Siren Blood Curse is the Survival Horror for PS3, which developed by Project Siren of SCE Japan Studio, and Published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the remake of the original 2004 game called Forbidden Siren for PS2. The game was directed by Keiichiro Toyama, a creator who made the first Silent Hill for PS1 just before he left the company Konami to join SCE Japan Studio to work on Siren series. I haven't played the original Siren game because I haven't got the PS2 just before I've brought this game for PS3, which I got it from the random bargain shop for £4.00 seems to be a good deal. Anyway lets move on to the review right now.
This game takes place in Hanuda Village, Japan. It all started with American TV crew began to use video recording footage on the people of Shibito performing rituals to sacrifice the innocent girl just before Howard Wright (Main Protagonist) attempt to escape from the Forrest. In gameplay, your playing as the Howard Wright has the mission to defend himself from the deadly village people, so you get to play as the other characters like Sam, Melissa, Bella, and Saiga for later episode.
Your character has the ability to use sight jacking, which is used for seeing the visions of the enemies can be appeared on the split screen, and you can change targets to others by pressing the shoulder buttons, so I like the sight jacking part, which is useful to navigate on the enemy's whereabouts. You can press d-pad button to turn the flashlight on/off, some commons actions like yelling and setting traps, and commanding support players to wait here or carry on running during the gameplay. In stealth gameplay, you can use crouch by pressing couch to evade from the enemies without getting alerted from them, which the sound of heartbeat can be vibrated on your controller that tells the players are almost about to get easily caught by the enemies, so the vibration on the controller really helps me how to get away from the enemy's whereabouts.
The combat gameplay does have some decent melee weapons like shovels, pick axe, metal pipe, and knife are good for hit detection, but you can also hit the enemies with stronger attack by holding the attack button. The weapons like pistols, shotguns, and rifles are actually works well, but I'm having trouble with aiming controls depends what weapons you've picked up. Some weapons like pistols can be used for lock ons only makes difficult to aim, and others like rifle can be worked as free aiming, which I find it easy to aim.
The character's movement is quite average for controls. Using left stick for controlling characters to move around, but to use sideways walk, you have to hold the left shoulder button and then move it with left stick feels very awkward for character's movements. The camera control feels very clunky to control because you can't use the camera movement very freely, so you end up with having clumsy camera angle by using right stick to tilt camera. You can use first person camera view by holding the right trigger button, but you can also toggle third person perspective to first person perspective by clicking on right stick button, which seems sound cool to have it, but it feels not easy too as well, so it takes while to get used with controls. I say the motion controls are bit overdone, when shaking the controller to break free from the enemies, so it would been better by tapping the button rather than just shaking the controller.
I like the levels in the game because I enjoyed the puzzle solving and the atmosphere of the levels, which gives me a great challenge with creepy monsters and darker settings of the game.
I say Bella are far even the frustrating character in the game when playing as her in some chapters. It is because she gets easily caught by the enemies nearby during the stealth gameplay, especially the other character you playing as have to protect Bella from the enemies. If she gets caught by enemies nearby, then you failed the mission making harder for players to complete the level.
I say the gameplay has some good levels, decent challenge, and has ability to use sight jacking are sounds pretty decent, but I say the average controls could have done better job, but it's not a bad thing in the game until you get used with this game.
The graphics looks pretty done a good job with creepy settings on backgrounds and textures. The visuals effects are very well made for sight jacking view. The character models looks good for human characters, but I say the Shibito people are the scariest looking in the game, and the level settings are looking great with darker animations to make the game look stand out for horror game.
The music and sounds has well made soundtrack with brilliant atmosphere gives a horror feeling in the scenes and lot of scary tone for sound effects, which really fits well in the game, and the voice cast done a great job on the characters as well.
The special features has behind the scenes video, archives, and chapter selection are sounds pretty okay, but it didn't have trophy support, which is quite shame that the game did not have it, but still a nice try.
Advantages
Scary atmosphere
Awesome sight jacking views
Challenged levels
Decent storyplot
Well made music soundtrack and creepy tone sound effects
Good graphics
Disadvantages
Awkward controls
Bella makes harder in the game
Overused motion controls
Final Verdict
Bottom line....
Gameplay 6.5/10 - Does have good levels, puzzle solving, and challenged boss fights. While the combat weapons are decent, but the character's controls could have done better for this game unless you need to get used with controls.
Graphics 8/10 - Creepy backgrounds and textures, darker animations, good characters model, and well made sight jacking views are pretty stand out for horror game.
Music and sounds 9/10 - Great soundtrack, scary tone sound effects and good voice acting.
Special Features 6.5/10 - It has behind the scenes video, archives, and chapter selection.
Overall 6.7/10 - Siren Blood Curse does have the amazing scare factor, decent storyplot, and the atmosphere of cutscenes are well presented for the game. I like the ideas of sight jacking view and village people are the most scariest things in the game. It has great soundtrack and horrific tone for sound effects as the best soundwork in the game. I felt that the gameplay controls hasn't aged well for its standards due to clunky camera system, and stiff character's movement which makes it difficult to play for the newcomers, but I say the levels are pretty good with decent puzzle solving, stealth, and some good boss fights.
It might not be for everyone to try it out unless if you're the hardcore fan of the Siren series. If this game might be interesting in you then it is worth giving this game try by buying the game in less than £10, but if you unsure about this game then rent this game or ask your friends to borrow.
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