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!
