On-line registration via Steam is a major pain in the ass. Expect at least a four hour wait while the game registers and updates (dial up) before being able to play. I dont think I will ever again buy another game that uses this truly inane system. Sin is visually nice and performs adequately on my machine (p4 3.0 nvidia 7800 gs). There is one memorable moment, Alexis Sinclair in a next to nothing bikini.… Expand

To all the negative opinions out there..... Why even bother? It takes hard work theese days to create games and Sin pushed FPS to a whole new level. With a solid story plot and amazing graphics how could you complain? What game out there cost 19.95 that will compare? If 20 dollars is an issue to you then freakin get a job...its amazing how you even have a pc that will run it. im a hard core gamer and i will tell you this game was simply awesome. I went to E3 and got to see the real model bianca WOW she was sexy. In anycase if your reading the negative comments and are debating whether to buy it or not save yourself the regret and give Ritual your 19.95 they deserve it! I cannot WAIT for the #2 episode!… Expand

A very solid game. With the latest updates to the AI, it works much better now. The learning curve AI does need work, but is very unique. I would prefer smarter enemies along with tougher enemies, not just tougher enemies. However, they can still manage to pull a fast one on me when they spawn behind me, or below me. The weapon selection was a little short, but I don't think you really need too many more weapons than that. I can handle the selection for the time being. Besides, nothings more funny then taking down a chopper with a pistol! Graphics wise, it wasn't too bad. They sure did a lot of work on Elexis. In some respects, it might have been a better idea to not go overly gung ho on the graphics (which is so common these days). This is a start to an interesting storyline. I'm excited to see where they will take it.… Expand

Emergence is a bit like eating a jam doughnut. Short but delicious. Although gettting Sugar all over your face, and jam squirting out on the floor is annoying. It's perfectly long enough(about 6 hrs) for the amount it cost. Plenty to shoot at. Beginnings of a decent storyline - lthough it doesnt really kick in till half way. My only real gries are - you seem to spend an age with just a pistol. - SMG and shotgun are a bit weedy and randomn - Too long fighting the same grunts. - Bit too linear - Im getting real fed up of locked doors - bland interiors and level design - especially at the beginning… Expand

This game was a real workout, short which I was dissapointed about though. This was a challenge all the way through, loved the gameplay, was mad that there is a multiplayer for the first one and not this! Overall I can't wait for the next episode, hurry that crap up, I wanna play more!

Great game worth the 20$ and can't wait for the next one. Not as short as i was think it would be but still short, then again lets all be fair here it coasted 20$ and took me a hard core gamer 3-4 days 24/7 none stop to beat. AI was nicely done and not full of BS like i can see you when you cant even see them curd in say far cry (that’s an ok game). Not as hard as half life 2 and not as good but still rates up there, where I’d give Half life 2 a 11 out of 10 break the limit wall I’ll give this Sin a 9 out of 10, worth the buy keep up the good work and do some really cool different think in the next one for a higher rating from me and far better enjoyment, never the less I’m sold and will be getting the next one!… Expand

Putting the game rating: 7 (to be generous) because it is an enjoyable game; but I can only see it as a series of challenges for the gamer; rather than something new, and inventive - besides the fact of it the entire game being segmented into chunks of instalments like annual fees of MMO subscriptions. There’s nothing new, nor original (besides the aesthetics of the visuals), because the annoying ‘rhino’ mutant reminds me of the Queen Antlion from Half Life 2, and the weaponry is restricted to three! Can’t really complain, but we get what we’ve paid for; and for spending £20 on it from a normal retail store because naturally Steam doesn’t work properly when trying to download it online was too much! I’d say £10 – 15 tops, as a fair price in comparing it to US dollar prices online! All sounds good for the developer - in securing their retail prices, and their windows-style security of preventing illegal copies. Although for the gamer; they'll be more out of pocket by paying for an immersive experience that’ll short-live no longer than a movie feature (worst case scenario: three hours max!) If this is the future of gaming: more expensive, shorter thrills, less content, and rushed designs / ideas – then I already don’t like it! Overall; an okay title, but not much for replay value…… Expand

I don't care about SIN 1 or multiplayer for SIN 1. If U do, then it might be worth it??? I got this game just because of of the Steam Engine. I LOVE THE STEAM ENGINE!!! The game play was not bad. The story was good. It would have been great if they had made the game twice as long or charged half the price. $20 is too much. Maybe episidoe 2 will be half off to "Emergence" buyers. This is the type of game U get in a software bundled package as an extended play demo for the real game that is 3 or 4 times longer. I guess that is why they call them "EPISODES" :-). I am not mad that I got it, but I wish I had waited to get 4 or 5 episodes at one time bundled together for around $30 or $40. At least I would have something to do for more than 5 or 6 hours on default settings and a few more on hard the second time I played it. You need to start this game on it's hardest level the first time so U will get U're $'s worth of play!!! I had to go back and play it again on it's hardest setting just to see if it took any longer? The A.I. is pretty kool. P.S. I am sure I will be first in line to get the next episode :-)… Expand

ill start with the good things first: this game has great graphix, snd you will be in first person always like in HL2. In the beginning of the game you will get boobs, profanity, and violence. This enimy AI is practicaly retarted, so you wont get a challenge. OH! cool you get many different guns in this game....oh you'll rarly get enough ammo to use them. Instead you'll be using a shitty one-shot gun, that kills in 2 shots. Also I noticed they use the same enimies alot. All they do is make them stronger or just give them jetpacks. ( again with the 1 shot gun) this game should have been improved with the problems. I guess this game wasn't worked on that hard.… Expand

It's not that grate of a game. Now I did not play that much into it. but the game just seemed clunky. only being able to jump 3 inches in the air seemed retarted.No lean, a constant fight-get hurt-heal type game. However there does apear to be a good story line. Don't get me wrong this is not a horrible game.I think it does have it's good spots. Just not worth an 8 out of 10.

