2.9.2009

As a fan of the survival horror genre Silent Hill 5 and Resident Evil 5, while good games, moved away from their traditional routes. RE5 became more of an action shooter, the atmosphere of being alone in a dark town as your comrades are killed one by one was replaced by a barrage of fast moving human zombie hybrids running around in broad daylight as you scrounged for ammo firing furiously. Silent Hill gave us a character that knew how to handle himself and became more focused on the action. Resident Evil was still successful and it is easy to understand why as the engine and gameplay really worked. Silent Hill, which so heavily relied on atmosphere and the sense of loneliness was doomed as soon as that was lost.Fortunately,here we have a successor to the Silent Hill series. This game is quite astonishing. Firstly the graphics are crisp, clear and detailed, the atmosphere is terrifying, playing most of the game in a surreal darkness. The torch and other lighting effects are extremely accurate, creating a sense of dread at what is around the next corner. The Shibito zombies are hideous, largely due to the all too human form but with blood streaming from every orifice and the slow staggered movements. They can also speak and the voices echo as they look for you. This personification of the evil increases the panic. The back drops are fairly standard, not overwhelming but blend in well enough.The basic premise is a town overrun with Shibito zombies which are immortal, although they can be shot, pummeled and pulverized they will soon come back to life within a few minutes creating a real sense of tension as you have to carry out a task before the monster wakes up. The inhabitants of the town are all Japanese, living in a "lost" Japanese village. You play a host of characters at different times from a Japanese Doctor with a hunting rifle to a ten year old American girl with a keen enthusiasm for hide and seek. This array of characters allow for different types of game play, in one chapter you may be Grabbing axes and hacking anything that gets on your way, and in the next you are a small child trying to find a cupboard to hide in so as not to be caught by the watchful enemy.The story is complex and relies heavily on a paradox which may take some reading in order to fully understand the plot. As with many Japanese games and films parts of the story often has implications as opposed to any real solution and there are various files found throughout the game which open up more of the story. For some this can be annoying as the story should become a focal point with these games.The gameplay is actually quite realistic, different characters that are controlled have different strengths and weaknesses, some are faster and others are stronger, I spent a whole hour finding a lightweight weapon for one of the characters because anything heavy made her incredibly sluggish and before I knew it I was being battered. Combinations of moves come into play but sometimes the melee controls are a little too slow and can become infuriating. Some of the characters are so helpless that the fear is amplified, knowing that all your character can do is run away and avoid the zombies means that if something drops from the ceiling or comes out of a room the player knows they are in troubleSight jacking is a unique feature which adds to the building tension It is a tool that allows the character to see through the eyes f the Shibito. During the activation of this tool the screen splits and you can see what the zombie sees. If you are hiding and are waiting for the right moment to make a move this tells you in which direction they are looking and when to time the move. However this also creates another source of fear as you move the character you await the monster to turn and lock onto you.Overall an engaging and frightening experience with little snags about the gameplay and back drops but otherwise full marks. This game really does fill a whole in the genre.

20.2.2009

Last week I bought Siren Blood Curse after reading online that it was a semi scary game and a decent game overall, man did I get a very pleasent surprise.I put in the game and I didn't get a tutorial, a 10 minute long cgi intro or anytime what so ever to brace myself for what comes flying at you. The game cleverly throws you in the thick of it making you panic and hurry along the first level and from there things pick up greatly.The game is a horror based in Japan (surprise) on some abandoned island where some village rituals use to go on (another surprise) and you play a series of american tv workers, teenage boys, little girl etc...lots of characters to go through which is great.The story itself is not worth telling because that ruins the fun of the game and its worth finding out by playing it.Anyway... this island is riddled with darkness, the skys are red, the water is full of blood and the island is mobbed with Shibito. Now these Shibito are creepy and just plain horrible. Basically they're zombies, who have a small portion of intelligence and their basic instincts are to rip you to pieces. Their voices are phased and destorted (like classic Evil Dead) and they will hunt you and never stop.The Shibito are quite clever in my opinion. They'll go about their daily tasks etc until they spot you. Then they're literally roam around the entire map until they find you. Turn your torch off and hide under your bed because they're clever AI. Not only do they like to hunt you but they also love to taunt you. Level 3 you have to sneak out of this abandoned hospital as this little girl and having one of these sucker chase you shouting "Im going to find you, I saw you!" etc was tense!The graphics for this game are stunning. I admit i'm not a fan of the PS3, I find some of their games quite unimpressive due to bad graphics, screen tearing etc but this game is absolutly beautifal in it's dark twisted ways. Everything inthe game is surrounded by darkness, fog and damp and the guys who made this game pulled it off soo well. The body animations are fantastic and detailed. They did a very good job here.Now the controls... I'v read alot of complaints about the controls and it's perfectly understandable to find them abit WONKY. But, in my honest opinion they fit the game very well... awkward like the game itself. The controls will take a short learning curve and if you play too muchgames like me I wouldn't worry about it.Gameplay, now this is where I was extremely surprised. Think Silent Hill meets Splinter Cell. Yes, what we have here is a stealth horror game. You don't do any split legged jumps or hack computers but a fair portion of the game is about sneaking about the place, laying traps for Shibito or finding ways to distract the devils so you can sneak past them. This stealth system works well, it creates a severe amount of tension and makes the game different from the usual horror games (ie Big guns and grenades).Sound, this is my favourite part about the game. I installed it, loaded it and then had to see to my baby for 2 minutes only to hear this wonderful creepy soundtrack oozing out my tv speakers. I tell you it's very rare to find a spooky soundtrack on agame these days but this game certianly has it.Overall this game is fantastic if you like horror games or fancy a severe change. It lives up to it's prequels (which if you havent played are worth the purchase : Forbidden Siren 1+2) and looks twice as good. I'd recommend it for the price it's going for, for the simple fact it's probably the best game on the PS3 that no one pays attention too. :)

