Siren, known as Forbidden Siren in the PAL region, is a 2003 survival horror stealth video game developed by Project Siren, a development team within Japan Studio, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was originally released in Japan in November 6, 2003, and in other regions between March and April of the following year.
North American version cover art
Survival horror is a subgenre of horror games. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical action games through limited ammunition or weapons, health, speed, and vision, or through various obstructions of the player's interaction with the game mechanics. The player is also challenged to find items that unlock the path to new areas and solve puzzles to proceed in the game. Games make use of strong horror themes, such as dark mazelike environments and unexpected attacks from enemies.
Alone in the Dark (1992) is considered a forefather of the survival horror genre, and is sometimes called a survival horror game in retrospect.
The Silent Hill series, pictured above, introduced a psychological horror style to the genre. The most renowned was Silent Hill 2 (2001), for its strong narrative.
