Game Reviews

I learned about Time Crisis years ago, in the same way that most other gamers stumbled upon it: while waiting for a movie to start at a local theater. Time Crisis is a recognizable "on-rails" shooter that has made its home in arcades around the world, and the series has also seen its fair share of console versions. The latest in the franchise, Time Crisis: Razing Storm, is a PS3 collection that bundles Time Crisis: Razing Storm with the arcade versions of Time Crisis 4 and Deadstorm Pirates.

The Razing Storm collection makes use of the PlayStation Move technology, and the Move implementation works well. Wherever you point on the screen, the cursor is sure to follow. Unfortunately, these three games that are built around this idea of "point and shoot" are all pretty awful. Although I occasionally had fun blasting away terrorists, mainly with a friend, Time Crisis: Razing Storm is not at all worth the asking price.

All three games in the collection have stories, but they're worthless. They generally involve high-tech soldiers, terrorists, overacting, and biological weapons known as "Terror Bites." In the case of Deadstorm Pirates, players will be hunting for some treasure with the help of their Golden Guns. In other words: don't look to Time Crisis: Razing Storm for a gripping narrative.