When Time Crisis game from Namco first appeared in arcades, it drew great crowds mainly because the predecessor was thought of, by many, as the game that killed virtual cop. Namco certainly improved from the first game with sharper graphics, rewarding game play, good scoring system and an excellent two-player mode. However that was three years ago. Chances are that if you were to stumble across it now in your local arcade, you wouldn't give the game a second glance. Conversion of the game have certainly gone begging, with Namco not choosing to port the game over to the dreamcast or the original Playstation much to the frustrations of many gamers. So how does a conversion of a three year old arcade game match up to today's standards? Well I am please to say it certainly has been worth the wait. Time has work slightly in Time Crisis 2 favour, while there has been many advancements in graphical terms, the shooting genre has been quite stale, most gamers are happy (including myself) blasting away with the trusty shoot - shoot - reload format (games such as Confidential Mission and House Of The Dead has stuck to this formula over the years) and this is what makes Time Crisis 2 such fun to play.

Forget any quibbles or doubts you have, once you start playing this game you will be reminded why you loved it so much in the first place. First of all the graphics are excellent, Namco have done a great job in bringing them up to date and as a result the game looks and feels sharper then the arcade version ever did. The in game characters models have much more detail especially the two hero's who have been added greater facial detail making them look much older. Namco could have probably done this intentionally to possibly reflect their age and the time the game has taken to port over to a home system. Other little graphically details include smoke rings from the guns, better background detail and amazing water effects noticeable in the first level.

The guncon2 packaged with the game is amazingly accurate, indeed much more so then the first gun packaged with Time Crisis 1 for the original Playstation. If you try to play this game with the original guncon1 then you will find that it is less accurate but is still playable. Forget about playing with the dual shock controller, it defeats the point of the game and most likely you will face a quick death. The guncon2 is easy to calibrate and you will find that taking out enemies will be much more easier then in the arcade version. An example of improved pinpoint accuracy achieved with the guncon2 is the beginning stage where you first encounter the boss and had to shoot his hat off three times to given to the hidden bonus area. Most people will remember that on the arcade version, this was extremely hard to do, but having completed the game several time already, I have achieved this every time which means as a result, my scores have been much higher on the home version. Most likely gamers will have found this too.

While the graphics have been improved, the sound effects and the music remains mostly the same and really it didn't add or distract much to the game in the first place. The speech is amusing with 'Action' and 'Danger' all being shouted out by an over active commentator which all adds to the atmosphere of the game. The baddie voices are also entertaining and while the voice acting isn't great, it better then other games in the genre. (House of the dead was terrible!!!!) Playing this game on a big TV with a proper audio set-up means you can relive the arcade experience.

Replay value with this kind of game is always in doubt. Namco have added some great classic such as agent trainer and shoot and crash2, which provide an entertaining diversion from the main game especially for group play but if you are playing alone, chances are you will be bored quickly. Crisis mission is another feature unlocked once you complete the game. This is like a mini game in itself where you have to perform certain task to complete mission such as killing the bad guys while avoiding the hostages, shooting people with one bullet etc. While these can prove incredibly tough, they are great fun to play. One mission in particular is a face off with Richard Millar from the first game! There is also an entertaining John Woo option where you can play through the game with two guncon2's! This proves fun as first but most likely you will only play though this kind of option a few times.

While I like this game a lot and would have given it a perfect score, there are issues to address. If you know what you are doing, you can complete the game in less than 14 minutes. Unlock the secret weapons you can blast through the game in 12 minutes. I unlocked all the secrets in about 2 days and this is not playing the game for hours on end. Hardcore gamers will probably unlock the game secrets in a couple of hours play. The two-player mode is best achieved with each player having separate screens. However this can only be achieved with two copies of the game, two guncon2's, two TV's and two Playstation 2's! This can no doubt prove expensive to the average gamer. However the two player split screen option within the game is just too damn small, it will no doubt give you eye strain unless you are playing on a 50+ inch TV. The game also runs a lot slower in this way and therefore takes away some of the fast pace experience. There are issues with gun and the software too, most probably gamers have found that sometimes the reload button can get stuck so you can't duck and therefore subsequently you die very fast. I had this problem on the first day I brought the game so I took it back and they gave me another package and thankfully I haven't had any problems yet.

I enjoyed this game because it is just so much fun to play in short bursts and the guncon2 justifies the high price. Namco are releasing vampire nights soon for the Playstation2 and no doubt the game will play better just like Time Crisis 2 with the improved accuracy. To anyone remotely interested in shooting games, it comes highly recommended. To hardcore shooters, this game will make you fall in love with Time Crisis all over again.

I really enjoyed Namco Time Crisis game for the sony playstation 2 because it wasn't too over the top with all the mega super duper hi-tech guns. It gives the opposition more of a fare chance making it a bit of a challenge for you.So far it's one of my favs of PS1 games. You will really like this game cause it's value for money , for all shooter fans this is a must buy for you , and the graphics aren't to bad for an early playstation game. But the other downer for this game is the low amount of lives you get, it starts to put you off the game after a while because it's pretty easy to die but anyway enough from me GOOD LUCK!

This is really two games in one. the first is the arcade mode that was first seen in the arcades and the second one is one that was made purly for the playstation release. There is a story but not really one you have to follow as it can make you cringe at times. The game is fast and furious and anyone can basically sit down and just play as there isnt really anything to think about. It says it's a one player game but me and my mates normally see who can do a round in the quickest time with the best percentage hits.