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Casted

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PostSubject: Singularity   Singularity EmptyFri Jun 25, 2010 6:14 pm

Singularity Singularity_cover
Good old Russia fucks the world up...again.))
TRAILER:
GAMEPLAY:


Premise
The game takes place on a mysterious island known as "Katorga-12" where Russian experiments involving "E99" took place during the height of the Cold War era. Sometime during 1950, a terrible catastrophe known as the "Singularity" occurred on the island, causing the island's very existence to be covered up by the Russian government. The player controls Nate Renko, an Air Force pilot who is sent to investigate bizarre radiation emissions coming from the island, only to crash land there. After regaining consciousness, Nate finds the TMD (Time Manipulation Device) and discovers that the island is constantly shifting between the time periods of 1950 and 2010. He also encounters Victor Barisov [P.S -It's BORISOV, not Barisov...idiots], the scientist in charge of the Katorga-12 experiments who reveals that a man named Nikolai Demichev is on the island to try to restart them on a much larger scale, which could cause an unthinkable disaster. During the quest to stop Demichev, the player will have to deal with hostile Russian forces in both time periods, and the hideously mutated flora, fauna and former residents of the island, some of which have developed time manipulation powers of their own.

Gameplay
Singularity's main gameplay device is an artifact known in the game as the TMD (Time Manipulation Device), which includes five different functions, each allowing the player to achieve a different effect.

* Age Revert: This allows the player to move an object or human backwards and forwards in time. It can be used for instance, to repair broken walkways, by sending them back in time to a point before it was broken, revert an empty oil barrel into a full one, turn a crate that a group of enemies are using for cover into rotted wood, or turn an iron fence blocking your path into a pile of rust. Using it on humans transforms them to a primal state, causing them to turn against friend and foe alike or ages them into a pile of bones and dust.
* Deadlock: an ability that allows the player to create a sphere of temporal energy that slows down or stops everything in it. It could be used by throwing it at a group of enemies, resulting in all of them stopping. Then the player can enter the sphere and shoot all the enemies until they die. After the player removes the sphere, all the enemies will die at the same time. It can also be used as a shield to stop or slow bullets or other projectiles.
* Impulse: The Impulse function sends out pulses of energy, which cause targets to be thrown backwards and instantly kills small enemies. It can also turn intangible enemies tangible again.
* Gravity: When targetted at an object, Gravity will attract the object and hold it while freezing it in time. This may be used, for example, to grab a de-pinned grenade and be able to hold it indefinitely without it exploding.
* Chronolight: a "time-invariant flashlight" that allows the player to view things as they were in other time periods in certain areas. Combined with Gravity, the player can pull an object out of a time period to use in the present and solve a puzzle or open a locked door. The Chronolight isn't attached to the TMD from the start of the game and is later given to the player by one of the Russian scientists on the island.

The TMD can also be used in conjunction with special power stations scattered across the island that greatly amplify its power. In some instances, the player can use this to restore entire ruined buildings or wrecked ships to their pristine state in order to progress. However, these major alterations are highly unstable and will begin to revert almost immediately, forcing the player to dash through the restored structures as they start to decay and collapse around him.

The developers also announced in an interview with GameInformer that the player will not have regenerating health such as personal shielding, and will instead have a traditional life bar. Raven believes that this will force the player to slow down, and explore the game, ensuring that the experience is not rushed.
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MortalWombat

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptyFri Jun 25, 2010 9:49 pm

Why is Russia always the evil force?
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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptyFri Jun 25, 2010 10:05 pm

Because they have the coolest bad guy accents. I love Russian accents. It's why I'm going to try to learn the language next year.

I made a thread about it back before it was about to be released and I'll just post what I said in this thread.

I've been a fan of Raven. Elite Force is the first game I ever played apart from Reader Rabbit nonsense, and they were overall awesome until about Wolfenstein, maybe a little before it. Wolfenstein, of course, sucked on so many balls of other franchises because it was just so generic but things are looking up to me.

From what I have gleaned off the dark depths of trailers and gameplay videos, here is my opinion so far:

The puzzle solving looks very rudimentary. "You get to find a button to open a door. But wait! You use time to do it."

