Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Target practice was never so much fun..., December 19, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Time Crisis has never been known for its deep gameplay and complex strategies, but it's still a darn fun series and TC4 is the best one so far.
Time Crisis is basically a target game built around a lightgun, which was/is its major draw at the arcades. The name comes from the limited amount of time you're given to complete each stage; usually you feel like you're running behind the clock.
Sure, you're shooting "people," but there's no blood, dead bodies, exploding body parts, or other gratuitous violence found in many other FPSes. Honestly, I'm thankful for this.
Graphically it looks great, as can be expected of most PS3 games.
The classic arcade version runs "on rails"--your character is moved from position to position by the game, all you do is point, shoot, and RELOAD! (The announcer always screams "reload" for some reason.) TC4 adds the ability to look left and right in some scenes, a gun flashlight, and some interesting new opponents, but otherwise is pretty much the same formula as the earlier games--make it through each chapter without getting shot too many times and fight the boss at the end.
TC4 includes an FPS mode where you can move around using the Guncon's builtin joystick, but I found this frustrating and not nearly as fun as the classic arcade version.
TC4's Guncon is based on the "LED marker" technology used by the Wii and several other new controllers. Older Guncons used a video-sensing lightgun, but that method doesn't work with LCD/LED/plasma/projection TVs. The new design works with any TV, but I've found it is harder to calibrate and it really doesn't feel as accurate as the previous Guncons.
(Note that the new Guncon can't be used with previous TC versions, and old Guncons will not work with TC4.)
Time Crisis can be played with a gamepad, but it's a pain and I don't recommend it--moving the targeting cursor around the screen with a joystick is slow and awkward. The game's sole basis is really the Guncon; believe me, I've tried playing it without (as the old Guncons didn't work with my rear-projection TV....)
Should you buy TC4? For fans of the series it's an easy purchase, especially at the new low prices. If you're unfamiliar with the series, keep in mind there isn't much depth to it as there's no real strategy involved--it's just shoot, shoot, shoot. But for mindless fun and excitement it's hard to beat.
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24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Basically the Arcade...at Home, November 21, 2007
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Duck Hunt to Lethal Enforcers to Time Crisis 4...to be honest, not much has changed. TC4 includes a Van Damme made for TV movie plot of a special forces team trying to take down an organization with secret bio-weapons...good enough justification for a game that includes nothing but you shooting at bad guys and insects and dodging their bullets.
Down to the nitty-gritty: the feel of the game. Replacing the arcade pedal, which allowed you to dodge and go into firing mode, is a B1 button, located just above your thumb on the shooting hand. To dodge and reload, you have to lift your shooting hand thumb (righties) and press down just behind the hammer. Easy enough, but you'll find your hand getting a bit sore from extended play. You have two analog-toggle controllers where the hammer is and in the section that juts out abruptly from the side of the gun. The first-person free movement is nothing special for experienced gamers, and is a moderate learning curve for beginners.
Accuracy: the game's setup includes two sensors that you manually hang from above the monitor; they're about an inch square and have a non-intrusive rubber-weight system to hold them into place. You'll spend a significant amount of time calibrating the gun to get just the right feel; it's a bit shaky to start, and for a 42" monitor, you have to stand at least about five feet away from the screen. But that's what the mini-games are for.
The mini games are, by far, the funnest part so far. If you've ever played the Point Blank arcade series, you'll enjoy approximately 15 shoot-the-moving-target type games in this section. You can play alternating competitively and also with a second GunCon. Simple fun, which, in essense, sums up the entire game.
The release of more thinker-oriented, patience required games such as Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc., will definitely be a load for gamers...TC4 provides that well-needed break. The free movement merely adds a non-revolutionary variation to the arcade game. It's a true-to-the arcade translation for the home; what you get at Dave And Buster's is what you get at home, plus the mini-games.
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51 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too much for too much, November 24, 2007
Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars
The Time Crisis series has been an Arcade and Playstation hit for years. With the evolution of the Guncon we now have a PS3 version. Now some of you may be wondering is an $80+ game worth the price. For me it's a resounding no. Of course on the outside this game has quite a bit of potential. Two versions of the game and even some mini games to keep you busy. It sounds like quite the deal but sadly isn't.
Setting up this game is not easy either. When you open the large box you get the new Gun Con 3 with an 8 foot usb cord. The game also comes with two infared devices that go above the t.v. These also connect via usb. For those of you who have a 40 gig PS3 you have just used both your usb ports. Setting up for calibration is not very easy and seems to be rather inaccurate.
The biggest shining light for this game comes from the exciting arcade edition of Time Crisis which still looks good on the PS3. The arcade edition is a lot of fun and feels exactly like the arcade game with all the action. Point down and the gun reloads. Simple controls for an overall good game. This was my first experience with this game and it was really quite an enjoyment.
The major downfall of this game was the PS3 edition of Time Crisis that was made especially for the PS3. Unfortunately where this game lacks is in it's complexity. What really hurts is the several functioning buttons on the Guncon 3. When I say several buttons I mean as many as a normal PS3 controller. I couldn't make up my mind whether I was playing a first person shooter or a gun game. From the beginning you not only go thru the normal shooting but the movement. Trying to get the calibration to work correctly was not very easy. I noticed several times that my shooting was off because of this. I was beginning to feel this would be done much better on the Wii. Having to worry about moving your character in every direction and shooting several enemies is no easy task. I played long enough to realize I didn't want to have to deal with remember the functions of a half dozen buttons.
I have played several Time Crisis games and this one fails on being too complex. Nothing felt natural about having to use a gun to move my character. In all this game had a lot of potential but tried to go way to far. If anything they would have made a simpler game for people who just want to shoot. I would not advise this to anyone unless they are a die hard Time Crisis fan and even then it would be ill advised.
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