There are lots of different ways to make a game scary. Reliance on grotesque elements and dependence on tense moments are the two most well-known.  If these two concepts are synthesized correctly, the outcome can be a truly terrifying experience. Siren: Blood Curse, the first true survival-horror game for the PS3, combines both of these perfectly to create one of the more terrifying games in years.

An American TV crew visits the mysterious “vanished village” in Japan, only to uncover a strange and sacrificial cult of terrifying creatures called Shibitos (whom can think, talk, use weapons, and run). The crew gets scattered, and it’s up to you, the player, to help each one of them escape the village as well as delve into the history of it and find out exactly what is happening and why.

Siren: Blood Curse is technically a remake. The original game, simply called Siren, had quite a few flaws in terms of pacing and difficulty. For this reason,  Siren was not exactly renowned upon release. Fortunately, Blood Curse addresses and fixes both of these problems and adds some new elements to help improve the game even more. The most notable new feature is the ability called “sight-jacking,” where the main character can see through the eyes of creatures in the surrounding area. This power makes it easier to see where nearby Shibito are looking and if you’re able to sneak by them undetected.

The episodic format is certainly experimental, and while it is certainly a matter of preference, there really aren’t many downfalls to speak of. It may seem random for a game like this to be released in this type of format, but the cut-scenes in the beginning and ending of the brief episodes make it feel very similar to a TV show; which ties in with why the protagonists are in the village to begin with.

 You’re given the option of buying the game in three packs of four episodes for $15.00 a piece, or to buy the entire game for $39.99. While the game isn’t exceptionally long, it is definitely meaty enough to justify the asking price. Another qualm was that many people like to own actual copies of their games. Fortunately for them, the game is being released on Blu-Ray in the near future, so gamers who absolutely have to have a tangible copy of their games can be satisfied as well.

Blood Curse has some of the best pacing I’ve ever seen in a horror game. With tension so high, it’s impossible to feel as though the game is dragging on. Instead, the player will find his or herself constantly on the edge of their respective seat, getting completely immersed in the game and trying to lead their character to safety. As it is with just about every good horror game, there are moments of hiding and waiting, but in Siren these moments are so damn tense and frightful, they tend to fly right by. Hiding in a cupboard? Most likely there’s a Shibito searching for you, taunting you, and telling you to come out. Feeling impatient at such a moment is absurd, assuming a game gets you truly engrossed in what’s happening; which Siren: Blood Curse does in flying colors.

Some feel that the game trips on itself due to the player being forced to revisit the same environments. While there is a tinge of redundancy to it, Siren offers up a few new things or makes the situation more difficult in order to make it feel at least slightly different and fresh. The scenario and concept of the game alone kind of imply that you’re going to be forced to revisit the same areas a few times with different characters.

The graphics, while not perfect, certainly do their job. Because most of the game takes place in the nighttime, truly taking in all of the scenery can prove to be a difficult and often deadly (when spotted) job. While cliché at times, each region has at least one element that makes it frightening. The fields are foggy and filled with gardening Shibito, the houses are old and eerie and filled with Shibito fulfilling the roles of stereotypical family members, and the hospitals are filled with Shibito nurses and doctors. That’s not to say that the entire element of fear is delivered through Shibito alone. The entire village is unkempt and decomposing; making for a frightening area to be stuck in.

Siren: Blood Curse is a welcome and much-needed addition to the PS3 library and to this generation of gaming as a whole. It would be a shame to see the survival-horror genre fade away, so it’s nice to see a game here and there still carrying the torch. If you enjoy a good scare, or just a good, absorbing experience, then Siren: Blood Curse is calling for you. Pun absolutely intended.

Links:

Official Website