TimeShift

Written by Joe Comunale  on February 15, 2006

First Impressions: Uh...can we get one of those nifty time suits to go to the future, preferably May 9th?

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Saber Interactive and Atari are working in conjunction to release their Sci-Fi shooter in Timeshift. In development for roughly half a year now, the game is nearing its release date. Atari is certainly no fledgling in this industry, and from what we see thus far, Timeshift is coming along quite impressively in every respect.

As the story commences, players will step in the shoes of Michael Swift. Formerly a distinguished pilot, he is selected to test out new, state of the art time-traveling gear. He's equipped with a sophisticated suit and given instructions to warp back to 1911 to deposit a special experimental device. So he sets sail to carry out his task; however, unbeknownst to Swift, he is more or less the guinea pig in an experiment much greater than he could ever imagine. Upon returning to the present time, his observations are devastating in the least. Nearly everything is flipped upside down, as Krone has opprobriously taken control of the present time. Manipulating the time travel technology for his own benefit, his elaborate scheme has transformed the present into a dictatorship. The only hope of restoration is now solely in Swift's hands, as he can manipulate time too.

Not only can Swift use his travel suit to re-enact the past, he can also use it to slow and freeze time in its present state. That is, everything around him is affected, but he can still move in real time. With this ability to manipulate time, players can get quite creative with how they approach a given situation. Although, the enemy AI should still present some problems, as they act with wit and strategy. They are keen on networking too, so having to deal with reinforcements should present some problems.

The foes encountered throughout will come in many forms, each one requiring a unique way of time manipulation to defeat. The flash guard, for instance, moves at an unbelievably swift pace. In order to nullify this strength, players can opt to slow time. Doing so makes taking out this sort of enemy more plausible. Another example is the storm guard. This enemy possesses a shield that protects his entire front area. To solve this problem, one can simply freeze time and move to the guard's backside, where this type of enemy is the most vulnerable.

As far as weaponry is concerned, Swift will have a whole boatload worth of unconventional guns at his disposal. A clutch grenade can be launched at oncoming targets. The grenade sticks wherever it lands, so with good accuracy, there's little enemies can do once if hit. Another part of his arsenal is the bloodhound launcher, which, in effect, lets players guide missiles to a desired destination. Along with the time suit, these weapons will help greatly in dealing with the opposition.

The ability to maneuver time is far more than a simple ploy or selling point. It really becomes an integral part of the gameplay, not only in dispatching any oppressors, but in progressing through certain parts of an area as well. For example, one area requires getting to a higher level. To accomplish such a task, players can shoot nearby rocks to the ground, get on top of them, and then reverse time to watch the rocks beneath levitate Swift to the area above. Instances like this will let gamers experience a certain level of creativity that isn't found in most titles.

While the time suit may give the notion that players will basically be invincible, there are a few restraints. The three time changing categoriesЦreversing time, slowing time, and freezing timeЦall come at a cost in the form of statistical bars. When one of the aforementioned powers is used, its respective bar will decrease accordingly. Instead of being able to use these powers whenever and wherever, players should be wise and conservative when using them, as they aren't everlasting.

On the single-player side of things, there will be more than 30 levels in all to complete. The developers have striven to fabricate as diverse an experience as possible. Instead of constantly traversing through areas with a similar motif, great variances will be found from section to section. Likewise, the enemies will vary widely and gradually become tougher as players delve deeper into the game. Fans of the Halo games should be happy to find out that Timeshift has a jump button. Those involved in the project are more tight-lipped about the multi-player aspect of the game. However, we do know that the ability to play with time will be implemented in one way or another. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

In the visual department, Timeshift goes above and beyond. It even convincingly rivals its PC counterpart, which is rare in console games. The luminous environments and steadfast frame-rate really take advantage of the 360's horsepower, and intense firefights don't seem to hinder its fluidity whatsoever. The wide array of different locales should provide a nice amount of variation during play too. Washington DC city streets, forestry landscapes, laboratories, and factories are but a few of the sceneries Swift will encounter. The developers are really intent on not letting the journey feel monotonous.