Singles: Flirt Up Your Life

It is really hard to make critical comments about Singles but we really hope this is the first step in what could be a huge franchise. The annoying aspect of one character talking to the back of the others’ head niggles a bit but many partners will know that feeling.

A great game that will more then likely have you addicted to the fun that is mind games, bitchy women and creepy men, thank heavens it’s only a game, right?

Sure, Singles has beautiful visuals and a stunning level of detail, and deals with relationships and sex in a much more effective and realistic way than in "The Sims": it’s just not got enough to keep it going in the long term.

A unique but somewhat shallow approach to the complicated scenarios of establishing a relationship or simply nailing your roommate. It’s a bit predictable since there are firm rules in place and you have instant access to the results of your efforts.

The main problem with the game is that it's not ambitious enough, relying on the sex angle to generate initial interest without supporting that with over the long term with compelling gameplay. Though it's interesting to manage a romance between two roommates, it lacks a sense of complication.

Singles is fun and addictive to play at first, and the idea of a relationship sim is something a little new, but the novelty wears off and as soon as you’ve done it once, you’ve done it all. To sum it all up, Singles isn't a life sim - it's a reasonable relationship sim with no frills.

The graphics are beautiful and the interface easy to use. It’s humorous in a Benny Hill fashion and if your idea of a perfect afternoon is picking from twenty different flooring types then it’s definitely for you. All told, the perfect grown ups dolls house and yes, its got boobs.

Ironically, just like a relationship built entirely on the nookie, Singles ends up feeling more than a little shallow after the first few one nights stands you spend playing it. [Aug 2004, p.105]

While it is exciting to reach each new plateau of intimacy, until the Big she-bang, there simply isn’t enough variation to keep the game going.

It looks great and the core gameplay mechanic is solid, but you just can't help thinking we've seen most of this before. It's certainly easier to play than "The Sims" and it features better A.I., but it doesn't feature as much depth as EA's title.

This zany, uncensored version of "The Sims." Relatively sluggish performance and lack of more replay value indicated by the deficiency of online play or more creative off-line sex options are its crucial drawbacks. The up side, however, is that up to the point where you've done just about everything in the game, it plays very nicely and you will be having fun.

Only buy it if this sort of game overly appeals to you, or if you’re a guy and naked computer women turn you on.

The game isn’t half bad, but it really becomes quite tedious after a certain amount of time.

I thought it was fun to look forward to the next action you unlock, however, I felt it took way to long to actually unlock most of the stuff. This might not have been so bad if the game had more to keep me occupied with besides just watching my characters talk in warp speed for hours.

Singles isn't nearly as racy as it sounds. It's also not as bad of a game as you might expect, though this is not to say that it's good.

It's an interesting game for a short-term diversion, but don't expect to be playing it for months on end.

Extraordinarily simple, and many might find the novelty wearing off faster than they'd like.

A weird uncomfortable reminder that computer games aren't really ready for this sort of explicit sexuality. Until it can be handled with a more nuance, I'll stick with the implied "Sims" stuff, thank you very much.

Yes, there is groping, discrete heavy petting, and conveniently concealed canoodling, but it's all rendered in fewer than 10 different animations...which get old quickly. [Sept 2004, p.68]

Despite the seemingly lewd nature of the premise, this game approaches relationships in an almost clinical fashion. Yes, there is nudity but unless you get hot looking at a mannequin without a shirt, you're not likely to become too aroused when playing this game.

If you have a creation fix which has grown and nurtured with The Sims and it’s ilk, then no doubt this is a logical next step and you’ll find there’s hours of enjoyment to be had as you get your virtual Romeo and Juliet to consummate their blossoming relationship. If however you’re the complete opposite, it’s a given that you’ll find this to be a dull and repetitive experience.

In the end, it works fairly well. Unfortunately, once you get the hang of "making" relationships, there is no reason to keep playing. If you are a diehard sims fan looking for something to tide you over until the sequel is released, you may want to give this a try.

Despite the lure of naked chicks, at its heart it's a fairly innocuous, and rather derivative "The Sims" knock-off.

The game looks hot and puts out, so if you just want a fling, it’s not a bad choice. But for a long term relationship, I need much more depth. She ain’t getting a ring, that’s for sure.

There's little imagination, little independence inside their tiny minds and this makes looking after them a joyless activity. Micromanagement leaves no time for voyeurism.

There's probably an entertaining game to be made from the disaster that is dating; this isn't it. [Oct 2004, p.87]

Voyeurs will be disappointed, since the sex portrayed is the very model of conventionality. The really shocking thing is how close Singles gets to being wholesome. [June 2004, p.111]

Eidos looks stupid for accepting the AO rating, yet covering up the genitals with fig leaves. And the IDSA has only succeeded in making its own rating system appear useless.

Practically nothing about this virtual relationship even remotely approaches plausibility. The graphics are nice, but the shallow gameplay won't keep people entertained for long.

Risqué set-piece conversations spice up the monotony as things progress, but essentially life in the flat is a painfully hollow experience to which the eventual moment of intimacy becomes an inevitable anti-climax.

Life in the flat is a painfully hollow experience to which the eventual moment of intimacy becomes an inevitable anti-climax. [May 2004, p.122]

It's pretty graphic in its representation of sex, and it's about as fun and interesting as watching your cat lick itself.