Game Reviews

That's it, videogames; I've officially had it with audio logs. They were a cute diversion a few years back, but now it seems like every post-BioShock game environment is strewn with more recording equipment than a Guitar Center. Aside from the latest Batman -- excused for being set in an insane asylum -- I've never been able to comprehend why anyone would capture the intimate details of their day-to-day lives on tape, only to leave said recordings out in the open for any caped crusader or genetically-enhanced super-soldier that might be passing through. Then again, I guess I still don't really understand the point of Twitter, either.

Anyway, Raven Software's newest first-person shooter, Singularity, absolutely overflows with that sort of atmospheric junk. And that's just one of the many, many ways Raven's game gives off a serious BioShock vibe. For starters, Singularity opens with a helicopter crash over the Pacific Ocean -- BioShock, a plane crash in the Atlantic. Both games drop their silent protagonists into strange and perilous ruined cities where mysterious, flesh-mutating substances have been unearthed. They also both allow you to collect and trade the aforementioned gene-altering materials to customize and upgrade your abilities. I could go on for days, honestly, but all that's really missing here are guys in retro-looking diving suits, a soundtrack loaded with Bing Crosby songs, and the ability to unleash swarms of bees from your hands.