The viewing of the past thing is obviously taken from Cryostasis, but it loses its magic, revealing too much, not making the player think enough, as far as I can tell. In Cryostasis, you had various major and minor plotpoints all strewn about with various points of view to them, meaning that the player pieced everything together himself, making the story part of the gameplay. In this game's videos, the few Mental Echoes you see are people ominously fleeing from something ominous. How ominous. It strikes me instantly that they're probably setting up for the debut for the main cannon fodder enemy creature, and guess what, they are. It ends up being cheesy, more like BioShock with its conveniently placed storytelling devices when they'll make the most direct sense, rather than masterfully mixing them up.

However, the combat looks pretty badass, because that is the only place where the time manipulation gimmick doesn't look like it will be just that: a gimmick. I can think of plenty of games that give you slow motion and a bunch of abilities that give you powers to overcome enemies more easily, but I can't think of when manipulating time on their behalf has been done before, and it looks neat being able to use it as a weapon instead of a generic defense mechanism.
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 1:42 am

Good point about Cryostasis.
Oh well...
I'm going to try the game out now.
And then i'll make a shitty rewiew (coz i suck at doing reviews (like Transformers))

P.S. Good luck with Russian language, но помни, он охренительно сложный ибо в нем есть падежи и полное разделения по полам в переводе.
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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 1:47 am

I've already learned a small bit of the alphabet (and I am good with languages). It's enough for me to understand that the sign showing the name of the island in some promotional art transliterates to KDTOYD 12.
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 1:51 am

MortalWombat wrote:
Why is Russia always the evil force?
We had comunism, we had Stalin and Lenin...and all kinds of things)
But to be serious, it's just shitty politics.
USA hates Russia, Russia hates USA.
And it's been like this since WW2 (the D-day argument and then the Cold War).
So...don't worry about that.)

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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 1:55 am

I shall review it as well! I need to review more games because I'm not doing it enough.
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 1:56 am

Sitting On Chairs wrote:
I've already learned a small bit of the alphabet (and I am good with languages). It's enough for me to understand that the sign showing the name of the island in some promotional art transliterates to KDTOYD 12.

KDTOYD 12?
A bit of explanation here?)
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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 2:01 am

There's a sign that says the "Russian" version of "Katorga 12" which is "КДТOЯGД 12." Since there is no "G" in Russian that would make it pronounced "KDTOYD" in the English language, correct?
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 2:08 am

Sitting On Chairs wrote:
There's a sign that says the "Russian" version of "Katorga 12" which is "КДТOЯGД 12." Since there is no "G" in Russian that would make it pronounced "KDTOYD" in the English language, correct?
Oh!
Transcription!
Katorga - Каторга
KДTOЯGД - KDTOYD prettty much, yes.
As far as i can tell, they used Д coz it looked like A (very stupid idea), and there is a variation of G, it's "Г" or "Ж", depending on how it sounds.
So developres just fucked up with language mixture.
It would be better to write Katorga, KATOЯГА or КДТОЯГД if they wanted it to sound pretty Russian, but still...they suck.


Last edited by Casted on Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:44 am; edited 1 time in total
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 3:05 am

First look.

Plot.
Politics.
Politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics, politics and politics.

Yet again we Russians fucked the world and made it unsafe, so we could easily dominate it and the only one, who can stop us is a S.B.A.S.H.B.U.M.K. (Super Bave American Solider Hero Buletproof Badass and Unstopable Killing Machine). Steven Seagull is a dushbag compared to this hero.
First it was music, then movies and now games.
What next? They will try to brainwash me in my showerroom?
I'm not a patriot of my country BUT this...this is just SO unserious ( and i know that it's a fictional game, but still)
Come on people. The Cold War is over. Every country has it's own nuke, or other badass weapon now.
How long wil it last, this political shit in games?
Oh, I have a feeling that Ravenguys don't know history much.
Wrong insignias, fail with orden of Lenin ( aha, all national and public orden is given to a scientist for TOP SECRET research and e.c.t
I'm no trying to stand up for Russia like a god dammn patriot, I just hate when someone messes with history.
If you are doing a fictional game, based on real history, learn the fucking hidtory, before doing something like this.

Second look.
I must admit, the game is well optomised and runs great on PC.
Graphics OK.
Sound Ok.
Gamplay - it can surprise you sometimes, so i will not spoil the moment.)

...to be continued. (i hope i don't irritate anyone))
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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 3:28 am

I don't think it's released yet.

(Don't worry. I'm doing the same thing right now.)
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 3:33 am

Sitting On Chairs wrote:
I don't think it's released yet.

(Don't worry. I'm doing the same thing right now.)

