Examining the (Forbidden) Siren Series | Frustrating But Rewarding

[@BoulderPunch]

• SUPPORT: www.patreon.com/boulderpunch Be sure to subscribe if you haven't done so already! Related Videos/Playlists: • Games Series Playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/on6zmZiNZt-pqqc&pp=gAQB • Silent Hill Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PL9iyzUyf92M89eZV-s5q3m3GEk0i49d3A • Survival Horror Playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKOanGChdpaqnbs&pp=gAQB

[@valeforedark]

Omg. The British dub . It's like so awful it's amazing

[@jackawaka]

using the actual faces for the textures works out so damn well

[@Chubbasaurus]

I was wondering why this was the first game I've seen where the characters actually look Japanese...

[@Geospasmic]

Yes! It's so refreshing to have characters that look like people for a change.

[@mattdekker5693]

I thought something was weird how well they conveyed expressions with such blocky models

[@planescaped]

It looks really creepy... so perfect for a horror game really.

[@mikea.762]

max payne might have done it first, although max himself looked a little silly

[@LobselErik]

On the Shibitos: I think something quite unsettling about them is how they DO in fact take kindly to us, they want as many people to join them in their paradise, starting with those closest to them, it just so happens that their paradise is being in a slave hive mind to the source of the Siren

[@lucascoval828]

A cosmic horror worshipped as a god?

[@blenderpain8249]

@@lucascoval828 So, you mean just like the god of popular religions. What does Heaven really mean in the christian sense? Or the Islamic sense? Or the Judaism sense?

[@lucascoval828]

@@blenderpain8249 Judaism sense.

[@ves5932]

@@blenderpain8249youre so deep and insightful you should totally like become a philosopher bro bro

[@blenderpain8249]

@@ves5932Just like you, very deep. So meta.

[@TheFirelordist]

I'm surprised you didn't mention where the frozen towel came from for the piggy bank puzzle. You needed to find the towel in a different level and stick it in the freezer. It's a perfect example of how obscure and odd the puzzles can get.

[@MultiKamil97]

This kind of puzzle makes me not want to touch this game. I'm a fan of survival horror games and I still have a lot of titles to play for the first time and as much as Siren seems interesting, I don't see a fun in playing a game with a solution at hand to progress through the story. I don't know what they thought while making those. Hard game doesn't have to be almost impossible to finish.

[@bloodkip9462]

The director wanted people to figure it out by talking to each other on the internet. So basically using a walkthrough is the intended way to play.

[@Naruga]

@@bloodkip9462 Yes and No. It was made in a time where it was assumed local communities of friends would find stuff and talk to each other and that would filter to the www and become urban legends about the game itself in a way. I feel using a walkhrough from the go does a disservice to the game unless you are just using it when you are really stuck. But most people use them from the start to clear games as easy and quickly as possible. I remember I did one level in Siren 1 many times before i found the correct way .

[@BoulderPunch]

You're right. By that point of writing the script I was well on Siren's wavelength towards logic and forgot to mention putting a towel in a feezer.

[@blindedjourneyman]

its a peculiar instance of an actual butterfly effect in a game.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

The idea of the shibito is absolutely great - they behave in mostly regular manner, but are undoubtedly dead and loving it. And want to help you understand their joy. This is at least a couple of lightyears above and beyond an old-and-done generic zombie idea.

[@Serenity-tn4yn]

Siren was ahead of it's time with the shibito designs and lore

[@Joawlisdoingfine]

Its like they want to spread the joy of death, which is macabre as fukc

[@Lucifronz]

Monsters that enjoy being monsters are a special kind of horror.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

@@Lucifronz Abso-lutely. It is especially horrifying when it's something that has to do with actual reality without any fiction. I love Thomas Harris books, you see... And his villains are a very disturbed lot with their very twisted vision of the world, incredibly damaged people, who do absolutely insane things to satisfy the fantasy, the scroching need that eats away at their life... And the thing about them is that they are such a perfect representation of a psychopathic serial killer mind that treats other human beings as objects. They enjoy being monsters. Not a single one of them actually explains themselves to the reader or even the main character, outside of the good doctor Hannibal Lecter, who is still lovably cryptic about it all, but Harris writes their respective chapters in such a way... mostly through their actions and even more through the details of the environment, in third person, that you can genuinely understand their reasonings. It's scary because they never chose to be that which they became. There was nobody to stop their downfall. And even though they do horrible things I want to genuinely reach out and help them stop somehow. "Black Sunday", "Red Dragon", "Silence of the Lambs", "Hannibal". Good books. I must've re-read "Silence of the Lambs" at least three times now. Just out of pure boredom just swallowed it in an evening. What a book.

[@kyletreat3724]

that's why i love the deadites from the evil dead series. they are having an absolute blast, it's terrifying how much enjoyment they're experiencing @@Lucifronz

[@zeroanonymity9736]

God, Siren 1 is one of the ONLY pieces of horror media that gets scarier the more you understand what's going on. It's a cosmic tragedy, a very real horror.

[@bluesyrupgc4224]

Not to mention the fact that most of the protagonists didn’t even make it makes the game even scarier. The developers flipped off MC plot armors.

[@channe3049]

​​@@bluesyrupgc4224yeah, only Kyoya Suda and the child who got rescued by the helicopter were made it.

[@danteshollowedgrounds]

Hell yeah I had nearly crapped my pants when I had first played it.

[@byeebitch]

@@bluesyrupgc4224 Agreed! No plot armor with severely high mortality rate.

[@SeikiRikodou]

@@channe3049 Harumi is the only survivor of Siren 1 Kyoya is stuck in the time loop due to the over exposure to the red water.

[@RagnarokiaNG]

The jarring shift from ancient evil emerging to punk rock calling fire from the heavens with credits in literally the next scene remains uncontested. How they made that decision, and how it somehow worked, is the true mystery of Siren.

