Siren

It's very insistence on realism is what makes it so successful as an experience. It makes you feel that you're just an ordinary person (not a videogame hero, for example) in extraordinary circumstances and with very little chance of survival.

This game could have been a complete disaster but in the end it really turned out to be a gem. With saying this, many people will not like this new concept.

This is one game that will kick your butt if you don’t use your brain. The best part is how it keeps you on your toes by forcing you to alter strategies to fit the situation, which is something far too many games ignore.

If you’re patient and relish a good challenge, hear the call of the Siren, open your mind and prepare to be utterly terrified.

The combination of brutal, mostly unwinnable combat and the level-scouring required to solve some of the puzzles might be frustrating to some.

While it shares many common flaws found in the genre, Siren is the most innovative (and scary) survival-horror title we've seen in a while.

I found the game too dark to really enjoy and the patience required just didn't grab my attention enough to really feel strongly about this title.

Despite the average graphics you'll find this game to be quite intriguing and I'm certain you'll not be able to put it down.

The sight jacking feature is one of the most ingenious inclusions, and something that now it’s here, I wonder just why it hasn’t cropped up in the gaming world somewhere before.

Siren has a few basic problems that keep it from being truly exceptional, but its groundbreaking mechanics and brilliant execution of fear make it something survival horror fans won’t want to miss.

From top to bottom, every aspect of the game oozes atmosphere. [June 2004, p.78]

This isn't a game for the twitchy or easily distracted. But get into Siren's head and you'll find a singular horror experience that keeps its teeth in your neck from start to finish.

It’s the atrocious voice-acting that provides the most enjoyment, which sounds as though everybody was put through English elocution lessons firstly or had a role in 'Just William'.

Perhaps what sets Siren apart from such a large number cheap "Biohazard" clones and the kings of the genre, is how the general real-time gameplay is equally terrifying, if not more so, than any of the subtle scripted moments. For all of "Silent Hill’s" positive attributes, the atmosphere is largely all bark and no bite... For Siren, the player is always in danger, and the game will never let you forget this. [JPN Import]

The characters are well designed and the animation is smooth. The creatures can really put a chill down your spine. A terrible oversight is the voiceovers which are poorly done.

Walks a very fine line between addictive gameplay and pure frustration.

The trial-and-error nature of gameplay and the repeating loops of the plot require certain degrees of patience and repetition that not everyone will want to pony up. In our opinion, however, the game's well worth the effort.

9 / 7 / 8 / 8 - 32 gold [Vol 778]

Siren is most definitely a worthy addition to a horror junkie’s collection, but with only really one strong standout piece of gameplay, and some seriously frustrating elements, I’m considering this a small hidden gem.

A mixed bag, pairing a genuinely frightening horror experience with gameplay that's somewhat hit or miss.

This is a game that is somewhat eerie and evolving, but the mood is broken by the interface and even the sightjack feature, while an intriguing concept, detracts from the mood.

The positive in Siren outweighs the negative, and for players willing to give the storyline and weaker gameplay elements a chance there's one hell of a ride in store for them.

Resident Evil's idea of terror is to give you limited ammunition. Siren's idea is to give you practically none at all.

Most of the game is trial-and-error, leading you to play the same stage multiple times until you figure things out. Get seen by a shibito? Go ahead and die, because it's likely that running and hiding isn't worth the effort.

Siren is a good game with plenty of innovation, but the general "sightjack, sneak, repeat" gameplay gets stale after a short bit of time, and the lack of action makes the game hard to stay interested in.

Heavy on story and atmosphere and with a massive number of missions to complete, Siren should appeal to devoted fans of the survival-horror genre. But it's simply too complex and unwieldy to be appreciated by less hardcore players.