- Publisher: Namco
- Developer: Namco
- Release:
- Arcade: 1995
- PlayStation: 31 October 1997
- Genre: 3D Action (Light-gun Shooter)
- Players: 1
- Save: Memory Card (1 Block)
In this game's story, you are Richard Miller, a leather-jacket-clad operative from the spy agency VSSE, and your mission is to rescue the princess of Sercia from the villainous duopoly of deposed prince Sherudo Garo and mercenary Wild Dog. Oh, and some ninja with a claw who serves as the first act's boss. Okay, the story's not that important; it's basically the save-the-princess template updated for the pre-21st century. But Time Crisis has other selling points to fall back upon anyway. The arcade machine uses a foot pedal, which you hold down to advance and release to hide behind cover. You can't just turtle your way through the game, though, since you can't shoot enemies unless you're out of cover. Also, the game runs on a timer, which is extended by clearing each scene of action, and if either the timer or your stock of lives run out, the game is over. Upon starting a game, you can also choose an alternate time-attack mode, which limits you to one of the three acts but also gives you infinite lives, which is a suitable choice for beginner players.
In addition to enemy fire, you have to duck to avoid obstacles. |
The PlayStation version instead uses a special light-gun controller, the GunCon, with two buttons which work the same way. These controls may be customised to the extent possible; not only can you switch which button hides and which pauses the game, but you can even control whether you hide by holding or releasing the button. You can even use a second controller, preferably a dance pad or the pedal from a steering wheel, as the pedal if you absolutely have to emulate the full arcade experience. The GunCon itself, however, is a bit more complicated to set up. In addition to plugging the controller plug into one of the front ports on your PlayStation, there's a second cable which you have to plug in between the video cable and the TV/VCR/etc that it's plugged in to. And then you have to calibrate the gun sights every time you boot up the game. However, you'll have an even worse time of it if you're using a regular controller. This game pre-dates the DualShock controller, so analog stick controls are not supported, leaving you with the relative imprecision of the PlayStation D-Pad to move your cursor about.
The Special story mode in the home version offers branching paths based on your performance. |
The graphical style employed in Time Crisis is typical of the PlayStation era, with low-polygon models and a a hybrid of realism and anime art, allowing for expressive (if unchanging) faces without looking too outlandish. The enemy character models come with multiple coloured uniforms which tell you, at a glance, what role they serve in their futile quest to stop you, such as the aforementioned accurate red-shirts (pretty much the opposite of you'd expect from Star Trek). Whilst there are no bonuses for hitting the head or other weak points, the enemies' death animations do react to where you hit them, such as twirling to the ground when you shoot them in the leg, or half-flipping backwards with a headshot. The music is forgettable and most of the line-reads in the performance are awkward at best, but the gunshot sound effects are impactful and change from room to room, simulating the changing acoustics, and the announcer who tells you "Wait", "Action!", and "Danger!" is just present enough to tell you what you need to know, but not too present as to be annoying.
The impression given by the original Time Crisis was one of trying to find its bearings. It employs on mechanics which were changed and/or abandoned for subsequent entries, and runs the risk of either alienating or intriguing series fans weaned on later entries. It's got that old-school NES thing going on, where it compensates for having a shorter duration by making it really tough to beat. If that's your thing, great. If not, at least it makes beating this game all the more rewarding.
Positives:
+ The cover-pedal mechanic puts a fresh spin on the genre.
+ The game's rules offer more challenge than other entries in the series.
+ The bonus campaign in the home version.
+ Little touches like death animations and gun sound effects.
Negatives:
- The difficulty level is the most unforgiving in the series.
- Limited ease of control if you're not using a GunCon.
- Silly voice-acting and bland story.
Control: 3 gold uniforms out of 5
Design: 3 gold uniforms out of 5
Graphics: 4 gold uniforms out of 5
Audio: 4 gold uniforms out of 5
Value: 3 gold uniforms out of 5
The Call: 70% (C+)
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