RULES:
You can duck in this game to avoid being hit and to reload. You start
off in the cowering position. To stand up, step out from cover, or otherwise
stick your head out, step on the pedal / push the appropriate button
depending on which version you're playing. When you are ducking, you
can't be hit by enemy fire, but you also can't attack. When you are
standing, you can attack, and be hit as well. Simple, eh?
Unlike the TC games, here you have a submachine gun for for fully automatic
firing instead of that wussy pistol. This gun is also equipped with
a laser sight to let you know where you are aiming. This is not so on
the PS2 version.
You have 40 bullets in a clip. (In the arcade; PS2 players have other
options.) To reload, hide.
You will encounter "Danger!" prompts throughout the game (not
that many, actually.) These indicate objects that will hurt you unless
you are hiding, like a firing turret, incoming helicopters, and... well,
actually, those are the only 2 things you will encounter in the original
arcade version.
When enemies unleash projectiles that will hit you, they will be marked
by a red flash. Physical attacks (kicks, slashes, or other thrown objects)
are NOT marked.
You are on a time limit (hence the title "TIME crisis", although
this wasn't originally tagged as such.) If this timer expires (reaches
zero, you dummy), you will lose a life. This timer is extended whenever
you clear a scene, or at certain intervals.
After losing all of your lives, you must continue. You continue from
where you died, and when you reappear, your buddies throw a grenade
which will take out just about everyone on screen except bosses.
Shooting an enemy in the head is worth the most points, while the chest
is second, and the arms or legs are worth the least.
Making a series of hits with little time between them will give you
a streak. A streak continues until you don't hit something fast enough.
Missing a shot will not end a streak as long as you keep making hits
within the required time. Destructible objects count as well.
You are graded on your total time (primarily), accuracy, and points
scored.
The PS2 version also features a Completion system. To 100% the game,
you must: beat all levels in Story and Special Story mode; earn all
extra lives; earn all extra continues; complete all Crisis Missions
on both easy and hard difficulty; and get first place on all levels
in both Time Attack and Score Attack.
POWERUPS:
None in the arcade version, but PS2 players will have several.
Machine Gun: Argh... IT'S A SUBMACHINE GUN! Requires no introduction.
Arcade players will use this and nothing but. Fully automatic, so just
hold down the trigger to keep firing. Full clip is 40 bullets. Selectable
at any time.
Handgun: Requires no introduction (at least it shouldn't) either. For
TC purists. Individual bullets are more powerful than the Machine Gun's.
Full clip is 8 bullets. Selectable at any time.
Shotgun: Requires no introduction to fans of TC3. Okay, I'll stop saying
that. Fires a spread of pellets in a wide radius. Individual pellets
are weak, but if all hit a single target, it will add up to a murderous
amount of damage. Has a slow rate of fire. There's a noticeable pause
between shots even if you hammer the trigger. Full clip is 6 shells.
Selectable at any time.
Flamethrower: Fires a column of flame that fries enemies. Now, I don't
suppose I need to point out the social disorders evident in someone
who enjoys, no, revels in spraying things with liquid napalm.
Also sets nearby things on fire. Hold down the trigger for a continuous
spray. Not powerful at all (you can't even kill a brown on a full 'clip')
but it adds up fast. Just be warned, this weapon is not instantaneous
(the flame has to reach the enemy) Full clip is measured by a bar. A
full bar will allow for about 3 seconds of continuos fire.
Missile Launcher: This is a fun one... Fires rockets that explode on
contact and can hurt nearby enemies or scenery. But the fun thing is
that these babies have homing abilities! Just point it at an enemy and
it will lock on (signaled by a white box centering on the sucker.) Then
fire and the missile will find its way to the target. Good for moving
guys, and hiders. The rockets do have to travel to their targets, so
be sure to duck any Crisis Sights meanwhile. You can lock on to several
things at once, up to 4, for an obvious reason. Hitting things without
locking on is harder than it seems, and the gyros without the lock-on
would be impossible unless you're Liquid Snake or something. There's
a pause between shots. Also tints the screen green. Full clip is 4 rockets.
Laser Rifle: A great weapon. This thing cuts through bad guys like a
hot knife through butter. It'll also shoot through solid inanimate objects
like desks and hit anyone behind it. Hold down the trigger for a continuous
beam. Not sure about the power, but with the rate of fire, this drops
most enemies in an instant. Full clip is measured (my biology teacher
always pronounced it "mayzure") by a bar. Like the Flamethrower,
a full bar gets you about 3 seconds of continuous fire.
