If Bioshock and Wolfenstein had a child out of a steamy night of passion, they would probably call it Singularity. The latest offering from Raven Software, best known for the Soldier of Fortune franchise and the rather entertaining X-Men Origins: Wolverine, who have combined the best elements of both games to create a highly enjoyable time-bending experience.
Singularity puts the player in the shoes of an American special forces operative, the oddly Russian sounding Nate Renko, who is sent to investigate odd power readings originating from an abandoned Russian island. From the offset, the whole mission goes south as the chopper crashes and Renko begins to have visions, echoes from the past. After being ‘teleported’ 50 years into the past the player interferes with events and inadvertently changes the course of history. As usual, it will be up to the player to set things right; preferably before any other major cock-ups can be made.
The game plays in standard FPS style and on occasion it can feel like a run of the mill corridor shooter. In keeping with modern FPS fashion, the player may only carry two guns at a time, with the usual list of offenders on display, such as assault rifles and shotguns. Some weapons however, have their own twist in fitting with the time manipulating gameplay. The sniper rifle, for instance, can slow down time with a click of the stick as opposed to the character merely holding their breath, and other weapons, like the Dethex launcher, have their own little quirks like the ability to manually drive a grenade round corners and detonate it on the unsuspecting enemy.
A modern favourite, the regenerative health system, has been ousted in favour of a classic health bar that must be replenished through the use of med-kits. This is where some of the similarities to Bioshock begin, with a stock of five med-kits and later a stock of five TMD charges, the equivalent to Bioshock’s EVE.
The real evidence of Bioshock’s influence is apparent when the player gains access to the TMD, or Time Manipulation Device. The device itself is linked to Renko’s left hand, think spliced abilities, but every power in Singularity is based on the manipulation of objects, enemies and scenery with time effects. Unlike Bioshock the developers have managed to map all the time changing abilities to easy to use controls and button combinations. There is no need for the player to fumble with the d-pad to find a specific power.
Using abilities will drain a certain amount of energy from the TMD, depending on the effect. Aging a soldier to dust, while fun, uses up quite a lot of energy and though the TMD replenishes its own energy, it does this slowly so it cannot be used to wipe out whole platoons of bad guys. Other uses for the TMD include; turning soldiers into zombies (reverts), creating large bubbles in which time is drastically slowed down, simply ‘levitating’ objects, returning explosives to the enemies that threw them, or solving simple puzzles.
The combat aspect of the game is solid. Bullets hit where they are supposed to and enemies will explode in a way that would make Dario Argento proud. The major issue that arises, is the fact that the AI is none too clever. Enemies tend to crouch behind the same cover until you kill them or disintegrate the concrete that protects them. However there are some fantastic set pieces that allow the player to get creative with the time manipulation aspect, including some standard boss battles, but when the computer defeats the player, it is through sheer numbers rather than a clever AI.
Two multiplayer modes are packaged with Singularity, and despite the fact that they feel like an afterthought, they can be engaging and fun at times. The first of the two modes is a straight up team death match. One team chooses their class from soldier qualities, like the tough bruiser designed for close quarters combat or the lurker who focuses on stealth and defence, and the other team picks from a selection of the games creatures.
Though playing on the human side is a very standard affair, aside from the TMD powers for each class, it is much more interesting to play as the various creatures in the same vein as Left 4 Dead. The Zek, for instance, is able to conjure explosive barrels and throw them at their enemies as well as having the ability to phase out, which makes them impervious to attacks. A more interesting addition to the creature roster is the phase tick. The smallest of the creatures, and though the weakest, is the most nimble and agile as it can climb walls and leap long distances. The most useful thing about the tick is its ability to take over a living enemy and use the abilities of that character.
The second game mode, extermination, is an objective based mode and is all about teamwork. The humans must activate three beacons and destroy the creatures, with a limited time to do so, while the opposing team must make sure that none of the beacons are repaired by killing the humans, laying traps and damaging the objective if it is repaired. Both sides take it in turns to assault and defend the objective, and while it is engaging and unique for a while, it may not have a long lasting appeal.
Though it borrows many if its ideas from other games, which are handled with a certain level of respect, Singularity manages to create a distinct, albeit corny and predictable, story and atmosphere which provides enough time-warping fun to keep the player entertained for roughly ten hours. Add on the amusing multiplayer premise and Singularity becomes one of the most entertaining original first-person shooters seen on the market in a while.
VideogameUK verdict 8.5/10
