Saving the world in Time Crisis 4
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I used to spend hours and hours at Dave & Buster’s playing all sorts of games, one of my favorites being good ol’ Time Crisis with its light gun. Namco Bandai’s Time Crisis 4 has been out in arcades since last year, but it was just released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) for you to enjoy at home.
It’s very much an arcade-style game, and features an upgraded light gun controller called Guncon3 and a new first-person shooter (FPS) mode. For the setup, you place a couple of infrared sensors on your TV for the Guncon3 to read. It takes less than a couple of minutes to calibrate these with your gun, and it reminded me of setting up the controller for my Nintendo Wii.
The Guncon3 features six buttons, a trigger, two analog sticks and full-motion sensing capabilities. With it you can do everything from switching your weapons to changeing the camera angles to controlling your character’s movements. As soon as I had it configured, I jumped right into Time Crisis 4 with the point-and-shoot tactics.
The game builds on the previous shooting gameplay of the Time Crisis titles. This time the world is in danger from international terrorists (a group called W.O.L.F.), who threaten to unleash a terrible new biological weapon on an unsuspecting populace. In the world’s moment of need, it’s up to you, as a part of a group of special operatives from around the globe, to take up arms and put an end to this doomsday scenario. In the 10 shooting stages, you play the role of Giorgio Bruno and Evan Bernard. When you encounter the FPS mode in between these stages, you’ll do so as Capt. William Rush in a parallel storyline.
There are a few different modes of play: full mission (through a combination of stages and new FPS stages), arcade, crisis missions (self-contained scenarios with unique objectives and mission parameters) and mini games (15 to choose from). Your arsenal includes the standard assortment ranging from handguns, shotguns and grenade launchers to mounted
machine guns (FPS mode only). Going through, the scenarios are not realistic at all, but definitely entertaining. I would-n’t expect it to seem real, since it is meant to be an arcade-type game.
Overall, I think the game intended to revamp the light gun game genre, but I still found it very similar to previous Time Crisis releases. The new Guncon 3 is comfortable to use, but might be a challenge for left-handed players. It seems the calibrations differ for everyone,since I had to recalibrate the gun when someone else played before me. Regardless, I still enjoy the game since it turns my living room into a mini Dave & Buster’s. In addition, I admire the classic Japanese anime arcade style, and the added first-person mode is a nice touch, too.
Time Crisis 4 is rated T for Teen (13+), is compatible for one or two players (cooperative), and retails for $89.99 for the PS3. All copies are bundled with the Guncon3 controller, and you can find it at your nearest GameStop (www.gamestop.com), BestBuy (www.bestbuy.com) or CompUSA (www.compusa.com).
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