Time Crisis 4

"This good game got a bad home port, and no online features = low replay value."

Quick pros and cons:

+ Tried-and-true core gameplay is still fun
+ Crisis Missions are challenging (for a couple of hours)
+ It looks as good as the arcade version...almost
- It should run more smoothly...the arcade version runs on an upgraded PS2!
- The FPS levels are boring, despite the shred of originality
- There should have been a network link mode...the alternative stinks
- Emulation of older titles seems like it should have been there
- No leaderboards...in fact, no online features at all


Seems like arcades don't get many new games these days. But it seems you can always count on a new Time Crisis every few years. And, you can always count on the fact that it'll come home eventually.

The PS3 version of Time Crisis 4 is the first light-gun game Namco has brought home in a while. Times have changed...for example, we've got ourselves these newfangled HDTVs here. Problem: light guns don't work on plasmas and LCDs. Solution: infrared technology. The Wii uses it, the arcade version of TC4 uses it, and now, the GunCon3 packaged with TC4 PS3 uses it too. This allows it to work with any type of TV, including both newer HDTVs and the older ones as well.

New system, new technology, new gun. Unpack the GunCon3 and you'll notice the bright-orange sidearm has expanded...it now features dual analog sticks and several more buttons than before. But why? Namco apparently felt that the extra controls would allow for more complex gameplay in the light-gun genre, which is constantly picked on for being too simplistic in modern times. We'll see how they did with that later.

The other thing you'll notice about the GunCon3 is not on the gun itself; it's the two small black receiver boxes that come with it. Rather than a single piece like the Wii's Sensor Bar, the GC3 works with two smaller sensors, held down by soft rubbery weights and connected together by wires. To set up, you place the sensors facing forward on top of your TV, and spread them out as far as possible. Depending on the shape of your TV, this can range from quick and easy to frustrating or near-impossible...because the sensors are connected by a wire, dropping one will drop the other as well. If the top of your TV is not a very spacious place, good luck...

Once you've finally succeeded in setting up the sensors and booting the game, you'll have to calibrate. There are two methods. Use the five-point calibration; it's a lot better. When completed correctly, you'll find the accuracy to be as good as the previous GunCons. Only one potential problem I encountered: hopefully you do not have light (or a window) behind your TV. If you do, you'll find that this throws the GC3 off completely. I have a window behind mine, and I found the game impossible to play until the sun was on its way down. The Wii's IR is affected by this phenomena as well, but to a MUCH lesser extent (as in, you can still play it).

So you can actually fire at the screen. Now what? Well, you can play the Arcade mode, which is a replica of the original version of TC4. A single run through TC4--assuming that you complete the game--lasts about 40-45 minutes (unless you're decent at Time Crisis...then it's less. My last run took around 35 minutes). For an arcade light-gun game, this is actually fairly long. Oddly, almost half the game's length is in the Prologue and Stage 1 levels; Stages 2 and 3 are quite a bit shorter than the first.

Besides the new gun technology, one of the arcade game's two biggest new features (besides the changes to the scoring system, the weapon balance, and the new levels of course) was the voice navigation. Because there is no separate speaker here, and it's all just coming out of your TV, it now just seems like folks are talking while you're trying to shoot the bad guys. Oh, well...

The other main new feature is the Multi-Screen Battle. This was done to some degree in the fairly lame PS1-only Project Titan, but refined for TC4: to switch screens, you simply point the gun towards the edge of the screen. But while the arcade screens were standard 4:3 RGB monitors with defined edges, the home version runs on ... your TV. On my widescreen, the game was pretty sensitive, often switching screens when I didn't want it to. It's not terrible, but you'll have to be gentle for it to work perfectly...like if you were balancing a plate while walking down stairs. Not impossible but not the easiest thing, either.

The levels in TC have typically had their gimmicks. TC4's gimmicks include firing mounted machine guns from a helicopter ala the Sega classics Gunblade NY and LA Machineguns; firing a sniper rifle from the same helicopter (too short!); pulling yourself out of quicksand; and several run-ins with the biological weapon code-named "Terror Bite." Yeah, the writing's as great as it ever was. There are 4 kinds of Terror Bites, and most have a particular weapon as their weakness. The game makes no attempt to hide their weakness, and even points it out to you, but switching weapons quickly and correctly is not automatic, as we learned in TC3.

The storyline is more outlandish and less believable than usual, but we don't play these games for storyline, now do we? The voice acting is about as good as usual (read: not so good). But we'd expect that too. The boss battles are decent, but the wow factor is not quite as much as in previous games. No huge vehicles, no mechanized death bots and no Wild Fang kicking light-speed boxes at you. Overall, TC4 is another fun Time Crisis romp.

So how is the home version different from the arcade version? Well, for one thing, it runs in high definition...

...poorly.

I wish I was kidding.

In 480p, it looks just like the arcade (and doesn't support widescreen). Crank it up to 720p and the framerate takes a nosedive, going from a constant 60 to a variable mess. TC4 at 720p switches back and forth from 60 to 30 to 60 to help-I'm-trying-to-maintain-30. In particular, this version seems to have trouble with large environments (the airport terminal where you begin the game, for example), and any sort of environmental effect (the sprinkler system you see during the first Multi-Screen Battle). In small, confined areas, it runs smoothly. There are plenty of those in TC4, but that doesn't change the fact that Namco didn't optimize this game's performance for the PS3. And just in case you were curious, 1080p is not supported.

