Rail shooters are usually the game equivalent of a vending machine snack: quick and appealing, but lacking substance and designed to eat your money. Because of this, these kinds of games generally don’t translate well into stand-alone console releases. There usually isn’t enough content to warrant the asking price (with most games beatable in under an hour, depending on credit counts), and expensive plastic peripherals are generally bundled for an arcade feel, which pushes the prices up even further.
In order to make these games more appealing to the game-buying public, publishers have tried all sorts of gimmicks, from adding additional modes and levels to bundling multiple shooters into a single package. Namco has tried both approaches with Time Crisis: Razing Storm, but the result ends up “tasting” more like the game equivalent of a Snickers chocolate bar covered in celery than a delicious filet mignon.
Game: Time Crisis: Razing Storm
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America
Developer: Namco Bandai Games America
Genre: Rail Shooter Collection
Price: $49.99
Verdict: Worth the money for rail shooter fans
Pros: Three arcade-perfect games for the price of one, Move support
Cons: Extra content developed for Razing Storm is half-baked, games are short
Purchased By Reviewer
That isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy a Snickers bar from time to time. Rail shooters, particularly in the Time Crisis series, are some of my favorites, and this title delivers three separate games in one package at a budget-friendly price. Would-be purchasers, though, should be aware exactly what they are getting for their money.
The flagship game in the collection, Razing Storm, was not officially part of the Time Crisis series until the release of the PS3 port; however, the gameplay is similar to other titles in the series. Razing Storm takes place in South America, where the player is tasked with guiding a pair of war-hardened marines tasked with taking down a rebellion leader who planned an attack on the United States. Really, though, none of this matters because the story just serves as an excuse to shoot things. And that is exactly what you’ll do, from beginning to end of each of the game’s three levels. However, unlike other games in the series, there is an added emphasis on destroying everything you encounter in the environment. Everything in the game is wonderfully destructible, which is certainly a welcome change of pace for the genre. Destroying parts of the environment can remove cover for enemies and even damage/kill them. Like other titles in the Time Crisis series, multiple weapons are available, but only during specific parts of each stage. The game can be fun, but it doesn’t last long. Also, the game’s gritty graphics and hardcore metal soundtrack feel awkwardly out of place for a game in the Time Crisis series. The entire game reeks of a Japanese developer trying too hard to be Western-style. Ironically, despite the Western-style imagery, characters, and soundtrack, the voice acting is still as awkward as ever.
In order to increase playability and value of the collection, Namco added a first-person Story Mode and target-practice Sentry Mode to Razing Storm, along with the capability to battle other players online using a first-person shooter control scheme. As I only had access to a Move controller and a Dualshock 3, I found moving with the Dualshock and firing with the Move controller to be annoyingly difficult in both Story Mode and online deathmatch. These modes are nice additions if you can handle the wonky controls, but I found them frustrating.
Despite the added content, I would argue that Razing Storm is actually the weakest game in the collection. The title also includes an arcade port of Time Crisis 4 (containing split-screen co-op and online rankings), and Deadstorm Pirates (a pirate-themed rail shooter that is easily the best of the bunch). Both Time Crisis 4 and Deadstorm Pirates do not contain story modes or other extras, but, unlike Razing Storm, they will limit your continues, thereby increasing the credit amount only as you attempt each game multiple times. Time Crisis 4 looks and plays exactly like you would expect it to and is an arcade-perfect port that lacks the additional features present in its PS3 standalone release. Deadstorm Pirates is gorgeous for a rail shooter, being the most graphically pleasing game in the collection. It also adds a few mini-games to its arcade mode to shake things up, such as motion controlled steering and cannon battles. Additionally, the lack of a cover/reload mechanic in Deadstorm Pirates makes the game more about reflexes and reacting to the enemies on the screen than figuring out when to strategically duck out of the fight or shoot off-screen to dodge or reload, which is a refreshing change of pace for the genre.
All the shooters in this collection control well enough with the Move controller, though each game requires a separate calibration (the title does not share calibration settings between games). This can be a little annoying at times. Also, this title supports the GunCon 3 that was released with last year’s standalone port of Time Crisis 4, allowing “authentic” arcade gameplay on all three games included in the collection. I would not recommend using a DualShock to control these games, though it is an available option for those lacking a Move controller or GunCon3.
Bottom line, if you like rail shooters, you will probably get your money’s worth out of this collection. If you don’t like rail shooters, the extra content in Razing Storm feels half-baked and this collection probably won’t change your mind. Each game can be beaten in under an hour, but replays are necessary in most cases for unlocking content.
GrE Grade: C+
Popularity: unranked [?]
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