SiN: Reloaded brings Nightdive Studios’ remastered take on the 1998 FPS to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Play Anywhere support, alongside PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Originally released at the tail end of the 90s FPS boom, SiN was already playing around with interactive environments, branching paths and reactive enemies – and this new version gives Colonel John R. Blade another chance to settle his score with Doctor Elexis Sinclaire.
At A Glance
- Game: SiN: Reloaded
- Developer: Nightdive Studios
- Publisher: Atari, Nightdive Studios
- Formats: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Play Anywhere, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Price: £24.99
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
Meet Colonel Blade
The story takes players into a near-future dystopian world where Elexis Sinclaire, CEO of SinTEK Industries, has started injecting the streets with a DNA-altering drug. Her plans aren’t exactly going to improve the neighbourhood, so security consultant Colonel John R. Blade sets out to put a stop to them.
That means taking on an army of genetically engineered mutants while pursuing Elexis through a campaign that mixes cinematic storytelling with the sort of pulpy cyberpunk flavour that helped make the original SiN stand out.
It isn’t simply a case of pointing a gun at whatever happens to be in front of you, either. The original game was notable for its non-linear design and interactive environments, with your actions able to influence the paths the story takes.
This Was A Pretty Clever Shooter
Part of the appeal of SiN was how much it wanted you to mess around with its world.
Computer terminals could be hacked using DOS-style code, security cameras and elevators could be manipulated, and the game even handed Blade access to vehicles including a forklift, patrol boat and helicopter.
Enemies weren’t entirely passive targets, either. SiN introduced the ability to knock weapons from opponents’ hands and featured area-specific damage, adding another layer to its firefights.
Those ideas remain central to SiN: Reloaded, with Nightdive rebuilding the game using its KEX Engine and improving the maps throughout.
A Remaster With A Switch
The visual overhaul is considerable, with HD textures and models, upgraded 2D screens and menu artwork, anti-aliasing and support for resolutions of up to 4K at 120 FPS.
Controls and the user interface have also been modernised, while players can switch between the remastered presentation and the original SiN Gold visuals. That makes it possible to see exactly how far this particular trip back to 1998 has travelled.
Nightdive has also added brand-new achievements and included higher-resolution versions of the Zak Belika tracks, mixed and engineered by Chris Mock.
And there’s more campaign content included too. Wages of SiN brings an extra mission pack in which Blade takes on a new army of dangerous mutants while going after a particularly unpleasant mafia boss.
“SiN has always been one of those games that deserved another chance,” said Stephen Kick, Studio Head at Nightdive Studios. “It was ambitious, interactive, funny, and willing to experiment with ideas that were years ahead of their time. There’s an incredible amount of personality in this game, and that’s something we never wanted to lose. With SiN: Reloaded, our goal was to preserve everything that made the original special while finally giving it the presentation and performance it deserves. More than anything, I’m excited that a new generation of players will finally get to discover why so many of us fell in love with SiN in the first place.”
Time To Settle Some Old Scores
SiN: Reloaded isn’t attempting to reinvent what made the original shooter interesting. Instead, it gives that ambitious 1998 FPS the sort of modern treatment that allows its interactivity, branching design and chaotic arsenal to stand alongside the visual and control expectations of today’s platforms.
For anyone discovering SiN for the first time, there’s an unusual piece of FPS history waiting underneath the new textures. For those who remember Blade’s original battle with Elexis, there’s now a considerably shinier way to go back and finish the job.
SiN: Reloaded is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S (through the Xbox Store), PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, with Play Anywhere support on Xbox and PC.