Gatling Gun: Also awesome. Not sure about the power, but the rate of
fire is fast. Hold down the trigger for continuous fire. I don't know
whether the Laser Rifle or Gatling Gun is faster. This will drop a shield
guy in the blink of an eye. A quick sweep across the room will probably
kill anyone inside. Full clip is 40 bullets.
Grenade Launcher: Also from TC3, but it's gone through some changes.
It fires a grenade that will bounce along the ground and explode after
a few seconds, maiming anyone nearby. Capable of killing enemies outright,
though damage depends on how close you get to somebody. These grenades
also bounce off people, so you should aim in front of them a bit rather
than hitting them, say, in the face or something. Full clip is 1 grenade.
BAD GUYS:
Green Trooper: Bluish green, actually. Although these guys are on the
bottom of the totem pole here, these guys are not the blue troops of
past TC games. Why? Because these guys don't appear very often. Yeah,
there's at least one in almost every scene, but blues are way more common.
These guys use their submachine guns with often horrible accuracy. However,
they can get lucky, and some of these guys can be a threat. A single
shot will take down any greeny.
Blue Trooper: Cannon fodder. Stormtroopers. Those enemy soldiers in
uniform who don't even have a nametag. These guys use their submachine
guns with bad accuracy, although not as bad as a green's. Blues can
also sustain more damage than greens. A few carry shields to protect
themselves. Pounding a shield will expose a body part of the holder.
If you shoot up the shields with enough firepower, the guy will drop
it and become a normal blue.
Brown Trooper: They are (slightly) more deadly with their submachine
guns and (slightly) more durable than blues. That's really all there
is to them. On the PS2, at least one has the ability to swing at you
with the butt of his rifle.
Red Trooper: Very dangerous. These guys fire accurate shots with their
submachine guns. When they pop out, their first few shots are usually
dead on. After that, their accuracy goes down, but not as much as
in the Time Crisis games. They have about as much life as a blue.
White Trooper: These guys don't appear all that often, but when they
do, they are real threats. These guys have more life than browns, and
some have really huge lifebars. Also packing submachine guns,
they have good aim, and a few guy will also try to whack you with the
butt of them (and at least one follows up with a kick.) Due to their
armor, these guys can shrug off your first few shots and still aim accurately
even as you pound them. When they get close to death, their armor breaks
and they become completely vulnerable.
Yellow Trooper: Only appears in Score Trial mode. They carry submachine
guns, though you may not notice since they rarely fire them. They spend
most of their time on screen trying to get off it ASAP. However, those
that do attack CAN hit you. If a bullet touches them, they die.
Special Trooper: Only appears in Special Story mode. Like all the above,
they pack submachine guns. Similar in nature to the yellows. They can
also hit you, and they do show a little more hatred towards you (i.e.
remain on screen longer.) Still, they will vanish after a while, although
hitting one is usually a simple task. Nailing one will get you a powerup
and an alternate path / assortment of enemies. They have about as much
life as a blue.
Grenade Trooper: If he throws a grenade, take action because it WILL
hit you! Fortunately, grenades travel slower than any other projectile
so you can see them coming. The grenades can be shot and destroyed if
you have the skills. They have about as much life as a brown. These
guys are sometimes able to throw even as you pump them full of lead.
Knife Trooper: Deadly. These guys either slash at you directly, or throw
knives from afar (some do both.) Fortunately, knives travel slower than
bullets, so you can see them coming. The knives can be shot out of the
air if you are confident or cocky enough. They are known to run away
after attacking. Has about as much life as a brown. They can't throw
knives while being shot up, but they CAN slash you.
Gyrocopter: Only appears in one stage, but numerous enough to be mentioned.
Flying machines that come in either yellow or red/orange (yellow only
on PS2.) They are equipped with machine guns which can get off some
accurate shots. They take a bit of punishment, and can be hard to hit
due to their ability to fly all over the screen.
Aerial Trooper: Only present in the Grassmarket District scenario. Basically
whites with jetpacks. They have machine guns and wield them with a firm
knowledge on how to make bullets hit you. Usually found flying around,
although some will fight on their own feet. They have at least as much
life as a normal white. I think they have tough guy status, but it might
just be because they're so damn hard to continually hit. Their armor
allows them to shoot even while taking a pounding.