It's all the more shameful when you realize that the arcade TC4 runs on ... an upgraded PS2. Yeah, last generation, people. What's strange is that Tekken5 also runs on upgraded PS2 hardware, and yet, the PS3 version of T5:DR runs fantastic. I don't get it...

The other major disappointment of this home version concerns the two-player mode. Most arcade aficionados know that TC has supported 2-player games since TC2, with each player on their own screen, shooting from their own viewpoint. The arcade version achieved this with two machines connected via network. PS2 TC2 and TC3 also allowed this, with an i.Link cable. But for those people that didn't have two PS2s, two TVs and two copies of the game, TC3 also added a split-screen mode. It was terrible; too small to see much of anything, and the framerate took a dive.

TC4 keeps this awful split-screen mode...and DROPS EVERYTHING ELSE. (And if you have a PS3 with only two USB ports, you'll need a USB hub to even play that awful split-screen mode, as both the GunCon3 and its sensors eat a USB port.) You can't play with two PS3s linked together via Ethernet, nor can you play with a partner online. In this day and age, with arcade-style games usually bursting with network features, it's ridiculous that TC4 is a strictly offline affair. That's right. No online play, no leaderboards...nothing.

So what does TC4 PS3 have to keep you playing longer? Like all the other previous TC home versions, there's a home-exclusive mode. This time, it's called Complete Mission. Complete Mission starts with the arcade levels, and adds five FPS-style levels around and in-between them. In these, you play as the supporting character Captain Rush, and fight the evil ... boredom.

What do you get when you try to cross a light-gun shooter with a traditional first-person shooter? You get mediocre versions of both. The simplicity of the light-gun shooting is ruined, and the pace of your movements--controlled by the dual analog sticks--is broken up by having to aim the gun at your enemies. You'll also find yourself using buttons to duck, jump, reload, and switch weapons. They're all in odd places, so it's awkward. The pedal mechanic, central to the series since the first game, is nowhere to be found.

These levels each last about 30-40 minutes, which is about 25-30 minutes too long. The boss battles are more exciting, but the awkward controls make things a bit more difficult than they otherwise would have been. In total, Complete Mission lasts 3-4 hours, and includes the arcade mode...so if you're the type to play something once and then throw it on a shelf, that's it! You're done already.

All in all, Complete Mission is a diversion. Nothing more. It's certainly not the highlight of the package. In fact, I'd almost recommend steering clear of it entirely, if not for the fact that half the gameplay you paid for is in there. Here's an idea: why FPS-style levels, and not an unlockable emulation of the original arcade game? There still hasn't been an arcade-perfect home version of TC1, and that would have provided a lot more entertainment...

There are also the mainstay Crisis Missions, the set of mini challenges returning for another go (if you can unlock them by enduring the Complete Mission). These are more challenging and will keep shooting fans hooked for the couple of hours that they last (although they seemed easier to me than in TC3). There are some additional "gold medal" and "silver medal" scores to shoot for, as well, although the lack of leaderboards is once again disappointing.

And lastly, there are some additional mini games that can be played by yourself, or using the "pass-the-GunCon" method. These are garden-variety "shoot the target" affairs. You pick a game from a list (game 1, game 2, game 3, game 4...) and then shoot a few targets. Because they're almost all the same, and there's no way to keep track of which games you've played, you'll probably spend a few minutes on them, at most.

That's it! That's TC4 PS3. As a conversion of the arcade game, it sadly is a return to those bygone days to when home versions didn't look as good or run as smoothly as the arcade versions. As a complete package, it's...the arcade game plus some mini-games and some stuff that will likely bore you. I'm actually kind of shocked (and disappointed) that the arcade original wasn't on here to help beef up the package. If you treat it for what it is, and set your expectations low, you're less likely to be disappointed.

Now comes the big question: is it worth the money? In my opinion, it's only going to be "yes" if you already like this type of game. It retails for a whopping $80 (although it can be found cheaper), and for that kind of money, you should want to play it for a while...and unless you're a fan of the genre, you're probably not going to put that kind of time into this game. So proceed with caution.


Graphics: 7
This game bordered on last-gen to begin with, and the PS3 can't even run it at 60fps at 720p. Must be the PS3's fault. Yeah, right...and I bet Wild Dog won't be back in TC5, either. Ha.

Sound: 6
The sound effects are standard fare, nothing surprising. The voice acting is mediocre, as usual. The music is cliched and forgettable, and the fact that there's an unlockable music player is... well, kind of funny. Or sad. I can't figure out which.

Gameplay: 8
Time Crisis gameplay is classic stuff, and Namco continues to throw in more features. And by the way, the good old "put a controller on the floor, and it works as a pedal" trick still works. The FPS levels, while an interesting concept, just don't work, but that doesn't hurt the core gameplay.

Features/Replay: 5
Light-gun games usually have less replay value than other arcade-style games, but this one has even less. There's an unlock for playing through Complete Mission twice; you will never see it (unless you're a masochist). The Crisis Missions are over too quickly, and besides the arcade game, that's really all there is to see. There are no classic emulations, and no online features, which hurts the replay value even more.

Overall: 6
I really like this game, but I guess Namco didn't like it as much as I did. So they gave it a bad home port. Experiments are all well and good, but there isn't enough meat to go with these potatoes, and without online play, this game (and its peripheral) will be collecting dust really soon. Better to stick with the occasional visit to Dave & Buster's or your local arcade... they can use the business anyway.

Also try: House of the Dead (series, Arcade), Point Blank (series, Arcade/PS1), Silent Scope (series, Arcade)

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 02/27/08

Game Release: Time Crisis 4 (US, 11/20/07)