One of my all-time favourite, Time Crisis II!!
Gameplay
Time Crisis II was released utilizing Namco's System 23 arcade board in 1998, and was ported to PlayStation 2 (with enhanced graphics and polygon textures) in 2001. The game utilizes the foot pedal system, just like Time Crisis, where players can shoot or hide from enemy fire. One modification to the hide and attack system was the "crisis flash" system which alerts the players whether or not the enemy attack would cause a direct hit, a feature not present in its predecessor, Time Crisis.
When a player presses the pedal, he or she comes out of hiding, allowing them to shoot the enemies. Releasing the pedal places the player in hiding; during this time, players cannot shoot, but are safe from harm. A player must defeat all enemies before moving forward. The player's gun magazine contains 9 bullets (though occasionally a machine gun is available, which contains unlimited ammo for the remainder of the scene). Releasing the pedal also reloads the gun.
When the player fails to release the pedal after he/she spots a "crisis flash", one life is lost. The crisis flash system fixed much of the unexpected life losses that rose from Time Crisis, though seldom unexpected life loss problems still remain. Each scene has a 40-second time limit, but unlike Time Crisis, in which seconds kept on running out even during wait animations, the timer only runs down when the battle is ensuing. The timer is reset to 40 and/or freezes when the player(s) are on "wait animation".
The time limit system is much more lenient than Time Crisis, as players only lose one life if time runs out instead of losing the entire game. Also, players can continue from the point their current position, as opposed to the Playstation version of Time Crisis, which required players to restart from the beginning of a section.
Plot
Neodyne Industries, LTD, has successfully completed a network of 64 satellites called the "Starline Network". Starline is supposedly a communications system which NDI claims will unite the world. Nevertheless, the covert agency VSSE discovers that Starline is actually part of a plan to launch a nuclear satellite into space.
Christy Ryan, the agent responsible for uncovering the corporation's hidden agenda, attempts to escape NDI captivity and report the details of the plot to VSSE HQ, but is detained by Jakov Kinisky and his bodyguards. VSSE sends agents Keith Martin and Robert Baxter to shut down the Starline Network and rescue Ryan.
Christy has already been taken away before Martin and Baxter are able to reach her, however, and Kinisky and his minions attack the agents inside Ryan's apartment. After a gunfight in the streets and a boat chase in a nearby river, Keith and Robert manage to recapture Christy's laptop, which reveals that the satellite in question belongs to the military. The agents proceed to NDI's train depot, only to have the satellite airlifted away before they can reach it.
Inside NDI headquarters, situated on an island, CEO Ernesto Diaz and the mercenary Wild Dog begin preparing the nuclear satellite for launch from a sea-based site when the VSSE agents arrive. The agents encounter fierce resistance, but are able to defeat Wild Dog and rescue Christy, who escapes by raft.
Upon reaching what appears to be the final preparations for the satellite, however, the agents learn that the "satellite" is a decoy and the real one is about to be launched into space. The final battle between Diaz in the decoy satellite and the VSSE ensues, with the agents successfully killing Diaz. The falling debris from the destroyed decoy satellite damages the rocket's thrusters, causing it to explode on launch and eliminate the real satellite.
Verdict
8.5/10 pure adrenaline as if you are really on a top secret mission. The bustling all round action keeps you on your toes throughout the game. It keeps you excited all the time. You have to be composed throughout the level if you want any sniff of going to the next level. The arcade version is harder as it is in their mechanisms to want you to die so that you will plant more money into their machines. However the playstation version allows you to set the difficulty level. But the calibration between tv sets should be better enhanced as sometimes our shots do not really shoot. All in all, the arcade version is better as its worth the while when dozens are looking at your progression in anticipation to see you clear the game. That kinda feeling, priceless.
Post a Comment