Well...i'm playing it right now.)
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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 3:53 am

Maybe it's released in Russia? I probably should have checked that out. It's not released in the US, which is strange because Raven is American. I figured you had dedaolnwod yllagelli it.
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Casted

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 4:23 am

Sitting On Chairs wrote:
Maybe it's released in Russia? I probably should have checked that out. It's not released in the US, which is strange because Raven is American. I figured you had dedaolnwod yllagelli it.
Singularity Singularity201006260141.th *picture content - facepalm*
I have absolutely *cough* no *cough* idea of what you are taking about.
And i don't even have a PC.
And i certanly didn't dedaolnwod yllagelli it
Singularity Singularity201006260148.th
Ravenguys...learn Russian, bitches...seriously.
By the way. My wife is historian.
If i see this in he begining of the game...well...i think near the end i'll completly die laughing and my brain will travel back in time only not to remember this shit. The main "cooly" font itself is just...abomination incarne)
Singularity Singularity201006260158.th
Yup! I'm going to die from this amount of lols.))) (1) picture fail 2) right side translation fail)
Singularity Singularity201006260208.th Fail
Singularity Singularity201006260217.th Real-deal russian scientist a.k.a The Rapeface
Singularity Singularity201006260216.th WTF?
Singularity Singularity201006260217.th Wrong head turn. It's Lenin, Marks and Engels. Stalin was never shown like this.
Singularity Singularity201006260218.th Statue fail.
The ONLY head statue of it's kind - The Alley of Glory.
Singularity 223173947
I need to stop this shit or i'll never finish this game (pics taken frome THE FIRST location)
Singularity Singularity201006260254.th yeah...right...aha...russian... (have anyone noticed...some similarity with...you know...1939-1945)
Singularity Singularity201006260302.th Lenin Statue Fail
Singularity Singularity201006260311.thNow this! This is epic!
For such suck-ass drawing you could go to real Katorga a.k.a the worst type of prison

P.S. I laugh at this USA conception of Russia as hard as at Russian concept of USA. I'm not a racist or something. I will do the same if Russia will develop a stupid and incorrect game about USA.
P.P.S Please...Someone...Stop me...Too much lols...brain is dying...


Last edited by Casted on Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:31 am; edited 2 times in total
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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 6:25 am

I can't...
I just can't rewiew this game...
It's too goddamn funy and stupid!)
Maybe one word: Bioshock.
So it's up to you, lav.)))
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sexbad

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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 6:40 am

If Russia was to make a game about the USA where all the tiny details are incorrect, all the conservative turds here would get very angry.

According to the development blog (only had one post, I think) the environments were designed to reflect the opinion of Russia from Cold War times, but it's still rather silly.

So you don't have a computer. Hum. Odd.

I've been playing and so far it feels like the dream I had of what Wolfenstein 2009 should have been. No stupid sandbox, nicer graphics, more fun weapons, better gore, better monster AI, better set pieces, et cetera. I haven't received my TMD yet so I can't comment on how the powers are, but I doubt they'll suck as much as Wolfenstein's. Like I said, using time as a weapon. I'm also hoping that the military AI won't be shit. Wolfenstein's was incredibly awful. Like worse than Call of Duty awful.

Also health does not regenerate. Fuck yes.
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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 7:06 am

Dude...i have PC.
It was a joke.)))
Yup! ther is no HP regen. Fuck yeah twice for that.
So far...well...averege.
If to put aside shity arts and other Russia/USA thought...well. Bioshock with...i dono.
Run-n-gun part. Better then i expected.
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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 6:32 pm

I expected nothing form this and I have been pleasantly surprised. I don't really like FPS games, but this one has got me.

As someone who knows nothing about Russian culture and history, the details don't jar with me. It's done in a kind of silly 50's propoganda style - like the vision of Russians that the American government wanted people to believe in during the Cold War. I don't think it's supposed to be serious. Or at least I hope not.

Yes, there are some major tones of BioShock here, in the old and crumbling facilities and again in the 50's propoganda style. There are some cartoony film clips you can view, like safety instructions and so on, which seem directly lifted from the 'plasmid' videos in BioShock.

The gameplay is totally different though. The RPG aspects are very downplayed, pretty much just limited to weapon upgrades and even those don't seem to have a huge effect on gameplay. And although there is some searching and scrounging, especially for ammo early on, the pace is much higher than BS.

The puzzles are actually pretty cool so far. Yes, the main puzzles are pretty much of the 'age the lock to open the door' type variety. But if you just blaze straight through, you'll miss some goodies. I've found at least three tasty caches of upgrades and goodies that would be very easy to miss if you don't search carefully and experiment with stuff.

