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SiN Episodes: Emergence

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 42 critic reviews
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Based on 362 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Valve Software

Developer: Ritual Entertainment

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Action

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: May 9, 2006

Summary

SiN Episodes features the highly anticipated return of Elexis Sinclaire, the world’s most dangerous and seductive biochemist, and the only man who stands in her way, John R. Blade. The sworn enemies face off in Freeport City, a near-future mixture of San Francisco, Tokyo and New York, all set inside the unrestricted SiN universe. SiN Episodes expands on the role of Colonel John R. Blade, a battle worn hero in charge of HardCorps, an elite strike force with a long history of conflict with SinTEK, a powerful multibillion dollar empire headed up by Elexis Sinclaire, a beautiful, brilliant, and ruthless scientist who is out to remake humanity according to her own twisted vision. Joining Blade on his mission are JC, a HardCorps hacker with a secret to keep, and Jessica Cannon, a fiery rookie who can find her way into any secure facility. SiN Episodes: Emergence features never before seen weapons, characters and environments along with a host of interactive options, paying homage to its predecessors, SiN and its expansion pack, Wages of SiN, which set a new bar for interactivity. [Ritual Entertainment]

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

AtomicGamer

Not many games in this genre are released with a $20 price tag, so some gamers out there might not really know how to deal with a game that is a little light on the content but much lighter on the price.

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2404.org

Movement and controls seem so crisp and fluid that it just makes for an extremely enjoyable experience.

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PC Gamer UK

SiN is actually something of a guilty pleasure. It's over far too quickly and feels rather unsophisticated, but I enjoyed it anyway, a bit like I enjoy...eating hotdog. [June 2006, p.62]

GameBiz

Sin Episodes: Emergence is bland and repetitive yet frequently funny and sometimes entertaining game. The game remains start to finish a very standard first-person shooter albeit one with ragdoll physics and shiny explosions.

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GamingTrend

Sin Episodes: Emergence feels and plays like theater food. It’s a quick rush once you chow down, but as soon as the sugar starts digesting you start noticing things you’ve seen before.

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Game Over Online

Emergence should serve as a great launching point for Ritual’s experiment. It’s a solid game that knows its audience, and while it is pared down, that’s only as far as needed for a game half the length and cost of an average one.

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PC Zone UK

While it may not be the most groundbreaking of shooters, Emergence's merits far outweigh its smattering of faults, and with six to ten hours of entertainment to be had, you can't argue that it's not value for money, especially as it also comes bundled with a copy of the original SiN. Eleven quid you say? Bargain.

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Games Radar (in-house)

Our only real gripe is that the weapon selection is meager; a pistol, a shotgun and a submachine gun fill out your arsenal.

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Game Chronicles

I wasn’t much a fan of episodic content before this game. I didn’t think they could include enough to warrant a $20 price tag but SiN Episodes: Emergence has gone a long way towards disproving that assumption.

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Yahoo! Games

While it has its flaws, it's paced well, full of action, and managed to keep us smiling all the way to the end. With a tweak here and a polish there, Ritual could really be onto something good. Bring on part two.

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IGN

While more than a few games leave me wondering what the developer could have done if they'd had more time and resources, SiN Episodes feels like a complete and polished experience that's been mulled over and considered for quite some time.

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GamerFeed

There's not much in the way of weapon or enemy variety, and the game is pretty short, but just about every minute of it is action packed. The dynamic difficulty system works very well.

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Cheat Code Central

SiN Episodes: Emergence is a good looking game. It's got some really nice visuals and a really good sense of depth. The audio is a little sparse but at least we're not forced to sit through boring cutscenes just for the sake of forcing a storyline on us every few minutes.

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Boomtown

Should you buy it? Only if you’re willing to buy another 8 more somewhere down the line.

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Computer Games Online RO

Nine episodes times around six months is a really long love relationship (and expensive), but it may very well prove to be the next best thing in mature gaming.

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AceGamez

SiN Episode 1: Emergence is action packed from start to finish and doesn't relent until the final bullet is fired.

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Thunderbolt

Fortunately, Sin Episodes: Emergence does a better job at closing the first episode than "Half-Life 2: Episode One."

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ActionTrip

Downsides do not outweigh the game's good sides, which are plenty: Solid gameplay design, nice voice overs, and a story that though clichéd, is presented in a way that intrigues you enough to keep going.

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Gaming Nexus

A good first step into the world of episodic content, the game is not perfect but Emergence is a decent way to re-start this franchise and kick off this new type of gameplay.

