TimeShift Preview

Time travel, takes a leap for the better...

Watch your step.

You aim like a cross-eyed mongoose.

Yes, that's exactly what it is, at least according to developer Saber Interactive. Revamping TimeShift has been their main goal for many months now. Crucial gameplay segments were redesigned and a complete visual overhaul was given, making the game unrecognizable to anyone who has seen earlier builds. Initially, the game was supposed to be published by Atari, with the prospects of releasing the game on the Xbox, but after receiving a deep-seated make over, TimeShift is now destined for the X360 and PC under the distribution arm Sierra and Vivendi.

"We were seven bugs away from release," are the exact words of TimeShift Lead Producer Kyle Peschel. At first, the developers were concerned if the game would appeal to the average gamer. As it turned out, it was a flop in many ways. After issuing a demo, back in early 2006, most gamers met TimeShift with rejection. At some point, the developers were also worried about the overall visual quality of the game and it's chances against the heavy competition, but we'll get back to that.

Normally, a few old segments remained. For one thing, your character still has the ability to influence time, as the title of the game suggests. You're still fighting alongside a rebellion in an effort to counter a malevolent imperialist named Krone. The outline of the chief character, however, has been redesigned, so you won't be stepping into the army boots of Colonel Swift anymore. Most of the old storyline was scrapped as well and some of the voiceovers, which have already been recorded, were stricken from the latest build of the game. As a result, dialogue and voice support acted out by Dennis Quaid and Michael Ironside were discarded and Saber and Sierra have yet to determine if they can use the material for the final version. Chances are they won't.

To make things a bit more up-to-date, Saber Interactive made extra effort to refurbish the game both technically and artistically. This time around, it seems a lot more promising and closer to a range of competing next-generation games that already lay in wait on the market. So, along with an apparent visual make over, TimeShift now sports new surface and lighting effects, more detailed environments and Havok 4.5 physics. The game's improved engine now has the capability to render a highly increased number of polys. For instance, earlier models were made out of a mere 2,500 polygons, which is peanuts compared to the current enemy models - they're said to have at least 5 million source polys per model. Most of the technical stuff incorporated in the earlier version, like motion-capture, was rebuilt to match the new feel, the fresh visual style and the murky ambiance. By the way, looking at the snaps from the game, most of you may recognize a slight resemblance to games like F.E.A.R. Nothing can be farther from the truth, since TimeShift's newly appointed art director also worked on Monolith's popular shooter.

As it happens, the designers toiled away to change the in-game atmosphere completely. Consequentially, the urban surroundings now feature different, darker buildings and realistic weather effects such as heavy rain. The new fangled physics engine also allows for additional effects. For example, intense shootouts may cause nearby walls to crumble. The damage model is clearly important and can affect the gameplay. Toss a grenade in the vicinity of a brick wall blocking your path towards the enemy and presto - the way is clear.

Originally, TimeShift consisted of approximately 34 missions for players to complete. Notching things down a bit, Saber decided to offer not more than 24 missions. With the promise of around 10 to 12 hours of gameplay, the developers confidently chucked out parts of the game they believe to be redundant. Well, that's kind of okay when you think about it. Most FPS games do have a short lifespan. And I seem to recall numerous successful action games that were on the shortish side - Chronicles of Riddick, Unreal 2, F.E.A.R., and so on. Anyhow, the length of the single-player campaigns in these games didn't influence their overall quality (save perhaps in Unreal 2: The Awakening, which had a rather lackluster storyline).

Maybe if shoot the tires out... Wait, there's something wrong with that idea.

Doesn't this bloody rain ever stop?

Manipulating time is, as I've said earlier, a significant part of the game. By reworking the system of time manipulation, Saber believes it's a good idea to restrict the player's control over it. Previously, you were able to stall, reverse and slow down time manually. Somewhere along the line, this looked like too much of a stretch. Players would rely on this special ability too often, which would cast a cloud on other tactical possibilities. So, even though the three time-based abilities are still there, the use and control over them has been narrowed down somewhat. As an alternative, you rely on the Strategic Systems for Adaptable Metacognition unit on the main character's left arm, which assists you with a single-button time control routine. They've also incorporated a handy on-screen indicator, showing exactly how much and how often you can utilize this ability.

In case you were wondering, multiplayer elements are intact, but are currently being tweaked to make room for the inevitable time-related aspect of the gameplay. I must say, I'm curious how the team will make this work in a multiplayer game.

No matter what you thought of the original TimeShift, you should be prepared for a new experience. Actually, the developers are hailing it as an entirely different game altogether. And, in many respects, it probably is.

Time Shift is targeted for a Q4 2007 release, so you could say they have enough TIME to put things right. Next to the X360 and PC editions, Saber is also considering the possibility of a PS3 version.

The franchise may have been salvaged at the last minute. Here's hoping for a good shooter.