14.9.2008

I purchased this game through the Playstation Network and I'm glad to see they are now releasing this game onto Blu-ray disc as it truly deserves it. I'm going to be buying this game for the second time because I like it that much and as a download it also eats up quite a large amount of space on your HD.Siren: Blood Curse takes you on a terrifying adventure set in Japan. An American TV crew find themselves deserted on an island where they have come to investigate and document the legend of Hanuda, a "vanished village" where human sacrifices are said to have taken place thirty years prior. Each are eventually split up and have to face the dangers of the island alone. Another character,a teenager named Howard is also on the island and you will get to play each and every character in the game throughout your journey.Sam and Melissa are a seperated couple who have come to the island and their daughter Bella has been brought along by Sam which Melissa isn't happy about. You get to play as Sam and Melissa and even play as Bella in a terrifying hospital level which involves creeping around in stealth.The occupents of the island appear to be Japanese zombie-like creatures which vary in strength and difficulty as you progress. There are also some larger and very obscure and frightening enemies later on in the game. Each of the enemies and the characters show off some amazing graphical details and the game looks absolutely stunning. A fantastic part of the game with a huge enemy shaking a bus as you try to make your way through stood out as a really memorable part of this game for me which is one of many great atmospheric and frightening moments within the entire 20+ hour adventure.Some of the gameplay includes fighting off enemies with various weapons, solving puzzles, shooting, combat, using memory and most noticebly sightjacking. Sightjacking gives you the ability to see through the eyes of nearby enemies and other characters whilst you still view the character you are playingin a split-screen mode. This works really well once you get the hang of it and comes in useful for when you are required to creep around or attack enemies from behind.Siren: BC gives you the true feeling of horror and suspense that alot of survival horrors find hard to pull off. I was genuinely scared at moments and the game can make you jump quite a bit. The graphics are excellent, they're dark but you constantly have light sources and it can feel very eerie exploring the village. Some of the people who have turned into zombies are some off the collest looking zombies I have seen in a game yet.If you love a decent story, great graphics, a scary/creepy experience and a decent length game with great characters and dicversity then you will love Siren BC. The game is seperated into episodes within chapters giving you a re-cap of what happened in the last episode, these are really cool and effective and if you want to just continue playing it doesn't interupt the game or make it less fluid in any way.An amazing game that surprised me and became one of my best PS3 titles of 2008. 10/10

