First SiN episode emerges in Europe

SiN Episodes: Emergence from Ritual Entertainment has been released across Europe--apart from Germany where a localised version of the game has yet to be approved by the German ratings board, USK. The first-person shooter for the PC breaks new ground in the industry by being released over time as a series of episodes rather than a traditionally self-contained game, with the first part now available to buy in retail stores or by download via Steam, where it was made available on May 10.

The title has been built using the Source game engine that was developed by Valve for its iconic title Half-Life 2. Ritual has made a number of adjustments to that engine, including an adaptive difficulty module that automatically reacts to the player's skill level depending on their performance. Artificial intelligence has also been improved to include a greater level of cooperation between enemies when they come under fire, and enhanced environmental interaction now enables players to set traps and take part in vehicle-based combat.

SiN Episodes: Emergence follows up on the 1998 title SiN, with players taking on the role of HardCorps commander John Blade. His battle with the scientist Elexis Sinclaire forms the basis of the plot as he seeks to prevent Sinclaire from genetically altering the human race and the creation of a mutant army. The game is set in Freeport City, a futuristic mix of San Francisco, Tokyo, and New York, and Blade will team up with hacker JC and rookie Jessica Cannon.

The game is expected to take around four to six hours to complete, and you can find out more about SiN Episodes: Emergence by reading GameSpot's reviewof the game.