Forbidden Siren 2

Gameplay

Like its predecessor, Forbidden Siren 2 is divided into numerous scenarios, organized chronologically in a table called the "Link Navigator". In order to complete a scenario, the player must accomplish a primary mission objective that usually involves reaching an exit point, subduing certain enemies (called shibito (屍人, shibito, lit. "corpse people") and the yamibito (闇人, yamibito, lit. "darkness people")), or finding an item. Objectives in different scenarios are interconnected via a butterfly effect, and a character's actions in one scenario can trigger a secondary objective in another.

The game's defining feature is the characters' collective ability to "sightjack," or see and hear from the perspectives of nearby shibito, yamibito, humans, and other creatures. The process works similarly to tuning into a radio frequency, with the left analog stick serving as the dial. The clarity of each target depends on the distance from the player, whilst the direction of the dial depends on the target's orientation to the player. Once a signal is found, it can be assigned to one of the controller's four face buttons to easily switch between multiple signals. Via sightjacking, the player can discover a shibito's position, patrol route, locations and items of interest. However, the player is unable to move during this time and is thus vulnerable to attack. For Forbidden Siren 2, the sightjack system was altered slightly by allowing the player to automatically sightjack the closest enemy without having to tune into its frequency. Character-specific features have also been incorporated, such as Shu's ability to move while sightjacking, Ikuko's ability to control sightjacked enemies, and Akiko's ability to reveal psychic impressions from the past when sightjacking in certain areas.

The main gameplay itself builds upon that of its predecessor with some significant improvements; such as the ability for characters to crouch-walk, a proximity alert that warns the player of nearby enemies, a hint system that guides the player to the current mission objective, three selectable difficulty levels, and an optional first-person mode. Context-sensitive interactions now require only a single button press when prompted (in the original, several were required), and bringing up the in-game menu for common interactions no longer pauses the game. Important items remain in the inventory if a player is killed, whereas in the original games, items had to be reattained. The combat system has also been given an overhaul. As well as single strong, but slow, attacks, characters can now utilize a three-hit combo attack and attack barehanded (although extremely weak and only effective to repel attackers in order to run away). Characters may also use guns as melee weapons, and there are many more weapons available than in the previous game.

Another major addition to the sequel is the introduction of a new type of enemy - the yamibito, who, although much more resilient, aggressive, and intelligent than the shibito, function essentially the same way. Their main weakness is that they are repelled by light, meaning that they can be weakened by focusing a flashlight on them or turning on the lights in a room. Like the shibito, a yamibito can be defeated, but is revived when a yamirei (闇霊, yamirei, lit. "darkness spirit") re-enters the corpse. Eliminating the yamirei (who are also intolerant to light) renders the yamibito unconscious indefinitely. However, due to their improved intelligence and strength, yamibito will not fall for distractions that may have worked on shibito, and they are also much harder to defeat in combat.

Like the original game, there are also miscellaneous items scattered throughout each scenario that give the player further insight into the story's background. Once obtained, these items are placed into a catalog called "Archives" and can be viewed at any time during the game. The catalog has been expanded upon in the sequel to include additional media types such as audio, video, and other interactive supplements.

Plot

Chronologically, the sequence of events in the game begins millennia ago. Mother is an ancient water deity who is imprisoned below the earth upon the creation of light. At the same time, Mother's mate, Otoshigo, fled to the depths of the ocean. Over time, Mother has remained always determined to return to the surface, and as such, has sent out avatars ('possessed' human beings over whom she exerts a degree of control) to prepare the way for her return. However, they continually fail to achieve their mission, and never return to the Underworld.

