Time Crisis 3 E3 2003 Preshow Report

Namco has revealed that Time Crisis 3, the latest entry in its venerable and well-known light-gun series, will be released for the PlayStation 2 in December. The game will be compatible with, and will in fact come packaged with, Namco's own GunCon 2 peripheral, which is known as one of the most accurate light-gun accessories available.

Few hard details about Time Crisis 3 are available, but Namco says the PlayStation 2 version will contain both the original arcade game and several console-specific features and gameplay modes. The game features a new weapon-select feature that you can use while you're playing, which is atypical of the light-gun genre. Usually, you're stuck with the same weapon throughout the game, with potential power-ups available for limited use. However, Time Crisis 3 will let you switch between a hand gun, a machine gun, a shotgun, and grenades during gameplay, which will make for a more varied shooting experience. Additionally, Namco says the game will include sniper-oriented gameplay, which will presumably be a more slowly paced segment of the gameplay requiring accuracy rather than a hail of bullets.

We'll bring you more information on the PlayStation 2 version of Time Crisis 3 as it becomes available. Stay tuned.