MY TIPS:
It may seem obvious, but prioritize! Ignore the blue guys if there are
more threatening guys shooting at you. Actually, just about everyone
here is more dangerous than a bluey. That's my usual TC advice, but
here all the bad guys have their shit together and stand a good chance
of hitting you. It's still a good idea, but not true in all cases.
Shooting down projectiles is much harder here than in your typical shooter.
I don't recommend trying it unless you are sure of yourself. Just duck.
When hiding while grenadiers are present, listen for any grenades twirling
in the air (okay, you probably can't, but just in case...) Otherwise,
you might get an unpleasant surprise when you stand up. PS2 owners should
forget what I just said. The audio has been redone and projectiles either
have no sound or are way too damn quiet to hear over the music.
This game likes to overwhelm you. Getting 4+ enemies popping off Crisis
Sights like nobody's business is not that uncommon. In this case, forget
threat level (because they're ALL getting Crisis Sights anyway) and
go for the greens or weakest ones. A simple formula: less guys = less
Crisis Sightings, which means more time to counterattack the stronger
guys. If a red and 4 greens have you pinned, take out the greens, THEN
the red. It's much more efficient than sticking your head out for a
nanosecond, slowly wounding the red, then ducking before the others
perforate your face with bullets.
Enemy fire will usually not subside completely, so just wait until it
somewhat dies down and go, go, go!
Time problems fall right in the middle here. More lenient than TC 1
or PT, but more stingy than 2 or 3. When facing bosses, time can really
run short.
Remember, (most) enemies now take multiple bullets to put down.
Aim for the head. They'll die faster.
This game is a little evil with the Crisis Sights. Enemies can hit you
even if you can't actually SEE them. If you get a red flash, duck it!
PS2 players only: In special weapon mode, stick with the Machine Gun
for the most part. The Shotgun is very effective though if the enemies
are somewhat close. Playing with the Handgun can be fun, but its not
really worth switching to during a 'serious' game.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE:
This guide will direct you through all the various sequences in the
game. This guide was created using the original arcade version, then
touched up with the PS2 port. The info contained in the Garland Square
mission levels may be different from what's really on there. I've done
my best to remember the differences, but some mistakes surely slipped
by. I have noted the appearance of yellow and special troopers, even
though they only appear in certain modes. Otherwise, they are simply
not there.
Quick vocab you should know:
Scene: A sequence of bad guys in a single area. Simply put, everything
between "Action!" and "Wait!"
Stage: There are 4 stages in the game. Stage 4 can't be reached until
the first 3 are beaten.
When I say "Wait: insert events here", that means what occurs
during one of the intermissions between scenes. When I say "Action:",
that marks the beginning of a scene. When I say something followed by
(Danger!) that means that the object in question is marked by a "Danger!"
prompt. These things should be ducked or you lose a life. The main point
of this guide is to point out what KIND of bad guys you face, where
the yellow troops are, things to destroy, and various tricks.
CHEATS/UNLOCKABLES:
No cheats, but there are unlockables. Not 100% confirmed what the criteria
are:
Extra Lives: Beat Garland Square in Story mode. Each time you do, you
earn an extra life, up to a max of 9.
Extra Continues: Beat Garland Square in Story mode on CERTAIN difficulties:
Each time you beat it, you must be playing at one level higher than
the last (first time can be Very Easy, but to get another continue,
you must then beat it on at least Easy. Thus, to get a 9th continue,
you must beat the game on Very Hard.) And no, playing once on Very Hard
WON'T get you all 9 continues. You get another continue each time you
complete it, up to a max of 9.
Grassmarket District scenario: Beat Garland Square in Story mode. This
is a new game mode.
Special Story Mode: Beat Grassmarket District in Story mode. This mode
has extra weapons available for use in Garland Square and and Grassmarket
District.
Trial: Beat Special Story mode? Get a certain % of the game complete?
I forget. This mode allows you to play all levels in either Time or
Score trials much like previous installments.
Additional Crisis Missions: To play Special Weapons, beat Grassmarket
District in Story mode. To play Select Weapons, complete all crisis
missions in other sections on easy. To play Special Weapons, find at
least one special weapon in Special Story mode. To unlock the other
Special Weapon missions, find their respective weapons in Special Story
Mode. To play Boss Battle, beat Grassmarket District in Story mode (I
believe.)
Double Gun Mode: Complete somewhere between 50-60% of the game. I unlocked
mine at 55%, though some say 60%. There may be other criteria involved.
This mode allows you to use 2 guns at once, just like in TC2.
Infinite Ammo: Complete 100% of the game. Now, you never have to reload.