Time Commando
We've got to go back to the future!
Although Time Commando is another one of those games which has aged particularly badly in its visuals, hailing as it does from those early PlayStation days, the gameplay still holds up reasonably well, as long as you don't take it too seriously. It's thus worth a look if you don't mind the ugly graphics and are after a bit of Alone in the Dark-style entertainment, but with a bigger focus on action. The convoluted sci-fi plot finds an advanced computer combat simulation infected with a virus by a genius madman and which threatens to destroy the world if left unchecked. The player takes control of a special agent for the organization with perhaps the worst name in gaming history (S.A.V.E., Special Action for Virus Elimination) and must head into the sim before it's too late. You'll travel through various time zones, battling enemies with appropriate weapons, such as rocks in the prehistoric era and revolvers in the Old West, while also occasionally solving a few puzzles. The game features that fixed camera look best seen in Resident Evil but while in that classic it added immeasurably to the atmosphere, here it just hinders the enjoyment a little. The visuals are undeniably poor, with some truly ugly character models, but this is a hallmark of the period and can just about be forgiven. The gameplay fares a little better, but combat does feel a little comedic, thanks partly to some wobbly animation and those dodgy characters. The puzzles add a little to the game, but overall this is a far from a classic and mostly provides unintentional entertainment.
A superb shoot'em up
Time Commando is a 1996 fantasy game whose story incorporates the relation of a man, a virus and the whole human history. Your main task is to destroy a virus that appeared because of an experimental sabotage. A military organization was working on a project that involves a training for various combat approaches taken throughout the history. But the system was infected by someone. Maniac gamers, play this game because you will be captivated by it and it won't pass much time until you will think this is one of the best adventure shoot'em ups! Well, besides Tomb Raider and another amazing 3D first-person shooter. The originality of Time Commando is incontestable, being present in all the aspects. The plot will take you from times before recorded history, ending somewhere in the year 2000. These time periods are: Prehistoric, Roman Empire, Feudal Japan, Medieval, Conquistador, Wild West, Modern Wars, and Future. The missions require collecting some computer chips, weapons, while defending yourself from various savages and other creatures specific to the time period. The action is divided in eras, each being also structured in two levels than can be completed by depositing the chips in some "orb pools". The weapons will be used as soon you kill the enemies that posses them, so, you will have to manage the battles with your fists, first. The graphics and the general design are superb, but I was irritated by the slow movement of my character. Also, another area that is elaborated neatly is the sound, whose effects add excellence to the whole gameplay. A complaint is the missing of a multiplayer mode, because the amazing action will make you want to enjoy it to the fullest in this mode. As a conclusion, take it now!
