Singularity

A nice working mix of puzzles and action, with great rhythm and a varied formula. By focusing on the core themes of the first person shooter experience, Singularity is an excellent a quite surprising game.

Singularity might not grab the collective gamer consciousness but it's a game worth playing, not just for the shooting and adventure of it, but to play the meta game of trying to identify the references and homage, intentional or not, from Half-Life 2 to Chronomaster to LOST to System Shock and many more.

Singularity is a game which uses the concept of time travel less as a game mechanic, plot driver or interesting concept and more as a distraction. This philosophy carries across the entire title - graphics, story and puzzles all seem to simply serve as filler to keep your attention between shooting things.

You'll have a great time with the single-player campaign and the fairly limited, but entertaining, multiplayer component of Singularity is just icing on the cake.

A decent shooter with smart time powers and enough atmosphere to keep you hooked for the duration.

Singularity is definitely not mindblowing. The story is very B-Movie like (although the multiple endings are pretty interesting), it borrows a lot from other games but there's just enough here, especially with the time manipulation, to set it apart.

Singularity is a game that manages to feel like its own thing despite being pieced together from previous FPS games, and if you want a great Summer shooter full of violent toys and silly super powers, then you won't get much better than this. Quite possibly the best new FPS of the year so far.

It's not Raven's best game, but it does very well for itself. I have no problem recommending this to any FPS gamer out there.

For all Raven's efforts with temporal gimmicks, this is a game which is stuck in the FPS past – but, perversely, in its gun-metal and gore, in its most archaic respects, Raven proves it can just about stand the test of time.

It's the first game I've played in ages that realises first-person shooters can bundle in as much philosophy and as many moral dilemmas as they like, but fundamentally they're still about shooting monsters in the face, and so what it lacks in originality it makes up for in variety, pacing and exuberance.

A surprisingly good and solid FPS from Raven Software. Time travels and manipulations, Russian setting, tons of bullets and a little touch of horror make Singularity an entertaining trip... maybe just a little too short!

A solid product, with good story and nice graphics. It might not be perfect, but it's always fun and rewarding, although it's a shame that the game is not too long.

If you are a fan of first-person shooters, Singularity is worth look.

Singularity arrived with very little fanfare, which is a shame because this is a very good game. I highly recommend Singularity to fans of FPS games and great science fiction stories.

The multiplayer experience is a good time – and quite different than single-player (most time powers have been excised) – but it doesn't have any depth or a progression for players to follow. At the most, it's a fun distraction. The single-player game, however, should not be missed.

It looks good, plays great, has an above average story, but never manages to be better than the game(s) that inspired it.

Let's hope that Raven Software can put some creativity together and bring forth more of an expansive multiplayer for a possible sequel or download; I would hate to see such potential be forgotten and aged to dust.

Singularity is the very definition of average, and the lack of subtitles knocks it just below. It is the gaming equivalent of white rice, the Ford Focus, and black coffee. Its taste is decidedly bland, but it'll do its job.

Even if it won't go down in history, Singularity will delight horrific shooter fans, especially those who are now fed up with Rapture and Black Mesa.

Raven's crafted a more than competent FPS, combining some great, if underutilized, ideas with a narrative that's a cut above most in the story-starved genre.

Although its core shooter gameplay is enjoyable, Singularity suffers from being far more derivative than original, with elements appropriated from at least a dozen other, better games.

With Singularity, developer Raven Software combines solid FPS gameplay with an engrossing storyline revolving around time manipulation. The single player campaign's strong narrative and exciting firefights make Singularity a thrilling experience worthy of a place in your collection.

Innovative time-altering mechanics and a great story make Singularity a refreshing action experience that will stand the test of time - unlike those poor Russians we slaughter.

Singularity is a solid SP-Shooter with some technical issues and many good ideas that haven't been pushed to their limits. It's still worth your time if you're in search for a decent story and some nice new gameplay-elements, but definitely not something anyone HAS to own.

Despite having every opportunity in the world to triumphantly succeed, Singularity, instead, falls right in line with previous titles by the developer. Raven has, yet again, fallen just short of brilliance. The game is flawed in a number of areas, many of which detract from the overall experience and come across as sloppy or lazy.

Singularity contains the sort of smart, fun gameplay ideas we assumed first-person shooters had given up on. [Issue#99, p.120]

In the end Singularity is a decidedly average shooter with a pretty novel storyline.

Singularity isn't a groundbreaking shooter, but it's an incredibly fun one. This is an example of how fluid pacing and a tongue-in-cheek attitude can make old conventions exciting again.

Singularity has great promise yet Raven has not managed to fully harness the premise. What remains is an enjoyable first person romp set against a unique backdrop.

More development time ultimately might have done wonderful things for this game, but Singularity is nonetheless fascinating if you actually take advantage of your full arsenal.

Overall, despite the lack of subtitles and some underwhelming uses for the TMD on the puzzle side of things, I still found myself really enjoying Singularity's campaign.

Singularity is a great game, with good ideas, wrapped in mediocre visuals. Raven Software is a studio to watch, and hopefully we'll watch them get a bigger budget.

It may not be a AAA stunner, but Raven software has proven time and time again why they are one of the consistently superb shooter developers in the industry, a title that they've maintained for nearly 20 years now.

So where do we stand with Singularity? It's not going to set the world on fire with new features as a great many are borrowed from other games. That said, they are handled with care and given a new coat of polish courtesy of the Time Manipulation Device.

This entertaining and varied sci-fi shooter doesn't break new ground, it is linear and adopts a well-worn shooting and puzzle-solving format.

The action is solid and the story is interesting enough to make Singularity worth checking out.

