Since the release of the original Time Crisis in 1995, the franchise has dominated the light gun genre. Even after two sequels the series was still the king of the genre thanks to it's features and innovations that were not present in any other game of it's type.

As gaming moved into the high definition era with the release of the Xbox 360 in 2005, so did Time Crisis. For it's first HD entry, not much was changed, as it still maintained the same formula as previous entries, while adding in new features.

This is Time Crisis 4, which came out in the arcades in 2006, and was ported to the PlayStation 3 a year later.

The Plot

Time Crisis 4 is the first game in the series to be set in a real life location - the United States. The V.S.S.E. (Vital Situation, Swift Elimination International Intelligence Agency) and the United States Armed Forces learn that terrorists have obtained a top secret weapon and fear that it may be used on major American cities.

V.S.S.E. agents Giorgio Bruno and Evan Bernard are sent to investigate and retrieve the weapon. The agents arrive at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), where they are suddenly ambushed by an unknown terror faction. While fighting their way through the airport, they are accompanied by Captain William Rush of the U.S. Army, who tries to guide the agents to safety, along with Elizabeth Conway of the U.S. Joint Intelligence Division, who provides the three of them with air support and intel. However, as they near the exit, they are surrounded by a new type of insect-like biological weapons called Terror Bites. The three of them fight off the new weapon and escape the airport, then learn that a weapons trade-off is about to occur in San Francisco. Upon arrival, the agents and Captain Rush are met with harsh resistance, but they fend off all the terrorists and their leader.

After the fighting concluded, Rush and the agents investigate and discover that all the terrorists have U.S. Army dog tags. The terrorist faction is revealed to be the Biological Weapons Special Operations Unit, also known as the Hamlin Battalion. Elizabeth then tracks down the location of of another supply of Terror Bites, which are located in a bio-weapons research facility at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Upon their arrival at Yellowstone, the agents and Rush defeat more terrorists and break into the research facility, defeating the terrorist leader there, but discover that they were too late as the Terror Bites were stolen.

Then, Elizabeth alerts the three of them with news that the Hamlin Battalion is currently attacking Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. The three of them are forced to head to the base in a hurry. When they arrive they notice a large number of nuclear-armed unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) depart the base without warning, and that the Colorado National Guard is taking heavy casualties against the Terror Bites. Rush decides to assist the National Guard troops while the agents try to take care of the UCAVs. However, they are attacked by Wild Dog and Wild Fang, who faked his own death in the previous game. Wild Dog tries to drag the agents' helicopter down with a grappling hook. After defending themselves and safely landing the chopper, they confront Wild Dog and defeat him again, while Rush defeats Wild Fang, who is then killed after being hit in the back by a UCAV.

Then, Rush and the agents confront the leader of the Hamiln Battalion, Gregory Barrows, who reveals that he plans to destroy every major American city with the UCAVs that were launched in retaliation for the poor treatment that he received from the U.S. Army. Barrows blows up the stairs leading to the control panel, but Rush and the National Guard troops form a human ladder for the agents to climb up. The agents kill Barrows, and then Rush gives the agents a final boost to the control panel, where they hit the button to self-destruct all missiles launched by the UCAVs.

The Gameplay

The gameplay of Time Crisis 4 is similar to the first two games. You aim the GunCon at the screen to take out enemies, and take cover using the foot pedal system, which also reloads your gun. Holding down the pedal keeps you in cover, while releasing it brings you back into the action. Your standard handgun carries 9 rounds per clip, and your health bar typically contains three lives (the standard setting at most arcades that have this game, though can be adjusted in the PS3 version). Time Crisis 4 also brings back the multiple weapon system first introduced in Time Crisis 3, which includes a handgun, machine gun, shotgun, and grenade launcher. Just like in the previous game, ammo is only unlimited for the handgun and not for the other three weapons.

Like it's predecessor, Time Crisis 4 also has simultaneous two-player co-op. When you're playing solo, the second player will be controlled via CPU. The PS3 version of the game came with it's own GunCons - the GunCon 3s.

Time Crisis 4 also retains the ammo recovery system from Time Crisis 3 - ammo can be replenished for the other three guns by taking out these yellow soldiers who carry ammo (pictured center). Note that the ammo that you gain from these soldiers is random. Sometimes it is for the machine gun, sometimes it is for the shotgun, and on rare occasions it can be for the grenade launcher. The more times you hit them, the more ammo you will get back.

