Review: Singularity

In Singularity players are pitted against mutants and soldiers as they jump through time on Katorga-12.

Anyone who has watched Doctor Who fancies the idea of being a Time Lord - and will likely enjoy the time-bending powers that take Singularity from being just another first person shooter to something quite entertaining.

That said, it borrows heavily from other titles - including maker Raven's Wolfenstein, or Metro 2044 and even Half Life.

The story is set on an island called Katorga 12, where the USSR started experimenting with an unstable new element called E99. Things turned to custard and the island was meant to be deserted. But protagonist Nate Renko is sent back to the island when intelligence services pick up a bizarre radiation spike.

Renko - and the whole island - leap between the 1950s and present day, as he uncovers the island's secrets and tries to put things right. He's given a Time Manipulation Device, basically a cool glove, which allows him to rapidly age things and bring broken down relics back to their original glory, or jump between times.

Enemies are either tough-to-kill mutants or heavily armed soldiers. Technology is cool, including a "seeker" rifle which allows you to control bullets in slo-mo, even bending them around corners.

It doesn't exactly break new ground in the shooter-scape. The story is promising, though it drags in parts and there are moments of confusion as to who you're actually fighting. Graphically, there's the odd glitch, though nothing to interrupt play. Audio is excellent.

Verdict: Singularity is mostly a well-paced, well-told FPS and should keep most shooter fans happy with the combination of familiar game styles, weapons, nasty mutants, time and gravity manipulation and a whole lot of meaty, meaty gore.

Rating: 4/5

Format: Xbox 360 (also PS3)
Rated: R18