Although the online may not last, the single player campaign is worth the price of entry alone, and if you can ignore the cheap rent-a-Communist voice acting and the blatant similarities to other games, you'll find a solid eight or ten hours of play time here. There are twists and turns, multiple endings, and when the credits roll, the enduring feeling is a positive one.

The gunplay is solid and there are a few memorable set pieces. It is a game ultimately limited by a lack of imagination where a neat time-manipulation idea is handcuffed to a by-the-numbers first-person shooter.

There was a lot of meat here, and most of it never played out as it should've.

It's just a good old fashioned first person shooter that has a fun story, entertaining gameplay and an experience that is enjoyable from start to finish.

Singularity is the kind of shooter we haven't seen in a while, one who doesn't take itself too seriously. The realism of games like Call of Duty or Battlefield: Bad Company is traded in for weird weapons and awesome powers. The TMD makes for some interesting moments, but should have been more elaborate. It's also a shame the game gets far too easy half way through. Still Singularity is a great pastime in these quiet periods.

There's a fun shooter, exciting powers and some neat weapons in there, but it never quite comes together thanks to dull levels and half-baked puzzles.

The variety of weapons, abilities, enemies, and scenarios provided keep the game fresh throughout the entire experience, and the multiplayer - while flawed - can provide fans with more gameplay without them having to start the whole game over.

Singularity is a highly competent shooter crafted by the veterans at Raven Studios. The time manipulating mechanic is a cool addition to the first person shooter formula, but unfortunately it's not realised fully. Impressive presentation, great controls, an interesting storyline and epic bosses are enough to warrant a purchase though.

Another post-apocalyptic FPS with an incredibly immersive atmosphere that shines in its audio-visual narrative. Its good gameplay in battle has some problems, like simple puzzles and poor multiplayer.

A little undercooked, but this is still an enjoyable attempt to create a more cerebral shooter.

Singularity is revealed to be a very involving game, with some interesting ideas and capable of smoothly bringing us all the way to the end without ever being boring. The only letdown is its bare online multiplayer: we'd have preferred for Raven to focus on extending the single player experience, rather than delivering a too basic multiplayer.

If you are one of those players that are looking for the innovative game of tomorrow, then I think this is probably the worst game you could purchase. Singularity is not about renovating the FPS genre, but more reinstating it with some well known mechanics and a common setting.

An extremely solid action thriller that Activision probably should be more loud and proud about.

Multiplayer makes up for a lot. [Sept 2010, p.84]

Dumb, derivative and gleefully enjoyable. [Sept 2010, p.87]

Despite the glaring flaws, there's a huge amount of enjoyment to be had with Singularity. It's not an essential title, but it certainly brightens up this dull time of year.

This is a time-travelling FPS done right and it's too bad that the game lacks any sort of hype, as it is a much stronger showing than a lot of recently released FPS titles, multiplayer aside. If you like guns, Soviet world domination, and a time-hopping protagonist, then I would recommend taking a peek at the game.

What a waste of a perfectly decent videogame. Activision should hang its corporate head in shame, directly after it offers the development team at Raven a public apology for so savagely shafting its work on Singularity. If there were any justice in this world, and my opinion amounted to anything more than a whisper lost amid a crowd of screaming maniacs, every shooter fan would promptly purchase Singularity in order to drag it back from the depths of hell to which it has been so unfairly consigned.

Singularity is an entertaining FPS, full of variety till the end credits. It lacks some personality and solid graphics, but if you like the genre, this game won't let you down.

With its varied combat, ridiculous story and outlandish weapons it's a fun and engaging title and it's a real pity that that Activision haven't given it the attention it deserves. If you're willing to overlook its shortcomings and enjoy old school running-and-gunning, Singularity is an immensely satisfying romp.

But for a game released to little fanfare, one that's innovative only in an additive sense, Singularity is worth playing for its canny incorporation of the best ideas from the last decade of first-person shooters, and for providing a suitably chilling atmosphere in which to enjoy them.

It's not particularly original, occasionally gets repetitive, and the main storyline is fairly short, but it's a solid and entertaining effort that you'll probably enjoy more than you think you will.

I thought the game's pacing was good and I never got bored going through the campaign. I think the weapon variety helped with that as well as the fact that half way through the campaign I was still learning new ways to take out my opponent.

Singularity is a pleasant surprise. It could have been an average first person shooter game, but it has turned out to be a great game, with gameplay and visuals that deserve praise.

With a bit more ingenuity in the puzzles, more made of the time travel and a little more graphical "oomph", Raven and Activision could have had a real gem on their hands. It's still well worth a look though.

The innovative time-altering gameplay falls a wee bit short of our expectations and there aren't any outstanding parts throughout the rest of the game either. But Raven Software know their trade and although their new game is lacking in absolute blasts, Singularity makes up for a nice pastime and satisfies with its plain good old-school gameplay.

Can feel a little by the numbers. [Issue#62,p.86]

A frenetic and fun title that is held short of true greatness by a lack of imagination in places, with a story that is only so-so and a multiplayer that needs a few more modes (and players) to be truly satisfying.

A decent shooter with smart time powers and enough atmos to hook you for the duration. [Oct 2010, p.101]

Singularity won't win any end of year accolades, nor does it re-write the book on how shooters should be made; but it does stand up and is noticed in the winter period we often expect very little from in our industry of game.

You'll get the average eight to twelve hours of single player depending on the difficulty, but it does drag on as the pacing just seems very off.

Singularity is better then the average shooter and has a lot of fun to offer. Thanks to a decent singleplayer campaign and a fine multiplayer, you won't regret spending your time on this game.