SIREN: BLOOD CURSE
Developer: SCE Japan Studio
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Engine: Havok
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Native resolution: 720p (HDTV)
Platform: PlayStation 3
Release date: July 24, 2008
Genre: Survival horror, Stealth (kinda)
Mode: Single player
Rating: ESRB: M
Media: Download, BD-ROM
Input methods: SIXAXIS, DualShock 3
DOWNLOAD PRICES
You have two purchase options here for the DLC:
1) Buy the entire 12 episodes for $39.99
2) But three separate downloadable bundles with 4 episodes per pack for $14.99
I love the idea of downloading a demo and enjoying it but not enough to spend $40-$60 for the entire game, and then having the option to download and play through 4 or 8 episodes--paying as you play. Hey, some people don’t complete games entirely and this is a great idea for those types of gamers.
Since I had access to all 12 episodes I figured there would be an option to download a gigantic-o pack consisting of the entire game. Nope--not an option. I had to go into the purchase list/checkout list and click download 12 times (including verifying and destination download. BTW, I have one HDD--why do I have to do this?). Once all 9 GBs (roughly) were downloaded, I then had to install ALL 12 EPIOSDES SEPERATLY. Seriously. Yes. Each episode varies in size from 1057MB to 850MBs so the installs took several minutes each and with each passing episodic install I got more frustrated. Not a great experience to begin with.
STORYLINE/GAMEPLAY
The game takes place in a Japanese village called Hanuda. An American TV crew has arrived to research and film an exposé on the "legend of a vanished village.” You controlling seven different playable characters and must discover the mystery behind the curse that surrounds that village.
The controls feel very reminiscent of RE4--but with a flashlight (Hello Slient Hill!). The default camera mode was pulled in a bit too close and and not far enough to the right for my taste. Again, think RE4-ish. When I first began playing the game it was a bit annoying in this mode and I had noticed that with in the menu options there was another camera mode available. It uses a more traditional type of survival horror camera system (located directly behind the protagonist instead of slightly to the right)--great right?! Unfortunately this mode didn’t include a change in the camera's distance from the character (it's just too close and pitched too low). On top of that, SCE Japan didn’t bother making the character model slightly transparent to help with that. You literally cannot see anything around the screen because it's dark (remember, you must constantly use a flashlight), and the only visible portion to the player is the center of the screen that it being laminated--but that portion is slightly being covered up by the character model! What? It's not that I want a transparent protagonist--but the point is there is nothing being done here to assist the player in this mode--it was virtually unplayable for me.
So I switched back to the default camera mode despite its less-than-stellar view. Despite that fact that it's pulled in too close, at least it's posted slightly more to the right--but not much. I don't understand why they didn’t use the same distance and pitche that RE4 and even Gears uses. Perhaps they were going for intensity and claustrophobic atmosphere--but it's not creating that for me. It's creating frustration. Anyway, enough with that.
I've played for a few hours and have completed the first 3 episodes and am playing the 4th. The atmosphere of the game is great, once you get past the camera stuff. It's creepy, dark, and what lurks around each corner is unknown. The music adds to this and is just incredible! The sense of movement feels a little floaty and not as good as RE4 or Silent Hill. The voice acting is just slightly above par with what you would expect from a survival horror game.
The graphics appeared to have been slightly improved in the frame rate department from the demo. It's visually appealing if you're like me and into scary games. It seems a little more eerie than the RE series but not equal to SH 1, 2 or 3.
1st chapter spoilers begins here
So here it is. The first chapter of the game consists of you running from a zombie-cop, up a hill, hiding under a house (on stilts) and waiting for that zombie-cop to leave, running into that house and hiding in a closet (complete with creepy 1st-person mode a la MGS. As the zombie-cop approaches you, the controller rumbles with increased heartbeat) and waiting for the zombie-cop to leave once more as he looks for you, then running into the backyard, grabbing a shovel, smashing the zombie-cop over the head with said shovel, zombie-cop falls to the ground, you turn your back and sigh in relief, zombie-cop rises behind you, you freak and toss it off a hill, it dies again, you run down the hill to original starting spot, zombie-cop arrived once more and shoots you in the chest and you fall off a crumbled bridge. End chapter one.
1st chapter spoilers ends here
It probably took me 15-20 minutes to complete chapter one and it wasn’t really anything special. I only bring this up because it short AND not very exciting. My wife normally enjoys watching me play these types of games, and when the chapter ended and looked at me and said, "That's it?!" The second chapter does get better and longer, and the 3rd gets a little better as well. So it appears that the game is gaining momentum, but the 1st chapter definitely left me scratching my head.
I am enjoying it so far, but the controls and camera (if you couldn’t already tell) do bother me. I’m still playing it, so that’s a sign that I must be enjoying it on some level. Will write more as I play more.
Also, as a side note for the curious--there are no trophies.
-UPDATE 2-
Well, it looks like I'm in good company here with the installation experience. Stephen Totilo over at MTVs Multiplayer Blog and Chris Kohler over at Wired's Game | Life Blog both have pieces up about the aweful installation process. But I'll stop beating that drum now...
I got to spend some more time with the game and man is it pretty creepy. The game really picks up the pace by chapter 3-4 and at this point, the controls arnt even an issue.
Each chapter has a short intro and outro: the intro features a quick recap of what's happened in the previous chapters up to that point.
So far, some of the imagery is pretty jacked up--Silent Hill fans should feel right at home in some regards, but minus SH's really wierd, nightmare/dreamy locals.
The music, for me, is so dead on--I love it! Its ambient, creepy, melodic tunes should really be considered a supporting character in this game for I find myself paymore more attention to it than I usually do in most games.
There is some stealthy gameplay in it..that actually doesnt suck. I dont recall a survival horror game that's done it like this. Sneaking (read:crouching + slow movement) around one of the bloody-deformed-zombie types while the controller morros your heatbeat is pretty fucking intense.
The SIXAXIS motion integration is a very very minor part of the game, but I'm still am not a huge fan. :/
They really nailed the atmosphere in this game. It's accomplished with the combination of the creepy visuals, dreary, brooding music, and that freak'n flashlight--I love it. It really helps me forgive some of the negative points with this game. It's not that it's really scary like Fatal Frame 1 or Silent Hill 1 (scary), but I also think for me it's just a different time in my life for these type of games. Those two games were some of the earliest freaky gaming experiences I had. Not sure entirely what it is, because if I played this game 10-15 years ago I think it would be more intense than it is. Also, I'm only 1/2 through the game too--we'll see where it goes form here.
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The later part in the mall was particularly creepy.