TimeShift

TimeShift
Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	2007
Founder	Saber Interactive
Headquarters	Russia
Products	TimeShift (video game)
Parent	Vivendi Games (publisher)

TimeShift is a first-person shooter released in 2007, developed by Saber Interactive and published by Vivendi Games under the Sierra Entertainment label. The game debuted on Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 during October and November 2007, followed by a release on PlayStation 3 between November and December. It offers both single-player and multiplayer gameplay modes and garnered mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

In the near future, scientists create two distinct time-travel devices: the Alpha Suit, a prototype jumpsuit, and the Beta Suit, a combat-ready military model equipped with time manipulation capabilities and an onboard artificial intelligence named Strategic Systems for Adaptable Metacognition (S.S.A.M.), designed to aid in battle and prevent temporal paradoxes.

Dr. Aiden Krone, who leads the project, sabotages the laboratory with explosives, escapes wearing the Alpha Suit, and journeys into the past. There, he modifies history to establish himself as the authoritarian ruler of the dystopian Krone Magistrate.

The player-controlled character, unnamed, dons the Beta Suit and pursues Krone to 1939 within an alternate timeline’s Alpha District. Upon arrival, they witness rebel forces being crushed by Krone’s army and face off against a massive war machine called Sentinel. When S.S.A.M. triggers "auto-return," damage to the Beta Suit causes the protagonist to become stranded in this altered era. Aligning with the Occupant Rebellion, the protagonist works to recover components from the Alpha Suit.

Throughout battles alongside Occupants, the player participates in raids, liberates prisoners of war, and targets Krone’s ammunition factory. Following setbacks for Krone’s forces, he retreats deeper into Alpha District while rebels commandeer a Zeppelin to continue their pursuit.

After returning to a transformed Alpha District dominated by rebels, the protagonist destroys Krone’s Sentinel war machine. They execute Krone and obtain critical parts required to repair the Beta Suit. Commander Cooke expresses gratitude before the protagonist returns to the original timeline to rescue Dr. Marissa Foster—his girlfriend—who was believed dead in Krone’s explosion. As Foster regains consciousness, S.S.A.M. alerts of an impending paradox and transports the protagonist away.

Flashbacks reveal that the protagonist had been monitoring Krone for potential treachery and had seduced Dr. Foster to gain access to the Beta Suit.

Gameplay

The defining mechanic of TimeShift is its time manipulation feature, allowing players to slow down, halt, or reverse time. This ability facilitates evading enemy fire, confiscating weapons from foes, and solving puzzles based on temporal dynamics. Each time control mode affects environmental visuals differently: slowing time casts a blue tint, rewinding produces a yellowish hue, and stopping time applies a white overlay. Players must tactically employ these powers throughout gameplay, with opportunities to extend their duration in specific segments.

Development and release

Initially slated for publication by Atari, publishing rights were transferred to Sierra on April 20, 2006. The title experienced several delays, including a second postponement announced on August 31, 2006. Due to limited media exposure and unfavorable reactions to demos released in 2006, speculation arose that development had ceased. Nevertheless, Vivendi Games revealed on April 10, 2007, that they had undertaken a comprehensive revision addressing numerous bugs.

A notable modification involved removing the original lead character Michael Swift; instead, players control "the suit" as their time-manipulation device, rendering the protagonist anonymous to increase player immersion.

While initially confirmed for Windows and Xbox 360, TimeShift was later announced for PlayStation 3 at the 2007 SCEA Gamer's Day event. The game launched on Windows and Xbox 360 in October/November 2007 and reached PlayStation 3 audiences between November and December of that year.

Demo

An initial iteration of TimeShift was made available online for PC users and was also included with the May 2006 edition of Official Xbox Magazine for the Xbox 360 platform.

A single-player demonstration of the updated version was released on October 11, 2007, showcasing one playable level and four different weapons. Subsequently, demos for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were launched on Xbox Live and November 1, 2007, respectively.

On November 9, 2007, IGN revealed that a multiplayer demo would be accessible via the Xbox Live Marketplace starting November 14, with a PlayStation 3 multiplayer demo following on December 6. These demos offered combined single-player and multiplayer experiences to provide an extensive preview of the game.

Reception

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, TimeShift garnered "mixed or average" feedback. Reviewers pointed out that its gameplay drew heavily from preexisting titles and criticized the storyline as lacking impact. Nevertheless, the fundamental gameplay mechanics were commended for their refinement and implementation. Ratings from leading outlets varied between 6 and 7.6 out of 10, indicating a general perception of competent yet unexceptional performance in the marketplace.

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