Siren

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 64
  3. Negative: 7 out of 64
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  1. Fidchell
    Dec 26, 2013
    8
    The Forbidden Siren series has taken its rightful place as my favorite horror games of all time. They are refreshingly difficult and often exercise your mind instead of being a no-brainer shoot-em-up. Silent Hill used to have its spot as my favorite, but because of the treatment it has been getting in recent times, it has been growing more and more stale.

    This review is on the first of    The Forbidden Siren series has taken its rightful place as my favorite horror games of all time. They are refreshingly difficult and often exercise your mind instead of being a no-brainer shoot-em-up. Silent Hill used to have its spot as my favorite, but because of the treatment it has been getting in recent times, it has been growing more and more stale.

    This review is on the first of the Siren series, one which I found particularly favorable, although not as good as Siren 2. Even if this is true, the game does shine in certain aspects. Once again, the Siren series can be pretty difficult, and the first of the series is no joke, and possibly the hardest in the series: There is no difficult settings whatsoever, there are a plethora of inconveniences concerning clunky maneuvering, and puzzles are very subtle.

    Beating this game 100% REQUIRES a guide. I cannot stress this enough. Cast away all shame and embarrassment in this act. No one will look down on you for this. Siren is VERY subtle with its tasks and demands patience and exploration. The game is laid out in a very unique fashion in which you are given a timeline chart and choose missions of various characters. Most if not all these missions have a "secondary" phase. It's basically the same level, but enemies are scattered differently and you have to acquire different items and/or objectives. This chart you have access to is known as the Link Navigator, and is one of the most unique functions I've ever seen in a game aside from Sightjacking.

    Sightjacking itself is very interesting and a very effective mechanic in this survival horror romp. What Sightjacking is is just that...jacking into someone's sight to gain an advantage in stealth. This function is your SAVIOR, and you will be using it very often. The game's length itself is carried out by how much you will be trying to analyze your situation and the positions of enemies. If you decide not to be stealthy and try to just rush through everything, you are in for a rude awakening. This game does not hold your hand; even the MAP does not show your relative position and can cause great confusion. Enemies are also very powerful, and can off you with just two to three consecutive hits.

    Despite all these gameplay difficulties, this is where the strength of Siren begins to show. The game is IMMENSELY rewarding in just the completion of a level. You will feel STRONGER almost, being able to make progress of any degree. Completing a mission usually gives you a "Movie" which progresses the story and reveals some shocking new discoveries. The story of the game is very complex, and each and every character is memorable, despite the subpar voice acting, which isn't so daunting the more you play. There are a lot of different things to uncover, and that is mostly what kept me going.

    Now a question that is usually asked when confronted with a horror title: "Is it scary?" Yes, Siren is scary, but not in the OOGA-BOOGA closet scare we are so unfortunately familiar with in this generation. Siren puts genuine fear in the player's heart. The many characters you play are usually fragile and sometimes weaponless. You even get to play as a little girl in a few stages, and those ones are particularly stressful. If you do get a character that is fortunate enough to have a firearm, the game is still hard, as it compensates by laying out gun-wielding foes everywhere and giving you a meager amount of ammunition.

