Forbidden Siren 2

Overview

Forbidden Siren 2 is the sequel to Siren in which a group of seemingly loosely connected characters use stealth and their wits to avoid demons known as Shibito and Yamibito who have appeared on Yamijima Island after a blood-coloured tsunami capsizes their ferry. Improvements over the first entry in the series include an original Japanese voice-over track for the western version which brings the game more in line with the Japanese motion-captured actors. Forbidden Siren 2 was released in Japan on February 9, 2006. This entry in the franchise was not released here in North America.

Plot

Forbidden Siren 2 has a fragmented, achronological plot in which the game follows several characters over a period of days in no particular order although chapters do have to be unlocked. Many chapters have alternate versions of events to be played through which also alter the story. The main thread of the story is some of the characters trapped on Yamijima Island search for answers about the ghosts and possessed humans who live there, while others simply want to escape.

The story starts with a small ship bringing people to an Island off the coast of Japan. Without warning the water around the ship turns blood red. The ship its self is capsized and all the passengers fall in the water. At the same time an army helicopter for the Japanese Defense Forces faces problems and has to make a crash landing on an island. The story tells of how the survivors of both accidents attempt to survive the horrors of the island.

Sightjack

For reasons unknown, the marooned characters develop an ability to see through the eyes (sightjack) of the possessed humans on the island. This ability is used to plot escape plans and routes to avoid the possessed. This ability is used frequently during the game as weapons are often unwieldy and ineffective against the monsters who also have the ability to regenerate themselves after being felled.

Archive

Items found in the game are often added to a personal archive which can be used to build a theory as to what is happening on the island as the game itself is purposefully cryptic about such details. In the archive there are video, audio and text files and even a portable video-game that relate to the history of the characters and even the enemies. A bonus level is granted for finding 99 of the 100 archive items and a third ending is awarded for beating it.

Multiple Endings

Forbidden Siren 2 has three endings. Two are accessible by proceeding through the game in a standard fashion, the third is an unlockable ending received through finding 99 of the 100 archive items and clearing a bonus level.