Dont buy that ! The game is correct near perfect , but it is the same as Half- life 2 , only very short to complete 2 hour max ( and i am an old uncle ) 20$ ,6 hours of donwload ( steam ) i am not Happy ! . This is like Arlequin book , once you read one , you have read them all ,

Hey I must say I spent quite a time in late 90s playing Sin. Let's see what have we got now. Familiar characters, humour, action. New storyline, better graphics, lack of weapons. But, hey! Wasn't it only the beginning?! A lot of people still hope they're going to make further episodes. Playing Episode 1: Emergence was extremely enjoyable!

I absolutely love this game, but being part 1, of game which was meant to be made of multiple episodes, it is quite short (5 hours play through at a guess). Sadly part 2 never got made, and being a Steam online registered game, does put many people off. Still, what it lacks in length, it makes up for in quality, and it can be bought quite cheap now too.

Soooo much fun, little need to think things through - just kill kill kill! Could be just a little longer, but hopefully we wont have to wait long for the next 'episode' to be published.

Very good overall near nonstop action, I found the way the enemies adjust from firefight to firefight quite disorientating at first, but really enjoy it now as you never know what to expect each time you fight, or re-load from a save game. Good comic book style setting and ambience. Plus Elexis is hot. Minor dissapointment was that the slow mo is a bit useless tbh.

It's great, not best possible but great. What makes it better than avarage is that same tricks have been done as good as they can be done. Also some improvements and couple new ideas make it worth replaying couple times more. Challenge system works and it's great to find out that while the game proggresses it becomes as hard as you skills will allow it to be. It's got also a super hard mode which is extremely fun to play since it's not allowed to save or reload game when it is toggled. Ingame music is exelent and mainmenu music (available from iTunes) is one of the best gamemenu musics ever. Maybe MaxPayne has littlebit better but still it great. So why I am giving it ten? I tell you. The truth is that I'd love to give it 8 and HalfLife2 score 7 but since this is better than usual and it's without a second thought better than HL2 or F.E.A.R or anyother FPS lately. For those who are about to think why to pay 20€ for 5-6 hours of game play I tell you a reason. I played F.E.A.R thought on hardest skill level that game allowed and I did beat it under 7hours. F.E.A.R costs 60€s in shop. I got enought challenge from SiN Episodes 1 and yes it's still shorter than F.E.A.R but it's challenge is a lot better and makes it more fun to play and that infact makes Episodes a longer game. Harder it becomes more time it will take to beat it. It's got two game killer bugs which I hope will be addressed shortly. If you play with DX8 mode on there will be a level change point in U4Labs which prevents you to progress to next area. Also in same map there is a switch which impossible to turn on there fore making progressing imposibble. But these problems are solvable right now, to problem one fix is to turn DX9 on and go to next level. ;) Second problem can be solved with crouch and pressing the button. So there will be bug fixes but they won't prevent you to beat the game. SiN episodes it extremely fun and challenging to play. It's got less onliners than what original and those hiddden secrets are fun to find not only because they give you heal, ammo, armor but because there will be suprices and easter eggs. So what the heck are you waiting for? If you want to play best game in ages since... well..I think that last game I really enjoyed this much was Daikatana or Serious Sam.… Expand

A worthy successor to the SiN series that has me hungry for more!

There is lots of value for the buck here, especially considering it sells with the original Sin title. Feels a little like a console FPS at times. Reminiscent of Duke Nukem 3D, but sadly nowhere nearly as cool. Lots of artwork, and original gags, including somewhat humerous signs posted in many areas. If you're into single player shooters and are looking for an exceptional total conversion for Half Life 2, this is it.… Expand

After playing for the first couple stages it reminded me of the fun times i had with the original SIn games. The thrill of the hunt and hunted, this game has it all.

A good history, nice enemies, weapons and sounds.

Looks great, and has a lot of interaction, I like being able to pick up boxes etc... The AI is pretty poor, I ran around a group of enimies who where ducking behind a fallen pop machine, I killed one and ended up behind the other. He didn't seem to mind that his buddy's head just blew up, and the killer, me, was hanging out 2 ft behind him. That said, heads do explode, the action is quick, and overall I liked it! Hopefully the future episodes improve upon some of the AI problems.… Expand

