Time Break 2121

When I reviewed Superhot all the way back in 2016, I called it a "breath of fresh air" from the half-broken Call of Duty clones of the time. I'm not sure I can say the same thing about Time Break 2121. This is a brand-new Superhot clone that completely flips the mechanics around by slowing down time when you move and speeding it back up when standing still. That's a cool concept, but is it enough to set itself apart from a game that prides itself on being the most innovative shooter in years?

This is the story of Jax, whose life is turned upside down when his sister talks him into being part of an experimental project conducted by a shadowy organization called Allware. He went in a regular soldier and came out a superhero capable of bending time to his will. But all this power came with a price, and Jax now fears that he has been turned into nothing more than a killing machine. He's on a mission to escape the laboratory and fight his way to Allware headquarters, where he'll put a stop to these evil experiments and win back his life.

Like I said at the top, Jax is able to slow down time by walking around. It doesn't stop time completely, but it is enough to dodge and outrun bullets, as well as get the jump on pretty much any bad guy. However, when Jax is just standing still, the world speeds back up and our hero is left vulnerable. All it takes is one stray bullet or spear to the gut to kill Jax, so the trick is to keep moving and kill Allware's guards before they get you.

Beyond being able to easily dodge enemy attacks, the advantage to slowing down time is being able to easily line up a bunch of shots in a row. This creates a lot of shootouts here we run back and forth aiming and firing, only to then hide behind a wall and wait for the bullets to hit their targets. We're also able to dash around the bad guys in order to stab them from behind and watch their surprised body float around the room in slow motion. Lining up a bunch of well-placed shots and thoroughly confusing the enemies is not just satisfying, but has the ability to make you feel like a badass superhero.

But don't get too excited, because you're no Superman. The problem Jax runs into is that there isn't enough ammo. This is one of those games where they'll give you six or seven bullets to take out a dozen enemies. No, that's not a mistake, the math doesn't add up. Time Break 2121 is a game where every bullet counts and winning means using the guard's fire to your advantage. It's a lot of fun exploiting the crossfire by speeding around the room and confusing the bad guys. And if that doesn't work, you can just get in close and stab everybody.

Click For the Full Picture Archive

This is the part of the review where I feel the need to mention that I really like this game and have no problem recommending it. If you liked Superhot, then you're going to dig this for a lot of the same reasons. However, Time Break 2121 is rough and there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, some of which sound a lot more negative than they actually are. I hope the next bit doesn't scare you off, because this is a really fun game.

The most obvious problem is the performance, which has a lot of issues with textures and blurring. The game runs smooth enough, but the visuals distort in some really annoying ways. There are a lot of times when the game can't decide whether what you're looking at should be blurry or clear, so it just switches between the two at random. There are also issues where it feels like the textures and even the characters haven't popped in properly, which can lead to some frustrating deaths.

Speaking of technical concerns, this game has a real problem dealing with the lifeless bodies you leave behind. The very act of touching them has the potential of spinning your view 180 degrees, which can be deadly in a game about precision. And when they aren't screwing up your aim, the dead bodies will prevent you from moving forward and trap you between bullets. And that's not even the worst thing, because I ran into a couple dead bodies that shot Jax a hundred feet into the air and completely out of the geometry.

Click For the Full Picture Archive

Another issue is that the difficulty swings wildly between levels. The game is at its best when the stages are bite-sized and don't require a lot of trial and error. However, there are a few massive levels that will take at least an hour of repeatedly trying to find the right path and getting the enemies to cooperate. Part of the problem is because these stages are too long, but it's also because of the lack of ammo and the amount of corridor areas. This is a purposely difficult game, and not all of it plays fair.

There are also a lot of smaller elements that get in the way. I'm not a fan of how finicky the knife can be. This is a game all about sneaking up behind enemies and stabbing them, yet that mechanic didn't always work as advertised. There are too many times where I'll die trying to stab an enemy in the back, only to have him shoot me while looking the opposite direction. And speaking of enemies, I wish there were more types of bad guys to take on. There are only a few repeated enemies, most of which will stand still until you shoot them in the face. And it sure would have been nice to have more moves or special powers to use, like a double jump or slide move. Just like the weapon selection and enemy types, the gameplay is limited.

These technical problems, limitations and difficulty issues are annoying, but they aren't a fatal blow to Time Break 2121. The time-bending mechanics go a long way to make up for the roughness, since it's so much fun racing around the room and confusing the bad guys. I also really enjoy the futuristic cyberpunk world they've created. We end up seeing quite a bit of Neon City and Allware before everything is said and done, and it often felt like I was fighting off guards in Blade Runner. Toss in a catchy synth soundtrack and you have a stylish action game that offers something a little different from the typical first-person shooter, warts and all.