Time Crisis 4 also introduces sections where you fight off enemies while in a helicopter. In these sections, you'll receive either a mounted heavy machine gun or a mounted automatic cannon with unlimited ammo, as the enemies in these sections are all in helicopters, fighter jets, armored vehicles, or tanks. You can also switch sides on the helicopter to take out enemies.

The game also introduces the multi-screen, or multi-hiding system. In this system, players are placed on the defensive. To switch screens, you point the GunCon left or right. The goal in these multi-screen sections is to defeat all enemies before your barricade is destroyed, and in some cases you have to hold out against enemies for a specific amount of time before your barricade is destroyed.

If you are successful in these sections, you'll progress without any penalty. If you are not successful, you'll lose one life.

The Characters

Giorgio Bruno - Age: 29 - Giorgio is the first of three main protagonists of Time Crisis 4. He is an agent of the V.S.S.E. hailing from Italy. He is originally from a powerful mafia in Italy, however after a major internal war in his family that left him as the sole survivor, he was adopted by a police officer and eventually joined the SWAT team of the Italian Police. Then, he eventually joined the V.S.S.E.. While off duty, he works as a chef for a high end restaurant in Milan, Italy. Giorgio and his partner Evan are assigned by the V.S.S.E. to work with the U.S. Army to stop the Hamlin Battalion and Wild Dog from using nuclear armed UCAVs on every major American city.

Giorgio takes the role of Player 1.

Evan Bernard - Age: 25 - Evan is the second of three main protagonists in Time Crisis 4. He is a V.S.S.E. agent hailing from France. He was originally a fisherman who came from a long line of sea adventurers, and he eventually joined the French Coast Guard. His outstanding performance as a member of the Coast Guard eventually led to him being hired by the V.S.S.E.. While off duty, he works as a professional carpenter for high-rise buildings. Evan and his partner Giorgio are assigned by the V.S.S.E. to work with the U.S. Army to stop the Hamlin Battalion and Wild Dog from using nuclear armed UCAVs on every major American city.

Evan takes the role as Player 2.

William Rush - Age: 33 - Captain Rush is the third main protagonist of Time Crisis 4. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Rush is part of the U.S. Army Internal Surveillance Group's Special Operations Division. Rush comes from a long line of families who served the United States, is a graduate of West Point Military Academy, and has served in the U.S. Army's Delta Force and Task Force 11. Rush is assigned to work with the V.S.S.E. in stopping the Hamlin Battalion and Wild Dog from using nuclear armed UCAVs on every major American city.

Rush is only a playable character in the PS3 version of the game, which has additional missions and story material not present in the arcade version.

My Thoughts

Like Time Crisis II and Time Crisis 3, I also discovered this game at the Dave & Busters off M-59 in Shelby Township when I was in high school, and just like with the second and third games, I was hooked the second I first played it. I also played this game every time I went to my local Dave & Busters. Which is why I was bummed when Dave & Busters started phasing out their older arcade machines, and while this game was left alone at the time, I wouldn't be surprised if they're starting to phase them out as well, or already have phased them out. These days, your best chances of finding a Time Crisis 4 cabinet is to go to an anime convention, find an independent arcade, go to a Dave & Busters location that still has one, or fork over a few thousand bucks to have one installed in your home. Or if you have a PS3, you can just pick up that version of the game along with the GunCon 3 controllers (it does not with with the original GunCon or GunCon 2). Though I've heard that the PS3 version got mixed reviews from critics.

I didn't enjoy this entry as much as Time Crisis II, but this is still a decent addition to the series. Not much has really changed in this entry compared to the first three games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The gameplay is still excellent, and the difficulty is fairly balanced. The helicopter sections were a fun new addition to the series, and it reminded me of playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and I wouldn't be surprised if this game partially inspired the original Modern Warfare trilogy of Call of Duty in some way. The graphics are excellent, the cast of characters are good as always, and the soundtrack is decent as well. Like in previous entries, the bosses present a fun, albeit frustrating challenge at times. The story, while it may be too over the top, was still entertaining and it kept me hooked until the end. I also liked that the game was set in real life locations unlike in previous entries, even if they aren't exactly perfect representations of said locations.

Time Crisis 4 is another great entry in the Time Crisis franchise. It may not be the strongest entry in the series, but it is definitely not the worst. If you know of an arcade in your area that still has a Time Crisis 4 cabinet, go play it. Or just pick up the PS3 version. Either way, you should play it.

8/10

Source(s):

Time Crisis 4 Review - DetroitOtaku Reviews