After reading other user reviews I hope more avid gamers might find this review useful. I couldn’t believe the number of 9’s and even a user score of 10 even though “It's great, not best possible but great.” It seems to defeat the purpose of having a rating of 1-10, 10 being the “best” which this game isn’t, its barely great if that. Sadly this game is not better than average, its just average. There is nothing new to be found here. One of the main things this game boasted was the learning AI that gets better according to how well you do in the game, and of course its value, $20 for Sin Episodes: Emergence, and the original Sin game with multiplayer. Bang for the buck is definitely a strong point if you actually liked the old Sin game and are planning to play it at this day in age when most people are playing CS: Source, DOD: Source or Half Life 2 Deathmatch. Even for the time period I felt Sin was mediocre at best and no way id ever play multiplayer Sin when I could play CS 1.6 instead. But anyways, I’ll proceed to the main reason you’d probably consider dropping 20 dollars: Sin Eps : Emergence. Now Emergence does some things that are great. The weapons aren’t too bad and I could see potential for them if they had different functionalities and some areas have great opportunity for vaster and firefights of a more epic scale. However the game disappoints the further you progress. First off the AI. As I mentioned earlier AI was supposed to be one of the stronger qualities of Sin but its not. They don’t truly get better as you progress and the only change you might see in enemy AI would be that you might start seeing more heavy weapons guys running around with mini guns. This is never a problem or makes the game harder since you’re typically well supplied with ammunition and grenades. Heavy Weapons enemies obviously do more damage, but doing more damage is a gimmick to make it feel as if the enemy AI is better, when in fact its still stupid but does more damage. Another thing to note about the enemies is that there is little to no variation. Its interesting that when playing Half Life 2, the combine soldiers don’t bother you one bit but in Emergence you will get sick of them rather quickly. Graphically this game doesn’t look bad, but due to mediocre art direction it doesn’t look great. Everything is bland and nothing strikes me as generally fantastic or awe inspiring. Half Life 2 abused Source and everywhere I went I found myself looking at little details and amazed at how great any given portion of the game looked. Ritual just doesn’t have the art direction talent that Valve does and they don’t use colors well enough to create bold levels or immersive worlds. Don’t get me wrong though, the game doesn’t look bad, there are some great textures here and there but its not amazing. Speaking of worlds lets briefly touch on level design. If you are like me, and like a bit of variety when it comes to levels prepare to be disappointed. The levels are boring. I understand if you want to make levels linear but when I do have time to “explore” I find myself just staring at more locked doors. There’s no where to go except forward, for the most part. Level design is very straight forward, too straight forward. Not one portion of the level will stand out on its own. It all feels the same and don’t inflict any particular mood that might lead to a more immersive experience. Gameplay wise its pretty straight forward as well. Shoot generally dumb enemies and don’t die. Exploring is minimal since there’s again, nothing to explore except for “secret” areas that I’d think should be satisfying to find, but are also a let down. On secondary note if you play shooters to shoot tons of weapons, don’t look here. Three weapons, including a pistol, shotgun, and smg with secondary fire and melee is all you get. It isn’t bad and I don’t mind a limited arsenal but because non of the weapons make you feel like you are shooting a different gun like they do in CS or DOD or even HL2 Death Match you don’t really favor one over the other. I personally used the pistol most of the game. So to conclude this game isn’t great, nor the best possible. Its mediocre and only above average if you like playing game merely to kill time then to have an experience. $20 dollars for any game isn’t bad, but if you are an experience and avid gamer in this genre you will have this game finished in 3 or 4 hours easy. If you are looking for non-stop action, look for Serious Sam or even Unreal Tournament. If you are looking for another total Half Life 2 conversion wait for better Half Life 2 mods that should be released soon with more replay value and potentially better art direction from what I’ve seen so far. score 7 - 20 bucks isnt expensive but could buy better "greatest hits" games.… Expand

Glitchy, crash ridden, shotty collision detection (at best) unclear objectives, total lack of ammo, health or anything that makes me actually feel I got my $17 worth for this title. It's just the same shooter scenario we've seen 1 million times already. This game brings nothing new to the table and could possibly be the WORST game to use Valve's beautiful Source engine. The physics are weak, the collision detection will leave you stuck on invisible walls or small pieces of debris. The AI seems to roll with the philosophy of "When in doubt, stand there like an idiot". The enemies seem to deal you an overwhelming amount of damage and it seems that the weapons of the future have an interesting problem: Point blank, sights set for the face...and you still miss! This game is awful and I actually regret paying for it.… Expand

Fun, good ai and it feels like the original sin. nice stages, very interactive and fun to play. i don't understand the bad reviews, sin episodes is more fun than hl2 plus because of the lack of ammo and health you have to use lots of strategic playing to win! its not a simple shooter. oh and the title song is great as well!!!

Decent shooter which suffers from difficulty scaling problems. Otherwise it's a fine example of no nonsense FPS goodness that is well executed and slickly produced. There's little original here, but it's done so well that you don't care that it's a mindless action game because you're having fun. However, if you use quicksaves every time you die, the game difficulty ends up scaling out of control - something that is usually only found out the hard way. Best advice is to simply make use of the autosaves - they allow the difficulty to be scaled down if you keep dying on a certain area. The MI3 or Armageddon movie of computer games - mindless, unoriginal, not too bright, but slick, well executed, and highly entertaining.… Expand

Fantastic game. Excellent AI, wonderful storyline and believable characters. I really love Ritual's dynamic challenge system, which helps you (Indirectly) if you get stuck at a particular point without detracting from the challenge. Source really gives this game the thrust it needs and proves once again to be a flexible and powerful engine.