The gadgets and weapons and so on are cool. Nothing hugely original, but there's some fun stuff like a gun with bullets you can control in flight.

It's very plot heavy. The narrative is pretty simple and plot objects are always sitting in your path, notes on tables and audio tapes on the floor and whatnot. But there's a good sense of doing something that pushes the storyline along at all times. It's interesting enough to keep you playing, you want to know what happens next. It's reminded me of HalfLife 2 for some reason, in the way it approaches plot.

What can I say ? I'm about three hours in, very surprised and keen to play more. Me like.
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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySat Jun 26, 2010 7:59 pm

Round 2

Wile my pedantical lies somewhere, twichin in agony from a shotguan blast in it's balls, I can funally tell something.

GOOD
1) I'm very surprised how good it runs on PC. (FPS above 70 on HIGH settings)
2) Shoting part is awsome, especially on hard.
Not to much weapons, but hey! Who needs all this fancy-pancy peashooters, when you have shotgun.
3) Monsters design is...well...good. Not so colourfull, but nice.
4) Soliders uniform in past period is cool.
5) TMD(This motherfuckers die) - cool gimmick. Most of the gameplay is based on it's powers.
6) Plot. Well it's pretty fucked up sometimes...but stargly... i like it.
7) Level design - well, they made huge work to make fucked up world and good old past world...so high five.

BAD
1) A.I...well...Singularity Singularity201006261451.th A.I. is A.I. so lets leave it at that.
2) Glithcy, very, very glitchy. Enemies stuck in floor. Killed mosters don'y want to drop dead Singularity Singularity201006261916.th. Textures glitch often. TMD imulse blast...enemiess fall, drop their weapons...and freeaze like idiots. e.c.t
3) "RPG" system. Well...they tried i think. You won't get much of it. Maybe a few TMD upgrades, a few usless perks (except health boost and health pack upgrade). Weapons upgrades almost usless (as Uber said) except ammo holders' capacity increase.
4) TMD. I have a feeling that Ravenguy spent most time developing it's looks than functionality. Tou can use it only in special places (except combat where it comes in handy, but could be better), so it makes surounding usage almost poor.

I won't tell anything about graphics, coz I don't rally care about it.

EPILOGE: Promising shooter that could be MUCH better. Who knows, maybe their new FPS game will be better. 7/10
CONSISTS OF: Half-Life 1 - 10%, Half-Life 2 - 10%, Clive Barker's Jerico - 5%, Prince of Percia (The forgotten sands mostly) - 30%, Bioshock - 30%, Cryiostasis - 10%, Any FPS -5%, Shotgun Asskicking - 200%
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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySun Jun 27, 2010 12:06 am

I ran into the phase ticks yesterday and found those to be among the worst enemies in a video game. They rank somewhere in between Riddick 2's spider turrets and Half-Life's headcrabs. Except there's a trillion of them. It took me a very long while to master my deadlock skills that I used to hold them back or run past them, and on hard, it is guaranteed you will die at least twice on each encounter before working out a strategy to kill or pass them. I hate trial and error gameplay such as this and it frustrated me to next to no end most of the time.

All other enemies are well-designed and fun to shoot and I've loved two out of three boss battles given to me. The last boss battle I encountered on the train with the big thing was hard and it often unpredictably one-hit-killed me.

I also enjoy some of the setpieces, such as the actual time travel. I expected it to happen more often, though the game may be longer than I thought it would be. I adored the burning building scene with all my heart and how its repercussions edited the timeline in such a grandiose manner. There's also the stealth section. You don't have to do anything other than crouch, but it's still freaking tense. It's probably ripped off of Call of Pripyat's sleeping bloodsucker scene but you can't go wrong with material like that.

Yeah, AI is still dim at times. It's better than Call of Duty's and certainly better than Wolfenstein's, but nowhere near the level of Metro 2033 or the first Far Cry. It doesn't need to be that great so far considering most of the game is mutants but there is some stuff that definitely should have been improved.

Its ability in combat is payment enough for the TMD. I don't need any fancy puzzles in a Raven shooter. I just wish their games could have better stories. Elite Force had a great narrative. I don't understand what happened to it writer.
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PostSubject: Re: Singularity   Singularity EmptySun Jun 27, 2010 12:59 am

By the way...
There are 3 endings.
Yup! I beated the game!)
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