusively at my own sites or at Gamefaqs.com and affiliates.
Sites other than my own that have been granted the revocable
right (GameFAQS, which may farm it out to GameSpot) to present
this FAQ may do so only in plain text form in singular identifiable
locations on the WWW. No rights to this FAQ are granted for any
other printed, archival, or other media distribution or
presentation.

Note also that there are minor SPOILERS in this FAQ, so stop NOW
if you want to avoid them.  However, nothing beyond the scope of
the demo and the equivalent gameplay space in the full game is
detailed here.

Finally, this FAQ is not a walkthrough.  It is primarily intended
for those just sampling the demo (in the still current issue of OXM)
and curious about how it represents the full game, and those who
might like a few tips for playing the demo as well.

Updates:
9/9/04 -- First version.

2) About SH4: The Room for Xbox
-------------------------------
The full version of SH4: The Room was released on 9/7/2004,
for Xbox, PS2, and PC.  At this time, this FAQ notes differences
between the Xbox demo and the full Xbox game only, and there may
be unique differences between other versions and their respective
demos.

The SH4 demo was included with 10/04 Official Xbox Magazine (OXM),
known as SILENT HILL 4: "trial version".  There is also a
nice high-res automated slide-show of SH4 art set to SH4
music available in the Features section, entitled "Silent Hill
4 Gallery".

3) General Settings Differences
-------------------------------

[DIFFICULTY: Normal is referenced in this comparison]

DEMO TIME-OUT
-- tested from first boot-up, left sitting at main menu
-- took approximately 8m:30s to kick back out to the
OXM main menu, quite a long time for a demo time-out

PAUSE MENU

"trial version" -- X - Exit (to the OXM disc demo list)
and Y - Options
Full game -- Y - Options

[you can soft-reset both versions holding Back/Start for
2 seconds]

BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST - equivalents based on my home setup;
the demo by default appears brighter than it probably should
for a Silent Hill game, something Konami apparently
recognized

"trial version" -- Brightness 3/ Contrast 7
Full game -- Brightness 5/ Contrast 7

INTRO MUSIC/VIDEO

"trial version" -- Not available in the demo, stays on
the main menu select screen.

Full game -- In the full retail verison, the uncensored
app. 2m:25s version of the trailer starts about
1m after the Main menu/screen first appears.

[Konami released several similar trailers, some having scenes
such as a dog getting walloped by Henry full-bore, or a
human-looking "creature" being shot point-blank with a gun,
some having those scenes excised]

4) In-Game Differences
----------------------

WEAPONS AVAILABILITY

"trial version" -- The hard-hitting Aluminum Bat and 4-iron
Golf club are both available immediately in Henry's
laundry room in the demo.

Full game -- Neither of those weapons are available in at
that location or in the same time-frame of the demo in the
final game.

SAVE-POINT "BOOK"

"trial version" -- Sits there like any piece of non-interactive
environmental detail (no text at all if clicked on).

Full game -- Without a word (unlike SH3 much of the time),
immediately loads up the save slot list (and also much quicker
than SH2:RD did).

IN THE REFRIGERATOR

"trial version" -- Wine Bottle
Full game -- Wine Bottle and Chocolate Milk

HENRY'S RUNNING ENDURANCE

"trial version" -- He must be part wolf, he can run and run
and run and never needs to grab a deep breath.

Full game -- As expected of the series, Henry needs to slow
down and take some big inhales after a lengthy run.  He still
seems to have more endurance than earlier main characters.

FIRST LETTER

"trial version" -- "Mum, why don't u Wake up?"
Full game -- "Mom, why doesn't u Wake up?"

SUBWAY ESCALATOR ENEMY TIMING

"trial version" -- Most enemies swipe fast and multiple times,
including a few that swung fast and 3-4 times in a row.

Full game -- Early on the escalator, enemies tended to give
one slow swipe.  By the end, there was one that would swipe 4
times very quickly in succession. [This might change game by
game, but was noticeably easier than the demo in this case--
but still requires cautious advancement]

TEMPTATION PLACARD

"trial version" -- Not seen in demo.

Full game -- On the door prior to finding Cynthia at what is
the end-point of the demo.

5) Not Changed
--------------

Parts of the demo I had expected would differ from the full
game, but do not:

-- Dogs do about 1.5 bars damage on a full-run attack in
Normal difficulty.
-- Henry says the same thing about the Book Scrap in both
versions.
-- "It's got a coin in its hand."
-- You can hear a news radio clip (instead of just static)
from the radio on the bookshelf in the demo if you return
to the Room near the end part of the demo.  I never knew
that was available until after playing the full game.
-- The Right-trigger/B-button strafe-jump is indeed available
in the demo.  Another thing I never knew about before reading
the SH4 manual.
-- Unlike the 4-iron, the 9-iron is in the same place (subway
car next to the escalator) in both demo and full versions.

6) Tips for those sampling the OXM "trial version"
--------------------------------------------------

THE VERY-USEFUL DODGE MOVE

Hold R-trigger to target as usual, but don't forget that while
aiming at enemies/preparing strikes, you can dodge to the
sides by simply pointing the left stick to Henry's right or
left and tapping B (while still holding R).

To jump backwards, you don't even need to aim, just tap B
when R is held down.

It is still useful and indeed necessary to break off targeting
and run for a repositioning when the scene is crowded
with enemies.

BRIGHTNESS

Don't forget that--as stated earlier--the brightness of the
demo is higher than it should be for the game.  Consider
dropping it down a notch or two unless you prefer the game
as bright as the demo is by default.

DON'T RELY ON THE BAT

The Aluminum Bat is an awesome melee weapon, but don't rely on
it too much.  The full game doesn't give it to you so early
under normal circumstances.  Though not nearly as extreme a
difference, it is somewhat like having the Vigoorian flail
in the Ninja Gaiden demo for the first stage, but not in the
normal game.

USING SUBWAY COIN

Point Henry right at the gate to use the Lynch Street Subway
coin.  I used to try unsuccessfully to put the coin directly
into the coin slot (crazy, I know...) but that doesn't take.

7) Final notes/Credits
-----------------------

Thanks to Konami for putting a lot of appreciated high-quality
resources into this great Xbox game.  And nice to see not even a
delay in Xbox getting SH4.

And thanks to OXM Demo Discs for (usually) providing a great
resource for sampling Xbox games, videos, etc.  The discs even
come with a magazine, which helps protect the disc for
shipping...

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