Hanyuda, once a peaceful rural village in Japan, has suddenly become a hive for evil, an inescapable nightmare surrounded by a sea of blood. All but ten of its inhabitants have met with a gruesome fate, and now it's up to the survivors to unravel the mystery behind the transformation of the small town before they join the rest of the population.
But the rest of the population aren't quite dead yet.
Friends and neighbours have now become disgusting, stomach-churning creatures known as Shibito - and each and every one of them is intent on leading the remaining living to a horrifying death.
Taking place over a three day period, Forbidden Siren's 78-episode narrative not only switches between each character, but also goes forwards and backwards through time to help you understand exactly how everything falls into place. For example, you may see characters alive after you know they've already died, or vice versa. With gameplay as innovative as its storyline, the lure of Forbidden Siren is impossible to resist.
Each character in Forbidden Siren has the power to 'sight-jack', a strange ability whereby you 'tune' into and effectively steal the viewpoints of characters and foes in the vicinity. This ingenious telepathic power is essential for some of the more vulnerable characters, as it allows them to track the movements of the Shibito and plot their escape, but it also has its downside: when you're seeing through the eyes of your would-be assailants, your character is unable to move or defend themselves.
The game's unnerving atmosphere is created through a combination of authentically recreated - and hence scarily realistic - locations, disturbing audio and classically frightening environmental effects such as heavy rain and thick fog. Hanyuda's surviving occupants are also uncannily lifelike, thanks in part to traditional motion capture, but also because each character is a fully-modelled recreation of the actor portraying them.
A tense, claustrophobic and nerve-shredding experience that's recommended only for the strong of heart and mind.
- Unique 'sightjacking' lets you see through the eyes of the horrific Shibito
- Play as ten different survivors, all modelled on real actors
- Non-linear storyline allows you to see the same events from different viewpoints
- Terrifying atmosphere recalls Asian horror movies like Ring and The Eye