[@Chizuru94]

It's a joke ending, afaik and there is a true one later on.

[@butwhole4186]

Reminds me of Onimusha mixed with Devil May Cry. Badass ending.

[@kitkit8136]

​@SectvsDracoWhat's the true ending?

[@cas9007]

​@@kitkit8136when the girl got rescued via heli by JSDF and Kyoya walking around after killing shibitos

[@nickromano3087]

Believe it or not, it's a reference to kamen rider kuuga.

[@theyankeesamurai23]

Siren was caught between Silent Hill and Resident Evil. It's unfortunate because it's quite the horror series. Honestly, Siren gave me some pretty sleepless nights as an adult, especially the music.

[@brianboniuk1072]

Ye, it's a very obscure franchise. But also I think it wouldn't have much more to work with, once time shenanigans are involved, story coherence is non-existent

[@jagglejiggle7108]

Aww yes, as an adult, I remember all the spooky games I used to play. Now I'm 14. Life soon to come to an end. Oh how the years go by

[@_Kosm_]

I had to take a break for a couple of minutes after playing the first Hanuda Elementary level because the atmosphere combined with the music unsettled me.

[@ryanwilson6003]

My first experience with Siren was blood curse, and that start up menu music and chanting voices still haunts me! It’s genuinely one of the only games (PT came close) that was creepy and unsettling enough I seriously didn’t want to continue playing, the atmosphere is unmatched even to this day IMO. I didn’t stop playing but eventually got stuck in some underground cave area with some big maggot looking shibito later in the game and couldn’t work out how progress. Tried playing it again on ps now a few years back but my internet wasn’t that great then and the controls seemed sluggish, graphics also seemed a little degraded. I have siren 1 on ps5 but haven’t got round to playing it properly yet, I’ve also heard it’s the most unforgiving out of the three. The first level was unnerving enough and I only got about 10 minutes in 😂

[@va8157]

In case you didn't know, somehow they celebrate siren's anniversary every year (including this year as the first game's 20th anniversary). They did stuff like haunted house and escape room with the siren setting. They even invited the cast from the game.

[@stevenguitink5947]

From what I understand the director of the first game apparently wanted the game to handled something how people handle ARGs nowadays. An online collaborative effort to work out the puzzles and narrative together. NOTE: Didn't watch the video before I posted this lol. Also if people are looking for a comprehensive analysis of the Siren games, I'd recommend Supergreatfriend's LPs of the games. He goes deep into every facet of each game in addition to providing a timeline of events as well as examination of each item/news clipping/online media around the game.

[@TheStraussable]

thank you!!

[@RazorBladezX]

Thanks for sharing, totally checking it out

[@guitarhero01234]

Here to second the Supergreatfriend rec. Siren 1 is way too difficult and obtuse a game for me, so his Let's Play is how I experienced it, and he does an incredible job of showing off pretty much any game he plays

[@user-pt9ul9tc3h]

Guy should have millions of subs but the damn algo lol but in all seriousness he’s been let’s playing since it was a thing

[@BadAssMacmillan]

The first Siren game was hard as hell. Two hits/shots and you’re dead. I still haven’t finished it to this day. It doesn’t help that the game is really creepy which makes it even harder to play through. The obscure and convoluted puzzles don’t help either. Honestly one of the hardest games I have ever played.

[@dorpth]

God, ESPECIALLY the level with the sniper zombie. That was the moment I quit.

[@Hydra360ci]

@@dorpth Then you missed the mine one... where you have to kill all the zombies in the area within like 1 minute (and more than a few had sniper rifles and revolvers). Had to use the push rail cart to do it... and time it with site jack... To unlock the 2nd mission. Primary mission wasn't nearly as bad... just had to escape the area without dying. But the secondary.... will have you pulling you're hair out., trying to time the cart to kill them all.. and I could be wrong, but I think the cart wouldn't reset had to restart the chapter to reset the cart. Often you could only kill most of them with the cart and had to just blitz the remaining ones and hope you knock them out, in time. As for the sniper one you get early.... don't step foot on that bridge until you can use the phone. Though it's been decades since I played Siren...so... don't remember the details of what needed to be done.

[@odorutori]

@@Hydra360ci indeed, the sniper has to be avoided by descending the slope rather than crossing the bridge, it's just not obvious in the darkness you can make a left turn instead of going straight. The rest of it is pretty easy, but I got stuck on the mission immediately thereafter when I played it a few days ago (the first escort mission with the blind girl).

[@SamuelBlack84]

I agree. Although I do love the games powerful atmosphere and strong elements of traditional rural Japan

[@dorpth]

Actually, that sniper encompassed all the good and bad about the game. Bad because frustrating game design and goals, good because of the atmosphere and story. The sniper zombie being such a prominent enemy really set up the gut punch when you realize it's the old hunter you had played as. What made it such a gut punch was the Hunter's level was my favorite. You spent the whole game so powerless, then suddenly as the Hunter you're blitzing through zombies with plenty ammo on a huge power trip. He's also the only cool headed characters in cutscenes compared to the other panicking humans. "Damn, this sniper zombie is ridiculous. I wish I playing as the Hunter again...oh SHIT!!!"

[@szeltovivarsydroxan9944]

Fun fact: Team Silent written in Katakana is pronounced Team SAIRENTO When they formed Team Siren, the just had to omit the last Kana, so it's Team SAIREN

[@StormDracoX]

The franchise that feels like the love child of Silent Hill and Higurashi

[@SigmarMale]

A generous helping of Fatal Frame as well!

[@fumomofumosarum5893]

absolutely.

[@Stigmatix666]

It was made by the guy behind Silent Hill..

