pym
03-01-2006, 03:17 PM
-----------------------------------------------
By: Atari (http://www.atari.com/), Saber Interactive (http://www.saber3d.com/)
Genre: Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter
Release Date: Mar 21, 2006
Platforms: PC, XBOX, XBOX360
Official Website (http://www.atari.com/timeshift/)
-----------------------------------------------
PC and XBOX gamers will enjoy an original and exciting FPS this year
The FPS genre has gone through a lot in since Doom and Wolfenstein 3D.
Smarter AI, team cooperation, thrilling action scenes, amazing sound effects and of course, amazing graphics, which contributes a lot to the atmosphere.
Thought there's nothing that can surprise you, think again...
TimeShift makes its way with some pretty cool and new gameplay to this genre - controlling time.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5468/me000060205827wi.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8976/me000060205825sg.jpg)
On first look, you may say that controlling time is not a new thing.
We saw it in Prince of Persia, which was amazing by the way, in Max Payne and others, but let me tell ya, this is, by all means, something else...
You will step into the shoes of Colonel Michael Swift,
receive an expensive time suit and travel back to 1911 on a top secret mission. Your action back there changes the future when you return to 2007. A guy named Krone, has apparently took over the world as you knew it, and it'll be up to you to stop him.
That suit of yours allows you to slow, stop, and even reverse time, how about that ?
In TimeShift, playing with time effects the environment plus your enemies but not you, as opposed to the other games I mentioned above.
This wonderful feature, gives us an innovative gameplay and multiple solutions for combat situations and puzzles, which we always welcome as gamers ;)
Playing with time
Close your eyes for a second and imagine yourself breaking into a room full with enemies, armed like hell, with only your rifle to aid you.
Well, actually, there's also a nice little suit that can help you a bit.
Try to freeze time and feed those enemies with some lead until the power of the suit is exhausted, then, hide in a dark corner and reverse time which will make those enemies you killed drop to the floor while the others stare in shock because they just don't know what's going on... Cool, ha?
Maybe, in the same situation, you'll want to slow time (which takes less power from your suit) and attack your slowed enemies trying helplessly to avoid your bullets.
You can always choose to run into the room, let everyone see you and take shelter somewhere, then, reverse time and make your enemies "forget" that you're even there...
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/752/me000064979422ne.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1606/me000064979423wa.jpg)
The time control effect can be used in puzzles as well.
One of them is a bridge you need to cross which enemy soldiers bomb exactly when you get to it.
You can slow time and get to those soldiers before they manage to blow the bridge away.
More creative: freeze time and jump over the hanging ruins of the bridge. When reaching a spot you don't have any way to proceed, make time advance a bit more allowing the bridge collapse and freeze it again to create a safe path to the other side. Amazing!
In another puzzle, you'll have to break into a highly secured area, with mines around it.
You can try to infiltrate the place by killing the guards one by one, but that will alert the guards inside.
The wise choice would be slowing time, activate the mines and attract enemies attention to those places while you are actually already far away from there thanks to your technological advantage.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4075/me000060205421lf.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5150/me000060205427hr.jpg)
During the game, puzzles will become tougher as enemies will learn that you can control the fourth dimension...
How about some protection?
I know what you're thinking now...
You're thinking, hey, I am unbreakable! If I was hit or suffered a great injury, I can just reverse time (as you would do in Prince of Persia) and just act in a different way.
Well, you can't do that, as I said, time shifts effect only your surroundings but does not effect you!
Yeah, you'll see the bullet retreats out of your body and tracks back into the enemies rifle, but your injury will not be effected, more than that, when you continue, you better take cover or you'll be hit again from that same bullet that just hit you before...
Looking good...
The developers promise they'll invest in puzzles, interesting combat situations and balancing the time control ability, so using it won't bore you as the game progresses.
Also promised a wide array of unique weapons, vehicles and operatable gun turrets, more than 30 combat missions in various environments and online multiplayer options that allow up to 16 players!
What about graphics?
Well, this game will make even high end video cards sweat.
Characters are highly detailed and realistic. The game will also feature advanced lighting, special filters to distort the view when while time shifting.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6012/me000063401128ar.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9967/me000063401122st.jpg)
To sum it up, it looks like Saber Interactive has done a great job and has a golden shinning game in their hands.
It is possible that this game will be one of the finalists for the best action game of 2006.
Check out this thread for more info in the near future ;)
Other pymPreviews:
Medal of Honor: Airborne (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6099&highlight=pympreview)
Heroes Of might & Magic V (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5452&highlight=pympreview)
Hellgate: London (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6514&highlight=pympreview)
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5493&highlight=pympreview)
Unreal Tournament 2007 (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6990&highlight=pympreview)
Gothic III (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5644&highlight=pympreview)
Rise of Legends (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7384&highlight=pympreview)
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6795&highlight=pympreview)
- pym
By: Atari (http://www.atari.com/), Saber Interactive (http://www.saber3d.com/)
Genre: Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter
Release Date: Mar 21, 2006
Platforms: PC, XBOX, XBOX360
Official Website (http://www.atari.com/timeshift/)
-----------------------------------------------
PC and XBOX gamers will enjoy an original and exciting FPS this year
The FPS genre has gone through a lot in since Doom and Wolfenstein 3D.