21.9.2012

I have found there to be a distinct lack of Japanese-style horror games released on the PS3 that have really grabbed my attention. I didn't particularly think much of Resident Evil 5 and, from what I had heard, Silent Hill hadn't been able to capture the spirit of its second incarnation effectively since, well, the release of Silent Hill 2. Hunting around for a interesting horror game, I came across Siren Blood Curse quite by accident and, from a little research, it sounded involving, interesting and down-right scary.Having played the game from start to finish, I must admit, I did not lose any sleep over it. In fact, I actually found the trailer more frightening than the game.That's not to say that this game doesn't have its moments. The opening chapter with the shibito policeman was particularly heart-stopping and the hospital had some particularly edge-of-your-seat moments but as the game wore on it felt like it was losing...something.And that's why I give this game four stars. I have found that a lot of games on the PS3 just don't hold my attention in the way that those on the PS1 and 2 used to. Siren Blood Curse did. The game isn't frustrating or irritating, the controls are pretty simple to navigate, the plot hurtles along at breakneck speed and it's entertaining. The game is broken up into episodes much like a tv show with a preview of 'next time...' which I thought was particularly innovative and a recap which helped keep you up to speed with what had happened the last time you loaded up the disc.My major gripes were the fact that the sight-jacking, whilst an interesting concept, was not particularly vital to the gameplay for the majority of the time. You could quite happily run around, bump into a shibito and give him a few wacks with your weapon just as effectively as if you had used your sight-jack and snuck past him. The sight-jacking doesn't really lend anything to the gameplay apart from the few levels where you are in control of Bella who cannot defend herself and, as a result, must sneak past shibito undetected. It's these levels, especially the hospital, which are the best because of the sheer vunerability you are exposed to. For everyone else, though, it's obsolete. Some of the repetition of levels got a bit annoying towards the end and I felt a bit like the production was running out of steam a bit but the story is interesting enough to keep a hold of you until the final cutscene whereby everything makes sense...well, sort of.This was a good game that was highly enjoyable but I felt that it was lacking something that I just can't put my finger on. I should mention that I've never played Forbidden Siren 1 or 2 but from what I have heard a lot of scenes and characters are replicas of their original counterparts so those who have played these may take a different view. If your a casual gamer, I recommend this. If you enjoy horror games, I recommend this. If you want a game that's different but not too taxing, then I recommend this since the entertaining and involving nature of the game allows you to overlook any flaws it might have.

2.2.2012

I'm a massive survival horror fan. I love the way these games don't let you just run around like a lunatic and shoot everything in sight. They require thought. Do you press forward in the game or do you go back to look for ammo or health knowing such a move may well end up with you losing your head from your shoulders? It's a truly mature genre for the mature gamer. While I have enjoyed the recent resi games and dead space, they have taken away a huge part of the 'survival' in survival horror opting for a more gung-ho approach. And in some cases,(looking at you resi 5) they have even taken away the horror too.That is why i'm so delighted I discovered Siren Blood Curse. Not only is it at times truly terrifying,but if you go in trying to kill everything in sight your in for a big shock. The enemies are relentless monsters that will stop at nothing to cut you into tiny pieces. Your only choice is to play tactically, hiding in lockers, shadows or whatever you can find. If your lucky enough to find a weapon, you have to hope your able to sneak up on an enemy because fighting face to face will usually result in death, especially when your up against more than one enemy.To help you out, your given the ability to sight-jack enemies. Sightjacking let's you see the world from the perspective of another enemy. What they are doing, whether they can see you from their view point, so on. You would think knowing where your enemies are at all times would lessen the horror, but in some cases, it actually does the opposite. Say your hiding in a closet after running from an enemy, seeing that same enemy slowly approach the closet your hiding in from their perspective is one of the most terrifying experiences in gaming you will ever have. There are several moments in this game that will really send your pulse racing, many involving the stages where you play as a ten year old girl. I don't want to spoil anything but there is a part where you have to unlock a gate while playing as the little girl that actually caused me to scream out loud for the first time ever while playing a game.I can't say whether it'll get the same reaction from you or other players, but I guarantee that it WILL scare you.So is Siren perfect? Far from it. Some of the levels later on in the game can get incredibly frustrating, especially any levels involving escorting bella. The way the game keeps re-using the same maps is also annoying and causes the game to get a little repetitive at times. But for this price, it's absolutely essential for any true survival fan out there. I can't remember the last time i've enjoyed a horror game this much since resident evil 4. There's nearly 20 hours of game here which is excellent value for money in my opinion. I reccomend that everyone at least gives Siren Blood Curse a go because in my opinion it is excellent.

31.5.2009

Deep, engaging, atmospheric. A very Japanese survival horror ~First of all, if you're a familiar with previous Siren games you're in for a treat ! More of a remix in my opinion rather than a remake of the first game, fans will be right at home with the setting and controls and very pleased with the new characters and unravelling story with plenty of mystery and suprise. If however you're new to the series, and maybe appealed by the Japanese horror movie genre(films like Grudge, Ring/Ringu) style you'll also be loving this.As a previous reviewer metioned this is not a shoot 'em up run and gun style game, more so a stealth 'em up make it by the skin of your teeth type of affair.

2.10.2010

Siren Blood Curse is not very well known which is a huge shame because its such a good game.My friends say it's very frustrating. I personally disagree, maybe I just have plenty of patience. I went through it at got 18 deaths over all and my friend got 98 deaths. It takes plenty of skill and you have to think before you move.The story its self is a real mind f***. I wont give any spoilers but you will probably finish the game rather confused.I like horrors like this. You dont start with 2 guns and loads of ammo in your back pocket. You have to search for something that you can use as a weapon. Every day things suddenly become leathal, a video camera, a flourecent light tube or a parking sign.

