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(More customer reviews)First I would like to say that my favorite types of games are Adventure, FPS, and RPG's (in no particular order), as I believe this makes a difference when reading one's review of a game.
I can say that this game really surprised me. I went into Singularity with absolutely no expectations, as I had heard nothing about this game. After about 30 minutes into though, I was hooked.
There have been a lot of comparisons of this game to others, and while I feel it does have many similarities to others it does not come across as a cheap imitation either. It definitely holds it's own. Now, having said that, if I were going to state any similarities, then I would say it's like Bioshock and Wolfenstein had a baby together, and they called it `Singularity'. I loved both of those games, and it's like Singularity took those and meshed them, for a new, yet familiar feel. The engine is the same as was used in Bioshock if I believe (the unreal engine). There is more of a FPS-feel than is in Bioshock, as this game has your more typical weapon options (compared to the drill in Bioshock 2 or perhaps the spear gun). This does not mean the weapons are not fun and full of variety. I loved them. There was a gun for everyone (Sniper, exploding darts, machine guns, shotguns, chain guns, pistols, grenade launchers, etc...), and each of these you can upgrade. Not to mention using these in combination with the TMD (your Time Manipulation Device) was fun as well. The flashbacks in time was like your Wolfenstein world, and the present was your Bioshock world (i.e. soldiers and more of a military feel in the 50's scenes, while in the present there were mutants running wild in an abandoned old settlement). The fact that your TMD is a pulsing glove-like item on your left hand only adds to the Bioshock feel, although the uses of the TMD are very different than those of your Plasmid's used in Bioshock (with the exception of the `telekinesis' in Bioshock and the `impulse' in Singularity - or at least that's what I `think' it's called - also similar to the gravity gun in Half Life - you can grab, pull, and throw objects that are far away).
The controls were easy to pick up on. Everything seemed very fluid and natural. I played it on Normal mode and found that there were challenging areas, yet nothing seemed just impossible either. Some areas/foes were much more difficult than others (to me this is how it should feel on normal mode). It had a nice mix of puzzles that took some thinking to pass, but were not ridiculously difficult to figure out (not `puzzles' really, you just have to sort out a way to manipulate the situation/area to proceed sometimes).The really enjoyed the graphics and environment, and I actually liked the gore...it added to the eerie feel of the game. I thought the enemies (the mutated ones) were well designed, pretty creepy critters. The different areas and foes gave you variations so you didn't feel like you were rinsing and repeating each area. It did well keeping things fresh and new. The story was great, very interesting, and the log's you find scattered throughout the world are good reads. They are not only interesting (the notes and recordings), but they really tell you more about the world you're in and help you understand more about the setting and people that were there as well as how things got to be how they are now.
I have to say my only complaints with this game are that I don't like relying solely on the auto-save process. I just like when I can save at any time and pick up from right there (as sometimes I have to quit playing unexpected and it's unfortunate if it hasn't `auto-saved' yet). The only other thing is I wish it had subtitles. If there is anything else going on in the room, I had trouble understanding some of my audio logs and such. I heard someone in another posting complain about the posters being in English (but with backwards R's and such) and that was disappointing to them since they speak some Russian.....but I would like to say I'm glad they were in English, as I speak no Russian nor do I want to try to translate a simple poster while I'm shooting mutants and running for my life. I like the quick-glance, see the sign in `English', and continue on my way. I realize it may not be the most realistic option, but this is a video game and I speak English. I'm not worried that the posters were unrealistic.....for God's sakes, I'm running around with a Time Manipulation Device welded to my arm!!!!!!
I also liked the hidden achievement for finding the `Lost' wheel.....nice and fun touch!!! '
Anyway, I give this game 5 stars overall because I thoroughly enjoyed playing it, feel it has a high replay value, and any complaints I had were small and my opinions only.
Thanks!
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Story In the dark, Cold War winter of 1949-50 Stalin, the brutal leader of theSoviet Union, had two super weapons: long range missiles and the atomicbomb. But even if his teams of forced labor managed to build a missile powerfulenough to carry an atomic payload, Stalin still faced encirclement by theUnited States and the Strategic Air Command. He knew that he needed anotheradvantage over the United States, one that would ensure Soviet securityand superiority. Then came the chance discovery on the remote island ofKatorga-12 off the wild Kamchatka peninsula, of a previously unknown material,Element 99 (E99). E99 became the new source of Stalin's hope: a new energysource of unparalleled power. Unfortunately, the new element also yieldeda new kind of contamination risk. But these were acceptable risks to Stalin- anything for the advancement of the Soviet people. Even so, on September21, 1950, driven to complete the project, and in violation of the safetyprotocols, a Russian scientist, Viktor Barisov, personally triggered a devicepowered by E99 that caused a catastrophic event that affected the entireisland. What happened next is unclear. However, there are reports that Stalin'sfinal dying order was a handwritten scrawl to quarantine Katorga-12. Andso the knowledge of the island remained buried...until 2010, when intelligencereports in the west confirm activity on a remote atoll in the Russian Federation'sshadow. The world has no memory of Katorga-12. No concept of what may beon the island off the southeast coast of Russia. It is deemed that the worldcan't afford another Chernobyl - or worse. America's answer is to scramblea stealth flyby of the area. They need recon - and they need it now. Gameplay and Weapons Action in Singularity is a mix of combat mission gameplay and puzzle-solving. Combat is against both modern and 50s era Russian forces, as well enemies mutated through exposure to E99. In this players have their choice of conventional weapons including: pistols, shotguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, etc., as well as as few Sci-Fi weapons very specific to the game. These include the TMD (Time Manipulation Device) and the E99 pistol. The TMD is a gauntlet, which players acquire early in the game that can be integrated with conventional weapons. Its main function though relates it its ability to alter time within a small specific area. The major examples of this are: Reversion - The ability to alter encounters by rewinding the history of an item or entity to the time of your choosing. This can be used to repair broken items, render enemies harmlessly embryonic, etc. Aging - The ability to alter encounters by fast-forwarding thehistory of objects or entities, rendering the former rusted and worn andthe latter decrepit with age or simply dust. Stasis - The ability to freeze time and thus dangerous situations in order to gain an advantage. Impulse - The ability to propel objects frozen in time in a targeteddirection. Chronolite - Functionality that allows the player to look back to a time associated with a place, person or object.
Players can also utilize the TMD in conjunction with the E99 pistol, a gun thatshoots bullets infused with Element 99, to hit targets unreachable due todistance and otherwise indestructible cover. In addition, to the TMD's combatuses, it is also indispensable as a tool for solving the spatial-orientedand other types of puzzles that players will face on the island of Katorga-12. Multiplayer Singularity contains multiplayer gameplay options, that just as in its single player campaign, integrate conventional combat tactics and weapons with the time manipulation elements. Key Features
An engrossing storyline blending Cold War history and science fiction elements.
An arsenal of first-person weapons, including conventional firearms and upgradeable, time altering gadgets.
Mission progressing puzzle-solving gameplay.
Advanced graphics built on the Unreal 3 game engine.
Multiplayer gameplay options.
Xbox LIVE support including LIVE Achievements.
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