Okay, i know the zero is a _little_ bit harsh, but come on!!! I have played numerous games (litterally more than a hundred, alot more) and i have GOT to say that this is the worst. That is why i gave this game a zero... It is literally the worst game i have EVER ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever played... Please don't buy it and encourage the people at Ritual Games [TM] ( but seriously Ritual Games.... ALL of your games suck.... i'm sorry, but they do. Your best game deserves maybe a four.... try making some quality games that people won't buy simply because they are on a sweet engine {congrats to valve for creating Source [TM]}… Expand

A bit laggy, crash, but create storyline and weapons and grahics, incredible job, Incredible Game

Sin Episodes: Emergence is a frustratingly difficult mediocre game. So now that I've broken the cardinal rule of review writing and put the conclusion first, let me explain how a game with such high expectations utterly failed to hit the mark. Sin Episodes makes use of a feature called the personal challenge system. A system that automatically adjusts the difficult to your skill. In the beginning of the game, this was great. After nailing headshot after headshot, the guards started coming after me wearing helmets. The first helmet I shoot off gave me great satisfactions. However, after the first boss fight, the game's difficult stops slowly ramping up and instead boards a Saturn V rocket and aims for the moon. Soon the player is hitting reload button as often as the primary fire button. By the time I was 80% done with the game, thanks to Sin's stats tracker, I found out I was dying 28.03 times per hour and I did something I haven't done it ages. I cheated. That's right, I typed in the God mode cheat just to finish the game. Running through the final stages of the game, I don't know how else I would have survived as the game was throwing wave after wave of enemies I dubbed, "walking tanks" at me. But that wasn't the only frustration with the game's combat I had. First, there's no cover in this game. All the major fights seem to take place in corridor's and warehouses, ala FPS design cira 1998. My biggest gripe with the game is the spawning enemies. Part of the personal challenge system is to spawn more enemies if you blew through the first wave. This often times results in enemies spawning behind you in rooms that you thought you had cleared. And in some cases enemies spawning right before your eyes. Perhaps because of these other failings, the fact that the graphics couldn't impress was drawn to the forefront. Emergence is build on the source engine, the same engine that powers Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. However, Emergence doesn't live up to its pedigree, lacking the same level of polish that either of the previously mentioned games do. While Sin does have a few bright spots like the well modeled and textured guards and dock workers, it finds its self falling short in the same category like the low-poly, poorly textured dock boss. So, what did Sin do well? The sound department should be congratulated. The music was excellent and the sound effects provided just the right punch to bring the characters, weapons, and explosions alive. And the statistics tracker was a thoughtful addition, although viewing "Deaths per hour" can be a be a bit depressing.… Expand

Best game ever. If it was 50 bucks, I'd be pissed, I only paid 18 bucks(pre-order). If you aren't stupid, thick headed, or a total moron, you'll love this game.

Substandard at best. Reminds me of Devastation this game, the gameplay is well, horribly horribly linear, being stuck in tunnels and small passageways throughout the whole game. The game is unforgivingly hard too, now, even though you may pick the easiest setting, that means jack, since it's going to make it harder and harder the better you do, now is it just me, or if someone picks easy, would they not want it to keep being easy? Guns? What guns, you have that insanely accurate pistol at the beggining, then about 30 minutes in you can have your second gun, a shotgun, then you have one more, a rifle, thats it, and there isn't even any upgrades ala Quake 4 to make it more interesting. The enemies are relentless too, finally after hours of play I come to an open area, thinking that I might get some more freedom, but no, it's a boss. After a gruelling battle with barely any hp you would think I would get to heal, but no, enemies come out some door, barely giving me any time to jump away to safety and luckily find a tiny bit of health. Overall? Not even worth the $20, even if it does come with the first SiN.… Expand

It looks and feels like a Half Life 2 mod. All the graphics, physics etc. are just like in Half Life 2, not in a negative way, but I would expect a lot more than just a few hours of gameplay for $19.95, and it simply feels like a mod, not a complete production. The AI is ok, the only innovative thing in this game, definetly gives the player a challenge.

Total rip off. This is just another way for a company to maximize its Profits with little input! Its way too short, the story line is nonexistent and I have seen way better Free mods then this.

Sin Emergence makes for both a mediocre game and a terrific mod. If you purchase the game expecting hours of gameplay with unique enemies and weapons then you will be sorely dissapointed--as I was at first; however if you purchase this game with the expectation of a mod then the game will be worth it. As reviews before have stated the game is rather linear, somewhat clostraphobic, and the weaponry selection is poor at best (3 weapons overall). Enemies are relentless and have the tendency to shoot through walls; also due to the relentless assault by the SinTEK rent-a-cops there is rarely a lull where you can stop and catch your breath--perhaps the creators thought they could justify such a short game by throwing in twice as many enemies in half the content. The game is also very challenging, which can lead to momentary fustration but in the end it's one of the few positive [unique] aspects of the game which make it enjoyable--nothing is better then that feeling of overcoming the seemingly impossible (I'd just wish they would give you some time inbetween battles to relish). The voice acting and character design is both well done and well thought out, again making this an impressive mod but not a true game.… Expand

This game is fantastic. It's based on the HL2 engine, but feels like an enhanced version of HL2, some stuff is just much better. The Dynamic Difficulty system works wonderfully since I'm not the best FPS player in the world, but I was still albe to finish the game. It took me nearly 8+ hours to finish this episode, so I feel like it was well worth the $20. For the price, you can't go wrong with buying this game. I can't wait for the next episode, and hopefully multiplayer soon too!!… Expand

Great Game, Dynamic gameplay, Detailed Environments, Beliveable characters, Good weapons, Good AI, Physics-Even-Better-Than-In-HL2!!!!

