Construction of the Fantastic in Silent Hill 4: The Room

Abstract

"Silent Hill", and specifically "Silent Hill 4: The Room", are paradigmatic cases of the construction of the fantastic in videogames. Developers are able to generate a wide range of feelings in players if they alter some of the usual videogame conventions. Modifications to various parameters of game space (whether audiovisual or relative to game mechanics) are one of the main and most effective resources to create a deeper and more immersive game experience. In "Silent Hill 4", various changes in the space of game (the main character’s apartment) show how the fantastic and the uncanny can converge in videogames.