    In closing, the Siren series is a hugely overlooked gem that I regret not having played for years now. This is the true face of survival horror, and maybe even the closest we'll ever get to something genuinely frightening and tense. If I have interested you in this series, I would highly recommend playing the rest of the games as well. It is really difficult to get your hands on Siren 2 these days considering it's a DVD-9 PAL format, but it improves on the first game in every way and is far more superior. Still, Forbidden Siren has surely left its mark in proper survival horror. Only those that are very patient, appreciate real horror, and have not been pampered constantly by more casual games will find great satisfaction in this excellent horror title.    … Expand
  2. JAubrey
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    Probably my favourite horror game. I love its difficult And complexity. Its a real challenge. Only for real japanese horror gamers lovers. Its atmosphere is supera. Not for all publics. Only for real gamers.
  3. Gaiduk
    Jun 27, 2015
    10
    That is like it should be. It was better then Metal Gear Solid 2. The control have clear interaction with environment, considered many-sided plot. Of itself using clairvoyance was very innovative.
  4. AndrewJ.
    Mar 21, 2004
    4
    I found this game really tough to get into and therefore, didn't hold my interest for long.
  5. breebree
    Nov 9, 2013
    7
    Its a pretty good game, but its rather hard at some points... I was on and off with this game, sometimes I would not play for a year because I got stuck, I did end up finishing it but not 100% with all the archives and mini games... It was one of the hardest survival games iv played! and you need a lot of patients.
    Took over 14 hours all together...felt forever! You die easily, your    Its a pretty good game, but its rather hard at some points... I was on and off with this game, sometimes I would not play for a year because I got stuck, I did end up finishing it but not 100% with all the archives and mini games... It was one of the hardest survival games iv played! and you need a lot of patients.
    Took over 14 hours all together...felt forever! You die easily, your partners don't help you like they do in the other games, you need perfect timing before striking your attack. The art style looks great though and has a interesting story, maybe that's why I wouldn't give up!
    Personally Siren 2 is a lot better and bigger, also fixes all the bugs from the first, there is a easy mode! I beat this game before the first, better controls and is actually fun most the time xD
    Over all, it was hard but its not a bad game, worth a try for sure!! With out Siren 1 there wouldn't be the rest of the series!    … Expand
  6. Dontplaysiren
    Jan 3, 2015
    0
    This game murdered me. If you play it, you know you dead. It's too glitchy and controls are impossible to handle. The soundtrack is almost nonexistent which works well in some games, but it's just unfitting and ruins the atmosphere for a game such as this.
  7. caligula_king
    Oct 3, 2015
    7
    Es uno de los videojuegos mas difíciles de la historia de los videjuegos ( y no exagero ni un pelo ) , una de las historias mas bizarras y extrañas , pero que por supuesto todo esta excelentemente implantado . Un juego que no tiene nada que envidiar con sagas de terror mas famosas como Silent Hill o Project Zero
  8. JamieM.
    Apr 7, 2004
    9
    This game is hard, and does require alot of effort but that just makes the pay off for completing the levels so much more rewarding. Any fan of Japanese horror movies and the atmosphere they create will very much enjoy this game.
  9. NaomiH.
    Mar 10, 2004
    9
    I was completey terrified by this game. It is classic horror from the director of Silent Hill. I would recommend this game to anyone.
  10. GavinM.
    Mar 3, 2004
    9
    A well thought out and totally frightening experience. Play it in the dark with the sound up high. It is difficult but the puzzles are not to o hard and the sight jacking system is your saviour.
  11. GrahamM.
    Sep 7, 2004
    7
    A good Survival-Horror game.
  12. Cavador
    Mar 26, 2006
    9
    Extremely difficult, very abstract puzzles and frustrating gameplay mechanics, but it's the best alternative horror ever made. Can't wait for Siren 2.
  13. DavS.
    Oct 7, 2008
    8
    The graphics are pretty good. I haven't played other survivor-horrors but it's up there. The game is challenging, difficult, but not obtrusively so. The controls take some getting use to + the sidejack ability. I haven't gotten that far in the game yet.
  14. HughJ.
    Mar 15, 2004
    3
    Hmmm. Don't know if its me or not; but I have played the first few missons of this game and have found it really disappointing. Ok, the sightjacking is original and intense; but the voice overs are appalling. Possibly the worst I have ever heard in a game. Really spoils the atmosphere of the game. It's going to take a lot to beat Silent Hill 2.
  15. BenZ.
    Jun 12, 2004
    8
    This game is difficult, especially when you first start out. You will have trouble using the sightjacking ability to your advantage and you may be shocked at how helpless and fragile your characters are since they are often unarmed. You won't be able to charge through the levels most of the time and you will die many times, be ready for it. If you endure this initial pain, however, This game is difficult, especially when you first start out. You will have trouble using the sightjacking ability to your advantage and you may be shocked at how helpless and fragile your characters are since they are often unarmed. You won't be able to charge through the levels most of the time and you will die many times, be ready for it. If you endure this initial pain, however, you will be treated to some truly horrific gameplay (particularly the elementary school and hospital levels... CREEPY!) as well as an excellent plot. What you will never get over, unfortunately, is the extremely annoying need to go back and repeat levels over and over to pick up some item or complete some task you forgot. Often, you will have no idea what you need to do because the in-game clues are so vague. Only die-hard horror gamers will get through this puppy!… Expand
  16. LucasC.
    Apr 21, 2008
    9
    This ain't a saga for everybody, it's difficult, the story is hard to follow and the controls don't work really well. But for those who can appreciate its plot, complexity, terror atmoshphere... there are few survival horror games as awesome as these two.
  17. mastermenelag
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    Una bellissima e suggestiva avventura horror in stile giapponese con un game play lento e meditato ma estremamente coinvolgente e appagante.
  18. LuciusMcGibbon
    Jan 21, 2020
    8
    This game is too damn hard, but it scores big points on the atmosphere created by the sightjacking mechanic alone. It's bloody creepy... a horror stealth game with no HUD elements to help you navigate. The presentation and sound design also make it all work very well in an unlit room in the middle of the night. Great stuff, but frustratingly challenging.
  19. PConsoul
    Feb 3, 2021
    8
    Good story
    Bad gun gameplay as per character doing everything so slow and lack of accuracy when shooting, enemy in the opposite have a 80% accuracy, they hardly miss and can aimbot kill you in 2 shot no matter how you try to dodge it. Too much repetition as per each map has 2 mission for each character but the number of map is so low and the creativity of the 2nd mission is not so good and    Good story
    Bad gun gameplay as per character doing everything so slow and lack of accuracy when shooting, enemy in the opposite have a 80% accuracy, they hardly miss and can aimbot kill you in 2 shot no matter how you try to dodge it. Too much repetition as per each map has 2 mission for each character but the number of map is so low and the creativity of the 2nd mission is not so good and boring in the later part, all of this made the gameplay being too long. But still, this is one of the most unique horror game so far. With sightjacking as a highlight and good story to keep you playing.    … Expand
  20. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    9
    I absolutely love the atmosphere and OST of this game, i keep going back to it from time to time. One of my favorites.

Awards & Rankings

94
#94 Best PS2 Game of 2004
55
#55 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2004
17
#17 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 48
  3. Negative: 2 out of 48
  1. Game Over Online
    78
    A mixed bag, pairing a genuinely frightening horror experience with gameplay that's somewhat hit or miss.
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  2. BonusStage
    88
    If you’re patient and relish a good challenge, hear the call of the Siren, open your mind and prepare to be utterly terrified.
    Read full review
  3. GamerArchive
    80
    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.
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