Forbidden Siren

Forbidden Siren Description

The survival horror genre just got a tad more horrific thanks to this latest scare-em-up from Sony. Developed by a new studio at SCEJ, Forbidden Siren brings Japanese-style horror to the PlayStation 2, and if you've seen films such as Ring, you'll know that it's pretty chilling stuff. The bloodcurdling tale takes place in the Japanese village of Hanyuda, which, without warning, suddenly finds itself awash with evil, encircled by a sea of blood, and resembling pretty much the closest you can get to hell on Earth. All but a few inhabitants have been shall we say, zombified, with the survivors now immersed in a world of fear, endowed with the gruelling task of investigating the events that happened, whilst evading the vile creatures that were once their friends. The game takes place over a three-day period, with the player's control switching at key points between the ten survivors. Each character - from the inquisitive high school student Kyoya to the murderous old hunter Akira - is in the village for different reasons - you must understand their past and their reactions to the evil that continues to spread in order to begin to unravel the mystery. The adventure is made up of 78 episodes in total, which rather than occurring chronologically, take place at various different times within the story, with play zipping back and forth throughout the game's three-day time span. Consequently, the twisting plot unfolds in a rather sporadic fashion, often bringing you into contact with characters whom you know are soon to perish, or into scenarios to which you already know the (generally gruesome) conclusion. A rather novel element in the game is known as 'sight jack'. This is a feature that gives you the ability to steal the viewpoints of other characters and enemies in your immediate surroundings. Both a curse and a blessing, 'sight jack' allows you to temporarily predict enemies' movements and actions, but renders you immobile and defenceless at the same time. Forbidden Siren is inspired by the gothic novels of HP Lovecraft and also takes more than a few leaves out of the books of 1980's horror flicks. As such, it offers an extremely claustrophobic and nerve-racking experience amidst a very graphic world full of some quite shocking imagery. You'll love it.

Survival horror is redefined through the power of PlayStation 2 technology by providing a one-of-a-kind chilling storyline and psychological twist on reality.

Innovative 'sightjack' system allows for players to steal the viewpoint of others in their surroundings to foresee danger and predict enemies' actions. A very powerful tool, as maps do not show your location or those of your enemies, however, it should be used carefully as the character is left vulnerable to enemies when in this altered state.

"Scenario link navigator" feature provides an overview of the game that pieces the puzzle of the story together through each character and illustrates gameplay progress.

Ten playable characters, each embroiled in their own personal fight for survival drawn to Hanuda for various reasons.

Players will experience 78 episodes of gameplay that unfold out of order over the course of three days. As players complete more objectives, they will see how characters and locations are woven together in the intricate story.

Real-life character modeling

Dark, chilling atmosphere that provides a world of fear and suspense. The dampness is almost palpable, as the player is immersed into a world of fog, rain and darkness.

Chilling music mixed with haunting sound effects increase the suspense and immerse the player into the horrors of Hanuda.