SiN Episodes Emergence Preview - PC

Ritual Entertainment showed off an alpha version of Emergence at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This will be the first episode in the SiN Episodes series slated for a first quarter release this year. As promised, the game will be published through Steam and will cost under $20. The complete SiN Episodes series will span a total of nine episodes. Emergence will have around four to six hours of gameplay.

SiN Episodes Emergence is set in the futuristic Freeport City, five years after the events of the first SiN game (released in 1998). Gamers once again assume the role of Colonel John Blade, leader of the military organisation known as the HardCorps. Elexis Sinclaire and her notorious SinTEK Corporation also make a comeback. She is at the top of society in Freeport and her experiments have caused a mutant problem that plagues the poorer parts of the city. Blade once again tries to bring Elexis and her corporation to justice.

The preview at CES presented various scenarios including the usual FPS run-n-gun action, physics puzzles, battles with mutants and even a part where you ride in a vehicle gunning enemies down, while your sidekick Jessica drives. Some of the weapons from the original game are back. Blade’s signature gun – the magnum, from the first game is back. Not to be confused with the Counter-Strike sniper rifle, this is a big handgun that made its appearance in the first game. Other weapons include an assault rifle and a shotgun. All weapons now have a secondary fire mode and a distinct melee attack.

The developers are keen on your being able to interact with the environment in a big way. The Source engine has been refined and tweaked with exactly this in mind. You can pick up items and throw them around, or at enemies. Their velocity is affected by how you pick up an object. Picking up an object by the edge and hurling it at someone or something will add a spin to it. Small details to enhance interactivity can be seen everywhere. Health is no longer a static wall-mount. Players can now pick up health canisters and carry it around. You can also shoot health canisters which will result in a vapour cloud. Stepping through this will restore your health. There are even canisters of ‘mutagen’ around which can have an either good or bad effect on the mutants you have to face.

SiN Episodes implements a radically new AI system, which is constantly changing as you play the game. The game keeps a track of a variety of statistics and keeps a periodic check on them. Based on this, the game adjusts itself to your level and style of playing. For example, if you keep getting regular headshot kills, you will soon find enemies begin to wear helmets. Some of the numerous statistics include health, damage, pacing and weapon usage and choices. Instead of being presented with a difficulty option at the beginning of the game, this system adjusts the game on the go, without interrupting the flow of the game. Enemies include SinTEK grunts and mutants that work together and use cover effectively. Some weird mutant enemies will also be present, like the Leperkin mutant that starts out tiny and continues to grow bigger and bigger unless you kill it.

The audio is said to be top notch with a wide array of sound effects and music. The music will only appear when it is appropriate to the situation. The voice actors from the first SiN game also make a come back - Eric Mills as Blade, Hanna Logan as Elexis and Billy O’Sullivan as JC. The overall atmosphere in the SiN world is darker this time around and it shows in all the characters, especially JC, who is more mature and much less annoying.

The second episode should be available in around six to eight months after the release of Emergence. Ritual is also working on a multiplayer component. There are also plans of an Xbox 360 release via Xbox Live Marketplace. Ritual is taking a bold step forward in their ambitious effort to create and self publish the first game in a serial form.

Meshach Thomas