[@qaztim11]

Let's hope the ryukishi silent hill game can carry it's torch

[@BknMoonStudios]

@@qaztim11 I'm honestly looking forward to his game more than the Silent Hill 2 remake, and this is coming from a guy who puts the original Silent Hill 2 in his Top 5 videogames of all time.

[@thefearofg0ds758]

35:22 I always saw Yorito as the "main character". He has the most significant character development, going from a whiny, timid rookie to a hardened, stoic warrior who in the end snaps and pretty much turns into Misawa. He even sort of has the same fate as the previous protagonist(Kyoya) in being trapped in another dimension and becoming an urban legend, but this time among the Yamibito. In an 'I Am Legend' esce twist, there's a cool unlockable you get of a drawing and diary from a child Yamibito depicting Yorito as a scary "monster from another world" and they fear him greatly.

[@steelbear2063]

As they should

[@enderclasscraft6411]

yorito is my favorite character the made what most of the franchises cant do or just are to afraid of doing Having playable military characters and making scary moments also made me somewhat unfortunate for his ending, although I don't know correctly what JSDF does apart from being like the national guard, I suppose that if they use firearms but in training or on stages like that, I love how the private always tries to help whoever he can even if it ends up hurting him, I don't blame him as much for getting away from misawa as many fans, nor do I say that misawa is a monster but I imagine that anyone would be afraid of being close to someone who points very lightly to the people congratulations yorito you have become the first Japanese soldier to commit a war crime in 60 years without a doubt he is showing them that he is a Japanese warrior the imperial army would be proud

[@channe3049]

He basically become the Doom Guy of Yamibito world.

[@ElliFong]

Lmao I remember that picture, I remember it said "Scary green man from the sky that hunt them"

[@ElliFong]

@@enderclasscraft6411 JSDF sometime also get involved in middle east as relief missions.

[@nimazsheik5152]

Forbidden Siren lives up to its name, it feels like a 'forbidden' game. The weird uncanny graphics, obscure puzzles and difficulty curve make this my scariest game of all time. The plot is just so awesome, it honestly could be adapted to a limited tv show. I'm just glad to finish this game because it's too intense to play through again.

[@user-lr7dk7mt2w]

There is a siren movie I watched it a long time ago so I'm not sure how well it aged and it largely only made sense because I played the first game before seeing it but it was scary and I'm pretty sure there's an English version If your interested try googling something like forbidden siren movie should come up with something

[@CroakingBroking]

There is also a manga adaptation of the 1st game. It also added a lot of backstories to the characters. Its not bad but I wouldn't say its very good but it is a good way to experience the story of Siren if you don't feel like playing the game

[@shoutmon1337]

The mocap is so compelling tbh, I kind of wanna see a feature or short movie in this kind of style, dilapidated visuals and all.

[@BlackWidowMac]

I thought the same thing, the visuals of the first game are really interesting to watch and actually holds up better than i would’ve assumed. especially up-res’d

[@lucascoval828]

Would help make for an unsettling horror piece.

[@omegazx7236]

There is a Forbidden Siren movie

[@The_Mister_E]

I must say, recording the voice actor's faces for use as textures is a real fresh idea that certainly contributes to the game's identity. It even takes most of the hard work out of face posing! No more Tekken 1 cutscene syndrome!

[@visassess8607]

I know it's an overused saying but it does seem ahead of its time. La Noire is a game I remember being talked up for it's facial acting and actually using the person's face but this came out much earlier.

[@theunbearablejuan]

Siren: Blood Curse/New Translation was one of the first PS3 games that actually looked next gen, in spite of its questionable framerate. The creature design is still terrifying.

[@M_reapr]

I get what you mean but if you ask me and my biased opinion compared to siren 2(PS2) it felt like a massive step back as fan of the originals (which I got for Christmas lol back in 2005) and the tech. Also the color grading was blown the fuck out everything was orange and blue which made it feel even less gritty and realistic.

[@Naruga]

@@M_reapr agreed. I bought a ps3 specifically for siren having been a massive fan of 1 and playing 2 in Japanese at a time I had move to Japan and my Japanese was limited. But Ps3 siren felt like a step back and an attempt to appeal to people who were never going to buy the game anyway.

[@jeremyhall2727]

I remembered that game was spilt into episodes when it first came out. But a year later, you can buy the whole pack.

[@Rynewulf]

@@M_reapr that was a weird thing in the ps3 era, there was an orange and blue trend.

[@Stigmatix666]

Siren Blood Curse on the PS3? The one with the build-in walkthrough? Yeah, that one was *too easy* again. That’s the issue with these games; they’re either too hard or too easy. It would be nice with a middle ground..

[@Sinphanius]

I really really like the way they handled Kyoya. I've loved the idea of 'Horror Protagonist Fights Back and Forcibly Changes the Genre' ever since Ash did it in Evil Dead. This is a perfect starting point for a running, well not really joke, but running theme of all the games. It makes me hope that for the new game they have a special scenario that unlocks if you get all of the Game Overs you can get where, basically, its the 'Bad End' and all the characters in that game die, but then a few weeks later Kyoya shows up like 'It always comes down the Hunter's Helper to clean up these sorts of Messes.'

[@graymads]

Siren is a such an underrated series. It definitely one of the scariest games I have ever played.

[@brad3950]

I want a remake but I know no one would do it right.

[@danthovict381]

Yeah, this title will always be one of may fav horror game beside silent hill 1-4.

[@brianboniuk1072]

​@@brad3950 Siren: Blood Curse is that remake. Unless u mean a remaster, which is the proper term.

[@maverickrx8]

I wouldn't say underrated, but more on the lines of underappreciated and the main reason for it's lack of appreciation is the atrocious gameplay for anybody new to the games. You're going to have a bad time. You aren't going to be able to experience everything the game has in it and does well because you can't get through the gameplay. It's rated fine.

