November 5, 2007 - Timeshift starts off with a story behind 2 suits an alpha and a beta. Something goes wrong as a scientist steals the alpha suit and plants a bomb in the facility. Being the brainy person you are, you strap on the beta suit and begin your track down the game Timeshift. Why did the scientist steal the alpha suit and destroy the facility, will you find out? Or will your travels through time leave you lost.

Timeshift is an interesting game at start, it takes the normal bullet time that has been introduced in most games and adds a neat effect to it. Not only can you slow down time, but stop it all together. But that’s not all if you get in a pinch you can also reverse time keeping you nice and safe from all the baddies trying to kill you. Timeshift starts in 1939 in an alternate timeline, obviously with large spider robots and the advanced weaponry our timeline just wouldn’t cut it around that era. You start off learning the basics of movement and gun control. After awhile of fighting mobs and moving around the map you get to learn your time abilities. It's very quick at getting to the point in most levels, it doesn't leave you running around to long, and it gives you multiple objectives within a level to keep you interested. This is a nice feature that was also in F.E.A.R. and what I thought was missing in some FPS's.

One interesting fact in Timeshift is the S.S.A.M. artificial intelligence in your suit. It lets you know when something may get a little too hot and for you to get the hell out of the way.  It also helps let you know when to use some of your time abilities. What’s fun in Timeshift is the recharge of your armor. Unlike most games where you have to keep picking up shields and health packs, your shields automatically recharge after awhile of no combat. Though once your shield runs out you have no health its straight to the morgue for you. You do though, like in most FPS’s, have to pick up ammo and weapons so you don’t go running around with an empty gun. Though Timeshift like F.E.A.R. does have a melee attribute, so when your paused or slowing down time feel free to run up and pound in some skulls.

What makes Timeshift different from most FPS’s? Nothing, the storyline is unique and the introduction of slowing down and stopping time is a great feature. But, it’s your typical run around the map killing anything that moves map. If you added scary girls and weird effects, you would feel like you’re playing F.E.A.R. with not as intelligent AI. Timeshift unlike Clive Barker’s Jericho, does include you to pay attention at certain parts as you need to use your time abilities to freeze or slow down time to get through certain obstacles, also to reverse time to free up the path that had just been destroyed.

My opinion on Timeshift is though it seems Sierra tries to come up with good ideas they seem to have just tried to keep this game to close to F.E.A.R. with the play style. Instead of really introducing something new and innovative it looks like they tried to patch a game and rerelease it for some extra cash. Timeshift though is a good game especially if you haven’t played F.E.A.R. it will introduce some new effects and play styles some people aren’t used to. Though the bullet time effect is way past its day, I believe Timeshift tried very hard to introduce something new with it. The graphics are no wear near on par with Jericho or the upcoming Crysis and Gears of War. But, they are good enough to keep you looking around. The background isn't as clear as you would expect for a game that should of been released with DX10 abilities but atleast it keeps you enriched in its dark war-torn atmosphere. What keeps Timeshift above another FPS is it's constant barrage of story line and interactive speech with other NPC's and items. With everything talking to you and constant battles with checkpoints and not so hard puzzles. Timeshift keeps you moving through each level with a reason to finish, other than just to get it done with.

I give Timeshift a 7 out of 10, the graphics are par with last years games but nothing really spectacular is coming out of it. It is a fun game to play and doesn't drone on like some FPS's. It just doesn't introduce anything new then what was previously released by Sierra. It's definately worth the money to spend, but only if you don't plan on waiting for Crysis, COD 4 or Gears of War for the PC.