TimeShift (Xbox 360)

All the weapons have an alt-fire and there are the usual mix of rifles, pistols, shotguns and sniper-rifles in the game, enough to keep the weapons fanatics happy. There are even some vehicle turret sections to break up the game's frenetic gunplay, TimeShift likes to throw tonnes of enemies at you and with the correct use of time powers you can take down armies.

The suit is controlled by S.S.A.M, the game's AI that can select the correct power for the right situation, give you clues and hints and also warns of impending danger. The left bumper controls your time powers and just tapping it near a hazard or puzzle selects the right power for the job, it kind of makes those puzzles a bit easier though and takes away from the challenge of working out what you need to do.

You can hold down the left bumper and then choose from the 3 available powers, reverse, slow and stop/pause time.

Rather than just a gimmick, these powers have practical uses in combat. Should allies fall from a tossed grenade and you're quick enough, you can rewind time to give them a second chance. You can also use it to avoid a potential grenade yourself, if you're stuck with an explosive and death's only a few ticks away, turn back time and either move out of the way or watch as the bemused soldier wonders if he did indeed throw that grenade or not.

You can stop time to avoid a big explosion or just walk up to an enemy and purloin their weapon, this usually leads to them looking confused and either surrendering to your mercy (what mercy?) or running to try and get another dropped weapon from a dead enemy. When time's also slowed or stopped the suit's health/shield regen kicks in faster and heals you much quicker.

Slowing time allows you to walk past fast moving projectiles or even shoot them out of the air.

The time manipulation powers of the suit are also used in puzzle solving elements of the game. They're fairly simple, freeze time and you can walk on water, walk over a gantry that might be unstable or pass through a burning flame or electrical hazard without taking a single scratch. Sometimes you might need to rewind time to clear a puzzle or move something out of the way.

The AI in TimeShift works quite well and it uses cover and concealment, team tactics and even tries to avoid excessive combat. When linked with the excellent animations and physics even a shot to the knees can drop an enemy onto the ground where they'll try and get back up. Sometimes there's even a last-stand kind of ditch attempt where a prone guard will shoot at you before they either expire (from a hail of your bullets) or something else takes them out.

The AI also reacts to your shifting powers. Face and opponent, stop time and get behind them, when time resumes they'll look around for you. You can then beat them over the back of the head with your rifle.

The voice work in the game is Ok, but that's about it, there are moments where it's god-awful and there are moments where you can see someone put some effort into their lines. The score though is a bit flat and uninspiring compared to the very nature of the game; it should have been grander and certainly more sweeping. The sound effects fall between decent and bland.