[@brad3950]

@@brianboniuk1072 awfully presumptuous to assume what someone meant and to assume they were wrong isn't it? Like a really delusional level of presumptuous haha :p I want a remake, a new one made with more competence and feels nostalgic and pays homage to the source material while updating the gameplay. I do not want a remaster which just improves the graphics. I know what I want and the proper term was used lol. Games can have more than one remake.

[@Andreas-hp3se]

The way facial animations were handled in 1 and 2 was really outstanding. I think it both smashes head first (literally) into the uncanny valley but also kind of breaks through? I would have loved to have seen something with the graphical fidelity of Thief but with the facial animation tech of Siren 2. It's just such a striking, evocative look.

[@cheeroh]

When I was a kid I was absolutely terrified of this game and I remember my brother pranking me by letting the intro play in the middle of the night on our living room TV

[@DebugMenu]

I have no doubt at all that if Siren Blood Curse got a PS4 port with 4K rendering and actual good controls it would be a great experience. It doesn't need any changes whatsoever to the textures, presentation, just 60fps, 4K and modern 3rd person controls.

[@BoulderPunch]

Would help with that performance hit.

[@jeremyhall2727]

Yeah too bad it never did

[@Hydra360ci]

Yeah... well.. I say the same about Capcom's, Haunting Ground... but good luck finding that PS2 game without emulation.

[@MrDrCthulhu]

I definitely agree with the sightjacking mechanic being something that should see some use in other games, especially indie horrors from devs wanting to try something new. There's a lot of body horror and psychological horror elements you could play around with by having your perception being thrown into an enemy.

[@Mankey619]

The Forbidden Siren series are indeed one of the best well made Japanese survival horror games ever made by former Team Silent. The monsters are very unique and body horror goodness. I am excited for Slither Head now.

[@interestingusername306]

Siren 1 is one of the genuinely most terrifying games I've ever played. Especially these days with such comfortable high standards in graphics and design, it feels hostile. Like the game is alive and just hates you. For example the way the objectives don't even reward you for completing them, they just tick off the box and off you go to the next one. It's honestly tragic games with this much personality aren't appreciated more.

[@Serenity-tn4yn]

Real art is never appreciated until decades later Siren will grow in popularity over time but it'll be too late and a new game will probably never be made

[@Pixels27]

Small note, at 41:26 as often is translated in other Japanese media, the game's subtitles refer to 'kanae' her by her name, but 'sis' might be a better translation. Point being if the commentary was describing the scene in the background gameplay, that's his sister not his mother.

[@curvytangerine]

Kanae has Shu's dead mother's face (all the doves share Shu's mother's face) which I believe is what the narrator was referring to. but Shu himself doesn't realize this, so to say "he looked at her and saw his mother" is misleading, I agree. to correct you as well, though, Kanae is not Shu's sister. she's Mother's first dove, and was taken in by Shu and his father after they found her on the beach. (Shu didn't remember his mother's face, but his father was shocked by the resemblance.) Shu calls Kanae "neechan" because she's a friend/sisterly figure, not his literal sister. 👍🏻

[@EGommer1994]

Regarding the first Siren, I always found it a tragic example of wasted potential. It has so much going for it but shoots itself in the foot. Siren has some of the best atmosphere I've ever seen in a game. It can be a legitimately eerie game with a compelling and horrifying story. And... it all goes out the window with its special blend of difficulty + trial and error gameplay. It brings everything down with it. Trial and error gameplay rarely works in a horror game in my opinion. Not how it's done in Siren anyhow. Nothing ruins horror more than overexposure and replacing fear with frustration. It's so sad because it just has so, so much to love about it.

[@RetroGeek94]

The second game is more fair and forgiving than the first one. I recommend giving the 2nd game a try. It's the best in the series imo.

[@three_seashells]

I remember being in blockbuster and asking my dad if we could rent the original forbidden siren when I was very young -- too young -- and playing it REALLY fucked me up for a few weeks.

[@ChristopherSadlowski]

The facial capture they used is exquisite! I've never seen anything like it before; has it been used in any other games? It really captures not only lip sync, that can be off in a lot of games without lots of postproduction work, but also the fine details of human expression that basically no game is able to reproduce at all. To think a PlayStation 2 was able to pull off such realistic looking human faces with such a simple trick. It's simply stunning. Thanks for making this video. I can tell these games would be WAY too intense for me to even think about trying myself.

[@the_finalboy]

siren blood curse was one of the first games I played on ps3 and it terrified me then when I was 9 and terrifies me to today (I turned 23 a 2 hours before writing this comment) fun fact I have never beaten the final boss to this day. it’s just something about siren blood curse, the music, the atmosphere, the shibito, the darkness, the aesthetic, the chant the shibito make at the start menu. it will always be absolutely terrifying.

[@2ndbleak]

Happy Birthday 🎉

[@Serenity-tn4yn]

Replayed it yesterday lol beat the final boss for you

[@jeremyhall2727]

Well happy b day

[@SIRKISSHY]

ayo happy birthday im the same age as you and a may baby AND i was terrified of siren blood curse as a 9 year old too!! i made a point not to watch this video at night bc it's just that terrifying lol

[@the_finalboy]

@@SIRKISSHY I watched this video to fall asleep to hahaha

[@tsukinobeato]

This game is a cult classic that's still celebrated in Japan every year (Every August 3rd) I watched the entire Japanese lore analysis and it gets so depressing and more creepy the more you analyzed the game. I must say no horror games can have as much depth as SIREN 1 in terms of lore and worldbuilding even almost 20 years later. Until now, many horror games try to replicate the SIREN formula, which I appreciate because not many dare to take such a roundabout storytelling.

[@KawaiiStars]

what videos did you watch? or which channels?

