Time Crisis 2 is the sequal to Time Crisis, one of the most popular arcade games in it's inception. A light-gun game, Time Crisis excelled due to frantic gameplay, well designed levels, and the introduction of the "duck" feature, allowing you to frantically hide behind cover as a hail of bullets zoom overhead. Time Crisis 2 is everything that the original was, but more. Taking it to the arcade, the game was a 2 screen behemoth of excellent design. However, it's been 3 years between it's release in the arcade, and on the home console. Did Namco do enough to justify getting the game at home? Well that answer depends on how much a fan you are of the genre. Time Crisis 2 has it's roots deep in the Arcade, and it's a known fact that titles from the arcade are not known for their longevity. Namco have always been good about this, and made great arcade ports to the Playstation, like the Tekken series. However, bringing the arcade experience home is never easy. Playing the game at home is never going to be good as in the arcade, even though this version is superior. With added modes like skeet shooting and time based challenges. However the main mode is of course the arcade game, and it is this mode you will be spending the most time. Playing with a Dual Shock though is just not what this game was designed for. You need a GunCon 2, the Namco home eqivalent of it's arcade light gun. You can play with the controller, but you wil be taking out the main feature of this game. Gun toting bad guys come in thick and fast and the Dual Shock is just not up to standard. Although the game is strictly playable with the controller, this is the best excuse to get a GunCon 2. However, like the arcade original, the game will not be known for it's longevity. Games shouldn't be marked on it's gaming hours, but on it's experience - yet you cant help feel a little ripped off when you can complete this in a couple of hours. Although the game is well designed, and will have you shooting happily, it's over all too soon and has no replay value. It's a god thing then that the graphics really stand out, it looks even better than it's arcade counterpart. And while this is further bolstered by the addition of some strange additional modes, like the Dual GunCon and Quick and Crash modes, it appears that the game is stretched to the limit in how much it can provide the gamer. Sound is very arcade like - slick and fast. Music is a little better, but tends to grate and repeat itself a little too often. However it is mostly good, but more work wouldn't have gone astray. The game's storyline....... well there isn't one really. Not one that you will care about anyway. Remember that this is an arcade game, where there is an excuse not to have a storyline to guide the action, but that doesn't cut it on the home console. Some more cutscenes, or reasoning and expression behind the game would have been appreciated. Overall, this is a very arcade game. It looks and plays a little too much like it's arcade counter-part, and doesn't provide the lasting appeal that you need at home. Enjoyable in short bursts or with friends only - this is a very good rental that while fun, doesn't give you enough incentive to own. Go play the arcade game instead.
Other Helpful Reviews for Time Crisis 2 (PlayStation2 the Best)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Time Crisis 2 – PS2 review by Simon a.k.a. [TheDevilDweller] -----------------------------------------------------... Read Full Review
Time Crisis 2 is an excellent game, even by todays standards. I remember years ago me and my friends would go to the cinema and play this game while waiting for our movies to start. Its such a fun game that time really ... Read Full Review
