Sometimes a game just gets you with its pitch. You don't need to see any footage or learn much about it. That quick, high concept elevator pitch has you sold. Saints Row 4's pitch was just 'we're adding superpowers' and that was enough for me. Any video game that ends '...with cowboys' will get me on board too. What is often most exciting though is when the genre isn't for you and there are red flags waving furiously everywhere, and yet there's still something about the idea that makes you root for it. For me, that game is the recently revealed Siren.
This game is no relation to the 2003 PS2 game Siren (also known as Forbidden Siren), but instead has one of the most compelling one-line pitches I’ve ever seen. It's a Soulslike RPG where you play as a mermaid. Watching the trailer and reading the press release, I can spot some warning signs, but I don't care. It's a Soulslike RPG where you play as a mermaid. I just want it. I've sat on the outside of this phenomenon before - I find no appeal in the strange footage we've seen of Abandoned, but I understand the prospect of the game, especially the Kojima conspiracy, makes people blind to the pitfalls.
Unrecorded has garnered similar attention, with a huge debate ensuing about whether it was FMV or Unreal 5, which nicely sidestepped the idea that making a self-proclaimed non-political game with zero opinion on the world shot from the perspective of a police bodycam is a rancid idea. Every now and then there is a game that just scratches that itch, beyond all reason and logic. Siren is that game.
First off, the good stuff. I want to live in this world of illusion for just a little while longer. It has mermaids, which is a big one. Underwater combat is also intriguing - for decades, gamers have hated all things water with a passion, whether they be temples or bathtubs. Recently, games have been able to make excellent use of water, and with its unique traversal and combat arena opportunities, water offers some untapped opportunities. Untapped. Water. Geddit?
Now we get to the red flags. As the most basic one, I don't even like Souls games. It's a bold pitch to say "picture a smaller version of Elden Ring", which is a direct quote from the creative director in the press release, and even though that particular claim isn't a selling point to me, it's also setting the game up for a fall. Either it's not like Elden Ring, in which case it fails to live up to quite a mighty promise, or it is like Elden Ring, and as a result I don't enjoy it.
There are some more substantial ones too. Mentioning Elden Ring is a sign of major ambition, but also reductive thought. The game may not be all that far along. It could be that they saw Elden Ring and immediately tried to copy it with a fresh coat of paint (mermaids) that suckers like me will go nuts for. The trailer dropping the week before The Little Mermaid opens also seems to be a deliberate ploy that suggests salesmanship over craft. This is underlined by the trailer's messaging.
The opens with a warning that reads 'Disclosure: This prototype level contains assets purchased on the Epic Marketplace. The art style of the game will evolve as development continues', which suggests the game doesn't really know what it is besides Elden Ring with mermaids. The footage looks glossy but generic, and we see no combat or anything that resembles true gameplay, just linear swimming and some nice sunsets. It's devoid of personality, propped up only by what is an excellent idea.
This opening uppercut is followed by an ending sucker punch right before the bell. It ends with the message “This project is unfunded and needs your help to survive. Please consider supporting our Patreon”. I've been highly critical of bigger corporations using crowdfunding, and this is exactly the type of indie project that benefits from it. I'm not saying it's wrong for developers Loreseeker Games to use it. But to only have an idea which riffs on the most popular game in the world and a trailer with no gameplay and generic assets, while asking for money, suggests Siren may never be part of our world. The devs' own page on Epic says it is “looking for animators, 3d modelers, and technical artists, etc.”, and again while hiring for game production is a good sign, this swings a little too hard into an all hands on deck scramble.
There is a glimmer of hope, however. The same page claims “a playable demo is intended to be ready by July '23, when we intend to kickstart”, and if it hits that target, we're only two months away from seeing what Siren is. While the likes of Abandoned have kept us in the dark, Siren has promised a demo within two months of the reveal. There will be no hiding the gameplay behind glossy assets then. If it hits that mark, regardless of what it looks like, many of my doubts will fade. If it hits that mark and offers a fairly enjoyable and polished demo, I'll be in at the deep end. Siren could be one of my most anticipated games, or it might not even exist. The magic of video games.