Sirenisn’t a game franchise that many people talk about these days, but it was once among the most exciting and subversive properties in the horror genre. With therecentSirenre-release on the PlayStation 5, it might be the perfect time for a more ambitious revival, as Sony could certainly achieve great results with the IP, bringing it back to the forefront as series likeSilent Hillcrawl their way back to prominence.
After helming the firstSilent Hillgame, Keiichiro Toyama left Konami and hopped aboard Japan Studios, heading up the development ofSiren. Toyama’s fingerprints are all over the game, to the point where many consider it to be something of a spiritualSilent Hillspin-off, evoking the same uncanny atmosphere, supernatural storytelling, and survival-horror mechanics. But make no mistake—Sirenis far from aSilent Hillclone. The firstSirengame is remarkably unique in a number of ways, from the sightjacking mechanic to the disorienting nature of its multi-protagonist structure. These myriad elements come together to makeSirena one-of-a-kind horror experience that deserves a bit more attention in the modern age, especially as its re-release highlights some of its more dated aspects.
Siren Deserves a Sequel or Remake
Silent Hill 2’s Remake Suggests a Siren Remake Could Work
There are certain games that have historically been considered impossible to remake, and beforethe success of Bloober Team’s remake,Silent Hill 2was one of them. The particular eeriness of the original game, its uncanny and unsettling qualities which were, in many ways, a product of its era and technical constraints, were like lightning in a bottle, unable to be replicated. In some ways, this is still the case—nothing will ever truly live up to the originalSH2—but Bloober managed to get a strong grip on the game’s soul, powerfully expanding it through a modern lens.
Maybe the same treatment could be given toSiren. Although itsPS5 re-release includes a few changes, they are all quite minor, like image upscaling and the addition of features like quick-save, yet they plant the seed for something more ambitious. As new players discover the singularly terrifying world ofSiren, demand for the franchise could grow, making an eventual remake an easy sell, especially if it’s handled by the right developer. A studio with gusto and proper reverence for the source material could adapt, remix, and modernize certain aspects of the original game, leading to a meaningful evolution that would be available to a wider audience.
Bloober Teamproved itself withSilent Hill 2, so maybe it could be up to the task of remakingSiren.
Maybe a Remake Isn’t the Only Way Forward for Siren
Remakes, specifically of horror games, are all the rage these days. Maybe this can be chalked up to game companies believing that more realistic visuals will lead to heightened immersion and, by extension, greater scares, but this isn’t always the case.Sirenis a perfect example of this, as its more rudimentary graphics and bizarre character designs help make it chilling and ephemeral in a way that many modern games simply can’t achieve.
So, while a remake ofSirencould attempt to emulate the uncanny valley visuals and old-school horror charm of the original, maybe another studio should just be given the keys to the franchise and allowed to make a proper new entry. This way, it could attempt to build onthe legacy of the originalSirenrather than just try to replicate it, pushing forward with fresh ideas that are still appropriate within the context of the IP. If the recentSirenre-release gets enough attention, perhaps this could be in the cards.
Siren
WHERE TO PLAY
Resist the Call0:00. Midnight. A siren calls and a sea of red water mysteriously surrounds the mountain village Hanuda. Slowly, a terrible force transforms the inhabitants into shibito, undead husks of their old selves, fueled by evil and hate.Play as one of ten characters caught in a living nightmare. You have three days to learn how their paths intersect as they try to stay alive. Survival depends on your ability to “sightjack” or the power to see through the eyes of friends and foes. There is no one hero. There is little hope.Will you resist the call of the Siren?