[@kitkit8136]

I'm so glad he made this vid! Just recently discovered this gem and now searching up anything I can find about it which is surprisingly not a lot. I'm really hoping for a sequel to Blood Curse since I want Howard to get out of the loop 😢 I know the time loop is the core of this game but mans deserve better.

[@tsukinobeato]

@@KawaiiStars It is only in japanese, but HAL PROJECT made a series of explaining the lore and worldview of what happened Hanyuda Village. Auto-translated captions can kind of tell the gist of what happened. There's also Nostalgic game introducer Kokkun who did an analysis

[@KawaiiStars]

@@tsukinobeato Thank you!! :D

[@ethribin4188]

I honestly liked the slowdown and quality drop of the sightjacking in bloodcurse. It gave me the feeling of the character going through tremendous effort, focus and strain to do this "magic" of seeing through other's eyes.

[@koosa6289]

Its like slowdowns in Earth Defense Force add to insanity of things happening on screen

[@NndNerd]

By the way, Siren is known as one of the cult horror video game in Japan. Some japanese people say it's still the best horror video game in terms of story and arts. However, the details of this game are based on Japanese folklore, history, and culture. So if you play this game, it may be a good idea to check the internet for additional information as appropriate.

[@matthewdoesntlikeit]

God, I really really appreciate the way you go through these stories in your dives without completely ruining the story or the way the game plays out. All your videos act as JUST enough of an explanation/tease to get me to want to play them myself. 10/10 homie.

[@cronk8219]

I always loved this series' art style, never finished any of them!

[@amelietrue]

Even if Siren: Blood Curse isn't what core fans might have wanted, I think its an incredible artistic decision that allows the themes of the original idea to reach new audiences. If it weren't for Pewdiepie playing it, I wouldn't have discovered Siren and its become my favourite horror game.

[@nelladeraj]

ye i was obsessed with siren blood curse after pewdiepie played it and as a kid i even went into a used videogame store to ask if they had it for ps2 even tho it was only on ps3😅. its still my favorite letsplay to rewatch from him

[@blake.1312]

This was a great video! I remember reading about Siren Blood Curse on the PS2 magazines when I was a little child, terrified but curious at the same time of the series. You've shown me how fun and interesting these titles are in a very good format, and narrated with a soothing voice. Awesome stuff!

[@pilloeglade5463]

I liked the tv show host. Well not her character but the idea that she was aging out of her profession and wanted to be young forever. She had a creepy promo website too. I doubt it still exists since it had a lot of flash elements in it.

[@GFCat]

Small correction, when Shuu is dragged to the underworld it's the image of his sister, not mother. Oneechan means "older sister."

[@curvytangerine]

Kanae has Shu's dead mother's face (all the doves share Shu's mother's face) which I believe is what the narrator was referring to. but Shu himself doesn't realize this, so to say "he looked at her and saw his mother" is misleading, I agree. to correct you as well, though, Kanae is not Shu's sister. she's Mother's first dove, and was taken in by Shu and his father after they found her on the beach. (Shu didn't remember his mother's face, but his father was shocked by the resemblance.) Shu calls Kanae "neechan" because she's a friend/sisterly figure, not his literal sister.

[@arinhardie8340]

I remember stumbling upon pewdiepie’s playthrough of blood curse when I was 11 back in 2012, everything about the game captured my attention. Gave me nightmares for months. The soundtrack still pops into my head randomly to this day

[@OmarCruz-rx9nv]

I've never been interested in the siren series because of the clunky gameplay and weird story but it does seems like it has an excellent atmosphere, and excellent enemy design. I also never knew that a part of team silent worked as developer. As a survival horror fan, now I HAVE to give it a try. Excelent video as always Mr. Punch.

[@pilk7328]

Sweet that you covered this, found out about it in 2013 and it’s been my fav horror series since

[@axelashes6151]

I'm glad you covered the Siren series, definitely needs more love for what it brings to the table that is not seen as much from other horror games of its generation.

[@AFoxInFlames]

I love 2 because the monsters seemed scarier, the designs just really creeped me out the people with the hand bodies gave me nightmares!

[@Maioly]

43:59 time for my massive siren nerdyness to act up again Hia roomate knew of her role, she just chose to abandon it; It actually beong a recurrong ossue where doves will grow fond of humanity and abandon their task. The same thing happened with Kanae, she grew fond of shu and (to a lesser degree) his father and decided to not go through with things... problem is, she was still living in yamijima, close to mother, so mother forced her to kill shu's father. In the ensuing chaos, all kanae was trying to do was get shu off the island so he would be safe from mother and the angered villagers. As for Akiko, she was not a dove, she channeled Kanae's memories and eventually got taken over by her. As for the one other character hinted at being a dove, she wasnt directly, there was a connection but it was indirect.

[@curvytangerine]

Akiko was actually an unawakened dove. her mother went into the water while pregnant and the remaining energy of the first dove (Kanae) went into her unborn child. channeling so many of Kanae's memories on Yamijima and being around Shu reawakened this first dove within her new shell. Ikuko was one of a pair of twins that shared the split spirit of a dove who had already been split in half once before, so she and her twin were sort of weak-willed doves. this is one reason why they could avoid Mother's influence so much. it's not "indirect" but it is weakened by being divided twice. Ikuko is unawakened (this is why she doesn't have the same face as Yuri, Kanae, and Mother), but her twin (Ryuji's girlfriend) did awaken, only to be killed by Yuri for refusing Mother's call.

[@PaintedMana]

Siren 2, the dog creature with the human head scared the everliving shit out of me as a kid. I miss this game so much. apparently it doesn't emulate well

[@InvisibleInternetGuy]

I remember a younger me researching the first game on the web and finding the fake forums and videos clips. Kept me awake at night due to being freaked out.

[@thereseclairecreates]

I have never heard of this and I am terrified and amazed. This is the kind of early 2000s horror vibe I've been looking for!

