Siren puts the player into an alternate reality where horror lurks around every corner. Set in a fictional Japanese village, a terrible force slowly turns the civilians into vile creatures that are looking to destroy you. Ten survivors are trapped in this nightmare, and it's up to you to safely lead them out, one by one. Not every character has a weapon, so you must rely on your ability to see through the eyes of friends and foes around you. As you avoid zombies, you'll unravel the truth behind the mysterious force.
An amazing/crap Marmite game I personally adore Forbidden Siren (I got the European version) and I think it has an amazing plot that fits together in a cool Tarantino-style way. You initially have no idea what's happening but when you turn off the PS2 and think hard you will gasp when you figure out what you have been seeing. It's also a wonderfully sad story that will leave you more than fulfilled.
Gameplay-wise, the game is average at best. Movement is always slow and deliberate, and the characters handle like bipedal shopping trolleys. Once you get used to it, you'll find it tolerable, but who wants 'tolerable'? Fans of Resident Evil and Silent Hill will feel them out OK, but everyone else will be stumped at first.
The enemies come in a few forms, and only one boss is really fought (there are plenty of tough mini-bosses). You have the walking soldiers, who mince about with anything from knives to shovels to revolvers and hunting rifles (!) They only take a few hits to fell but you will mostly be unarmed and weak, and your concrete legs will hardly help you escape. The other types appear later on in the game, but these enemies are the most common. AI is great, but annoying at times.
You're buying this for the horror, and it will succeed in scaring you witless. Resident Evil has the action, Silent Hill has the 'WTF!?' scares, but this delivers something far more sinister. This game is partially set during the day, but these stages are probably the most trouser-browning. The eerie music, the feeling of helplessness, the fact that you are outnumbered in every direction really does make you feel like you daren't move. Brilliant.
Now, the much-hyped SIghtjack system. It's a good thing towards the end of the game, but at the beginning it seems a useless novelty and from thereon is a bit annoying to HAVE to use. Once you get the hang of it, with a bit of patience you will grow entirely dependant on it. Until you find a weapon and go hell-for-leather on the Shibito.
In conclusion, you'll either love this game (if you are very patient) or hate it (you need action). This title will get your heart really pumping sometimes - at some points it's better than exercise!
Fair game. Sadly, I was quite disappointed by this game. A lot of hype, and not a lot to back it up. This game is very much a collection of ideas from other Horror games thrown carelessly together. The plot is muddled and forced at best. Thankfully, you are rewarded in your persistence and are given a very nice ending. Given a game of this kind, the ending can either make or break the experience.
The game did however fully achieve it's goal of *feeling* like a Horror Movie. Not a particularly great Horror movie, especially in the face of fantastic contemporary Asian Horror like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's movies or the recent Chinese movie "The Eye." Sadly, this game feels more like a Hollywood movie using cheap tricks to scare you. The creepiness factor is very high, although almost every environment is identically dark and creepy, unfortunately failing to have a strong environmental feel, which can really creep things up. Graphics are par for the course of the current crop of Playstation 2 titles. Not bad, but not particularly stunning either.
Fans of Horror-styled games will no doubt enjoy this game as it provides another world and experience. I do question it's outside appeal, and it's ability to scare it's player. Nonetheless, if your bored of Silent Hill and want something new, grab this. While not as good as Silent Hill or Eternal Darkness. It's still worth at least a rental. If you don't like Horror games, don't bother this one wont change your opinion of the genre.
Fantastic Atmosphere If you are a fan of the Silent Hill series, but are now looking for something a little more edgy, Siren is the game for you. After receiving my copy, I was apprehensive as to whether or not this game would live up to the Silent Hill series in terms of atmosphere and fun. I was worrying for nothing. This game surpasses Silent Hill imo, and has totally hooked me with it's unique style. Much of the design of the game and the location settings are based in Japanese folklore, making for a truly original experience that has not been tried before in the Survival Horror field. The atmosphere created by the blend of fantastic 3d environments and weather effects is sublime. The game manages to stay fresh by introducing some truly innovative new concepts into the genre such as the much vaunted sight-jacking (where you actually "see" through the monster's eyes), and the multiple playable characters. Play this game alone at night with the lights off and you will scare yourself silly. :)
I have written a small Siren game guide for the benefit of non-Japanese speaking players which can be found at:
