Thursday, 1 March 2012

TimeShift

Picture taken from Gamers Bin

Rummaging through a trade-in bargain bin at JB HI-FI I stumbled upon this $15 game. The back said "Master time to become the ultimate weapon", well who doesn't want that. But, to be honest, the price had thrown me a little so I walked into this game with very low expectations.

The story begins during an attack on your science centreAs fire engulfs the facility the audience watches the deaths of the protagonist's colleagues, friends and love interest. The man behind these deaths, Dr Aiden Krone, has jumped through space and time to create an alternate reality somewhat like this:



Krone is now a dictator that rules with an iron fist. The world is bleak and those who wish to be free fight an uphill battle. Determined to avenge those you loved you jump into an experimental Beta Suit and must now stop, reverse and freeze time to save the world.

The biggest hurdle in this game is utilising the ability to bend time. On the Xbox 360 your ability is controlled by the DPad. However, once your mind wraps around it the game moves from action to strategy. You could run up and shoot a man in the head. Or you could pause time, steal his gun and throw a grenade at him. Once the flow of time restores you sit back and smile as he screams and then explodes.
Picture taken from 360 Magazine 
But don't think this is all fun and games. Paying attention to your surrounding is an important element of TimeShift. This is especially true when you come across a giant machine gun or similar weapon. There is a limit to how long you can control space and time so sometimes some planning is required. Manipulating in short bursts rather than for prolonged amounts of time is key.

This game doesn't have a lot replayability in the traditional sense. There aren't unlockable items or levels and the story is very linear. However, if you like to play with your food before you eat it (like me) then it's worth playing a few times.

Picture taken from Dead Pixel Post
Available on PC, Xbox 360 & Playstaion 3


Game satisfaction: 8/10

Characters: 5/10

Graphics 7/10

Storyline 5/10

Controls – 9/10

Overall – 6.8/10