SIREN: Blood Curse Review: Splendidly Morbid
Take a peek at the moon, and find its bloodshot red. Look everywhere and there’s nothing but darkness. Horror has never been this lucid. Screams are enervate once you find yourself in Hanuda, the long lost village of the unbeknownst. No screams can be heard, and everyone is left to fend for themselves. The SIREN: Blood Curse story begins with an American television crew that arrives in Japan to investigate and document the legend of Hanuda on August 3, 2007. This is the day everyone goes missing. Things are wrong here, and our ambitious explorers try to figure out the curse behind the entire town across a series of 12 ingeniously presented episodes. From there, four chapters form to create remarkable parallel scenarios. In this village, human sacrifices have been deemed to have taken place years before and it seems that time wasn’t the end of a lurid and vivifying journey into what it takes to really survive the odds.
Precipitant death is skillfully missing in this carefully crafted masterpiece by Keiichiro Toyama for the world of SIREN. The environment itself is really demeaning in terms of the overall gameplay core. When the protagonists land on their backs in this unknown world, they’re greeted with something horrifying in lieu of itself. The dark and gritty air makes the gameplay come alive without moving a single control. Through such a first time experience with an incredibly detailed and dark world, it becomes difficult for the player to venture into the unknown because the game itself becomes personal. The world itself is very broad when it comes to different levels of the terrain and the environment that helps to keep straight paths away. The thrill is very distinguishable from the keen angle of using a simpler story and focused environment, making SIREN a lascivious world of fun.
As players journey through Hanuda, the multiple figures reveal themselves through shocking and believable displays that won’t be mentioned here. Just be prudential and make sure to grab something you can swing. On first site, the eyes are bleeding and they are never happy that someone is around. Eventually, we have trouble on our hands. Throughout SIREN, there a multiple amount of weapons the environments themselves that makes for a visceral experience. Bash the head with an axe, or even something as simple as a stick and we really learn the meaning of survival. When you attack with weapons at the undead, you will miss and it’s something that keeps true to the complete mystery of the characters in a horrible situation.
The characters themselves have meaning in a variety of ways for interactive storytelling and entire gameplay. Simple things like movement, camera movement and combat are refined and the overall film grain gives it a perfect amount of panic. The in-game map marks objectives and sometimes some objects, but this doesn’t kill any of the exploration or mystery aspect. Players still have to venture around the area to find what they’re looking. As complex as the entire world, the missions are straightforward but the journey to get to a point is more than graceful.
SIREN manages to create a shocking new style of not only presenting characters, but unraveling who they are deep within the game when it seems nothing else is really possible except escape. The characters are not just real in terms of personality but also a meticulous animation system wise that makes SIREN: Blood Curse a realistic experience for the player. The interesting episodic aspect is something Sony should be awarded for taking into consideration as it doesn’t really just make SIREN: Blood Curse a movie experience, but a TV one in the irony of seeing TV crews suffering a sad fate. Something like this especially adds excitement if players keeps 1 episode per week like an actual TV show. Just something to try out to make it a little more entertaining. Just be extra careful when you happen to find yourself in SIREN, there are no commercials here. Fear does not rest and the show doesn’t stop every 10 minutes.
Amazing review. Thanks
I’ll def have to pick this up now
It should be worth a lot more than 40. Full 59.99. I agree, it’s revolutionary for what they’re doing
FreedomPhantom replied on July 26, 2008 1:03 AM:
Yeah, It should be $60. I’m really having fun now. On Episode 1
Can’t wait to see an expansion to this or something
FreedomPhantom replied on July 26, 2008 1:03 AM:
Oh that’d be crazy!
Bought only some right now. Buying full now that I’m convinced
Really cool review. They never spoil anything, and that’s why I come here. Smart writing minus the community college I– journalists
He’s getting handed in that picture
Cool game, and definite WhatIfGaming Prize winner for best of E3. Runner Up isn’t easy to get into either
I love this game sooo much. Been playing for hours. Still on Episode 1
psk6565 replied on July 27, 2008 12:29 AM:
how so? is there something I am missing? it took ten minutes for me.
Play time is huge as well. Good thing download servers are faster
Agree to everything as well. Best review so far
Thanks WhatIfGaming
Insane review. I felt a bit amphibian just reading it.
I got chills about the moon too.
Glad you guys mentioned the film grain. So far no review does that, and it’s a crucial part to the game
Been playing this. love it and this review especially
Have to say, super happy no spoilers, but we all know WiG never does that : )
Anyways, great game
Worth way more than $60 IMO
Definitely a must buy. A true sleeper hit
Sony should have advertised this more in U.S. than Japan
nice review. I’m also sure since it’s Japanese dev, it would be done more there. When’d we last see a folklore ad in U.S. ?
The descriptors give me serious teeth grinds. LOVE this game soooooo much already. Huge fan. Going to buy the T-SHIRT when it comes out
Definitely wasn’t surprised to see this at the WiG BOE3 ‘08.
For those who don’t know… BOE3 ‘08 = Best of E3 08
Loved this review A LOT. Always coming back for more
BOE3. That’s a sweet acronym
I’m going to give into the urge and buy the full set. Horrors make me crap my pants though. Even Condemned 2 made me crap my pants at one point
If this is that real, I’ll be on the 1st Episode still in 2 weeks lol
Amazing review as well.
I want the Soul Calibur review now
And Civ Revolution!!! UGH. Been waiting on a review for a day now you guys ; ( Pity me
Love this site so much as well, ty
Super excited about this review. I love SIREN. I demand a 2nd one right now. I swear why don’t they do stuff like this more often, like TV episodic games. Ugh! Sucks these take so long to make
Some people say the camera is too edgy, but I like it and am glad see it here as well
You guys are always on the mark
The Best horror game i ever played.nice review BTW