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A Japanese horror game with some innovative twists and more than a nod to the fiction of H.P Lovecraft? That must be the Forbidden Siren we hear calling...

Forbidden Siren

A brand new title from a new development team that looks set to redefine the survival horror game genre.

Prepare to become ensnared in the nightmare that has overwhelmed Hanyuda, the Japanese village which now finds itself awash with evil and encircled by a sea of blood. There was no warning, no explanation, in the blink of an eye the village became a gruesome hell on earth and almost all of its inhabitants met with a fate that is surely worse than death...

Almost, but not all. There are few survivors, each now embroiled in their own personal fight for survival. Immersed in a world of fear, mystery and suspense these survivors begin a desperate search for a way out and only through their eyes, as they evade the vile creatures that yesterday were their friends and neighbours, will we begin to understand the macabre recent events.

Three Day Period

Forbidden Siren takes place over a three day period, with control switching at key points between the ten survivors. Each character, from the inquisitive high school student Kyoya to the murderous old hunter Akira, is in the village for different reasons and by understanding their past and their reactions to the evil that continues to spread around them, the mystery begins to unravel.

Comprising 78 episodes in total, the horror show unfolds – but don’t make the mistake of thinking they will play through in chronological order! A scenario link navigator, in the form of a time table helps the player understand how each episode falls into place. The lack of order adds to the suspense and twisting nature of the plot - ghosts literally come back to haunt as characters may re-encounter humans or monsters that they know from a previous episode are soon to perish.

The claustrophobic, knife edge atmosphere of Hanyuda is generated through an astonishing blend of unnerving sound effects, lifelike graphics and Japanese culture. As you creep through deserted streets, or down an abandoned mineshaft, the night air is thick with rain, fog and dew, while subtle references to indigenous customs and the digitally recreated locations combine to provide an overwhelming sense of authenticity. The characters too are beautifully formed and move with unerring realism thanks to the use of actors and models for motion capture.

Adding to the imaginative feel of Forbidden Siren is the characters' ability to 'sight-jack' or steal the viewpoints of other characters and enemies in their immediate surroundings. This extraordinary observational power can be both a curse and a blessing as it enables character's to predict an enemy's movements and actions, but renders the user momentarily immobile and defenceless.

HP Lovecraft

Forbidden Siren is inspired by the gothic novels of HP Lovecraft and also pays subtle homage to the visceral dynamism of '80s horror movies. Brace yourself for a claustrophobic experience in a world of tension and despair where survival will only be attained by those with patience, intelligence and nerves of steel.

Keiichiro Toyama, Director and Creator talks us through the origins – and inspiration for – this homage to all things eldritch.

So how would he describe this game? "'Siren is a uniquely atmospheric survival horror game." Says Keiichiro Toyama. "A terrible force has taken hold in the Japanese village of Hanyuda. The surrounding sea has turned the colour of blood and slowly but surely the village’s inhabitants are changing, becoming vile creatures, fuelled by evil. This is the story of three days in a living nightmare. Seen through the eyes of ten characters, each embroiled in their own personal fight for survival, 'Siren immerses the gamer in a claustrophobic world of fear, mystery and suspense.

"During these three days chronology is irrelevant - episodes do not take place in sequence and the only way to understand what has happened is to witness the horrors that unfold before all ten individuals. Characters can steal the viewpoint of others in their surroundings, foreseeing danger and predicting enemies’ actions. But in a world of unspeakable evil and horrific visions, this extraordinary observational power could be more of a curse than a blessing."

So what new dynamics or unique concepts does Forbidden Siren bring to PS2 gamers that they won’t have seen before? Well, according to Keiichiro, there’s “The mystery-filled world seems close to all cultures but is bought to life by the Japanese inspired characters. The game takes the form of short scenarios with leading characters that change one after another. It is the bringing of these separate elements together that leads you to the heart of the story.

“You can play with the ‘site-jack’ system which gives a wide game perspective by allowing the player the ability to steal images and sounds of colleagues and zombies, to find the direction where they would be attacked or to reveal the place to hide etc.

Sight-Jacking

So what’s the most frightening element of the game? Keiichiro says: “To see the direct danger approaching by ‘sight-jacking’. Also the desperate fear where there is absolutely no means of survival, where humans become the living dead one after another, giving you no hope but to think that it is your turn next to become the living dead yourself.”

He continues: “The weapons (in the game) can be categorized mainly into hit-attack weapon, pistol, and rifle. Included in the hit-attack weapons, there are ‘weapons’ such as a wrench, a knife, a crowbar, a hammer, an umbrella, etc. which are various tools that may be found in our everyday life. When you have the rifle, you will peek in through the scope and aim and shoot just like a sniper."

Musical and visual treatments are very important to establish atmosphere in horror games ­ how has this been approached in Siren? “There is a clear distinction between a typical horror sound and the sound field of this game mainly of ambient music.” Says the director. “Original music with a mixture of indigenous culture and foreign religion has been used. The atmosphere and surroundings are damp and humid with rain, fog and dew - something very unique to Japanese culture and the use of darkness and light gives the player a feeling of immense fear and claustrophobia.

“We did lots of sampling of textures for the deserted village; we also used actors and models who were captured for the game.”

Music

There is clearly a mass of influences behind the game in the shape of H.P Lovecrafts' Cthulu Mythos cycle form the 1930’s. These tales come in the form of a series of novellas, fragments, short novels and longer pieces that – arguably - include some of the most influential of all fiction in the gothic horror genre.

Ranking alongside the work of William Hope Hodgson (his novel The House On The Borderland was called “authentic gooseflesh” by Lovecraft), Lord Dunsany, Robert Bloch (a boyhood correspondent with Lovecraft who went on to write Psycho) and the gothic classics from Mary Shelley, Horace Walpole (The Castle Of Otranto), his body horror and dark style has influenced films and TV throughout the last 80 years.

Not ever regarded as straight 'horror' by their author, the Mythos tales - which are being added to this day by the writer's legions of admirers, in the fan and professional realm - the fiction is actually closer to science fiction. Alien, The Thing, TV's The X Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all owe a debt of gratitude to Lovecraft.

“I was influenced by Japanese novels and comics, and they meet with the dynamism of 80’s horror movies.” Says Keiichiro. “And also by nostalgic episodes like urban legends and mysterious incidents that happened for real. The horror story was based on Lovecraft’s mythology system.

Forbidden Siren is out now for PlayStation 2.

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