The mapping function in Siren: Blood Curse is a model for how ingame maps should be done. At any point, you can pause the game and peruse a clean 2D representation of the level. Every doorway is marked, so it's always clear how and whether you can get to any given point. Names are written for many locations around you, which adds flavor to the settings. That's the noodle shop, that's the cigar shop, that's the equipment shed, and so on. And even if you feel the objectives do a bit too much handholding, they're almost always explicit in terms of pointing you where you need to go.

But the really nice touch is that if you move the analog stick, the view tilts and you're shown a 3D model of the entire map, with the levels stacked like layers on a cake. The vertical relationships are clear at this point. That's the ladder to there, that's the catwalk overlooking this, and that's where those stairs go. Episode 7 has a vertical progression that only works because it's mapped out so well.

Spoiler discussion after the jump, including the many fates of Howard Wright (pictured above).

No, not Sam! I guess no one is safe other than, I presume, Howard. Who's been shot more times than Rasputin.

Thanks to the mapping function, I really liked the second part of the village stacked the way it was. I'm guessing it was the piled up that way because of the avalanche that destroyed the town back in 1976. The cop car on the roof sort of cinched that this wasn't the normal state of Hanuda.

And once again Howard "Bullet Magnet" Wright gets shot. And once again he wakes up. The various shibito mutterings have hinted at it, but Amana's reference to the Ouroburas finally makes it clear that there's some sort of eternal recurrence here, thrown off kilter by…what? I guess that's the mystery.

I like that the teaser seems implies a second chance for Bella. I'd like for this whole thing to be able to give Sam, Melissa, and Bella a happy ending. And maybe Sol will get to be a hero after all.

Also, I found a "fortune can", but didn't have a can opener to open it. I guess this is the sort of thing you have to hunt down to get all the archive entries.

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