15.8.2010

Having been a little dissapointed with Silent Hill homecoming I was in need of something more original and scary and I definitely got it with this game. Strangely enough this feels like other horror games in many places but just feels more fun. Combat is frantic but very easy to pull off despite no auto lock on, just face an enemy and press attack over and over and job done. However, this game often leaves you weaponless, and this is where the terror kicks in. You feel quite confident with a weapon in your hands but the scariest levels are when you play as kid bella or her mother and have to use your wits to outrun or sneak by some pretty repulsive enemies.

17.1.2009

This game is probably the scariest game i have ever played. That's right! Scarier than F.E.A.R., Resident Evil, and Silent Hill. I expected it to be scary, but not as scary as that!This game is based in an abandoned Japanese village, which is crawling with zombies. You first play an American teenage boy who gets lost in the middle of nowhere.There are some cutscenes to people trying to make a movie in this Japanese village. You do not play any of these people in the first episode. I have only played the first episode, which didn't take long to complete, but still it terrified me.This is a remarkable game by Sony. One of Sony's best games. Its definately up there with MGS4.

11.12.2009

With instant action in a series from the tv sort of way, this is varied full of character and fun. The game recaps like a series from the tv, shows what your going to do next time!!! Its all a little weird but intrestingly compelling. You play as various characters each with different attributes. Your able to tap into the "ghosts" vision and see what they see while still playing. Shooter with a twist, normally you have a set number of tasks to do but follow the instructions at the top of the screen and you cant go wrong. Thats not to say this is easy, its not!!For an older game on the market i have to say the graphics dont let it down either, simply they look great. Definetly not for the weak hearted or children!!

26.10.2013

With the unbelievably atmospheric environment design, a helpless state as unstoppable monsters hunt your vulnerable life and the tension of the missions in which players must sneak, Forbidden Siren is the return to the classic survival horror formula: it's better to hide or evade than to fight. The theme is unsettling, the soundtrack is woeful - expressing many untold agonies - and the gameplay is tight as a much-needed improvement to survival horror.Whether you're a fan of Fatal Frame or Silent Hill, even early Resident Evil entries, Forbidden Siren is commonly the forgotten franchise that is rather profound in how developed it is: adventurous as Resident Evil, schizophrenic as Silent Hill and creepy as Fatal Frame.

9.4.2013

A great game. Play it on the hardest setting (normal as opposed to easy). In the first fifteen minutes I found the game to be limited to where you could go but realised that that was the point! The claustrophobic feeling you get when being chased/attacked by the baddies is great. You find yourself with nowhere to run sometimes and the 'sight-jacking' skill before you move forward becomes very important. When you are spotted by a baddie you screen splits in two like when you sight-jack - I found this quite annoying because you really want to see where you are going when trying to escape...NOTE: you can turn this feature off in the options = ).It's a very, very dark game (meaning low brightness)

29.9.2008

Like the others before me, i too purchased this from the psn store. Its a brilliant game...great graphics and very atmospheric and dark. I would advise people to purchase the game on disc as the downloads themselves,even though they are good value for what you pay, do take up alot of your memory (around 9gb in total for the 12 episodic levels ) and can take up alot of your time to download. If you liked Silent Hill or the Resident Evil games then you will like this, plenty of characters to play though as the game swaps between them allowing you to view the storyline through different perspectives.

4.5.2015

first off , if you do buy this game make sure you find a good walkthrough on line or a magazine, as it is hard to figure out what to do at the best of times, and other times you are told what to do with no idea how to do it , it would be like an adult telling a five year old how to fix a car you have not got a clue what to do. The game is good, played out like a T.V show the monsters are not bad looking, mostly human like and there is a simple pleasure in hitting the monsters with everyday objects, my favourite is a frying pan, I am telling you its just like the T.V series Bottom. The story is hard to follow and the game is not scary what so ever, but still good.

29.4.2013

This game is probably one of the scariest games I have ever set eyes on,I am a fan of the horror genre but this really freaked me out,set as an American film crew witnessing Supernatural events occurring around an old Japanese village suddenly the rain turns to blood and the terror begins, the graphics are really impressive and the game has some great features to increase the terror, this game is quite rare to get hold of but is well worth getting on disc and going through all the episodes. Recommend for playing in a dark room alone to increase the atmosphere.

Siren Blood Curse (PS3) - Reviews

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