Time Crisis 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)The Time Crisis series has been a mainstay in arcades for years.The game gives fast-paced shooting gallery action set against a high-energy storyline, and playing in 2P cooperative mode with the attached pistols is a lot of fun.This package gives you the opportunity to virtually replicate the arcade in your own living room using your PS2. . . provided you have the right type of television.

This package contains the game itself as well as two Guncon2 light gun controllers.The Guncon2's are molded from (unfortunately) orange plastic, solid enough to feel substantial without being too heavy.They connect to both your PS2 via a USB cable and to your TV via a simple RCA video plug.All of the cables are included in the package, but the USB cables are very short (around five feet), so don't plan on sitting very far from the TV when you're playing.

It's important to note that the Guncon2's are only compatible with tube TVs connected to the PS2 via standard-quality RCA A/V cables (the red/white/yellow jacks).So if you've got a rear-projection or plasma/LCD TV, the Guncon2's won't respond.No matter what type of TV you're using, the Guncon2's don't allow you to connect your PS2 to the TV via S-Video or component cables.If you're used to one of these higher-quality video connections, then the first time you boot up the PS2 with the RCA A/V, it will look overly sharp and aliased (jagged edges on curves).The game's superior graphics help you get past this, but it's still too bad that you can't use the Guncon2's in conjunction with the best picture possible.It is possible to play the game with the standard PS2 controller, but aim is frustrating the entire gameplay experience suffers greatly.

Still, despite these setbacks, the gameplay with the Guncon2's makes it all worth it.Once you get them connected (there are simple instructions printed on the lid of the package's box), calibrating the Guncon2 is very easy - you'll be ready to play in minutes.I found the aim to be surprisingly accurate, although the new "weapon change" scheme that Time Crisis 3 introduces can be a little troublesome.You now fire at the weapon list at the bottom of the screen to change - I've accidentally switched weapons while trying to take out a crouching enemy, only to waste more valuable ammo on my next shots.Unfortunately, there's no option to configure one of the numerous buttons on the Guncon2 to handle weapons switching instead.In fact, the only button used on the Guncon2 (besides the trigger) is a conveniently-placed d-pad where the hammer of the pistol would be - it's used to control your crouching behind objects in lieu of the foot pedal used at the arcade.

You can play single-player and let the PS2 control the second agent, although from my experience, he pretty much stands around and leaves all of the work to you.The two-player cooperative mode splits the screen just like the arcade mode, showing the same action from each player's point of view.This is especially impressive on widescreen TVs.The game also supports linking of two PS2 units so that each player can have his own TV all to himself (linking cable not included here).

The game is a faithful port of the arcade original but with some additional mission content and unlockables.All told, there is probably eight to ten hours of end-to-end play here.The long-term allure of the game is in perfecting your routines, weapons management and marksmanship.But ultimately, it is a straightforward shooting gallery game with a purely linear plot and nothing more.

Now that the price has dropped on this package, it's an outstanding value.The game is a fast-paced roller coaster of blowing away the bad guys and the inclusion of two Guncon2 controllers means you're ready to play the game the way that it was intended.It's a must-have for fans of the arcade original and highly recommended to anyone who likes shooters.

PROS
* Real at-home arcade feel from a faithful port of the arcade game and the two Guncon2's
* Fast shooting gallery action that works especially well in two-player cooperative mode
* Great graphics despite TV and connection limitations imposed by the Guncon2's

CONS
* The Guncon2's are picky about compatibility, both TV and connection
* The supplied USB cables for the Guncon2's are very short
* Changing weapons should be configurable as a button on the Guncon2

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