In 1976, underwater cable was cut, and all power to Yamijima Island was lost. The four-year-old Shu Mikami finds a young woman washed up on the shore of the island. The woman, Kanae, bears an extraordinary resemblance to Shu's dead mother, and he and Kanae soon become inseparable, as she moves in with Shu and his father. However, the Yamijima locals instinctively fear her because of her aversion to sunlight. Kanae is actually an avatar of Mother, whose mission is to manipulate Shu into opening the seven gates of the Underworld, which are located on Yamijima Island, and which keep Mother imprisoned. However, before Kanae can complete her mission, Tsuneo Ohta determines she must be killed. On a stormy night, Shu is awoken by the villagers who have caught Kanae in the act of killing Ryuhei. Shu discovers the body of his father, but he flees when he sees another man in the doorway of the house – the man is in fact his older self. Kanae escapes the villagers and reunites with Shu, but when trapped by the group on the pier, the stone walkway gives out underneath them and they fall into the ocean. Shu manages to swim to a small boat, but Kanae drowns as Shu watches; the experience proving so traumatic that he goes blind. Meanwhile, Mother sends a tsunami to destroy the villagers in revenge for the death of Kanae. Local authorities are subsequently at a loss as to explain how Yamijima's undersea power cable was severed, or how the entire population of the island disappeared.

In 2005, Ryuko Tagawa has been sent to earth as another avatar. However, she finds living as a human so comfortable, she forgets her original purpose and settles into a normal life. Meanwhile, Yuri Kishida, an innocent young girl, is kidnapped by Mother and hidden in a warehouse in Sanzu Harbor. Mother creates another avatar using Yuri's identity, and sends her to visit Ryuko, killing her for failing in her mission. Yuri then heads to Sanzu Harbour to watch the departure of the protagonists for Yamijima Island, as Mother knows that amongst them is the person who will release her. At the harbor, Mamoru Itsuki, Shu Mikami, Soji Abe, Akiko Kiyota and Ikuko Kifune board a small boat heading for Yamijima Island. Mamoru wants to investigate the mystery of 1976 for a magazine article. Shu is returning to the island in an attempt to rediscover the lost memories of his childhood. Soji has been accused of Ryuko's murder and, along Akiko, is fleeing to the island. Ikuko is a dock worker and is on the boat as a deckhand, although she has found herself inexplicably drawn to the island for some time. En route, a large mass passes by the boat, unseen by anyone, the waves turn red, a storm appears from nowhere, and a tsunami capsizes the vessel, splitting the passengers up.

At the same time, a military helicopter carrying Private Yorito Nagai, Major Takeaki Misawa and Sergeant Hiroshi Okita crashes on Yamijima Island, killing Okita. Soon however, Okita transforms into a shibito, forcing Yorito to shoot him. Already on Yamijima is Shigeru Fujita, a police officer who has come to investigate reports from 1986 of a young woman on the apparently deserted island. Also present is Ichiko Yagura, a young schoolgirl, who regains consciousness on board the Bright Win, a ferry that has run aground on the island. The Bright Win disappeared during a tsunami in 1986, but has inexplicably appeared in the present day, with Ichiko its only inhabitant. Meanwhile, the villagers who disappeared in 1976 have also reappeared on the island in the present day, although to them, it is still 1976.

Upon regaining consciousness on the pier, Mamoru sets out to explore. He soon encounters a shibito and then meets Yuri, apparently fearful for her life. Yuri tells Mamoru that her mother is imprisoned "in the island," and she needs his help to save her. As Mamoru and Yuri proceed, they are accosted by Tomoe, who attacks Yuri, calling her a witch, and accusing her of being the same entity as Kanae. Mamoru and Yuri flee and then encounter Yorito and Takeaki. However, Yuri is afraid of the soldiers, and seems unable to bear the light from their torches. As the group talk, a huge red tsunami suddenly appears nearby and an earthquake rocks the island as a siren rings out.

Meanwhile, Shu awakens near his old house, which, to his amazement, hasn't changed. He enters the house to see his four-year-old self holding the body of his dead father. At that moment, Tsuneo arrives at the house with the intention of killing Kanae, but Ryuhei resurrects as a shibito and chases Tsuneo. Elsewhere, Shigeru soon encounters Ichiko, and they too meet Tsuneo. Shigeru is dumbfounded that Tsuneo is still on the island after so many years. However, before their eyes, Tsuneo transforms into a shibito and attacks them. He corners them in an ammo depot, but as he moves in to kill Ichiko, she smiles at him, causing him to panic and flee. Meanwhile, Tomoe is being chased by a group of shibito, and falls down a ravine, impaling herself on an antenna and dying.