I've read some of the other reviewers comments and I just dont understand how they think this game is so hard.....On the hardest setting, yes, its a monster, but if you adjust the difficulty, its pretty easy. It's somewhat linear, but has excelent graphics and overall, seems like a cross between Counter-Strike and Half Life.....for the $20, its a good game.

Unfortunately, Sin Episodes Emergence is perhaps above-average at best, which disappointed me because I had hoped for better. I think the difficulty is pitched way too hard for a casual gamer like me, and the respawning enemies trick just gets a little tiresome, despite the so-called dynamic difficulty setting. However, I think future episodes will only improve the game further, so Ritual hasn't lost me yet. Having to pay $20 each for 8 more episodes is really going to add up cost-wise though, and if these episodes are released every 6 months or so, then Sin is going to look a little dated very quickly. I hope the episodal concept works out better for Ritual. It's a nice idea, I'm just not sure the execution of it has been fully worked out yet.… Expand

I was looking forward to this game for some time - but was mostly underwhelmed with this release. It's a shame, as I am all in favour of episodic games, and don't think this is a good start to the idea. There was simply little else to this game than the same old run and gun (with a mutant boss or two, of course, at the end). Very stale. Fear, or even Doom (which didn't do much for me) did a better job with this uninspired approach, and it is no foundation for a long term franchise. There was little development of the great story we were promised, and little to keep a thinking person interested. I could live with the short length if some originality had been there. Though Jessica is cute (which may serve its purpose for the juvenile market), her role is a simple rip-off from HL2. And the run and gun I found pretty straightforward at the moderately difficult level. The AI is average at best. Graphics and sound were mostly good (to be expected with the source engine), with some spectacular scenes. I don't regret the $20 and will not give up on this game solely based upon episode 1, but this team (or tribe, if they prefer) needs to bring something fresh to the genre if this series is to go anywhere far. There are HL2 mods out there with greater creativity, and are more fun to play.… Expand

Emergence wasn't terrible, but it didn't feel fully baked. I only got about four hours of gameplay, which seems very lame for $20. You get to use three weapons, each with two shooting modes. Of this only three of the modes are actually useful (both pistol modes and the shotgun primary.) The pistols normal shot is strangely powerful, better than the machine gun because headshots are almost always single shot kills. There is basically zero character development and no chemistry with you cute cohort. The dream sequences in the beginning, including a strange scene with the evil leader in a microbikini, happen in the first ten minutes and you never see anything like that again. Overall, this was pretty lame for $20, it felt more like a tech demo like Lost Coast.… Expand

The game should be a free mod, save your money for Half-live 2 :ep1 this game sucks

Weak game

Overall the game and story is great. AI needs some work.

Hey, Well, to tell you the truth, the game felt too much like half life 2. I mean the physics, the monsters, the action. It basically is an addon to half life 2. I really disliked the extreme lack of interaction between the player, enviorment, and AI. One thing , howeevr that Ritual has perfected is the music scores, as well as the generic coding, i am upset though that they did not change the main menu and the look of the game, thus making no different then what modders are doing today. Another bad thing that ritual has put in place is the encryption. this include all the main music scores, desisive files, models, and maps. Overall this game deserves a SOLID 7. I belive that this game is average and hey, if you liked half life 2, and doom 3, or the original SiN, you will defenitly like this game. And on top of that you will get a got experiance from the AI. So hey, if you got cash then buy it, if not well dun bother saving up. Take it each.… Expand

I gave the game an 8/10. There are a few reasons: First I liked the game because it was a wonderful relief from the endless WW2 FPS games out there. The story, so-far, seems to be well crafted and the game has me intrigued as to what will come next. There is also the inclusion of the reactive-difficulty system, which helped make this one of the most challenging FPSs I've played in a while. I really enjoyed playing this game and I am intrigued as to what the next episode will hold. Small Spoiler: The stuff after the end of the game and before the credits, hilarious. Thank you Ritual Entertainment, I will be looking forward to the next installment.… Expand

Very decent and strong game for the price. Cant wait for #2.

amazing gamelpay, ai and story line. however for me it was too short and the range of weapons really was alet down.

An excellent beginning of the Sin Episodes. The $19.95 I gave for it was well spent in my opinion, as it included the original Sin from back in the day. Five hours of gameplay if rushed through isn't such a bad deal for that amount of money. If you hit up any gaming store here in Norway, you'll find most games costs four or five times that amount, and might not include more playtime than this. I'm anxiously awaiting the next episode, as I want more of this.… Expand

The only thing I can think is that the guy that gave this game a zero must work at one of Ritual's competitors, this game is pure genius. I've played shooters since the Wolf3d days, and this is the first game since Doom2 that really does the "shooter" part of FPS really REALLY well. This game uses the Source engine, but they didn't overuse the stuff that Half-Life2 did like the stupid physics puzzles or long winded driving sequences. This game is also the first one in a LONG time to have the degree of interactivity that I came to expect from games like Duke Nukem, maybe Duke Forever will come out someday and will trump Sin again, but until then, Sin remains firmly on top of the interactive universe. I'm waiting on the next one, and definitely can't wait for multiplayer.… Expand

I enjoyed this game. It was rock hard in sections and a little annoying in places but it was good looking and interesting enough for a few hours blast. Not a patch on HL2 but then what is?

