Forbidden Siren Preview

Developer	SCEI
Publisher	SCEA
Genre	Adventure
Release Date	2004

Another intriguing game has been developed for those lucky Japanese. Created by the director of the Silent Hill series, Forbidden Siren is Sony’s new mix of survival horror and adventure elements. The game has was released in Japan a few months ago and is enjoying great success. Inspired by a number of B-movie horror films from the 80’s and various gothic novels, Siren is simply one of the scariest games on the market.

The premise of the game is an automatic plus due to its originality and fresh ideas. The game takes place in Hanyuda, a Japanese village decimated by an earthquake that came after the sound of a siren. Transformed into a sea of blood, the small, quaint village has become hell on earth after not only the earthquake, but a red rain that caused all the inhabitants to be transformed into zombies, sans the characters you’ll be playing as of course. The rain ironically has healing effects as well for the ten survivors you’ll be taking control of- each with their own weapons, attitudes, and in their own personal fight for survival. Examples range from the intellectual Kyoya, a student, to Akira, a hunter with a penchant for rifles.

In total, players will experience 78 episodes, or missions, throughout Siren. Rather than taking place chronologically, Sony has decided to mix up the episodes to make way for plot twists and increased suspense. Players may re-encounter dead foes that they believed to have killed in an earlier episode for example.

Just about every game on the market tries to distinguish itself from the crowd, which typically ends up being an unsuccessful endeavor. But Siren has a unique feature that works called “sight-jack”, making it stand out among the masses of videogames available. Players will be able to enter the minds of up to four enemy characters, and in a game where sight will be purposely limited, this is a hefty advantage, and an interesting one at that. The feature will give you notice of oncoming danger, alert you to the location of hidden enemies, and give you a heads up as to what obstacles lay ahead.

As with most games of this nature, Siren will be a visceral experience. You’ll find lots of gruesome images, including zombies with blood gushing from their eyes and other nasty characters. The grittiness of the environments as well, ranging from abandoned mineshafts to deserted streets, will have your hair standing up in no time. Just the same, the sound effects create a sense of dread and a distinctly chilling atmosphere.

No word yet on whether Sony will bring Siren to the states, but chances are looking good as of late. Similar videogames like Fatal Frame have had surprising success, so we’ll just have to wait and see. As it stands, Siren has the potential to be a standout game in the horror genre, so hopefully US gamers will have the opportunity to try it out. This is the game survival-horror fans have been waiting for—a truly shocking and horrific gaming experience. If you have the opportunity to import Sony’s impressive entry into the horror genre, by all means go out and get it!

Preview by Kevin Sloan