[@Hydra360ci]

Well... they're availiable on PSN... except for Siren 2. (though I think they are only for the PS3. Definietly the remake anyways... orginal may have been re ported for the PS4, but don't really know.) Side note... All Fatal Frame games are now on PSN, too... including the once, Nintendo exclusive ones. FaFr 1-3 are PS3 only, though (originally PS2 games and Xbox for the first 2.)... 4 and 5 are PS4/5 titles (though they aren't titled 4 & 5)... and 4 & 5 are expensive, cause they just got ported... 5 was ported last winter, and 4 was ported like... this March or something.. FaFr4 was never released outside of Japan, until now... and is considered better than FaFr5. Though, 2 & 3 are considered the best ones.. with I guess Xbox being even better because they got extra endings for 1 and 2. (FaFr3 is Playstation, exclusive.)

[@pachucodreams]

Seeing the first 8 minutes of this made me revisit Siren immediately and now trying to finish it for the first time.

[@pachucodreams]

Just finished Siren 1. It is incredible despite frustrating things that impede it. Despite the shortcoming and design choices, it's an amazing work of conceptual and collaborative art. Really unsettling, especially all the missions from the perspective of the little girl.

[@patnewbie2177]

@@pachucodreams Which little girl, there's like 2 little girls LOL

[@pachucodreams]

@@patnewbie2177 The youngest one that's not a teen.

[@pachucodreams]

@@patnewbie2177 House level girl

[@Rexorazor]

Say what you want but the horror aapect is really solid and i love it. Totally rivals Lovecraft and Junji ito.

[@sungi_ni]

Your writing gets better and better !! I’ve never finished a survival horror title myself so experiencing them through your channel this past year has been a pleasure. Keep it up !!

[@disgorgingconsciousness2250]

I HAVE WAITED YEARS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I love this game so much but it's so hard to find any content about it on KZbin. Thanks for the video x

[@PsychoRavager]

Just 5 minutes in, I'm in love with the art style! Reminds me a lot of Max Payne 2 and how it used photos for textures and even a bit of L.A. Noire. Man, I wish more game devs would try lower polygon art, again.

[@thefearofg0ds758]

I swore I was the only one who got Max Payne(Remedy) vibes from Forbidden Siren 2 facial animation

[@nicole_toast]

I feel like it’s rare to see now a days indeed. The Chillaz art games are ones I really enjoy who still use the same low polygon art

[@idglet9565]

There's definitely a swathe of devs diving into low poly art , absolutely no shortage there, but they're basically all indie.

[@milesinwyatteandcora]

It's very hard but if you look through youtubers playing indie horror , they come into some horror gems

[@waltersullivan5042]

Siren 2 is an underrated Masterpiece. Wish this series would continue...!

[@Lord_Aba]

This series teaches you the importance of food safety. Always make sure your fish-bird is cooked to a proper internal temperature!

[@samz8691]

For what it's worth, Siren 2 has a hard mode you unlock after beating the game, it actually changes the layout of enemies and weapons a fair bit, even when you're armed, alot of the weaker melee weapons can now barely take down a single enemy before they kill you first, some levels even require signifficant changes to how you approach them, such as more snipers in the way.

[@ajflink]

Yuri Lowenthal is everywhere in anime and games. He is immediately recognizable but I soon find myself being less mentally conscious that is him versus the voice of the character he is playing. It is very hard to find a half-ass performance by him. I always get excited when I recognize his voice. If you want to see a jarring vocal performance by him, see any scene him playing the following characters in any order: Sasuke from Naruto Shippuden, Suzaku from Code Geass, and Johnny from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

[@detectivehan5717]

IMO all I hear is Ben 10 whenever yuri voices a new character. The voice is the same but with a different face

[@ajflink]

@@detectivehan5717 Fair enough

[@crimsonrayquaza46]

@@detectivehan5717 yeah and as a person who grew up watching Ben 10 I absolutely love the voice.

[@ves5932]

one note voice actor however his work in helldivers 2 has been pretty good

[@scarlettNET]

I grew up on Ben 10 and Alien Force but I somehow never recognised the voice actors in other stuff (besides Grandpa Max). So I can only hear Yuri Lowenthal as Oliver Swanick now lmao

[@Lucifronz]

Sightjacking is an interesting mechanic I didn't know about the series. It's one of those things where giving more information is a *bad* thing, but in a good way. Knowing where everything is doesn't make you feel safer, even though it's an obvious advantage if you make good use of it.

[@ScreamingLake]

So glad you covered this. Of all the obscure horror game series channels like yours cover in the recent surge of survival horror content this has always been the most fascinating to me. It deserves way more exposure as it provides a truly singular experience.

[@Moogie237]

So cool how some scenes in siren 2 look like they were literally just filmed. That facial capture looks insane from the front. The scene where Shuu sees mother imitating his sister, I had to blink a couple times before I realized it wasn’t just video footage. It’s crazy. The thing about siren 1 is that the facial captures are too low res and the facial polygons too jagged to be able to confuse it for a human; It very clearly looks like a ps2 model, even when the camera is pointed directly at their face. In siren 2, however, if the camera is pointed directly at the face, and sometimes even close to a quarter view, it looks like regular footage of a human face, and its just so cool to me. also, I realized u referred to the person mother imitates at 41:41 to be shuu’s mother. Unless theres other plot points that disregard this in some way, Shuu refer’s to Kanae as his older sister in the Japanese audio, saying “It’s you, isn’t it, older sister?” This was likely changed for localization purposes, as we dont usually directly refer to our siblings using “brother” or “sister” in english, instead using their names, where they do in Japanese. This makes it kinda confusing here, though, unfortunately.

[@judas_christ01]

I gave Forbidden Siren a try a few years ago and didn't get very far due to not being very invested, not having much information about the game beforehand beyond that it was considered a fairly significant title, but I do believe your video may have been effective in getting me interested in really giving a try again. Thanks for that.