Really enjoyed playing this one and can't wait for the next episode. The only negative comments seem to be from people who haven't wrapped their heads around the episodic thing yet which is just going to take time. I don't have time to play 20 hour games and this really works out. I hope HL2 Episode 1 pulls it off this well.

Horrible AI. Stale Level design. Not much to write home about.

I've been waiting for the sequal to Sin, after finishing Sin I needed to find out what happend. Then came along Sin: Emergence and I must say I adore it its a strong FPS, the story line is brillaint the range of voice cast especialy Jen Taylor doing the voice of Hardcorps newest rookie Jessica. Only one minor little thing NEED MORE WEAPONS. But all in all for the price I'd say if your looking for a fun FPS Sin: Emergence is the game for you.… Expand

This game was an overall joy. Nothing from the package was not to be expected, and every minute of pure action was worth my money. the only real complaint I have with this title is that it felt way too contrived from other great games. In fact, many of the great set pieces reminded me of other recent, high-rated titles.The first half of the game seemed like an amalgamation of FarCry's maps and Half-Life 2's puzzles, and some of the overheard dialogue seemed more at home in the No One Lives Forever universe. And to top it off, the end boss battle, as well as the climb up to it, seemed parallel to the climax of Max Payne. Yet this odd combination of elements lead to a joyful experience, and some of the scripted moments gave me such intense adrenaline rushs that I forgot about many of the similarities. This game is well worth a buy, and hopefully the sequels will match or surpass.… Expand

to short sould of just been a mod and the story wasnt all that good.

I thing this game showed real potential and is one of my favorite games. The charactors were all cool too.

This was a nice start. It was short, but the purchase price included Sin 1, so I think that's forgivable for now. I would like to see somewhat longer episodes in the future, seeing as this episode was priced at about a third of a normal game, and took less time than that to complete. Maybe it's coming in future episodes, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the weapons selection. I got a laugh out of the various safety signs posted, and the sequence after the credits made me chuckle. For the price, I would recommend it, and I'm looking forward to seeing what follows.… Expand

Honestly, I'd give this game a 7.25. Anyone that gives this a 10 needs to wear a helmet. 10=best game ever 9=great game 8=above average 7=average 6=below average and pretty much 5 and below is just crap, 0 being a big slap to the face. That being said... this game gets: -Presentation:6.5 decent story and way of telling it but it lacks length. At around 4 to 6 hours depening on how good you are its definately not worth the money. You do get the multiplayer and original but to be honest youre never going to actually play them more then 15 minutes. -Music:9.5 very very good, im thinkin of buyin the soundtrack -Graphics:7.5 glitchy at times but otherwise decent, its far from the polish of F.E.A.R. or HL2. Some of the enemy textures could use some work -Gameplay:6.5 its definately a shooter and it does that aspect fairly well but this Learning AI is a joke. The way it works is... the better you do, the more baddies spawn with bigger guns and armor. It may be harder, but they are not "learning," they are just sending more waves of guys. At times guys will spawn right in front of you or in the rooms that you were just in moments ago. When there isn't a massive number of enemies coming at you, its easy to tell that the AI is a little daft. The weapons are nice with secondary fire but none are all that useful. You'll find that you stick to the primary fire of the pistol a lot. The interactivity with the world around you is fairly well done, I gain quite a bit of pleasure from some of the things you can do. The settings are to open, leaving no place to take cover. The maps in general are pretty bland and monotonous. Overall: 7.25 (not an average) It would be a great game if it was not $20 for each 4-6 hour chunck of the game (episodic nature of the game), better polished, more useful weapons and work on the AI.… Expand

Excellent quality, game looks very nice. I especially like the squelching sounds when people hit poles from 30 feet up in the air :) Definately looking at purchasing this game.

The Gameplay was solid, need more weapons, players gun needs to be just a little more powerful to face some of the guys, also a coop option would also be nice so you could play it with a friend.

The graphics were stunning, the gameplay awesome and the environment was amazing. There were a few bugs but with time they will be fixed. This is a game that will keep me busy for hours on end. I'm defiantly looking forward for the second episode.

Remember back in the day when you could get a chapter of a game as a demo or shareware release? Then you paid if you wanted the rest of the game? Well this distribution model has done away with the "try before you buy" idea. Frankly, if every chapter is $20, this model is gouging the consumer. I'm not buying the next chapters. Instead, I will wait for a compilation release that gives you the complete game at a reduced price. I like the idea of episodes, I dislike the execution.… Expand

I suppose this would have been a great game 10 years ago, but I feel it's a little naive in 2006. The graphics might be acceptable, but the difficulty and length of the game is too short and way too easy. Ofcause there are a few good features, like dead men floates on water, but the AI is equvilent to a 10 year old. The story and gameplay ......well. All in all I find it a bit thin.

