Siren for the Playstation 2 is the type of game bound to slip under the radar, and so far, it has. From simple screenshots, the game looks like a typical survival horror game, which in turn would be pretty bland and overdone. Luckily Siren is not a typical game of any type. It attempts to refine the genre by adding a few new innovative features, and thankfully, most of them work. It may not blow you away, but your experience with Siren all depends on how much you can allow yourself to be absorbed into its eerie atmosphere. The game is different, and that’s a whole lot say about the genre these days.

 

If you look at Siren from a storytelling point of view, you will see that the plot stays close to the game’s own innovation, and never strays too far from it. That can be good or bad depending if you even like the new feature shown in the game. You play through about 80 missions (varying in length from pathetically short, to quite long) trying to find a solution to the strange incident that has occurred. The enemies you face in the game are called the Shibito and they are a new variation on the walking dead. It wouldn’t be wise to mistake these for common zombies though, because this is where the game pulls a lot of its effect from. Typically in a survival horror game, zombies are slow moving hulks of flesh that only hurt you if you are stupid enough to get close. In Siren, once they spot you, the game quickly turns into a marathon run as you are chased down by one or maybe more Shibito. Why don’t you just kill them? Well that would have been a  very nice feature, but it seems that element of nature was scrapped on the cutting room floor. The zombies in this game will never die. No matter how hard you try, they aren’t going to fall, so its best to not even bother. You are sometimes given a gun, but let me just make this clear, it is only there as a diversion. Weapons serve the single purpose of delaying the inevitable. Running and hiding is the main focus of the game, and this is where its biggest feature comes into play. Each of the nine (yes, nine) playable characters in the game have been given the ability to tap into the minds of others and see essentially what they see. In an old radio fashion, you use the left analog stick as a tuner and when you find the vision you want, simply press x to hold it. Because there is no death for these zombies, this feature is your biggest weapon. Using the sight tap to memorize enemy locations and movements is the key to progressing in the game, and if you think you can make it without it, you can simply go on and check yourself into a ward. The sight tapping is a great feature and it does spice up the genre, but that in itself may be the problem. Those looking for a survival horror game may find this to be more of a stealth strategy game in the end. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but it may be a confusing thing for some gamers as people have been quick to slap labels on it. So can the game scare you? Yes, in fact it can. When an enemy spots you for the first time, depending on its position, some of you may find yourself wetting your pants because as the screen flashes red, your blood pressure seems to skyrocket. Getting out of an enemy’s site is a tough chore, but it’s a satisfying one if you can manage to sneak past him in the end. Replay value is something this game doesn’t really need. Because of the way the levels are split up, you can play this game in small doses or do it all at once, but you will find this to be a very hefty 25+ hour adventure.

 

When it all comes down to it, the graphics and sound can either make or break a game. Lucky for Siren, both demonstrate some heavy hitting quality. The texture detail in the game sets everything up for a very dark and gritty tone. Every single environment pleases the eye with its heavy Japanese influence and dark nature. The Shibito are varied in their different classes, and purposes. The stiff animations can come off as being hokey, but you cannot complain when the facial animation is as top notch as it is. The flashlight effects are pulled off quite well, not better than the rest, but it’s surely an admirable effort. The voice acting is the only thing that Siren fails at. When I say fail, I mean failed big time. The voices have been dubbed by British actors and absolutely none of the characters have the appropriate feeling or tone. Frankly, they come off as being clownish at times. Where the sound excels is in its effects. From the hair raising use of the alarm siren sound to the garbled language of the Shibito that can be heard in the distance, Siren easily impresses with its presentation.

 

Siren is one of the games that may end up getting less attention than it truly deserves. It is a good game that blends all of the common survival horror influences and combines it into one tight package. Its innovative feature is an excellent way to push the genre forward, but it may be time before the strict fans of the genre will be able to adapt. This isn’t your typical horror game and that is what makes it very compelling. Not perfect by any means, but if you like a challenging game, then this one is surely up your alley. Siren would rank on my list as one of the most difficult games ever, and frankly it simply means its all the more rewarding when completed.