This is the Time Crisis that I grew up with, and it’s a significant step forward for the series. I find it to be the entry that best emphasizes its physicality; there’s nothing quite like leaning on and off the pedal to duck in and out of cover, dodging barrels while slowly ascending a slope or narrowly avoiding railway poles in a high-speed train chase. It’s also the first Time Crisis game to introduce multiplayer, which not only provides replay value in the form of a slightly different run perspective, but also naturally eases the execution barrier since enemies now have to fire/aim at two different heroes, adding another layer of strategizing when choosing which foes to prioritize. As a result, it’s a much more forgiving game than the original, also due in part to its relaxed time limits and the ability to continue within stages without being forced to restart at the beginning of acts. That said, there are some underdeveloped elements as the transition between Time Crisis 1 and 3, such as the optional yellow grunts that provided valuable time bonuses in the original game but which can now be completely ignored if you don’t care about score chasing. Additionally, there are a couple of uninspired moments where you’re given a machine gun and you just have to hold down the trigger against a tank. Still, the overall product is everything I want in Time Crisis: a snappy and bombastic arcade rail shooter that despite lacking the bells and whistles of Time Crisis 3, really set the formula for the series moving forward.
6 Comments
@thealexmott Off the top of my head, most experienced players should be able to clear the game in a half hour or less; it's a bit shorter than Time Crisis 3. I was rusty at first replaying it this year but by my second playthrough, it took me about three continues or so (so eight credits, considering it's two credits to start the game and two more per continue).
Time Crisis 2 and 3 are both pretty synonymous with the arcade boardwalk I used to go to, I look forward to whenever I finally stop procrastinating and get a guncon for my PS2, but man it's really not gonna be the same compared to how booming some of those cabs were.
@Vee Yeah, we really didn't know how good we had it back then when Time Crisis 2 and 3 were scattered around random movie theaters and bowling alleys. Nowadays, it feels like a rarity to find one of those cabinets in a retro arcade, much less a Dave & Buster. I've tried some of the newer light gun cabinets on occasion, but it just doesn't feel the same.
When I was a late teenager a friend and I used to go out in the evenings once a week, not to go drinking or meet up with groups, no. To go to arcades and play mostly Time Crisis II. We became amazing at it. The clack of the Namco guns as we knew where every enemy came from, firing as fast as possible to get the top score, rarely getting hit.
We hadn't played it in years, arcades died, he moved away. We still meet up twice a year in person and last year went to a gaming bar and they had a machine. slightly wonky aim but it worked. The razor edged skills were rusty but they were still there under the surface and the game is still great.
We hadn't played it in years, arcades died, he moved away. We still meet up twice a year in person and last year went to a gaming bar and they had a machine. slightly wonky aim but it worked. The razor edged skills were rusty but they were still there under the surface and the game is still great.
@FallenGrace I feel that, I have a lot of fond memories playing Time Crisis 2 and 3 even though back then I never played past the 2nd stage in either game. I still recall wandering around Cedar Point on a school trip back in middle school and stumbling across an arcade with Time Crisis 3, and hearing some guy behind me comment upon how I was taking down an airplane with a handgun. Good times, and the games are still an absolute delight to play.
thealexmott
2 days ago