SiN Episode 1: Emergence

Periodical Content is like a virus, and a lot of developers have been catching it. Based on the newfound ability to release games incrementally via online services like XBOX Live, all developers are beginning to look at it as a genuine way to expand on their games. But there's a new, darker way to do it- and a way that's become rather taboo over the years- and that is incremental gaming. That is, to take a game, break it up into chunks, and sell the chunks for small amounts of cash- and release it in a way so everyone is on the same page. Not many people like this, because it really impedes game play, and in the long run, it's extremely expensive- but developers are looking at it more and more.

And, in the spirit of that, Steam officially has it's first periodical content game (or rather, series of games) called SiN Episodes. Seeing this on my STEAM list was a little odd- and the after-E3 boredom was beginning to set in (As well as the fact I wanted to jump the booth babe at the SiN Booth), so I decided to download this game. Oh no, I've officially signed myself up for what seems to be the biggest and longest shooter game series ever- but as I'll explain in this review, the very first one- “SiN Episode 1: Emergence”- shows some promise.

SiN Episode 1: Emergence is built on the Half Life 2 engine- it may seem a little weird, but it makes sense once you get into the somewhat lighthearted shooter. Really dusting off the corner in my mind devoted to oldschool shooters, SiN Episode 1 is a throwback to just about every single shooter game in the last decade, as well as featuring some unique features to somewhat throw you off. As John Blade, hard core commander of HardCorps, a security force, you will travel to stop the evil drug lord Viktor Radek as well as the evil (But as I'll explain, extremely hot) Elexis Sinclaire. Yes, it does sound like Half Life 2- SiN Episode 1 doesn't just share the engine, but a lot of familiar things to Half Life denizens that have become commonplace.



And that leads to my first rant and explanation about this game- the fact that SiN Episode 1 is quite a bit like Half Life, and actually feels quite a bit like a really well done Half Life 2 Mod. See, the Half Life Mod community is known for cleverness, but also for the lack of originality, at least in some circumstances. With that in mind, I could not shake the feeling that SiN Episode 1 was something of a remake of Half Life 2, complete with better looking characters and a storyline that actually makes sense (to some degree). The game actually admits this to a degree, with a sharp sense of humor (With signs like “Crates are overused”). The saving grace here is that very humor, which is basically the development team going “Yes, we know this is like Half Life and Doom. Just laugh and enjoy yourself”, not “THIS IS OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY”, ala a lot of the shoddy FPSes coming from other developers today. To be completely honest, not only do I think this is the first FPS to feature this kind of genuinely fun humor, but I think it may be the first FPS that is like one large, fun inside joke- something that's clever and entertaining, but also a game at it's core.

One of the biggest features of SiN is actually a porn star. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Unlike any other shooter game (Well, unlike any other game) on the market, SiN Episodes knows shooter fans are basically a bunch of single guys, and in that respect, they hired actual women to model for the female characters in the game. Most notably of the cast, Bianca Beauchamp, serves as the (as I mentioned before) extremely hot Elexis Sinclaire, a scientist-slash-nurse-slash-S&M chick running around like she's hooking. This accounts for the reason why all the women in the game look absolutely pixel perfect and hot, and this can officially be the first time that I honestly admit the characters themselves were hot. Take that, manly Alyx (Half Life 2)- they've got porn stars on their side. And they have breasts. These breasts:



The game itself is actually somewhat disappointing. As it is incremental (And the first out of 9 chapters), I was obviously expecting some lame happenings, but I really didn't fathom how short and how simplistic it would be. Even when cranked to hard, the game is rather forgiving, and all of the AI is resoundingly stupid. Any gamer, playing this at the normal level, will have no trouble getting through the game with no deaths, and even possibly no hits- due to the AI being so dumb and your weapons being so strong. Head shots equal death- and due to that small fact, I completed the whole game with the tiny pistol, rather than the large machine gun. It may be somewhat irritating to gamers looking for a challenge, but it is fun to blast through something so simply (Though, if you payed for it, especially at a store, you'll be pissed). While I can tell the developers of SiN Episode 1: Emergence put some real thought into this game, especially when it comes to some of the features (Though, I sadly admit, it has a form of bullet time), they in no way hamper the game play (they actually just make it easier), so in the long run your character is like a kid with a magnifying glass to an anthill.

The graphics in SiN Episode 1: Emergence really show off the capability of the source engine, but anything explicitly made by the designers (especially some of the character models that are NOT female) sometimes come across as a little rudimentary. While I just stopped looking at high quality E3 graphics, I somewhat expected a little better in some parts of the game, though I really cannot complain in retrospect. As I mentioned, the women are beautiful (And the most high res things in the game), so that's obviously not a problem.



One of the biggest “cool things” of SiN that doesn't have breasts is the level design. Not only have they revamped the health system so the levels play a large part in you staying alive (Looking for health canisters to install into the chargers on the wall), but every single part of the game was made to painstaking perfection, including some little secret areas that will entertain treasure hunters for a long time. Without giving out where it was/how to find it, I can say that the most entertaining was the Super Mario Brothers parody, which was a small (hidden, of course) pipe near a sign: “JUMPING INTO HOT PIPES MAY LEAD TO WARPING”). Of course, jumping into it, I managed to not only mimic Mario- but I was warped forward right into a certain place I was trying to get into. That amused me enough, so I had to mention it here.

But, that's just about it when it comes to cool things. The game is easy, and very short- and nothing can really help that fact, no matter how hard the development team tries to be clever. Even though the price is only a measly $20, it was the same amount I payed for such great games as Half Life 1- and thus, SiN Episode 1 pales in comparison. Thankfully, though, you do get the blessing of the first SiN game (SiN 1), a predecessor that is worth a play (though still somewhat mediocre). Again, though- I could get a lot of longer, more rewarding games for $20, and it's disappointing to see SiN Episode 1 this much. What's even worse is thinking of the amount people will dish out of they want all 9 games- a total of $180 or so. That's one hell of a lot just to lead John Blade to the end of the series.

In closing, there is a lot that SiN did right. It's a clever game with a sense of humor you just don't see in games anymore. However, it is hard to let the somewhat mediocre game itself be ignored, especially when I completed it in one hour-long sitting. For $20, this is a great game on the Half Life 2 engine, but you could get so much more- possibly Half Life 2 itself, which is basically the crowning jewel of this engine. So, if you are rolling in money and intend to spend $180 to finish the SiN Episodes series, then more power to you- but if you're looking for a good shooter, there are far too many out there better than this.

But this one has a pornstar.

4 star(s) out of 5

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