[@aryssobral]

I didnt get far cause it was creepy AF, playing at night with raining outside. No way, Just noway.

[@Hydra360ci]

yeah... even when it was released, it was hard to get into. Had tons of jank... Dubbing was off putting and the puzzles were unlogical. Only thing it really had was Character story and thought envoking mini plots/conclusions.

[@TheGamingManiac]

Just discovered this game series/universe and I am LOVING it! As a huge Junji Ito fan, I can't help but compare this to his "Uzumaki" piece, as the plot of that manga also centers around a town where the inhabitants slowly grow more and more insane due to a cosmic horror. Not only is the feeling of despair and unstoppable tragedy so deliciously macabre, but the growing mysteries and underlying motivations of the characters make for a VERY interesting and twisted story. SO good

[@chrisdiokno5600]

Such a great underappreciated series. I remember first seeing Blood Curse on PS3, and the PSHome minigame

[@quinnzykir]

I miss pshome. I used to run around playing mini golf or the uncharted 3 shootout

[@chrisdiokno5600]

@@quinnzykir There's a fan project that's slowly attempting to bring it back, recreating stuff

[@byeebitch]

Same! That minigame was so much fun! Too bad PSHome is gone but I still have pictures when I was hanging out with my friends and the trophies as memories

[@quinnzykir]

@@byeebitch I still don’t get why Sony canned it. I spent so much on cosmetic items

[@InfiniteQuandary]

The PSHome version of Saiga Hospital was a trip! I feel that it needs its own deep dive! The playable mini game version of Bella's level was a stroke of genius. It had so many secrets! Even though it was eventually delisted, the address (which I bookmarked) was still active LONG after PSHome lost its relevancy.

[@NotSoMelancholy]

(Glad to see it gets touched on in the video, wasn’t there when I wrote this) Man, I gotta take a moment and appreciate how impressive the facial capture is. I’m assuming it’s some kind of cropped video put over top of the models faces, but it’s incredible to see that level of expression in a game from 2003 this is all a full year before HL2 and it’s impressive facial animation tech

[@112523]

Still kinda impressed by the face tech in the first game. Sure it does look outdated but somehow it also still works

[@polterboo3515]

Man I completely forgot about this game for YEARS this video unlocked old memories of when I first found this game A youtuber I used to watch a lot played it and I could never remember what the game was called, just that ritual song with the woman singing Hearing it again hit me with a wave of old memories and odd nostalgia

[@sukamadik5983]

I don't know why but I feel like this video calls to me.

[@Aarkwrite]

I hear what you’re saying

[@steelbear2063]

Hear hear!

[@itsaustin1410]

Man, what a trip down memory lane. If I recall correctly, there was one of those PlayStation magazine discs that had a review, or maybe a short set of tips for the game or something, and it TERRIFIED me as a kid. I wasn’t even actually playing and it freaked me out so bad that it always stuck with me in the back of my head. Anyway, great video!

[@kseniav586]

I couldn't finish the first game because it was too scary and difficult and I'm terrible at stealth, but I love watching videos about this series, it's certainly unique.

[@mondoprime]

Hugely underrated franchise. The original is easily the scariest game I've ever played.

[@skadude113]

I will admit, I actually never played these games in full but I'll never forget getting a PS2 demo disk and the first siren was on it. At that time, I had never played anything quite like it and even then as a horror fan in general it creeped me out! Tapping into a near by enemy for the first time felt like watching something you shouldn't be watching. I do recall it being pretty difficult and that put me off a bit. But after watching this (super well done!) its got my interest again!!

[@AntiNihilist]

Fantastic video. In my opinion this series far exceeds any other horror series. Mostly with atmosphere and music.

[@OnionJuice517]

Oh my god, looks like there's an hour of amazing content ahead of me! I love the Siren series, one of the creepiest games i've ever played, so glad to see it covered here!

[@enzo991_]

This was such a great deep dive video on one of the most underrated horror experiences in gaming. I always say that I completely understand why Siren might not be for everyone, but the series has so many unique elements it's hard for me to not appreciate it on those merits alone. I'm very excited for Slitterhead. It looks to be an action take on Siren with similar hiveminded enemies to the Shibito. The Shibito/Yamirei were one of the highlights of the Siren games so excited to see what they can do to expand the concept.

[@bacongl]

As a massive Silent Hill fan, I can't believe I didn't know about these and absolutely have to pick them up. I love the character models and facial animations.The environment and ambience looks amazing.

[@YeTheGOATNoCap]

There's no shame in using a guide for this game since they do not tell you what to do in most of the levels.

[@Hydra360ci]

Yeah...siren is on PSN and probably for less than 10 bucks. Be warned... the controls are jank and the missions turn into a time sink.

[@Wyrd22]

I got the first one, real excited to play something difficult and deep and spooky, and got maybe halfway through, to when you unlock the level select screen. And honestly, at that point things just got so ridiculously convoluted that I gave up playing it. I have to remember a secret key in the garden while replaying as a character, so I can give it to someone else 3 levels later, only if I make the right decisions to go to the correct timeline, so I can now enter a building and learn a code, to then have that character meet someone else and teach it to them, and all of this without a guide or really anything to go on besides a cryptic hint every few levels... no idea which level to start with, which secrets to find, even that there ARE secret items and puzzles in a lot of the levels... everything is connected so obscurely, gah, I loved the game but my god did it just get ridiculous to try to figure out and play on your own. Even with a guide it is STILL confusing as hell. I can see why this might be someone's cup of tea, but I couldn't keep going with it. It's a shame too because the atmosphere and story telling were stellar. I'm still keeping my eyes on the second one and Blood Curse, though... I never thought I'd say it, but something more straightforward might be better for me with this series.

