Gritty Japanese horror meets point and click adventure.
Being a fan of Japanese horror and such, I had to download, " Siren : Blood Curse" for the ps3. This tale of a cursed village as the centerpiece for an American film crew's documentary, "Siren: Blood Curse" sets a gritty mood as we've all experienced before in the "Silent Hill" series while being able to stand out from the crowd. I have been meaning to review this for a while but just got around to it. So bear with me.
Story:
An American film crew visits a quiet village in the deep forests of Japan hearing whispers of strange supernatural happenings plaguing the townsfolk of Hanuda. Upon filming one of their guides and another woman are about to be horrifically sacrificed during a secret ritual, in which they helplessly observe. In the middle of the ritual a stranger interrupts, thus providing a catalyst to incite the curse of Hanuda infecting the villagers with the "Shibito Virus". Journey as each of seven characters in an episodic tale that is chills (cheap ones) and thrills.
Gameplay:
"Siren's" gameplay is a mix of 3rd and 1st person perspectives. For most of the exploration and environment interactions it is a 3rd person game, even with combat. Using firearms such as guns will bring up a 1st person view when aiming and firing. Siren is unique from "Silent Hill" in that it's more of a point and click type of game with a mix of stealth.
Each part of the game is divided into episodes, some are long some are short but the game's story will have you wanting to unravel the mystery of the curse. Some chapters only involve one character, others about two. The movement of the characters can seem clunky especially while running or trying to hit enemies. You just have to be patient or have a quick/powerful enough weapon to subdue them.
One unique gameplay aspect is the "Sight Jack" which allows characters to see into the eyes of their enemies so they can tell where each enemy is and their behaviors.
Combat is mediocre. Using melee weapons all act differently according to weight and swing style. They each even have a different "Cinematic Kill". The weapons are all spread out within the environment. So an item may seem useless at first but can actually be used to stave off enemies. There also moments where you have to use the six axis controls to reload or shake off enemies when they pounce attack.
Despite weapons and "Sight Jacking" combat is something that is best avoided at times. Because the characters are frail, there are no health bars or health packs. This mechanic is actually not bad, it gives the game a sense of caring for the characters and it makes a player want to think twice about engaging Shibito.
Enemy AI, is pretty smart, if they see the characters they will come after them. They will even utilize their weapons if needed. They also have a "hive collective" mind set, so if one sees you others will follow. It can get annoying but if you can find a hiding spot no worries there. The Shibito are technically "immortal", so you may "kill" them but they will get back up in a matter of minutes. There are many types of Shibito : regular human ones, "Moth" shibito, "Maggot" Shibito, and "Shibito Brains".
Throughout the village there are archives to collect that give a deeper look into the characters, the village, and even the story of "Siren".
The game is mostly problem solving where the combat melds itself in pretty flawlessly. Some parts are very difficult challenging your mind. But it's so worth the challenge. Even if the objective sound simple enough, you will quickly find that Feeling that you got an extra archive or just simply finishing an episode.
There are times where you have to accompany a follower to a certain spot. You can tell them to follow, to stay or find a hiding spot which is really neat.
Graphics:
Character models are modeled after real life actors and actresses for a realism seen and done better in "L.A. Noire" but since this is a title that came out earlier they do look and move with a bit of realism. Environments can be a bit too dark at parts, even with a flashlight shining in this peripheral.
While playing the game there is a film grain that covers over everything. As if it is giving an old school horror movie feel. It's a nice little touch but it gets a bit annoying when trying to stare at some textures in the game. The environments are well detailed especially outside in open areas. There are a bunch of small details to pay attention to, such as posters on walls, shrines, and broken woodwork.
The rendering really makes you feel a part of the world at some parts. There will be some invisible walls but they aren't at odd places. They make sense that they are there.
Sound:
The voice acting is superb for a downloadable game. The game is in dual language so you will hear the Japanese language being spoken and Kanji in the game.
This game has the creepiest but the most awesome "Game Over" sound ever. It's like quiet monk chanting as if there is a ritual condemning failure.
In game sounds are creepy which is good, random voices and somewhat ambient sounds echo darkly across hallways and corridors.
There are a few actual music tracks, most notably the ending song "Genocide" by IDK-SJ. Many people ask for the title and band so there it is.
Overall:
Clunky controls, invisible walls, too much film grain, awkward combat are a few flaws but they are minor. One thing to note is that once they game is beaten you might not fully understand the plot, so the game sort of encourages you to play it again and get all of the archives. It's difficulty does spike in later episodes. What may really turn off people is the price range, it's $15 per episode pack or $49 for the whole thing. Either way this is a title worth picking up. It does capture the feeling of being in a Japanese styled horror movie very well. This is one of my favorite games for being so different and unique. Definitely worth picking up.