Time Crisis II

"No Richard Miller? Awww."

Time Crisis, a popular first person shooter game that was popular on both the Sony Playstation and the Arcade games systems returns in a highly anticipated sequel starring Keith Martin and Robert Baxter. Two heroes means two players can co-operate and work together in a daring adventure mission to stop the bad guys and rescue the chick. Playing alone gives satisfaction, but two players is twice as good! So, more about TC2...

Gameplay: 10/10

If you're into Hollywood Action movies with explosive action, this is bound to please you. In fact, it's almost like an experience of the real thing! It is similar to Time Crisis in that you must duck, cover and shoot and clear out one area at a time as you progress through a stage. You had to do this within a set time in the original, but you can feel a bit more relaxed in this version since it's not there any more and you can take your time. While this could be a bit bad for some, it's good for others, so I suppose it balances out...

The best feature about Time Crisis II is the fact that you can have two players to work together, and it's an innovative idea that adds a lot more fun to the game. The screens of the arcades are linked, and the movements of your friends are mirrored in your screens so you can blast away at some enemies while the other person takes care of some others so you can keep your shooting a lot more concentrated. The feature that makes Time Crisis II a whole lot better!

What's more, is that the route you take throughout the game isn't always the same. Your speed and skill reflect the way you go. In some areas you could be on a train, a boat chase or travelling through a town and blasting away at those bad guys. The better you are, the more challenge you are offered, so that's definitely a good thing.

Your controlling is rather simple, since it's first person shooting; it's really your accuracy that counts and your snap ducking with the pedal. You could get tired holding the gun up all the time and end up with an aching foot if you get too attracted to this game, but I guess nothing's perfect.

Audio/Video: 8/10

The graphics in Time Crisis II indeed look very smooth. While the characters aren't really that much resemblance of real people, they have nicely textured models, and the animation looks superb. The first person view looks real for example when jumping down and thumping the ground, the screen shakes, which makes it look more real. It looks very smooth, and impressive.

There are nice sounds and effects in Time Crisis II as well. The voice acting (especially in the intro movie) is very cool, and the shooting sounds and other music suits the game very well.

Replayability: Med-High

The amount of fun you can have with this game is of a very high standard, and you can be playing for hours at a time. However, it becomes less fun a few times after and loses its touch. But, it does stay fun when you're playing with someone else.

Good Things/Pros

-- Fun alone, or with a friend
-- Brilliant multiplayer
-- Smooth first person controls
-- Resembles an action movie very realistically

Bad Things/Cons

-- Seems less fun after a few goes
-- Can be hard in some areas

Overall: 9/10

This game can last for a good long time, and I recommend playing it if you find it at an Arcade as one of your top priorities, as it is one of the best shooters around, and also the experience is great on the PS2 as well.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/28/04