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Game Informer

It's not going to win any literature awards, but damned if I can find anything about it that's not fun. [July 2006, p.109]

PC Gamer

SiN Episodes: Emergence is a fun, if somewhat derivative, blast from the near past. [Aug 2006, p.33]

Games Master UK

Ticks all the boxes without ever once truly capturing the imagination. Cheap, though. [Aug 2006, p.78]

Strategy Informer

It has some nice features which make it better than an average FPS, but the things that are missing mean it’s never going to be great.

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Da Gameboyz

Sin Episodes is a great way to start off the episodic content experiment but, more importantly, it is a great game that is marred only by clipping errors and an invasive copy protection scheme. If Steam or the concept of episodic content does not hinder your enjoyment of a game, I would encourage all FPS fans to look into this.

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FiringSquad

If Ritual can improve the plotting of future chapters, add more variety to the enemies and weapons and maybe make the game a tad longer per episode (we would have preferred six to eight hours for the price) we could see this becoming a successful new way to present PC games.

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eToychest

SiN Emergence is a decent game. It's just uninspired, relying too much on the technology upon which it is built, and as such brings little new to the table.

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GameZone

SiN Episodes: Emergence starts out great, with intense action and awesome physics. Unfortunately, the game grows very repetitive before too long, and will leave many players bored and wanting more diversity.

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GameShark

Anybody who was a major fan of the original Sin should pick this up unquestionably, as while the lack of the usable computer terminals (another beef of mine) is disappointing, everything else that made the original Sin feel like a cool and unique title for it’s time is still present in Emergence.

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GameSpot

This is a pretty-looking, short, budget-priced, by-the-numbers futuristic shooter that's most notable for its episodic nature and its old heritage.

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GamerNode

The first installment to SiN Episodes is really a tossup between wanting to know what happens next or completely quitting right away, because the gameplay is getting too old.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

You’d expect the first of a trilogy to be the most novel and at least as good as future instalments, but in this case we’re really hoping for a greater effort for the next outing. It’s worth noting that there’s no multiplayer and little replayability, but a Steam version of the original SiN has been bundled with it as a sort of bribe.

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Armchair Empire

While the game clocks in at about 5 - 6 hours from start to finish, I don't know anyone masochistic enough to undertake such a challenge.

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Eurogamer

It's a bland taste to a cultured palette. But it's fun, too, and self-aware.

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1UP

For the moment, the single-player game is all we can base this review on. In that respect, SiN Episodes only flirts with greatness.

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PC Format

A bad trip down memory lane - this is the FPS circa 1996 incarnate. [July 2006, p.95]

Loaded Inc

A fairly bland and generic first person shooter experience that proves repetitive even in a single episode. It gives little reason to look forward to further installments of the series.

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GameSpy

Sadly, with ultra-generic gameplay and a muddled story, there's very little in Emergence to hook gamers into future installments.

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G4 TV

Gamers are now faced with the prospect of realistically committing a generous chunk of change to a series over a period of time if they have any hope of experiencing the “complete story.” In our minds, the quality of SiN: Emergence in no way warrants a 20-dollar price tag.

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Edge Magazine

Sin Episodes promised us one part of an epic, but we’re in danger of getting a generic formula over several iterations, ageing technologically each time. [July 2006, p.85]

Four Fat Chicks

Digital distribution may never replace retail sales, and episodic content may never become the standard for all games, but the future of both is startlingly bright. Sin Episodes is among the first to fling itself into that future. Though common in its gameplay, it is also enjoyable: had it been ten bucks instead of twenty, I'd be raving.

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VideoGamer

SiN Episodes: Emergence has a number of shortcomings, but its weak storyline is the most noticeable. The success of the series as a whole is riding on this first episode, but other than being a fun shooter, it does nothing to hook the player.

