Time Crisis 4 Review for PlayStation 3

You’re Better off Pumping Quarters into the Standup Arcade

Time Crisis 4 seems to be out for the PS3 in response to the Zapper attachment for the Nintendo Wii. The Time Crisis series is a classic arcade rail shooter that wrests movement controls away from the player and has them focus squarely on fast-paced gunslinging showdowns.

In the arcade the concept can’t be beat, but in-home applications seem to lose that arcade magic. Moreover, the visuals and sound quality are competent, but still sub-par for this generation of consoles. A lot of work went into adding a FPS component to the title, but compared to other shooters out there, it’s just a waste of your time. It’s unfortunate, but true. If you need a rail shooter fix, you’re better off pumping quarters into the standup arcade.

Time Crisis 4 is not a very fun game. The rail shooter elements are well executed and exactly what you would expect, but the fun of the arcade seems to be lost in translation. The fast-paced action of the Arcade mode can be adjusted to your skill level in the options menu and will have you frantically waving the Guncon 3 around the screen, but all-in-all the bright orange gun just doesn’t seem to capture the fun adequately. It’s not that the Guncon 3 attachment functions poorly; it’s just not perfect. Sure, you can reload, change weapons, and take out enemies fairly easily, but it all seems a bit shaky and contrived. The IR emitters works well, but being wired to your PS3 is decidedly last generation. What’s more, your old Guncon controllers will not work for Time Crisis 4. In order to play the game you’ll have to shell out $90 plus tax to pick up both the game and the Guncon 3. Even after doing so, you’ll only be able to play as a single player unless you’re willing to blow through even more cash to pick up a second gun. As we all know, Time Crisis is a multiplayer shooter to be enjoyed by you and your buddy standing side-by-side. You can play the game with the Sixaxis controls, but then the game would have no redeeming value whatsoever. Get ready to open your wallet for maximum enjoyment.

The FPS mode is a nice attempt at adding additional content and playtime. Additionally, extra story background and unique levels are provided that will give you greater insight into the world of Time Crisis. Unfortunately, the story is terrible and not worth knowing more about, and the FPS is simply not close to the quality of other contemporary shooters out there. I applaud the developers for giving fans more options, but this game should only be purchased by those looking for an arcade rail shooter, not a FPS! It should also be noted that the fairly smooth controls during Arcade mode are lost in Complete Mission mode. The analog sticks in particular are very poorly constructed. They do not feel precise whatsoever and they often stick to one side or the other. This forces you to maintain your thumb on the sticks at all times rather than being able to make micro-adjustments by flicking the sticks.

To provide the player with just a bit more satisfaction, Crisis Mission mode was added, and you can also play a number of mini-games to test your sharp shooting skills. Additionally, you will be able to download more missions over time to keep the experience going should you so choose. If you want some kind of deep multiplayer online experience, you’ll be disappointed. Time Crisis 4 is strictly an offline game. There is some unlockable content that modifies how the game can be played. For example, by meeting certain criteria you’ll actually be able to augment the number of rounds your weapons can hold by enabling the feature in the options menu.

The graphic quality was a bit of a letdown, but not too disconcerting. The visuals are only outputted in 720p and the attention to detail is not there at all. The objects look very shiny and pleasing to the eye, but the lush environments and realism that gamers have become accustomed to are simply not supported. Having said that, the graphics look as good as they do in the arcade and don’t really hinder the shooter element. All-in-all, graphics are everything that you’d expect out of an arcade style rail shooter, but they’re not at the PS3’s level. The sounds including music and voiceover work fall in line with the graphics. The cheesy music and sounds pervade throughout, but they are quite apropos for the genre. The voiceover work is very stiff with terrible writing, but again that’s probably best for the type of shooter that it is.

Unfortunately, this is not the game I had hoped it would be. I had visions of a multiplayer shooter that I would be able to share with my buddies. That’s not the case. In fact, I’ll be placing my copy of Time Crisis 4 and Guncon 3 controllers on Ebay to make room for my ever expanding game library. If you liked the previous versions of Time Crisis for the PS2, then you’ll probably love this game. For the rest of you I would strongly suggest staying away from the title and spending your money elsewhere. If it’s on your wish list this holiday season, be sure and scratch it off. There are other simple shooters out there that cost much less and are far more rewarding.

Features: