Time Crisis 3

"Arcade good, PS2 bad."

I have always liked light-gun games. Ever since Duck Hunt for the NES, ive been hooked. Time Crisis has been my favorite since I played the original(with House of the Dead a close second). So when I heard Time Crisis 3 was in my local arcade, I spent at least 6 dollars in 1 hour. Then a month later, I heard of the home version. As soon as saw it on the shelves, I bought it and 2 Guncons. Oh, how disappointed was I? Read and find out.

Gameplay: 3/10

This was the first light gun game I ever owned on my PS2. I was appalled at how unresponsive and clunky the Guncons were, and the button you used to jump out to shoot almost gave my thumb carpal tunnel. The Guncon constantly missed, even after I put it right on the screen to calibrate it. I was shocked, because it played sooooo well in the arcade and it just didnt work well on the PS2. The 2 player game was incredibly hard, because you start fighting for screen space rather than terrorists. Simply embarrassing.

Story: 2/10

If you've played Time Crisis 2 already, you have heard this story. You play as one of two generic and uninspired characters, and must save the world from a criminal. This story is generic and overused. Enough said.

Graphics/Sound: 5/10

This is the one area of the game that I actually thought was mediocre at best. The graphics are good if you like staring at rocks and walls for over 75% of the game. For the rest of the game, the character models are decent, and the explosions give Crimson Skies a run for its money. The sound for the guns is just okay, and the voice acting has some of the worst actors EVER!! Simply put, not very good.

Playtime/Replayabiity: 1/10

This game is SHORT. I mean, REALLY short. The main story can be completed in a measly 30 minutes, and after that, you should have no reason to replay it other than to laugh at its generic story and idiotic voices. Sure, it has extras, but it feels like they were just put there to make you suffer through more easier than easy gameplay.

Overall: 2/10

A Final Word:

Dont get this game. It is an outrage to the Time Crisis series. It may even be worse than Project Titan(a horrible Time Crisis game for the original PS). If you want a good light gun game, get an XBox and House of the Dead 3. Otherwise, stay away. FAR away.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/04