Singularity
Review
Shooting at mutants doesn't get more fun
by Davneet Minhas
reviewed on PC
Remnants of the Cold War
Early in the Cold War, Soviet engineers under Stalin discovered a powerful and volatile element, E99, on an island off of Russias eastern coast. They promptly established a research station on the island, deemed Katorga-12, in hopes of harnessing the elements power. But the element proved to be too volatile and the Soviets abandoned the island soon after. Katorga-12 was forgotten.
Over fifty years later, a radiation surge from the island blinds a U.S. spy satellite. The U.S. fears another Chernobyl, so they send you, Black-Ops soldier Nathaniel Renko, to investigate the apparently deserted island. Unfortunately, after reaching Katorga-12, a radiation spike sends your helicopter careening violently into the island.
At the outset of Singularity, you find yourself, coincidentally, where new personnel first arrived on the island: Katorga-12s civilian dock. Its abandoned and decrepit and eerie. But its also still full of life. Inside the welcome center, a projector plays a propaganda film about Katorga-12, a miniature of the island describes the various regions, and a personal audio recording provides insight into the islands abandonment.
Its all very Bioshock-esque. Youre able to connect with the former inhabitants of Katorga-12 and wonder what happened to them and the island. Of course, you also quickly discover that the island isnt so abandoned E99 has mutated the few remaining inhabitants into flesh-eating monsters. Though that may have inadvertently been your fault after traveling back to 1950 through a time rift.
Further exploration of the island reveals more details about the former everyday life on Katorga-12. Stray notes reveal the oppressive working conditions families had to endure. More notes and audio recordings expose secret experiments performed on children in the school cafeteria.
Just a Shooter
But this attention to detail in the environment doesnt last throughout the game. After all, Katorga-12 wasnt established as a school or as an objectivists utopia. Its populated mostly by warehouses and laboratories and long, narrow corridors places generic and lifeless both in-game and out.
Mise-en-scene has never been Raven Softwares forte, either. The developer has been focused on first-person shooters since the genres inception, and it leverages all that experience in Singularity.
Modern developers strive to create complex, cerebral shooters with intelligent AI, cover systems, stealth mechanics, team-oriented tactics, RPG elements, and open-worlds. But in doing so, they can neglect the primal appeal of the genres origin, an appeal that Raven Software has never forgotten: Blowing a mutants head off with an overpowered shotgun feels good.
Katorga-12 is full of mutants that want to dismember you, and they enjoy popping out from behind corners to startle you as much as possible. In turn, you can dismember them, much like in Soldier of Fortune, another Raven Software title. But that doesnt mean theyll stop coming at you.
Shoot off a mutants right arm, and itll swipe at you with the left. Shoot off the left arm, and itll keep coming with the right. Shoot both arms off, and itll use its teeth. So, go for the head.
You dont need to out-think these monsters; you just need to put them down faster than they can do the same to you. Its an old school shooter mentality with an old-school pay-off of living to shoot another day and seeing lots of blood. You even have to pick up health packs to heal yourself it doesnt get any more old school than that.
8.4
fun score
Pros
Shooting at mutants doesn't get more fun.
Cons
Derivative of seminal shooters, Texture pop-in.
