Tom Eccles has been playing Siren: Blood Curse…

Returning to the setting of the original PlayStation 2 Siren title, Siren: Blood Curse takes us on a chilling story spanning numerous characters as they attempt to escape the desolate Japanese village of Hanuda and its inhabitants the ‘Shibito’. While the gameplay mechanics mostly remain the same, this time the game will take a different form: it’s hitting the PlayStation Store in an episodic format split up into twelve separate episodes. Three Speech was dared to play through the first three episodes of the series – here’s what we thought…

First off, we’ll address the biggest change – the game’s episodic, network based method of delivery. Instead of a traditional disc based release, the game is split up into twelve episodes, each one that we played (excluding the first one) lasting approximately half an hour. What really emphasizes the episodic structure, is that each episode commences with a recap of the previous one; and ends with a ‘next time on Siren’ style preview, which believe it or not makes the experience a whole lot more exciting. After the initial download, each episode weighs in at about 600mb (although obviously, this will vary) and can be launched once installed via the game’s menu. The system seems solid and well built, you can return to each episode at any time to a specific part (episodes are further divided into chapters) and if you’re looking to clear some space, you can delete episodes without deleting the full game – so after you’ve done with an episode you can delete it, then if you want to return, re-download it from the PlayStation Store.

Right, onto the good stuff. Having only played three out of twelve episodes, it’s rather difficult (if not impossible) to judge the storyline as a whole. However, what we can see is the direction in which it’s heading, and from here it looks fantastic. Playing as part of a TV crew filming a documentary / exposé on the ancient myths associated with the dark village of Hanuda, events swiftly take a turn for the worse as you are thrown in at the deep end (naturally), and you must survive by defending yourself from the Shibito (living dead) in addition to saving some of the remaining villagers you encounter. The storyline follows and lets you play as numerous characters (seven to be precise), not all of which are initially ‘connected’, offering different viewpoints of the events in the village and many separate but intermingling timelines to follow. While the latter may sound slightly confusing, unlike previous Siren games all events happen in a clear chronological order providing a clear narrative of key events while keeping the aspect of mystery high on the agenda. Those wishing to delve into the storyline’s intricate details will be pleased to know that searching around will reveal extra clues, such as diaries or letters written by previous visitors.

The gameplay itself is similar to that of the typical third person action game (although saying that, there is a first person view), giving the option of using close quarters combat (usually ending badly) or a weapon that you’ve picked up – ranging from guns to glass bottles to metal poles. It’s worth noting that, going for the realistic viewpoint, you can only have one weapon at once, and when using a gun you have no crosshairs for aiming – although an auto targeting system is implemented very well here, avoiding frustration and lots of missing. The D-Pad can be used for various functions, the de-facto two being use of your flashlight and shouting. Both of these have important implications with the gameplay, as at times to sneak past patrolling Shibito you must turn off your flashlight, at the other end of the spectrum you can ‘yell’ to distract the Shibito or lure them to move from their post, while you sneak around. Aside from defending yourself, you’ll also need to solve the occasional mystery by working out how to do this, or finding that – you know the drill, it’s the tried and tested gameplay seen in previous instalments.

As followers of the PlayStation 2 editions of Siren will know, the game’s defining feature is the ability to ‘Sight Jack’. Sight Jack, available to all playable characters, gives you the ability to see through the viewpoint of any nearby enemy (or friend for that matter), providing the perfect tool for devising your strategy to sneak by unnoticed. After going into Sight Jack mode, you simply select your target using the shoulder buttons, pressing square to ‘lock on’. Your screen promptly splits in half, one side continuing to display your character in third person, the other side showing the first person perspective of the mind you’re tapped into. An intuitive design choice here means that if you start moving, your half of the screen grows wider; whereas if you stay still the Sight Jack half takes the biggest portion of the screen, letting you choose which you need to see more of at any given time. The split screen view also means that unlike previous games, you can continue to move around while spying on foes; enabling you to make up tactics as you go along, and react to any sudden developments which may affect your path.

The general premise of Siren: Blood Curse’s gameplay is as follows. You have a series of objectives split up into main objectives, and side objectives; for example, the primary objective is often ‘Go to A’, with side objectives such as ‘Distract the Shibito using X’. Ultimately, the main one is what you need to do, and secondary ones are optional, but still advised. You can view these objectives neatly placed on a 3D map, featuring different levels and labels displaying each room’s title, making navigation and finding your way a breeze. Within the basic objective of getting to the desired location, comes the obvious step of avoiding obstacles in the way – with typical gameplay resolving to looking for enemies, then taking action such as avoid or engage. Talking of detecting enemies, there’s no cop-style radar or fancy heads up display to alert you of your imminent encounter; you’re forced to rely on the sound of a heartbeat gradually increasing in volume and frequency as you grow closer, and even better those fortunate enough to own a DualShock 3 will feel vibrations to the beat. The simplicity of the system really adds to the realism, and adds even more eeriness to the experience.

Finally, the visual side of Siren has also gone under the knife, giving fantastic results in the graphics department concerning character models, lighting and the vast environments both indoor and outdoor. While the game’s textures sometimes lack detail, the action and immersion often detracts away from this, with you left wondering what the hell just made that noise rather than walking about inspecting the environment’s textures. The interior environments are a particular good example of what is capable with Siren: Blood Curse, showcasing detail and impressive lighting technology throughout. The game’s cut scenes also appear to be rendered using the in game engine, which not only contain well performed action sequences but also consistently realistic voice acting. In addition, character animation has undergone substantial improvement, with unique finishing moves used on enemies, each one dependant on which weapon you’re using.

Almost every aspect taken from previous instalments to the Siren series has been improved upon with Siren: Blood Curse. The new episodic structure works really well, especially the TV style ‘next time on Siren’ cut scenes at the end of each episode. The dramatic and gruelling storyline will keep you involved and on the edge of your seat throughout with its twists and turns, and the unique gameplay is sure to bring you back for the next episode. While the graphics won’t win any awards, certain aspects are put to good use in terms of gameplay and certainly won’t detract from the full experience. We’re glad that the Siren series was resurrected, and the only question remaining for us is when will we get our hands on Episode 4?

Feel free to post any questions in the comments below concerning the game – please bear in mind we don’t have any info on release schedules / dates.