After surviving the tsunami, Takeaki and Yorito board the Bright Win. Takeaki, however, begins to act strangely, having taken some hallucinogenic medication, and Yorito splits up from him. Elsewhere, following the earthquake, Soji has been split up from Akiko, but he soon encounters Shu, and they head to an abandoned amusement park, where Shu believes he can rediscover his lost memories. At the same time, Yuri leads Mamoru to the same park where she manipulates him in the same manner Kanae had attempted to manipulate the young Shu. Yuri proves successful, and Mamoru opens the seven gates to the Underworld. They head down into the depths, and Yuri reveals her true form, Mother. Mamoru falls victim to Mother's hypnotic power, but as he walks towards her, Ikuko arrives, and uses her psychic power to bring him back to his senses. Also arriving on the scene, Soji sees Mother as his murdered flatmate, Ryuko, whilst Shu sees Mother as Kanae. Unable to resist her call, Shu gives himself over to her and is enveloped.

Elsewhere on the island, Mother's siren sounds, signifying her release, and prompting Ichiko to attack and kill Shigeru. Back in the Underworld, Mother, now free from her prison, gives birth to hundreds of yamirei - albino slug-like creatures. Soji, Akiko, Ikuko and Mamoru flee, but Ikuko and Mamoru become trapped. As they are about to be killed, a group of shiryos (the spirits that animate the dead and turn them into shibito) pour down into the abyss and begin to fight with the yamirei. Ikuko and Mamoru use the opportunity to escape. Back in the park, Ikuko successfully destroys the seven gates, preventing the Underworld from spewing forth any more yamirei. Those that have already gotten out take the form of yamibito and set about converting the island's shibito into yamibito. As Mamoru and Ikuko escape through the amusement park they are surrounded by yamirei. However, dawn breaks, and the light sensitive yamirei are destroyed. Ikuko then tells Mamoru that they are both on their own from this point, and she leaves.

Upon coming back to her senses, Ichiko is horrified to see the dead Shigeru at her feet. She has a flashback of falling overboard the Bright Win and sinking to the bottom of the ocean. However, it is then revealed she was resurrected and possessed by Otoshigo. Meanwhile, Shigeru is resurrected as a yamibito. Takeaki encounters Ichiko, but instinctively knows something is wrong. As he demands answers, Yorito appears, and fearing for Ichiko's life, shoots Takeaki in the back. Yorito leaves with Ichiko but they are set upon by a dog-like yamibito. Ichiko flees, and when Yorito finds her she has again become possessed by Otoshigo and embarks on a mindless killing spree, laying waste to any yamibito she encounters. Yorito finds Ichiko's bracelet, given to her by Noriko in 1986, and uses it to bring her back to her senses. Meanwhile, Mamoru boards the Bright Win in an attempt to destroy as many yamibito as he can, knowing it was his fault they were released. He soon discovers that Tomoe has transformed into a dog yamibito and now roams the ship.

Having fled the underworld, Akiko notices the appearance of a massive pylon reaching into the sky. She follows a psychic trail that leads her to the place where Shu and Kanae fell into the sea in 1976. Shu contacts Akiko from beyond the grave and asks her to save his father, Ryuhei, who has transformed into a kou-yamibito, a grotesque human/yamirei creature much stronger and more deadly than a normal yamibito. Shu leads Akiko to a sacred tree branch which is traditionally used on the island to keep evil spirits away from the bodies of the dead. Akiko also finds a mysterious artifact, the Anunnaki Remains. Eventually, Akiko destroys Ryuhei, stabbing him with the branch and freeing his soul. His body then transforms into the Mekkoju tree. Akiko then receives another psychic vision – the murder of Ryuhei. In the vision, Kanae flees covered in Ryuhei's blood, but as she passes a mirror she looks into it and sees the face of Akiko. In the real world, Akiko collapses to the ground, and when she raises her head, she now looks and sounds like Kanae/Yuri; Akiko, no longer able to resist Mother's power, has become another avatar.

