Singularity
Preview
Time is on -your- side!
by Sergio Brinkhuis
previewed on PC
Not just a gimmick
So far, the TMD sounds like fun, but still a bit gimmicky. Fortunately there is more. Some times you are unable to progress further without using the TMD’s powers. For example, some areas just cannot be reached unless you revert a bridge to a state in which it is safe to cross, or age a door until it crumbles. A broken water pipe may be gushing so much water that you cannot pass. Revert it until it is no longer broken and you can pass. But that same pipe can be aged so that it will douse the fire that stops you further along your path. Power stations around island can amplify the TMD so that it can even revert entire buildings and even ships that are central to the game’s storyline, but will only reveal their secrets in their former state. Objects of this magnitude do, however, revert to their natural state after a while. It is best to be quick about your business when you enter these structures.
Speaking of revealing secrets… There are two other devices powered by E99. The first is the Chronolight. With the Chronolight, the player is able to look into the past to see important events on Katorga-12. Activating the device, a ghostly play will ensue that tells the story about what exactly transpired on the island 60 years ago. To make things even more interesting, some of the characters seen in the ‘ghost plays’, may be alive in the present day. The second ‘device’ that is powered by E99, is the E99 Pistol. The pistol itself isn’t all that interesting, but its ammo is: you can steer the bullet after you fired it. This will most definitely prove useful when you want to take out enemies in cover!
Intriguing!
Going through the motions, there will be plenty of target practice too. A range of strange, E99 infected enemies will join Russian soldiers from the 1950’s and modern Spetsnaz troops in trying to keep you from reaching your goals. Not all are friendly towards each other though, so expect to see them do some fighting on their own.
It is hard to imagine anyone – not – be intrigued by the endless possibilities that the Time Manipulation Device offers. But Singularity’s appeal goes much further than just the TMD. The game is just oozing with ambiance, offering a similar feel to Bioshock, but then above water. To further set the mood and to accentuate which time you are in, the developers have really taken lighting to the next step. When you are viewing Katorga-12 in the present time, the island will be draped in dark, drab and moody colors that will cause a depression that no Prozac will cure. When the game switches to the 1950’s era, everything brightens up to a point that the reflections may blind your vision.
Excited yet? I sure am. Unfortunately Activision delayed Singularity to early 2010, presumably because they don’t want its sales to be hampered by Modern Warfare, which will almost certainly be this holiday season’s top runner. With the extra tinker time that the developers now have, I am sure Singularity will turn out to be a unique game that is here to stay.
