Singularity

by ACTIVISION

Product Features

• Multiplayer gameplay options and Xbox LIVE support including LIVE Achievements.
• An engrossing storyline blending Cold War history and science fiction elements.
• An arsenal of first-person shooter weapons, including conventional firearms and upgradeable, time altering gadgets.
• Mission progressing puzzle-solving gameplay.
• Advanced graphics built on the Unreal 3 game engine.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001UWGDC6
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 2.9 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,562 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #64 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Action > Shooter
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Product Description

Singularity is a first-person shooter developed by the legendary Raven Software and utilizing the power and flexibility of the Unreal 3 game engine. Set in an alternate present of 2010, players take on the role of a US Air Force pilot who while investigating an extreme radiation signature, stumbles upon a top secret Cold War era Soviet program, run amok which not only causes monstrous mutations, but also threatens to alter nature of time itself. Speed up time to reduce enemies to dust. View larger. Or gain from turning back the clock. View larger. Classic FPS gameplay. View larger. A revisionist Cold War storyline. View larger. Story In the dark, Cold War winter of 1949-50 Stalin, the brutal leader of the Soviet Union, had two super weapons: long range missiles and the atomic bomb. But even if his teams of forced labor managed to build a missile powerful enough to carry an atomic payload, Stalin still faced encirclement by the United States and the Strategic Air Command. He knew that he needed another advantage over the United States, one that would ensure Soviet security and superiority. Then came the chance discovery on the remote island of Katorga-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 energy source of unparalleled power. Unfortunately, the new element also yielded a new kind of contamination risk. But these were acceptable risks to Stalin - anything for the advancement of the Soviet people. Even so, on September 21, 1950, driven to complete the project, and in violation of the safety protocols, a Russian scientist, Viktor Barisov, personally triggered a device powered by E99 that caused a catastrophic event that affected the entire island. What happened next is unclear. However, there are reports that Stalin's final dying order was a handwritten scrawl to quarantine Katorga-12. And so the knowledge of the island remained buried...until 2010, when intelligence reports in the west confirm activity on a remote atoll in the Russian Federation's shadow. The world has no memory of Katorga-12. No concept of what may be on the island off the southeast coast of Russia. It is deemed that the world can't afford another Chernobyl - or worse. America's answer is to scramble a 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 the history of objects or entities, rendering the former rusted and worn and the 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 targeted direction. 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 that shoots bullets infused with Element 99, to hit targets unreachable due to distance and otherwise indestructible cover. In addition, to the TMD's combat uses, it is also indispensable as a tool for solving the spatial-oriented and 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.

Product Description

Fight your way through an ever-shifting environment haunted with time ravaged creatures, while sudden time wave hurl you back and forth between 1950 and the present day. Use your wits and the perfect weapon - the Time Manipulation Device - to unravel the conspiracy on the remote island of Katorga-12

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Nice Surprise...., August 30, 2010

By 

Luna Nightshade (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Singularity (Video Game)

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!

48 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Game., July 7, 2010

By 

Well of Mimir - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Singularity (Video Game)

1 part Doom3,
1 part BioShock,
add a dash of time manipulation,
shaken not stirred.

About as challenging as Half-Life 2,
About as long as Gears of War 1 or 2,

Worth playing twice.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Singularity review, June 30, 2010

By 

Joshua R. Plevell (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Singularity (Video Game)

When I first heard of Singularity last fall, I was pretty happy since I like science fiction style FPS games. Well, after a delay or two the game came out and I am pretty happy I bought it.

PROS:
-Eerie atmosphere (akin to FEAR) that can, and will, keep you on edge
- unique enemies that each take some thought as how to defeat
- A pretty good science fiction/alternate reality story (I won't spoil here)
-Good gunfights, some thoughtful weaponry
-Good multiplayer, unique because it isn't just another "soldier v soldier" match, instead it is creatures v soldiers
-On normal, the campaign is probably 8 to 10 hours long, so it isn't short by any means, maybe typical of fps lengths.
-It is similar to the Bioshock/System Shock 2
-I enjoy not knowing what situation will come next in the campaign, keeps me on edge
- Campaign jumps between the year 2010 and the 1950s

CONS:
-AI needs a little work, but puts up a decent fight (I'm on normal)
-Not too many multiplayer modes yet
-No subtitles or place to reference previously found notes and tape recordings
-tape recordings
-fairly linear story (I don't mind at all, but some people want a more sandbox style FPS, I guess)
-Iffy Russian accents
-Unfortunately, too many backwards "R" letters, and many of the films or posters are written in english, but using Russian Cyrillic characters to spell which seems lazy or cheesy to me since I know a bit of Russian.

It may seem like there are a lot of cons listed, but really they are nothing major and more of just personal taste for me. I really enjoy this game and intend to play it for quite a while. If you like atmospheric FPS games then go and buy this. Ideally you should have pre-ordered as it came with a free copy of the 360 game "Prototype", a 1GB usb memory stick, and a multiplayer skin for the regular price of an Xbox 360 game.

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