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SIREN: Blood Curse

EMAIL PRINT ps3

8.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 42 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 24 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: SCE Studios Japan

Genre(s): Adventure, Horror

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: June 5, 2008

Summary

[Playstation Network] Blood-splattered episodes of this Japanese Survival Horror are available as downloads, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the next episode arrives. The story follows a TV crew from America, who has journeyed to research and film an exposé on the urban myth of Hanuda, the Vanished Village. Frozen in the 1970s and surrounded by a red sea, it is said that an ancient curse has been set upon this town. The introduction of western characters to Siren Blood Curse brings a new dimension to the series and, in order to survive, they must defend themselves from the vicious Shibito, the living dead, and other terrifying monsters. Throughout the game you play each of the visitors to the village, while the game's unique Sight-Jack System enables you to switch seamlessly between the visions of the hunted and the hunters. As the plot thickens you discover you are stuck in a time loop in which events eternally repeat and change. [Sony]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

1UP

Despite the hoops you need to jump through prior to playing, Blood Curse more than makes up for it with some of the most intense and perfectly paced survival horror I've had the pleasure of being terrified by.

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Gaming Age

Siren: Blood Curse is one of the first great survival horror games to come out of this new generation. Even those gamers who don't care for the genre may actually get drawn in thanks to the serialized, episodic pacing and well-presented mystery waiting to be solved.

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Gamervision

Easily one of the best horror games on any next-gen console thus far. Never mind the fact it’s easily one of the best downloadable games on any console period.

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AceGamez

Siren: Blood Curse is a triumphant remake of a sublimely brilliant survival horror game.

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MEGamers

The game is short and it is a hefty download if you want to buy it off the PSN, but it is by far the best survival horror game you can find on the PS3 consoles.

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Game Chronicles

Quite possibly the scariest and most unnerving game I’ve ever played.

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WonderwallWeb

One of the scariest and most atmospheric games on the Playstation 3 yet.

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GameFocus

Excellent audio.

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Cheat Code Central

A pretty awesome horror game. The game's focus on story and substance rather than just shooting zombies really makes this one worth picking up if you are getting a little bored with your run-of-the-mill horror shooters.

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Games Master UK

A hugely atmospheric horror experience that combines old cliches with a new perspective. [Oct 2008, p.70]

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Even with new chapters set to join Blood Curse's current package further down the line, what's already here is a sophisticated re-imagining of the ethics the series was founded on, providing the PlayStation Network with a cash cow that delivers dividends of entertainment to anyone who is willing to take a punt.

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PTGamers

Siren: Blood Curse is an irresistible treat for survival horror fans. Its flaws don't manage to ruin the experience, and the story is chilling, competent enough to make a few heads spin.

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IGN

While the first few levels were somewhat clunky, it managed to come together with an increasingly suspenseful set of chapters and cutscenes, frightening jumps and gameplay sequences that could keep you on the edge of your seat for at least a good 12-16 hours.

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Gamer 2.0

Siren: Blood Curse is a great game. Not just a great PlayStation Network game, but a solid game overall.

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GameZone

SIREN: Blood Curse has a few problems with the gameplay, but is generally better than its predecessor and is a pretty chilling experience.

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Thunderbolt

It packs enough scares to warrant having an extra set of underpants on standby; and the mixture of stealth and action keeps things interesting throughout.

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Eurogamer

Not quite unparalleled excellence, then, but more than enough chills to keep horror adventure fans gibbering.

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Playstation Official Magazine UK

It's genuinely unsettling. [Aug 2008, p.94]

GamePro

This is a title worthy of your money. If you're a huge fan of survival horror titles, Blood Curse won't disappoint.

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PSM3 Magazine UK

Some episodes are a bit short, but Siren's tense horror is ace. [Sept 2008, p.70]

TheSixthAxis

If you’ve been craving for a new horror game, can stand some outlandish plot elements and have the HD space and patience to install it, then don’t hesitate and jump in. Even if it’s not perfect, the game has plenty of strong points that makes it a great game.

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Edge Magazine

While the game remains focused on atmosphere and aesthetics, concessions have been made to a more dynamic style of play. [Sept 2008, p.86]

TotalPlayStation

Even still, it's a good, spooky horror adventure, and worth a look if you've got 10 hours and 40 bones to blow.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Genuine Asian horror contains everything you'd expect from this genre: disgusting little girls, abominable monsters and incomprehensible cultural habits. The only flaw on this excellent genre-mixture game is a very short life span. [Sept 2008]

Playstation Universe

Ultimately, Siren: Blood Curse is a welcome nod back to the fundamentals of survival horror, and provides a captivating experience on the strength of a solid plot and atmospheric gameplay experience.

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Gamer.nl

When a game can give you that unpleasant and creepy feeling you'll know that it's a decent horror title. And Siren: Blood Curse is just that. A very convincing Japanese horror game with a throat-grabbing atmosphere and the undead popping up more often than an economic crisis getting the front page of a newspaper.

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Kikizo

Blood Curse may lurk within the shadows of convention, but those shadows have seldom seemed more oppressive. And damn good value for money, too.

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NTSC-uk

Despite being a remake of a four year old PS2 game, the ideas and scope of the original still feel fresh and exciting. Thankfully, the developers have not simply given this remake a PS3 graphical update.

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Destructoid

The story is still compelling and slowly spirals downwards into the more twisted and perverse, with several moments that leave you in shock. The game has a lot of room to grow, though, and can tighten up some of the aspects of combat and get rid of the damned grain filter.

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GamingTrend

At $39.99 any fan of Silent Hill should enjoy Siren: Blood Curse.

