A solid, innovative shooter, even though it will probably never win any awards.
The first few levels help you get associated with the controls and your time powers and do so quickly and efficiently. The only problem I had was there seemed to be a lot going on (objectives popping up, your suit talking to you, NPC’s talking to you, enemy broadcasts, et cetera) and I had a hard time getting everything straight, but it only took a little while to get used to the interface and after that I was able to manage all the information without a problem. The default controls are standard issue FPS but I like some of the keys different than default so a minute or so in the control options and it was fixed and I was set to roll through time.
My computer falls somewhere between the minimum and the recommended system requirements so I just let it auto-detect graphic settings for me, except that I slide the resolution from 1280x1024 to 1600x1200. The game runs great, awesome frame-rate and I didn’t run in to any lag spots even during times of high action. It seems some people don’t think the graphics are up to par for these days, but I really can’t agree with that. I think the graphics look great. The particles and other effects are beautiful, the textures are clean and the models are detailed. No, it isn’t Crysis, but it also doesn’t require a monster of a machine to run.
As you progress through the game you will get a large variety of weapons from the standard machine gun and semi-automatic pistols to some extremely power and very fun to shoot weapons like the crossbow with exploding arrows. Combined with your time manipulation abilities, there are quite a few ways to handle most situations, but that said, there are never so many ways that it gets too complex to be fun.
Now, the important stuff: the time shifting powers. There are three different abilities you can pick from: slow, pause and rewind. There are certain times in the game where you’ll have to use a specific ability (which is made easy because the suit will default to the ability it thinks is most useful a given time, but this can be easily overridden), but for the most part, time is your play thing. I call this game innovative because of this feature and I stand by that. Being able to approach situations differently than in any other FPS is quite innovative and fun. That being said, I don’t think this innovation was used to the full extent it could have been. Like I said, you can pretty much use any ability at any time and play it like you want, but unfortunately, that only really changes how you play the game and how you deal with foes, it doesn’t affect the story or your interactions with NPCs. I really think this could have been fleshed out a bit more to add more re-playability and to keeps things fresh throughout the entire game. I guess I just get to look forward to a sequel for these that though.
The story is not quite cliché but it doesn’t surprise or break any new ground. I did find it interesting enough, along with the game play, to keep playing all the way through nonetheless. I won’t spoil anything here, but basically from the first video you’ll find out that someone stole a time suit similar to yours and you have to fix what he breaks. It is quite linear, but honestly, that is what I expect from a FPS so I can’t really penalize it for that. It will take a good 10 hours to get through if you pick a difficulty level in line with your skill level. You won’t ever really be left wondering what to do as there is a marker on your radar to show you the way, however don’t think it is a mindless romp from point to point. You will have to figure out how to deal with situations and accomplish your objectives.
As far as the multiplayer goes, the little bit of it that I’ve played was fun, but honestly, I’m really not much of a multiplayer FPS unless it is co-op (which this is not) so you should probably just take GameSpot’s word for it.
Now, I don’t like to comment on other people’s opinions, but I feel have to here. After reading the GameSpot review I was left with a very fishy smell. Some of the comments by the reviewer are very confusing if you’ve played the game. For example:
“If you piece together the fragmented cutscenes, scour the manual, and read the back of the box, you'll learn that a certain Dr. Krone has stolen a special suit that lets its user travel through time.”
Now, I didn’t open the manual until after the tutorial and I still haven’t read the back of the box, but after the first 2 minutes of the game, I knew exactly what was going on, even though, like I said above, I was being somewhat overloaded with information. The reviewer goes on to mock the storyline saying it is incomprehensible and stupid (in so many words). The best I can figure, either the reviewer played the game on mute or was just entirely determined to hate this game. The story is simple, but with a point; it is very clearly presented to you in such a way that keeps you in the game the whole time; and it fits the gameplay just fine.
The other problem I have with the GameSpot review is the last “Bad” bullet point: “Combat can get repetitive.” There isn't a FPS out there that isn't repetitive on some level, but there is no reason to single out TimeShift and punish it for that. Having played a decent amount of first person shooters, good and bad, over the years, I can say with great confidence that TimeShift is one of the least repetitive combat experiences of the bunch. With the large variety of extremely fun-to-shoot weapons mixed with your abilities to influence time, the combat is fresh throughout the game.
A quick note on a user review that says you cannot use the mouse to turn left or right: I have no idea what is wrong with this user's computer, but this is entirely false. The control scheme is a standard FPS layout and if you don't like that, there are option menus for both Mouse Controls and Keyboard Controls. It is very fast and easy to customize your control scheme to fit you and I can't see any reason someone should have a problem with the controls.
My Verdict: If you’re looking for an epic story to become emotionally attached to, then this isn’t the game for you. However, if you enjoy first person shooters (specifically single player campaigns, since I can’t attest to the multiplayer as stated above), and using your skill to dominate enemies in very satisfying ways, then this is a solid game and worth playing. TimeShift is an enjoyable shooter with a twist on the ordinary, a cache of rewarding weapons and great graphics.