Ikuko soon discovers the Anunnaki Remains lodged into the Mekkoju tree, which is now itself entwined in the tower. With it, she destroys Shigeru, who has also turned into a kou-yamibito, freeing his soul. Meanwhile, on the Bright Win, Mamoru and Yorito join forces and set out to scale the tower. Mamoru has come to believe that the reality in which they now reside is a fake, a copy of the real world where time has folded back on itself. He believes that the purpose of the pylon is to reach the point where the artificial world intersects with the real world, and it is here where Mother will pass from the fake reality into the real one. He and Yorito ascend the tower and obtain a Mekkoju branch for Tsuneo, now also a kou-yamibito. Tsuneo knocks Yorito off the tower, but Mamoru manages to destroy Tsuneo, also freeing his soul.

Having apparently survived his fall, Yorito loses his composure and vows to destroy every yamirei and yamibito once and for all. He discovers the yamirei are using an old school as a lair and he destroys it with a flare gun. He also kills and frees the soul of Okita, before being confronted by Takeaki, who has also transformed into a kou-yamibito. Yorito is able to defeat Takeaki, but immediately upon doing so, Ichiko appears, her face swollen into a single eye. She then transforms into Otoshigo and attacks Yorito. However, he is eventually able to destroy the creature, celebrating, as he believes the nightmare is now over.

Meanwhile, back on the tower, Ikuko and Mamoru are reunited. Ikuko is able to stab Tomoe with the Mekkoju branch, finally freeing her soul. At the same time, Mother scales the tower in an attempt to reach the real world. As she does, the tower crumbles as the fake reality begins to fracture. With that, Mamoru and Ikuko are sucked into Mother's plane of existence. As they battle against her, Akiko/Kanae appears, imploring for Shu's forgiveness. In a final effort of will, Akiko is able to exert control over her body, and kills herself by plunging the Annunaki remains into her stomach, simultaneously injuring Mother, and allowing Mamoru and Ikuko to destroy her. At this point, another red tsunami washes over the island as the fake reality is replaced with the real, and the timeline is purged. Lying together on the pier, Mamoru and Ikuko are bathed in sunlight as the dawn breaks. Looking into the sun however, Ikuko squints, as if the light hurts her eyes.

At the same time, Soji is joined on the beach by Tsukasa, and together, they sit and look out at the sun. It is also revealed that with the purging of the timeline Soji's past has changed. The National Times reports that a man named Ichiro Nakajima was beaten to death by his flatmate Noriko Kifune. In the wake of Mother's death, Ryuko Tagawa never existed, and hence Soji is no longer a wanted felon. Elsewhere, Yorito awakens on a dimly lit boulevard. As he comes to, he notices yamibito strolling past, casually going about every day activity; one pushing a pram, one purchasing items from a stall, children yamibito playing. In the sky, the sun is hidden beyond an apparently permanent total eclipse. Unable to tell if what he is seeing is reality or an illusion, if he is in the realm of the yamibito or imagining it all, he begins to scream and opens fire on the yamibito, gunning down many of them as they attempt to flee.

At the very end, Kyoya Suda, the protagonist of the first game, arrives on Yamijima Island still carrying the Homuranagi sword and the Uryen, swearing that he will destroy every single monsters that still lurking on the island.

Reception

Forbidden Siren 2 received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Eurogamer's Kristan Reed said that the game improved on many of the problems of the sequel (especially the difficulty level and trial-and-error nature of the gameplay), but simultaneously fell somewhat short of the original. VideoGamer.com's Chris Pickering (a fan of Siren) also said that the game removed many of the problems inherent to the original but, at the same time, also fell somewhat short in many respects. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two nines, one eight, and one nine for a total of 35 out of 40.