Japanese mag lifts the lid on the third instalment in SCE's survival horror franchise...

Besides Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Alone in the Dark, two other survival horror franchises stand out. One is Project Zero, which isn't what this news piece is about, and the other is Forbidden Siren, which is exactly what this news piece is about - specifically news from Japan that a third instalment is underway.

The latest issue of Famitsu magazine (and subsequently translated by Kotaku) has this week revealed that Siren: New Translation is nearly 90%, with a release for Japanese PlayStation 3s before the end of July.

European releases of the Forbidden Siren franchise have typically come six months after Japan, so UK gamers could very well end up scrambling through the dark by January 2009. SCEE are yet to confirm the title, or a potential release period.

The Forbidden Siren series is renowned for telling the story through several characters' points of view, and the ability to 'sightjack' the view of other characters and enemies. The PS2 original took place in a mountainous village, and the second on a remote island after a tsunami, so it's anybody's guess where gamers will find themselves bone-shaking in this third outing.