Siren: Blood Curse is split between seven different characters, each offering a different perspective of the first game's events. The initial story follows a group of journalists looking for Hanuda village, the site of numerous human sacrifices and other occult activity prior to being swallowed by a mudslide. Logic would say that the village was covered by a mudslide for a reason, but our crew ventures on only to run afoul of the human-like Shibito. Eventually, the crew's problem is shared by several others also in the vicinity of the village.
The underlying narrative is good, though it can throw you for a loop. Rather than following a simple, linear plotline, the story jumps between different characters and their particular situations. The entire game is spread across twelve chapters, which you can purchase as three separate chapters containing four episodes ($14.99), or as one volume ($39.99). When comparing the two options, it is probably better to just splurge and go for the entire package since breaking the game into episodes works against it.
Pacing is a major concern throughout the first few episodes. The first two are incredibly short and are the equivalent of playing the first few tutorial levels of any other game. Siren begins to tip its hand in the final two episodes, though both are watered-down introductions to the two styles of play used throughout the game. As a result, the first chapter doesn't offer a full picture and makes it look like there isn't much to the game. Despite a slow start to the second chapter, the entire experience really ramps up and quickly becomes this generation's first great survival horror game. Goals and gameplay situations become more complex and, when combined with the tense mood, create a game that is really quite uncomfortable - but in that good way that keeps you on edge. Some episodes cross over into others, though each offers a slightly different twist.