[@Gasmaskguy10]

Mate your a legend it feels like everytime i remember a game and would like to hear someone review it your always not far behind with a review of it, bang up job mate thanks for your work.

[@VilodivanGaming]

Great video! There are also books called Siren Maniacs for the first 2 games that go more in depth into the lore behind what happens in the games. You will find translations online with a google search for anyone that's interested! At first Blood Curse helped me understand the first game more too but they do have some differences with how the time merging and loops work.

[@AROAH]

Siren sure seems like a situation where the overall feel of the game was thought of along with a general outline of the plot, and then the writers had to figure out some reason why everything was happening.

[@MilkWithIce]

YT is such a blessing sometimes. I remember watching many Siren vids before 2020. The interesting thing about the first is how they market the game like the Kyoya's room played in a flash game as well as the commercial-slash-teaser directed by a know Japanese director, which was creepy af and hinting the points of the game. The scene where Tomoko turns into a Shibito was used as a commercial but got backlash after it scared a lot of viewers.

[@nicole_toast]

I remember the first encounter I had with this game was when pewdiepie played it back in like 2011 or something. I was sooooo disappointed he never finished the game because I found it genuinely terrifying. The game mechanics were so unique!

[@wxrlord]

he did finish the game actually, i remember watching the entire playthrough he did if i remember correctly

[@colacata7078]

So happy to see a long video essay about this game in 2023! This is awesome! Thank you for the hard work you put into this :)

[@takkik282]

the face technique capture from the first 2 game still feel the best compared to lot of modern high poly games. There is something very creepy like some old VHS horror movie vib. I love the atmosphere of the first two games but never finished them, so frustrating!

[@BearlyRegal]

Great vid bud! My experience with the series was limited to Blood Curse but I was always curious to learn more - this vid ticked that box in a big way so huge thanks! Keep up the great work.

[@beansfebreeze]

This series looks . . . incredible. I need to play these immediately. How on earth have I never heard of these??? I'm so excited?????

[@starfishsicko]

This series is a favorite. Completely underrated and I wish we could have more of it. Yes, it's obtuse, confusing, and at times completely nonsensical. It's like a dream, or a nightmare. The lack of logic is almost part of it

[@teacupbirb4711]

More games need to use that superimposition method for face sculpts. Looking at clips of Siren 1/2 and Siren 3 just shows how much that method elevated the unnerving air of the otherworldly environment.

[@KnightOfNewColu]

So friggin’ happy to have a full hour of content for one of my favorite, and super underrated horror series. Still need to get around to Forbidden Siren 2!

[@jaybeematthewbacarro9001]

I remembered playing Siren 1 in a Pizza Hut of all places with those PlayStations. Damn this game and RE4 is what kick started my interest in horror games. Personally this is one of those games I wish they could remake because this series has so much potential. With the return of Silent Hill maybe it’s about time this one comes back too.

[@Shenaldrac]

Minor correction at 6:25 We do not play as a professor. We play as a "Pruhfessuh!" and it is glorious. I also really like this game. I've never played it and never will play it because I'm just not a fan of survival horror gameplay. But I love watching people play through it, and the story is pretty great. I actually think the english dub is quite good. Yes, the British accents are pretty thick, but they're still very well directed. They get across the emotions and intentions they're meant to, and I can think of a lot of games that fail at that. For VA work, direction is hugely important. And there is an in-setting explanation for the bizarre hoops you jump through to get all the items and the true ending. I'm not saying it excuses the point and click logic, but there is a reason for it. The whole game is a time loop. The characters are doing and re-doing things over and over again. It's why there are two different objectives for each chapter, representing different actions over the course of multiple goes through the loop, all eventually leading up to the point where everything, through sheer chance, the million monkeys with a million typewriters producing the complete works of Shakespeare, manage to get everything right and break the loop, resulting in Harumi escaping. Again, it doesn't make the absurd logic okay, but it does explain it.

[@77elvistheking]

Been playing this game for 20 years... I can't even think of it without the english voices now lol. Honestly the voice overs weren't bad, it's just that it was a Japanese horror experience and a lot of emphasis was put on that by the developers. And Sony took that Japanese horror experience and dubbed it with british voices. They fixed that with the second game by simply giving you the option to play either in Japanese or English. Still wonder how hard it would have been for programmers to add that option for the PS3 and PS4/PS5 re releases, since they never bothered doing it.

[@Andriej69]

Fuck yes, this series needs more love, hell, it demands a remake!

[@JohnJohnson-fb1lc]

Great video! Just wanted to say that the feeling I get from the Slitterhead reveal is that Toyama wanted to turn the ending from Siren and it’s Remake into a full game.

[@bloodrunsclear]

Between the fact that the characters have British accents in the original game and a character wearing a robe, this was a lot like Harry Potter and The J-Horror

[@soapdood2085]

Dude, I love the way this video is structured. It literally made me go and play the game. Like, I’m about to start it lol. Not many creators can do that for me so hats off man.

[@kittymancer4529]

Watching this video has really helped me understand one of my favourite recent games (fear and hunger 2) with clear inspirations to the point of one monster from this game showing up in termina and the monsters as a whole being clearly the inspirations of termina's moonscorched :D

[@wonderguardstalker]

Nice, smooth explanation of the games. Never heard of them before now but now I’m actually interested to see what that new game may look like. And yea that totally looks like Rhea in that first shot, even in profile for a bit

[@nicetomato7573]

I remember being terrified by a let's play of the third Siren game. It has such an oppressive atmosphere to it. I have to play the original. :)

[@pricebless]

I’ve had these 3 games sitting on my game shelf for some years now. I have played part of Siren 1 but didn’t finish it. Your video encouraged me to pick it up and complete the series. Thank You. I love survival horror games!

[@hardbody2072]

Great video Boulder Punch, your reviews are the best, keep up the great work!