Smarter AI, team cooperation, thrilling action scenes, amazing sound effects and of course, amazing graphics, which contributes a lot to the atmosphere.
Thought there's nothing that can surprise you, think again...
TimeShift makes its way with some pretty cool and new gameplay to this genre - controlling time.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5468/me000060205827wi.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8976/me000060205825sg.jpg)
On first look, you may say that controlling time is not a new thing.
We saw it in Prince of Persia, which was amazing by the way, in Max Payne and others, but let me tell ya, this is, by all means, something else...
You will step into the shoes of Colonel Michael Swift,
receive an expensive time suit and travel back to 1911 on a top secret mission. Your action back there changes the future when you return to 2007. A guy named Krone, has apparently took over the world as you knew it, and it'll be up to you to stop him.
That suit of yours allows you to slow, stop, and even reverse time, how about that ?
In TimeShift, playing with time effects the environment plus your enemies but not you, as opposed to the other games I mentioned above.
This wonderful feature, gives us an innovative gameplay and multiple solutions for combat situations and puzzles, which we always welcome as gamers ;)
Playing with time
Close your eyes for a second and imagine yourself breaking into a room full with enemies, armed like hell, with only your rifle to aid you.
Well, actually, there's also a nice little suit that can help you a bit.
Try to freeze time and feed those enemies with some lead until the power of the suit is exhausted, then, hide in a dark corner and reverse time which will make those enemies you killed drop to the floor while the others stare in shock because they just don't know what's going on... Cool, ha?
Maybe, in the same situation, you'll want to slow time (which takes less power from your suit) and attack your slowed enemies trying helplessly to avoid your bullets.
You can always choose to run into the room, let everyone see you and take shelter somewhere, then, reverse time and make your enemies "forget" that you're even there...
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/752/me000064979422ne.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1606/me000064979423wa.jpg)
The time control effect can be used in puzzles as well.
One of them is a bridge you need to cross which enemy soldiers bomb exactly when you get to it.
You can slow time and get to those soldiers before they manage to blow the bridge away.
More creative: freeze time and jump over the hanging ruins of the bridge. When reaching a spot you don't have any way to proceed, make time advance a bit more allowing the bridge collapse and freeze it again to create a safe path to the other side. Amazing!
In another puzzle, you'll have to break into a highly secured area, with mines around it.
You can try to infiltrate the place by killing the guards one by one, but that will alert the guards inside.
The wise choice would be slowing time, activate the mines and attract enemies attention to those places while you are actually already far away from there thanks to your technological advantage.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4075/me000060205421lf.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5150/me000060205427hr.jpg)
During the game, puzzles will become tougher as enemies will learn that you can control the fourth dimension...
How about some protection?
I know what you're thinking now...
You're thinking, hey, I am unbreakable! If I was hit or suffered a great injury, I can just reverse time (as you would do in Prince of Persia) and just act in a different way.
Well, you can't do that, as I said, time shifts effect only your surroundings but does not effect you!
Yeah, you'll see the bullet retreats out of your body and tracks back into the enemies rifle, but your injury will not be effected, more than that, when you continue, you better take cover or you'll be hit again from that same bullet that just hit you before...
Looking good...
The developers promise they'll invest in puzzles, interesting combat situations and balancing the time control ability, so using it won't bore you as the game progresses.
Also promised a wide array of unique weapons, vehicles and operatable gun turrets, more than 30 combat missions in various environments and online multiplayer options that allow up to 16 players!
What about graphics?
Well, this game will make even high end video cards sweat.
Characters are highly detailed and realistic. The game will also feature advanced lighting, special filters to distort the view when while time shifting.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6012/me000063401128ar.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9967/me000063401122st.jpg)
To sum it up, it looks like Saber Interactive has done a great job and has a golden shinning game in their hands.
It is possible that this game will be one of the finalists for the best action game of 2006.
Check out this thread for more info in the near future ;)
Other pymPreviews:
Medal of Honor: Airborne (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6099&highlight=pympreview)
Heroes Of might & Magic V (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5452&highlight=pympreview)
Hellgate: London (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6514&highlight=pympreview)
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5493&highlight=pympreview)
Unreal Tournament 2007 (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6990&highlight=pympreview)
Gothic III (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5644&highlight=pympreview)
Rise of Legends (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7384&highlight=pympreview)
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (http://www.bjorn3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6795&highlight=pympreview)
- pym