Singularity – Game Analysis & Review

By Patrick Newman

Developer: Raven Software

Publisher: Activision

Engine: Unreal Engine 3

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Release Date: June 29, 2010

Genre: First-person shooter, science fiction

Mode: Single-player, multiplayer

As a rabid fan of first-person shooters, I was delighted to find that Raven Software's Singularity does an impeccable job of harkening back to the shooter story and gameplay mechanics of the genre's classics (Half-Life, Return to Castle Wolfenstein), while also mashing them up to create an experience that is substantially original and new. In a brilliantly-conceived opening montage that combines history (in the form of real stock footage) and the supernatural in fluid exposition, we learn that in the fifties the Soviet Union discovered a new energy source called “Element 99.” Unfortunately for the Soviets and for Singularity's hapless hero Nate Renko, Element 99's side effects included the ability to warp time itself and create a legion of mutant monsters.

Singularity's time-traveling gimmick is central to its enjoy-ability, as your island-bound soldier will inadvertently shuttle to 1955 and back – a frequent jolt that almost always successfully drops the player into a disorienting, intense combat scenario. The most entertaining aspect of the game's time-warp mechanics, however, is the way that the Time Manipulation Device, or TMD, can be used in conjunction with weaponry to blast, smash and disintegrate an array of opponents.

The variety of antagonists on display is impressive, including everything from Soviet soldiers to the diverse collection of mutated freaks Element 99 has transformed them into. In addition to the countless F.E.A.R.-like bullet-time influenced shootouts, the TMD can fire bubbles that slow down whatever enemy happens to be caught in its path, and it can also rapidly age enemies into dust. Beyond combat, the TMD can additionally be used to solve puzzles, such as turning back the clock on demolished boxes to collect the age-old booty locked inside, or to repair crumbled archways and stairs that lead to hidden parts of the level.

The weapons and TMD can be upgraded throughout the game in a manner not dissimilar from BioShock. This keeps raising the stakes as the villains thrown your way become increasingly aggressive and for the most part this keeps the action varied and interesting. Rifles and shotguns will become harder-hitting and faster-reloading and the TMD will eventually allow the player to block and rebound rockets and barrels, as well as turn human enemies into creatures to keep them at bay.

In addition to the FPS elements, Singularity succeeds by slowing down the pace when it needs to and shifting into the realm of survival horror. The shadowy corridors and dilapidated labs of the fictional Russian island Katorga-12 are packed with bugs and lurching beasts. When the game isn't pinning you down with Aliens-influenced standoffs against oncoming hordes of monsters, it draws out the tension and leaves you waiting to be tackled in the dark. A smattering of audio recordings, which again remind the gamer of classics like Resident Evil or the excellent Fallout 3, fill the player in on the game's backstory and add to its overall feeling of dread.

Singularity combines what was great about many of the best first person shooters and survival horror titles of the past, while putting a spin on the gameplay with use of the TMD. For those attracted to fast-paced shooters that require you to blast an inordinate amount of enemies in a horror/sci-fi context, and who also want to see bullet-time combat mechanics pushed to the next level, Singularity is a must-play.

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