GAME CLEAR No. 306 -- Time Crisis

Time Crisis (1995, Arcade/PS1)

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco, Namco Hometek, Sony Computer Entertainment
Clear Version: PS1
Clear Platform: PS5 (PS1 emulation)
Clear Date: 7/25/26

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Why should I care?
Shoot, duck, shoot again! What’s not to love?

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Clear!

Time Crisis. If you’re at least roughly my age or older, chances are you’ve seen some iteration of this classic light-gun cover shooter somewhere in the world. Perhaps in the corner of a bowling alley, movie theater, or other family entertainment center. Perhaps even at a genuine dedicated arcade. It was around.

The series borrows a lot from SEGA’s Virtua Cop, but it critically added its cover feature. As you are guided on rails through the game’s various shooting sequences, you stay behind cover by default. By pressing a button (or stepping on a pedal at the arcade), you emerge to fire upon your enemies (at the risk, of course, of getting shot yourself). The forcing function here is the game’s time limit (hence the name, perhaps?). You’ve got to avoid enemy fire, but you also must not delay in dispatching your foes to earn time extensions.

Anyway, it’s awesome. Excepting bosses, bad guys take just one shot to kill, but they are innumerable. The shooting sound effects are top notch, as are the groans and grunts of defeat of your enemies. The story, something about a coup d’état, is outrageous. The voice acting is amateurish, but that only adds to the charm. Besides, who cares what’s really happening? The important thing is that you’re one-man-army badass Richard Miller, and you’re here to put a stop to the bad guys. It only takes maybe an hour or two to finish the game (accounting for a couple failed runs while getting familiar with it), but it’s the kind of game you’ll want to run through again and again. This PS1 version includes a bonus mission as well with branching paths. Sick!

I’m not really here to sell anyone on a well-documented, 31-year-old game. You know if you’re into this sort of thing.

What I am here to say is that the gyro controls of this particular PS5 port totally work. I have mixed (mostly negative) feelings about Sony and other publishers’ handling of legacy titles on PS5, but whoever decided to port this game in this fashion has my appreciation. It’s no substitute for a genuine light gun, but if the alternative is this option simply not existing, there’s a clear winner.

Sure, the gyro loses its focus a bit. You’ll be hitting triangle to recenter it a lot, but that’s no big deal. It remains surprisingly functional imitation of aiming a gun around a screen. I had a blast with it.

I should disclose that I am a staunch gyro aiming enjoyer and defender, though. I don’t think this is so beautifully executed that it would change the mind of a hater. But if you are open to it, this is a very fun and functional way to enjoy an all-time classic of the genre from the convenience of a current platform.