Siren City was written by Ian Gray for Interceptor Software and was released in 1983. Once you play this game it is easy to understand how it became the benchmark for future games to come like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Driver, it also somehow reminds me a little of the game Rally X.
Its not that its a bad for an early game, the graphics are a little block and basic but it does sort of have a story line and feature other vehicles to chase and helicopters to pad thing out a little, but I believe the important point here is what the game evolved into.
I do like the story line on the back of the game box which is really hard core stuff for a thirty year old game, have a read of this and tell me what you think.
As quoted on the reverse of the box:
Siren City is one of the roughest towns in the whole of the U.S.A. Starting as a rookie driving through a maze of Skyscrapers and seemingly peaceful streets your job is to keep law & order but you are dealing with some of the toughest criminals not behind bars.
Public Enemy No1 : Slit-Throat Steve.
After his escape from Utah State Penitentiary, while serving a three-year term for software piracy, dragster ace Steve began a reign of terror on the roads. No pedestrian or patrolman was safe from this psychopathic killer. Almost equally dangerous is his partner in crime
Public Enemy No 7 : Dune Buggy Jon (you just don’t get games with names like these anymore)
Wanted for the murder of 15,950,250 points worth of aliens of various colours., renagade ex-marine Jon is an expert helicopter pilot and crack-shot with a bazooka.
Dr J. Davies Ph.D, V.E.A.S.
Following his vile vivisection experiments Dr Davies vanished from the scientific community. Now believed to be in Siren City, this insane genius has funded many of Steve & Jon’s heinous crimes
Rating – 8.9
Joystick in Port 2