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Computer Games Magazine

Even with the negatives described here, SiN Episodes 1:Emergence is a hard game to critique because it isn't complete. [Sept. 2006, p.59]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 362 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Amirali M gave it a7:
While the first episode isn't that bad, it seems only to serve as a teaser for more to come from the boys at Ritual. Though, I've recently heard that Ritual have sold themselves to mumbo-jumbo since they were probably financially crippled. this is quite a shame since they gave their best performance on this one. I have to admit, before buying this product, I attempted to do a reaserch of my own. I was very disapointed with the story and I still am, since Ritual cannot create a good plot and some acceptable dialogue. I can already predict exactly what would happen at the end, though I am still currrently waiting for Ritual to release their source codes or give permissions to Garry Newman so I can spawn the ragdolls and reinact the ending and voice them over in a humerous way. The art department certainly did a very well job on creating some interesting eye candy, but unfortunantly that is as far as the characters can go because of the flawed plot and bad script. While it is sadly true that this game has less guns that your average c-grade source mod, the lternative fire modes attempt to fill the empty seats. It depends what kind of a gamer you are, weather you would be satisfied by this arsenal or not. The game can be fun as a standalone product, but you may notice its shortcomings when you compare it with other games of the same genre or even the original Sin. The characters failed to impress me, though at least they were good looking and well designed. Though, Ritual took the story too seriously and changed the comic book like tone of the original sin into a more serious one. For example, John R. Blade (yeah, he sure doesn't sound like a porn star) has only three or four highly insignificant lines of dialogue and most of the time he is mute. HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SYMPATHISE/EMPATHISE WITH THIS GUY? If his only reactions are from his co-workers, then how can I know what HE is thinkinng? Or lets look at Jessica Cannon (no, I'm serious. Stop laughing. These guys are seriously not porn stars). She seem to have no goal of her own and she is overly dedicated not to the corps, but to John. Why, is she not human? Heven't the guys at Ritual ever gotten laid?...Actually, the answer for that is obvious. The villians also quite unconvincing. They are more like middle aged fashion models. Sorry guys, you have failed to scare me. The future for these episodes are very bleak, but if a miracle does occur and if Ritual get suddenly rich from blowing their socks, I hope they improve on their concept and find a good writer. [To Ritual] As for the humor guys, please don't include those memes of the old. Lurk moar around the Internet or jus try Encyclopedia Dramatica. I'm sure you can gather more material for more jokes on future episodes.

Chris K gave it a9:
I purchased this game back in the date of it's release (2006), but It wasn't until 2008 that I was actually able to play it. The overall enjoyment I got from this game was virtually freaking kick ass. The graphics are top notch clear and crisp many of the background scenery reminds me of Final Fantasy. The character designs and costumes are idealistic and not over the top. A choice of three weapons is clean and simple, though I have to improve my aim badly with a pistol, but everything else hits the mark. This game sure isn't a walk in the park even for the six hours it took me to complete it. I had lot count of the times I was left startled, even when I play it again I'll still jump. Accuracy pays is the only thing I can suggest to anyone thinking of playing this game, your enemies don't mess around. This game isn't just a pretty graphics shoot them up it test's gamers instincts on a number of levels, so be warned you will have to do some creative routing around. The story makes for an overall classic FPS style, and doesn't venture over the top. The only down side is once you complete the only episode you just wish there were more, you get hooked on the quality this game offers you.

Jason G. gave it a9:
I just love this game! It might not be the greatest FPS for those entrenched in the genre but the story and game is allot of fun. High testosterone, high Intensity, pulpy fiction, sci-fi, are all words that can be used to describe what this game is about. If the idea of playing the role of "Blade" a hero tough guy super cop in a cyber punk setting while battling the corporate SinTEK minions of your Evil arch nemesis (who happens to be a voluptuous super sexy babe named "Elexis Sinclaire") sounds like a fun concept then Sin might be just what you need! There are only 4 weapons to collect in game. The good news is that each of the 4 is useful from start to finish. Each weapon is a different distinct tool. The 3 guns have alternate ammo fire and are unique from one another, even though there are only 3 gun ( +grenades) to pick from they do give you allot of possibilities. Even during final level I was still choosing the magnum at times for certain shots. Sin uses a modified "Source engine" and as a result feel allot like HL2. The games atmosphere and setting by contrast might remind you of Deus Ex (only it has much more crisper and intense action scenes but with less detective work and puzzles. I feel it's a shame Ritual was bought out and will not be making an episode 2 in the near future... I do hope however that the new company might pick it up again sometime before people forget the story or at least sell the rights to someone else who is interested in continuing the project because I really can't tell you how much fun I have had playing this short, immature, macho action hero, Sci-fi ,pulp fiction episode.

Scree gave it a7:
As far as being an FPS, this rocks. Just turn the challenge slider up a ways. As for being a good game, well, there's no denying p0wning the enemy is fun, however repetitive it may be in this episode. And unfortunately it will be the only episode (unless people do something with that SDK, I suppose?). Anyhoo, nice fun and can be tense at times, but it's no HL2 (which is an inevitable comparison for style and playability, especially since this game is on the Source engine too).

Brady S. gave it a6:
A first person shooter with a selection of... three guns to choose from?? I'm sorry, but even with my favorite gaming engine (the one from Half-Life 2... Source, is it called?) backing it, this short game is still just... boring.

Oliver D gave it a10:
Awesome game. I absoloutely love it, people say that Ritual have put no effort in, do they realise how many little gems there are. There are about twenty phone numbers you can ring and get different messages. The AI actually comments on what you're looking at. And there's loads of secret areas. It is awesome.

bokfu1 gave it a10:
Wow this game is a breath of fresh air from all the crap out there. Play and see for yourself. the only sad thing is we may never play any new episodes.

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SiN Episodes: Emergence

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What The Critics Said

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