"Good concept, but runs out of ammo too soon."

Time Crisis was known for taking gun games and adding an extra depth to them with the 'action pedal,' which allowed you to take cover and then pop out and attack, imitating that of a secret agent. Crisis Zone takes that concept and applies a new type of setting to it, which places you in the role of a tactical operative given the task of suppressing a terrorist attack on a commercial complex. While the concept was good for its time, as well as the ability to shoot just about anything in sight and see destruction, it unfortunately ends a bit too soon.

Graphics: 9/10
By today's standards, they're not very detailed, but back then, the level of textures in the game was a standard of the day. Shooting at various objects and seeing them get destroyed in appropriate manners, like jars shattering, paintings getting knocked down, etc., was something that very few shooting games offered players the ability to do, all while gunning down enemy grunts that were intent on taking you out. The only problem I saw with the game was the way that bullet holes appeared in large numbers on things like tanks and other things of that sort where you wouldn't expect them to appear.

Sounds: 6/10
While the sound of your machine gun firing is very realistic, it's unfortunately a bit too loud as well. Yeah, I know machine guns are loud in real life, but even then, it could be turned down a little within the game. As it is, you can't really make out the music that's playing in the background, but when you can, you'll usually find that the theme for each stage is a very high-tempo tune that really gets the adrenaline pumping. Another downside, though, is the voiceovers aren't exactly high quality, and the dialogue is very laughable.

Controls: 9/10
The only problem with the game is the MP5K controller can get a bit heavy at times. Other than that, you simply point and shoot, and it's easy to aim onscreen and shoot at what you need to. You'll even get a laser sighting to help you out, but you shouldn't need it because of how accurate the game's controller is.

On that note, the action pedal is retained like in the previous games within the series, but it acts a bit differently here. Instead of ducking for cover behind objects, you have a tactical shield that you use to take cover behind while you move through each area suppressing the terrorist threat. I have to wonder how heavy those things are and how they can hold a gun with one hand and a shield with the other, but it's just a game, what can I say?

Story: 7/10
OK, so the situation is like this: A new complex consisting of a shopping center, a fancy hotel, a park, and an office building, known as Garland Square, just opened, only to be taken over by a terrorist group known as 'URDA.' It's up to you, as one of the members of an elite task force known as the Special Tactical Force (STF) to go in and take them out. Seems simple enough, right? Well, there's a twist to this whole thing, but I don't want to give it away just yet. Nonetheless, it gives the story a bit more of style to it.

Replay: 5/10
While the game is a bit of an intense rush, it's too short, unfortunately. There are only three stages to play through, and while you can play through them in any order you want, the story still remains the same regardless of how you play it. There aren't any branching paths or secrets to discover, or extra replay bonuses once you've finished the game. There's the challenge of taking the least amount of damage or seeing how much damage you can do, but other than that, it's not exactly that big on replay value.

Overall: 8/10
Crisis Zone is a unique game that takes a slightly different approach to what most gun shooting games are like in terms of arcade games, and it also provides a great way to destress. Sadly, the lack of true replay value and the short length are what brings it down a bit. Nonetheless, it's still worth playing at least once.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/00, Updated 08/13/07