I like the game!! I played the old game like a boy with a new toy. So i like the new one aswel. Greetz keep up the good work.

to all those who say its to short: its short because its not a full game its episodic content... its meant to be short.. okay..?!? only thing i can say i missed was blades talk... he talked a lot in sin and wages of sin but here it was a bit to silent in this one.. sound was great a few stuttering issues but thats something to do with the source engine.. that valve made.. all in all this game is great and i especially like it being episodic meaning that the next game comes out in a few months.… Expand

Awesome for all you SiN fans! (myself included) It is all you could hope for in continuing storyline of SiN. LOL the negative critism is funny. Most of the people seem confused on the concept of Episodes. For those not certain a TV episode is usually 30 minutes (when uninterrupted by commericals) and has much less quality than a 2 hour motion picture. But ultimately the story goes on much longer in episodes because of duration... unless its Friday 13th or Scary Movie LOL. The price and quality is great. 4 to 6 hours of game play entertainment for the same price as a DVD with 2 hours of entertainment. But i'm thinking people will get it when HL2: Episodes comes out. Hey its not for everyone, I can see that right off. But for me, the whole concept is great. I will definitely be getting SiN Episode 2.… Expand

Good game, but... 1) too short for the price 2) not very challenging On the positive side, 1) story line is good 2) graphics are great.

When will the games industry learn that we have arms? In real life, if we want to do something as simple as climb up onto a box, we’ll find a way of doing it. Sin Episodes is not that different to HL2. It does stretch the feeling of reality boundary slightly further, but to claim this is the “most interactive game to date” is a little steep when compared to games like Deus Ex – Invisible War. Truthfully, this game is a “good” one and well worth playing, but it is just another saga in the HL2 thread.… Expand

a shame it's a bit short, but I'm assuming there will be more coming as it's entitled episode 1; great game based on the HL2 engine, engoyed this more than HL2 itself. great use of pyshics engine, good gums and loads of bad guys. And the evil lady vilian, all I can say is HOT.

Gameplay is fun. Can be frustrating at times. Your weapons can feel underpowered. Level design is very nice.

Overall, not a great game. The story line's as thin as the first game and the overall game play time is thinner than could be expected for $20. They promised an extremely interactive environment, but more or less gave us a linear way to use that environment, not really allowing us to think about what we need to do next. Simply put, if you like mindless shooters-get this game. If you like mindless shooters that look fantastic-don't get this game.… Expand

Great game. glad the source engine was use to make a beautiful game again.

I think it was a wonderful game. It was well paced, fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously. The only issue I had with it was not being able to fire out of the car window, a single-shot mode on the rifle would have been good too. I'll definately buy part 2.

Beautiful game. The story needs more work. The characters need to be more refined. What happened with the self destruct! I wanted to see something blow up. I can see a lot of work went into this, very nicely done overall.

Fun game! Just to short and needs more freedom through out the levels.

I’m probably being a little generous by giving it a 7 for 20$ but, there are a number of factors to consider: you do get a free a game along side. The developers for this game all started from scratch with no prior valve HL2 experience. Elexis Sinclaire’s bone rig for the largest npc rack in gaming history is just sooo nice. I would also like to point out the level detail initially is real slick then it slowly trails down hill. I’m sure a few weeks b4 release their team leader was saying "Crap! We have a few weeks left! Move it!!"! The interactivity with your perky protege was a little limited it would be nice if you could have more detailed multiple choice discussions through out the game. Still I love the classic style feel of the game, it’s refreshing and fun. The next release must have more: 1). More Levels dam it!! 2). Detailed interactivity with your buddies even dye job blond JC ah he’s alright, he’s funny! 3). Must take advantage of dynamic scripting in a big way, like not just npc’s but other objects like gates or fences etc. 4). More clues and mystery (I’m not saying make it an RPG but it does aid a more cohesive storyline). 5). Use more models for scripted animated destruction/explosions. 6). Evade dodgy game limitations by putting in stopgaps or workarounds I found a number of errors throughout levels. 7). Gunz! Lots of gunz!! And random objects as weapons too! 8). Poke around direct 3d developer sites more for more effects. 9). Use a combination of triggers and timers in some areas. Final thoughts: I liked the game and I don’t regret buying it, you should buy it too. I mean what is 20$ really? 1/4 or 1/8 worth for one night on the town!?… Expand

Nice set pieces good use of light, reasonable gameplay , bit too straight line.

Fairly okay graphics and that's it. Gameplay, level design and the awful weapons are much worse than the original Sin. What made them think this game was up to par with today's titles? I want my money back.

this continues where the previous SIN stopped. only after seven years Jessica and JC are grownup. but still fighting with you against the evil but beautiful Elexis Sinclair. Terrific graphics and puzzles in this top class shooter ! a real must have for al the first person shooters!

It felt more like a MOD than a commercial game (albeit a short one). Why did it feel like a MOD then? - Graphics weren't impressive at all (not representative of 2006 levels), felt too cartoony. - Leveldesign were very square(ish). - Player control felt like iceskating (hard to aim when the character keeps moving long after you stopped pressing the keys) - The AI was stupid, enemies almost walking past you and not reacting as one would expect when you start to attack them (which normally is good, but in this case it means that they hardly take cover nor work as a team) - The automagical scaling of toughness boiled down to how many of the toughest enemy you'd face at once. - Five maybe six distinct enemies. And no variation within the enemies (all enemies of a certain model behaved the same, most other games use few enemy models but do behave differently) These are what I consider the major flaws. There were ofcourse many minor ones aswell (such as Jessica getting into the car without opening the door, but animated as she opened the door... looked silly) All in all, unless you liked the original or want the original version (since it's included) this is a game to avoid. Lets put it this way, I won't be buying the next episode.… Expand

Few biggest mistakes: - The world is justso dull and dead. - Enemies are just spawning forever. Thisos allowable for a game whe you can take 9999 hits and still living. But here is just an excuse for develper's lazyness. - Small arsenal of weapons.

