Sorry Gamespot, but don't fun-to-shoot weapons make a game... fun?
Good
The concept: This is, easily, the coolest concept I've ever seen incorporated into a shooter. And how Sierra executed the timeshift mechanics were brilliant. If you couldn't guess by the title, you can pause, stop, and reverse time wich is not only incorporated well into actually playing the game; it gives you so many cool ways in which to play. You can spend hours devising the most elaborate methods in which to kill your enemies. Throwing a nade under someones feet and watching in slow mo as the do a matrix backf flip never ceases to entertain me.
The weapons: Timeshift has the most satisfying weapons I've ever used since the Halo games. Even just the basic pistol and auto rifle are so entertaining. This game has the best shotgun I've ever seen in a game. I could easily go the entire campaign on just those three main weapons, but they also have an incendiary SMG (forgot the name) that doubles as a flamethrower as well as an awsome rocket launcher and .... a crossbow? Yes; that motherf***ing crossbow is the ****. Getting to go rambo style is so hilariously fun. You can stop time, fire an arrow into several men at once, then watch as time resumes and they all simultaneously blow up.
Story: Shallow my a$$. I love Orwellian stories. Sure the game can get sort of vague at times but the main plot (that you're basically V in a timeshift suit) is cool. Perhaps I don't know what makes a good story but I was ampley satisfied.
Multiplayer: This game has some of the most chaotic Free-for Alls of any shooter that I've played. Admittidly, when I first played the MP, I was sort of turned off. However, If you find the right games with the right settings it can be very fun. The map Blow Me on Low Grav is awsome. The map designs are also really good. Also in MP you get a special grenade that replaces your timeshift abilities. When you throw it creates a small time warp in it's area and everything in it is slowed to a near stop. This frees you to kill you opponent in the most elaborate way you can think of (within the next five seconds). Of course, everybody starts out with two of these so many times fire fights boil down to who can throw their time warp grenade first. This keeps the field even but I could also see it as an annoyance to anyone that would rather play the game more like a conventional shooter (sans Keano Reeves).
Bad
...?
... uuuuh.
Graphic death animations: Actually I'm not joking. Body limbs go flying everywhere. When you shoot someone up close blood sprays onto your. visor. I know that this is technically more realistic and can display a games good graphics but it just doesn't appeal to me. I bought the game thinking it was T, not M, so I was a little suprised. Although I shouldn't complain because I play Gears and it's even more graphic.
Jumping: This may sound funney but the jumping in the games campaign can get frustrating. It has a brick jump and there is a lot of hopping from one spot to another so I'd incidentally fell and had to try again in a lot of areas. Yea it was an annoyance but it was still just a minor one.
I'm not sure but I think this game may have a few framerate problems. Sometimes it seems to speed up then slow down or get real etchy in the movement. I could be wrong though. Also my console practically never freezes but on this game it did once. Now I don't claim to be an expert on this stuff; I'm merely mentioning it for the people that are knowledgeable in that area. It may mean something or it may not. I just figured I'd throw it out there.
If you couldn't tell, I'm groping for bad things to say about this game. There are many minor aspects that keep me from giving this game a phenomenal score, but I can't think of them at the moment. They have mostly to do with the "feel" of the game, if you can understand what I'm saying. Small things that happen in the game that you just don't like but immediately leave your head the next second. However, the good heavily outweighs the bad. From the astounding timeshifting to the "fun-to-shoot" guns, TimeShift is creative, it's innovative, and it's above all just a fun game to play and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes shooters. It's definately worth at least a rental and to me it's totally worth the sixty bucks. Buy it, borrow it, rent it, I don't care. At least give this game a try.