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games(TM)

The game’s faults intermittently make themselves known but are easy to ignore in such an engrossing and skilfully directed game. [Oct 2008, p.117]

Cynamite

Strong survival horror game, but the controls could do better.

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NZGamer

Siren is nothing new but is a short, spooky distraction.

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Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

In spite of its last-gen origins, these scares are 100-percent next-gen. [Nov 2008, p.89]

GameSpot

Despite some shortcomings, Siren: Blood Curse is an enjoyably creepy adventure with some interesting gameplay mechanics.

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GameSpy

It's got some wonky controls that make fairly routine gameplay tasks unnecessarily laborious, especially the annoying checkpoint system and map checking that removes you from the terror quite often.

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Variety

Mixing Japanese and more traditional, Western-style horror elements to eerie effect, Siren: Blood Curse delivers on its core promise to freak players out. But Sony's decision to deliver this game as a series of downloadable episodes is a frustrating head-scratcher, as the process of installing each of the 12 episodes on a Playstation 3 in two hour chunks -- even longer than it takes to play them -- is its own terror.

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Play UK

Survival-horror fans will probably enjoy Blood Curse’s clumsy mechanics and clichéd setting, especially at this price, but we’re not prepared to excuse it. The flagship title of episodic gaming on the PSN ought to know better.

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Gamestyle

The first half of the game is certainly an edge of your seat horror fest, it's only in the latter stages where the game starts to come undone with a plot that soon falls into Evil Dead 2 levels of hilarity.

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DarkStation

Siren is a game that was an experiment of sorts in the realm of downloadable and episodic games. I would have to say on most accounts that the game failed.

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G4 TV

For all its lack of innovation, there's an involving, if convoluted story here, and some commendably spooky moments.

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Gaming Nexus

Siren: Blood Curse remains largely unchanged after four years time. If you avoided it then, avoid it now as well. This title is really only for the horror hardcore.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Funkymonk gave it an8:
When you think about it ther's not actually that many great, true Survival-horror games available on PS3. This, with it's creepy, tense atmosphere and well balanced stealth/action gameplay is certainly one of the better ones. I have to mention the sight jacking, where you can see through the zombies (and other humans) eyes, as one of the best gameplay innovations i've seen for a while. It really does add a new dimention to the terror and some stratagy as you can sometimes even discover important clues... Siren isn't perfect; the graphics while excellent are almost too dark at times and the controlls are a bit clunky. However, apart from the occasional frustating death i can't say my enjoyment was affected too much. Siren is well worth a look if you like this type of game. You can even get it on CD now if you search about a bit too.

John F gave it an8:
GRAPHICS: The visuals work great for the story they're telling. The atmosphere and mood really sucks you into the story and overall experience. While the graphics aren't technically sophisticated as a disc-based game on PS3, it simply doesn't matter. The visuals are great. GAMEPLAY: The controls are intuitive and easy to pick up. "Sight-jacking," gives you the ability to see things from an enemies POV and it's very nicely interlaced into the gameplay experiences. You've likely never played another game like it. PRESENTATION: The game segments are broken into 12 episodes that seldom go over 45 mins. This makes for great pacing and spots where you feel comfortable taking a break. The previews and recaps that bookend each episodes keeps you up to speed and makes it easy to pick up after taking a few days off. Playing Siren: Blood Curse is like watching a season of a TV show. It tells an entertaining story in digestable episodes and the gameplay keeps you on your toes. I hope more games are fashioned in this style.

Marina M. gave it a9:
Absolutely fantastic game. The story is top notch, and kept me interested. The game, though, totally spoon feeds you the entire time (I guess to make up for how ridiculously hard the first game was), and tries to explain everything way too much. The atmosphere is disturbing and scary. The music is really eerie. Graphics are very dark, so it's nearly impossible to play with any light on in the room (which makes it even freakier). Gameplay consists more of stealth than actual fighting, but that's usually also an option (however, you play as an actual child at one point; a truly nerve-wracking experience). Combat is definitely a step up from the original. Lots of character development, with great voice acting though the dialogue seems a bit weird at times (then again it's a Japanese developed game where the main characters are mostly American). Overall, I really enjoyed this game, though if you're a FPS type of person (which isn't a bad thing) you might not like it.

Evelyn C gave it a10:
This game is the best true horror game I've played. It recognises the fact that if put in that sort of situation, your first instinct would be survival. Not the lets get a gun and blow everything away type of survival, but the kind where most of the time you run like Hell, or you're forced to hide for your life. You are encouraged to sneak past the Shibito rather than take them out. If you absolutely have to use force, you must use what's available, a metal pole, a frying pan, and if you're very lucky, a gun on occasion. The shibito are genuinely scary, as no matter how much you put them down, they do get back up, in an Evil Dead sort of way. Story is good, and the fact that it is done in episodes is a nice touch. The sight jacking is an odd and original feature, heightening the fear rather than lessening it as it lets you see when something is coming for you. A different style of game to Resi, with that you have the power because of the freely available firepower, with Siren, you don't. You are the hunted and always feel that way.

[anonymous] gave it an8:
I enjoyed it, despite the completely confusing story and some of the repetition. And to the guy who gave the game a 0 simply for the controls, and then compared it to a game that's completely different and wasn't even meant to be surpassed by Siren:Blood Curse... well yeah... pretty dumb.

Dimaco Dalle P gave it a9:
The game might have lost much of the innovative structure that previous releases had, yet it delievers great moments and the sightjack system remains one of the best innovations in the genre.

danny gave it a4:
very hard to control and the short episodic levels make the game very disjointed. graphics good but too much fuzzy effects. very surprised at the high scores this is getting.

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SIREN: Blood Curse

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