The first Steam based episodic game. Could have been better but could have been far worse. Future episodes of this and other games released this way should see a fine tuning of the quality and gameplay.

SiN Episodes: Emergence is a great game. Looking forward to Episode 2.

Sin fans re-joice. This is only the beginning episode and sure to be Multiplayer from the development team that delivers and listens to it's fans. Ritual has consistently stayed in touch with the past and pushes features and creativity in it's new releases. Episode One delivered the fun. Stay tuned for Arena Mode (Single Player) and more (Multiplayer expected) before Episode 2. Missing this would be like not knowing who the hell Tony Soprano is.… Expand

too short, not enough weapons, no flashlight, controls are not set for easy access even though it is mappable.

Sorry but I'm not impressed. 1. Lovely scenery (very nice mountains nudge nudge) but nothing happening in it. I wish my office block was as empty as the ones in this game. The only time you see a "joe public" or worker they cower in the corner. 2. I realise you need to ease people into the game, but dont sudenly ramp up the dificulty 3. Half life 2 let you be a real weasel with setting traps. But the AI in this game gets stuck behind doors and trying to get past the numerous barrels and boxs. Classic example : stick the chairs and bins infront of the 6 lift doors, wait, lob a grenade or two , done! lather, rise, repeat. 4. Mutagen barrels and bullet time. Waste of time. 5. Boss's - stick a puzzle in or some part of the environment that can be used against them (come over here ugly dude so that the nice crane can fall on you). 6. Not really and open environment just a very set path. To many locked doors. Whats wrong with me picking my own way through a building. Overall I'm not impressed. I've played it through and I've ramped up the difficulty and played it again. I've played it with only one gun (very hard later on) but now I feel like thats it, might as well remove it. Episode based games may seem like a good idea but people are going to pay their money, play a short game and then have to wait however long for another and to be honest the story line ain't making me wet myself for the next one. If Valves half life offering doesn't raise the bar then I think episode based games could have a very short life (in more ways than one).… Expand

Great game, if you have played the original SiN and enjoyed it then this game is definatly for you. The gameplay was fast and intense, with the difficulty on medium the game is more of a challenge. Great visual effects. The game is powered by the Source engine wich made it eben better! Secrets hidden in levels made me play them over and over again. Only flaw was: No updated multiplayer, wich made me pretty angry because I loved the original SiN multiplayer. Hopefully the second episode will include multiplayer and will be a bit longer, SiN Emergance was a bit short. Overall it is a great game and I higly recommend it to all SiN fans and gamers who are new to the SiN universe.… Expand

Have any of you people ever played a good shooter or are you just being nice to the creators? Anyone that put below a 6, I can echo the same thoughts, this game came subpair. Repetition, "non-learning" AI, and more monotonus gameplay. Sure it looks pretty, expecially Elexis, but that doesn't make a game. There really should be no green scores here sadly, I had some good hopes for this game too. Save the money, too much for what should be a mod.… Expand

This is far too short, even if it is going to be episodic in format. I would rather wait several more months and get a complete game. 0 replayability with this one...and by the time the next episode comes out, I won't even remember what the hell is going on. Pretty graphics, and OK weps. The best part about this game was the boobie physics, and how they applied to the female antagonist.

Reminded me of a game released in 98-99 How can this come out after HL2 and on Steam and be so bland? Worst game on Steam in my opinion. At least Rag Doll was fresh. I want my money back too. I dropped a barrel on a friendly guys head and he yelled ouch and sort of stared at me. HL2 got it right with the small details that draw you in that are not present in Sin.

Good game, 2 very nasty end of level bad guy types, other than that a nice play.

very enjoyable, could be a bit tougher. I got used to the concept of the limited number of weapons. The 'looks & feel' are good. Lookin forward to the next episode.

Not bad, but not great either. The end battle (climbing a tower and winning the final fight) was pretty reminiscent of HL2's conclusion. $20 for 5-6 hours of game play, vs. $60 for 20-30 hours with HL2? Yeah, episodic content is great... for making money. Longer episodes, please!

This is a good game. Perhaps not a 10, but I gave it a 10 to make up for all the uneducated hormonally-imbalanced pre-adults who thought with their genitals and gave it a 1 rating.

Great single player game overall. Very unique take on the half-life system, and definately an improvement. Alot of action and smooth controls make this game adicting and enjoyable.

jumping and movement sucks at times but the general gameplay is great and the story seems to keep yea wanting more the whole time cant wait for the next.

Very good game, not great like a Half Life 2, but excellent storyline. Would definately recommend to others. It follows along perfectly with the original SiN (no pun intended). Got my money's worth. Definately looking forward to more episodes.

This game gets back to the roots of shooters, killing badguys, and lots of them, I've personally played throgh this twice, and though it's lacking somewhat in weapon selection, the three you have are enough to get the job done. Mainly the game is a lot of fun, and it's short as well, for those who like to finish these things on one sitting.