Most gamers probably will not remember the Cold War very well and even fewer will remember the very early days just after World War II. Two allied nations emerged victorious, atop the list of big scary kids on the world playground. The United States and Russia would spend the next four decades locked in an arms race based on a mutual fear of each others' plans for world domination. In Activision's Singularity we're going to have to see just what those Russians were up to.
Playing the role of Agent Renko, we are transported with a squadron to an island off the coast of Russia called Katorga 12. In 1953 Russia discovered a unique element on Katorga 12 that scientists dubbed E99. It's the sort of substance that makes uranium look like peanut butter and of course it led to a disaster that made Chernobyl look like spilled milk. Forty years or so later and the United States finally gets the skinny on the island. You and your gun-toting buddies get the nod to go "check things out."
Singularity has a lot of similarity to some other first-person-shooters. Random audio tapes are a clear homage to Bioshock and the enemy action reminds one of FEAR as well as a few others. The use of the left hand for the uber-powerful Time Manipulation Device or TMD shows a hint of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It's not really a ripoff of those titles but the influence is obvious.
Visually, the environments are pleasant but typical. Lots of wooden crates, abandoned trucks, debris filled doorways, and overgrown courtyards. Throw in a statue or two and some gratuitous anti-American propaganda for taste.
Weaponry is typical as well, or so it seems at first. The beginning levels will have you earning and learning lots of guns as the game progresses. From pistols, to assault rifles to shotguns, there's one for every job. Once a gun is acquired you can upgrade it at strategically placed gun-locker sites located throughout the game, adjusting things like ammo capacity, or damage. You can even upgrade and pick up rounds for guns you aren't currently carrying. On the one hand the firepower is quite adequate to do most jobs, but the real threat is on the other hand.
After advancing several levels you will ultimately arm yourself with the TMD. If a staircase or door is destroyed and blocking your way, the TMD will push the object through time to a point when it wasn't destroyed, effectively de-aging the object, restoring it to perfect working order. If you aren't sure which way to turn next, the TMD will lead the way with a set of footprints that glow in the dark. Perhaps the most fun aspect of the TMD is the pulse attack, which replaces your melee attack. Now you can knock baddies back with hulk-like force, clearing a path to victory.
Ultimately the objective of the game is to search the island for clues that will lead to the explanation of the "Singularity," the event that caused the collapse of the experiment and turned all the locals into blind, mutant scavengers who attack anything that makes a noise. These mutant zombies are the real threat on Katorga 12. Taking out the rank-and-file Russian soldier is not difficult, but you'll need some serious power to lay waste to the mutants. I recommend keeping the shotgun on hand at all times.
Singularity is one of the best FPS's to come out this year. It may not break new ground in any aspect but it holds its own in the genre. So whether you want to immerse yourself in Cold War combat or just level a sea of mutants, the result is the same. I'll see you on Katorga 12.
Contact Tom Fisher
at tfisher@theblade.com
or 419-724-6523.
First Published August 19, 2010, 12:40 a.m.
