Siren

"Tension filled horror adventure with some interesting and unique concepts."

Introduction

Siren is a survival horror game, which does things a little differently. This isn't like Resident Evil or even Silent Hill. The feeling of helplessness you feel in this game cannot be surpassed. Fighting is almost never a first choice of action (although there are exceptions) in this game. I feel this game is pretty unique in some of the elements it brings. I had first read about this game in an issue of EGM, and was skeptical upon its release stateside. But now here it is, and it has shaped up to be so much more than I had expected.

Gameplay

The gameplay in siren is pretty good, but also pretty challenging. The difficulty level here is steep, and it will, and has turned away some gamers. As I mentioned above, fighting is not (usually) the best course of action in this game. And because of this, you must be evasive, thus implementing a stealth element.
The Shibito (Undead villagers) will attack, chase, and even shoot you upon sight. So you must learn to efficiently, and quietly sneak past them. The gameplay is broken down into missions, set between 10 characters. The missions don't vary a whole lot in type. Basically get from point A to point B alive, or do so while guiding along a companion. However there are secondary missions to be unlocked, which have some different requirements. The controls in the game are pretty decent. Moving your characters is responsive enough, and managing your inventory is easy. When performing an action such as unlocking a car door, you must go trough a series of simple steps. First and foremost, you might need a flash light on to see the lock properly, which however can also attract the attention of Shibito. Then you would examine the lock, open your command menu, and select ''unlock door''. Some people have complained that this method of performing actions is too complicated, but I personally don't mind it. It adds a sense of realism, and is not used for performing all actions anyway. Besides, it's pretty easy to use. Well with stealth gameplay, of course you must have some enemy A.I. You have pretty much your standard stealth game fare here.
Enemies will respond to sound (like running, which is of course by far nosier than simply walking.), obviously sight, and even light. As mentioned just above, if you turn on a flashlight near a Shibito, chances are it will see the light and become cautious, and investigate the source. And probably the biggest unique feature of this game is the ability to ''Sight Jack'', and ability that lets you see through the eyes of fellow survivors, as well as Shibito. The process may seem odd, if not difficult at first. However, it does not take long to fully grasp, and is explained not only in the game's manual, but also in game during its first usage.
Which brings me to the map system..This is not metal gear, you have no radar. And it is not Silent Hill, you don't have markers on your map to show your location and what not. You have a map with a legend, and some important areas (such as buildings, etc.) marked on it. Together with this, and the ability to Sight jack, you must judge where you are, and where you're enemies are. Making for a difficult, yet interesting, and realistic approach. I personally found the gameplay quite enjoyable, and at the same time challenging, and fairly unique.

Story

The story in this game is probably the most compelling element of the whole experience. The story is deep, interesting, and also sometimes confusing. Luckily there is a nifty ''Navigation Link'' feature, which helps to put the games events together. Each character of course has their own background story, as well as reason for being drug into this horrific mess. Without attempting to spoil the story, I shall provide what the manual lays out on the first page. ''At midnight, a siren calls from beyond a sea of red, and a village mysteriously disappears. The Japanese village of Hanuda teeters between two worlds---the world of the living, and a nightmarish world where the buildings have been ruined, the land has been disorted, and the mountains have been replaced by an unending sea. An ancient ceremony in the forest has been interrupted. As a result, the boundries between the worlds are collapsing and the villagers of Hanuda have found themselves uncontrollably drawn by the sound of a haunting siren into the blood red waters.
When they emerge, their souls are consumed by evil... an evil that also threatens to consume the handful of human survivors who must escape the village, even as they struggle to resist the call of the siren.'' As the story progresses, it becomes more and more interesting. Even with some surprising plot twists.

Graphics/Sound

The graphics here are excellent. The facial features are very realistic looking, almost as if you were watching a real Japanese horror film. The character animation is pretty fluid and not much looks out of place. Sometimes the mouths will appear a little odd, when characters are speaking. But none the less, the detail of facial features is amazing. The environments look different from one another, and appear more or less pretty realistic. A dense layer of fog covers most everything a few feet in front of your characters (much like the Silent Hill series), and adds a feeling of creepiness, and tension. The sound is a mixed bag, and I guess could be somewhat based on opinion. Many people have complained about Siren's ''HORRID'' dubbing job. The dubbing is in a British accent, but I personally did not find it to be too bad. I have heard far worse. The dubbing works well enough none the less, and the characters still have some emotion presented through their voices. The general sound effects of the game are good, above average. Pretty realistic, such as the heavy breathing, grunting, and rambling of the sight jacked Shibitos. Music is not always played during missions and scenes, but when it is, it is fitting, and eerie. Making for yet more of a creepy aura.

Play Time/ Replayability

The playtime of this game is higher than the traditional mark of the genre. Secondary missions have the player going back to previously completed stages to complete new objectives. And there are many articles to be found in order to get a 100% complete game. The game itself is enjoyable, and the story is quite interesting, so a replay could still be enjoyable. The missions can also get pretty difficult, forcing the player to re-do many missions, which could lead to frustration, but ultimately helps to fully master the game.

Final Recommendation (Buy Or Rent)

Buy, in the time it requires to master, and fully complete this game a rental would not be adequate. I recommend this game to any survival horror fan. The concept is fresh, and the story is interesting.
I consider this not only one of the best horror games I've ever played, but one of the best games I've played this year. So BUY it, and with the enticing $39.99 (US) price tag, you aren't risking as much as you would be with some other games. This is a great game, with some very cool ideas, I strongly recommend it.

Final Score
10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/29/04, Updated 05/01/04