Examining the (Forbidden) Siren Series

The Forbidden Siren series is an oddball amongst survival horror. Lots of frustrations, but there's plenty to love.
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The Siren series, or Forbidden Siren, is a hard series to love. Some of it is by design. Siren plays by its own rules. Some rules are questionable and bizarre, to say the least, but it's part of the charm of Forbidden Siren.

The Forbidden Siren series took an approach to horror that would never make it a mainstream hit. But there are experiences and scares that you won't find elsewhere. Not only in horror games but games in general.

The Forbidden Siren series has notable flaws. But when everything comes together, it's some of the best survival horror around.

The first Siren entry has the best execution of horror. From unforgettable enemies to a story that, even after much research, I'm still not sure what happened. But in a good way. Not the kind to try to seem deeper than it is. It's used to keep you on edge, and creeping you out. That said, Siren experimented with mechanics where execution could be spotty. This results in a frustrating experience that gets in its own way. Full of charm, but doesn't always get to shine.

Siren 2 addressed all these issues and made a much more playable game with less frustration. With that, it felt like in some areas of Siren 2 they overdid it with course correction. Siren 2 still delivers an engaging story and atmosphere you won't find anywhere else. But some of the charms that came with the frustrations of the first aren't present. It is the most playable title in the series.

The third title - Siren: Blood Curse, is a bit of an odd duck. A western style remake of the first game - well not quite a remake. It's the same development team, but they made it more akin to how you would make a movie on the telling of a true story. Siren: Blood Curse is more streamlined and removes many elements and complexities. Blood Curse is the weakest of the three. With that, there are some interesting tweaks to the gameplay. While still many moving pieces, the story is much easier to follow. The major beats are still there. Blood Curse has a smaller cast that merges character arcs and characters together. This results in a familiar, yet different experience.

Forbidden Siren is not the easiest horror series to get into. There are many stumbling blocks along the way with design decisions. But if you're willing to play by its rules, and with a bit of patience, the Forbidden Siren series is a rewarding, memorable experience. Ones you won't find elsewhere.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Prelude
03:45 - The Siren Connection to Team Silent
04:47 - Siren
19:09 - Siren Spoilers
27:45 - Siren 2
38:34 - Siren 2 Spoilers
47:34 - Siren: Blood Curse
58:13 - Siren: Blood Curse Spoilers
01:04:26 - In Conclusion of Siren

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