Platform: Sony Playstation 2
Region: NTSC-J
Country: Japan
Developer(s): Sony Japan Studio
Publishers(s): Sony Computer Entertainment Japan
ReleaseDate: 2003-11-20
Players: 1
Co-op: No
Siren
Players tune in to a vision of the living dead in this PS2-exclusive survival-horror game. Siren is set apart from similar macabre adventures by its heroes' ability to "sightjack" the first-person perspectives of other characters in the game. Using the analog stick like a fine-tuning dial on an old TV set, players can pick up and hone in on the energy of nearby zombie-like men and women, which are common enemies in the game, and see the world from their points of view. Once found and fine-tuned, up to four such out-of-body perspectives can be stored and selected with a button press, allowing wily survivalists to survey an entire area without stepping into danger themselves. The game is designed to generate fear through the unknown. The players' vision is often obscured by fog and darkness. The over-map displays the surrounding area in detail, but does not show the characters' current location in it, forcing them to orienteer their position based on compass readings and visual clues. Only by studying their surroundings from different perspectives, learning the behavior patterns of nearby enemies, and combining these discrete pieces of information to imagine the larger picture, can players hope to understand their current circumstance well enough to devise a plan to safely escape. Siren's storyline involves ten playable characters, each with a different background, all desperate to flee before they meet the same fate as their undead pursuers. Siren is set in a Japanese village that has recently suffered an inexplicable, unholy disaster. Soon after a strange red rain fell from the sky, and the river turned the color of blood, the villagers began to lose their humanity, becoming undead "shibito." While it seems impossible to kill a shibito opponent, they do show the results of a good attempt -- in the form of blood and wounds. Unlike these frightening undead, however, the game's heroes are quite mortal and can be killed with just a few hits. The best hope is to avoid the shibito wherever possible, using the sightjacking ability to see impending attacks, find the most secure routes, and discover hidden bonuses from a relatively safe distance. MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION: Resist the Call 0:00. Midnight. A siren calls and a sea of red water mysteriously surrounds the mountain village Hanuda. Slowly, a terrible force transforms the inhabitants into shibito, undead husks of their old selves, fueled by evil and hate. Play as one of ten characters caught in a living nightmare. You have three days to learn how their paths intersect as they try to stay alive. Survival depends on your ability to "sightjack" or the power to see through the eyes of friends and foes. There is no one hero. There is little hope. Will you resist the call of the Siren? FEATURES: Third person perspective. 3D graphics Cartoon graphics Horror & Mystery themes.
Trailer: YouTube
ESRB Rating: M - Mature 17+
Genre(s): Horror
