TimeShift : A Lack of Imagination

Show of hands: How many of you got around to playing TimeShift so long ago back when it released at the end of 2008? Well, I recently downloaded the the demo for this game off of Live and was intrigued enough to hunt down a bargain bin copy from GameFly. My first impressions of the game were very favorable. I'm a pretty big fan of FPSs so naturally, an FPS that lets me control time would seem right up my alley. And for the most part, what the game does, it actually does pretty well. The real problem with this title is in what it doesn't do. With a premise as grand as controlling time, I was expecting a lot more.

The Good:

1. Unique setting with an interesting design. I really like the 'alternate 20th century' aesthetic.
2. Nice guns. Each gun has it's own feel and is fun to shoot.
3. Freezing time and stealing someone's gun is a blast.
4. All the basic FPS ingredients are there and well implemented.
5. Rain and lightning looks really cool in slow motion.

The Bad:

1. Considering I have control over time, I really thought I'd be doing cooler stuff.
2. Can't upgrade the time powers.
3. Combat starts becoming a lot of the same after a couple levels. All combat follows this format: slow/ freeze time > run up to enemies > shoot enemies > run away > wait for time power to recharge > repeat.
4. Can't run and your character moves so slow.

Basically, there isn't any imagination. Instead of something like slowing down time and fighting on the back of a jet, climbing a time-frozen waterfall, or dynamically controlling a rock slide, I'm spending the whole game turning nobs to open a gate and then freezing time to get under it before it shuts. Worse yet, one of the coolest powers, Time Reversal, is hardly used at all... maybe once a level.

This game could have been something really cool, but instead it's a missed opportunity. Your suit has an AI called the S.S.A.M. who's job is warning you of danger and helping you pick out the appropriate time power for the occasion. Why didn't they have S.S.A.M. actually control time beyond your ability to do so (like having a whole level run in slow-mo or even in reverse) in order to create never before seen FPS events? I've only been thinking on the subject for a couple minutes and already I've come up with a dozen better uses for TimeShift's Time Powers.

All in all, TimeShift is a good enough game to warrant a play (especially at the prices you can get it for these days), but don't expect too much from it. Here's hoping for a TimeShift 2 wherein the developers really get to go crazy with some of these ideas. Later this month Singularity comes out with a similar time shifting premise. Maybe this game will do this awesome idea justice.

Assassin's Creed - Is it coming to Ancient Egypt next?

Ubisoft has just posted a teaser image (see below) at UbiWorkshop strongly hinting at the next Assassin's Creed taking place in ancient Egypt. The picture is by an artist called Ganz, and according to the twitter feed UbiWorkshop, this image “has nothing to do with Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.” This is amazing news. If their is one thing I have always wanted video games to do more of, is use their unparalleled ability to fully realize worlds and explore historical settings. So far the only game to really do this well is Assassin's Creed.

Maybe it's just because I'm a history buff, but I just love the idea of exploring the past in this manor. I hope someone does Rome circa 27BCE - 17CE (Caesar Augustus's rule and one of my personal favorite time periods) some time soon. The only time it seems video games visit the past is to rehash WWII (which is interesting, but getting a bit stale).

If I had to choose my top picks for the next Assassin's Creed (not counting Brotherhood), it would go like this:

1. Roman Empire (circa Augustus Ceasar)
2. Ancient Egypt (post Pyraminds phase)
3. Ottoman Empire circa 1650
4. Tang Dynasty China
5. Japan (Edo Period, Age of the Shogunate)

Anyone of them would be great and the fact that they picked Ancient Egypt is fantastic. I can't wait to see what they do in such a early technological period. I can guess already that the Piece of Eden will be the source of the Pharaoh's power.