Time Crisis 3 Announced

Thanks Danny for mailing us in.

We apologize for the delay, but no-one was around to receive the news when Namco passed on the first screens of Time Crisis 3, the arcade sequel in its popular light-gun shooting series. Running on the PlayStation 2-based System 246 hardware, Time Crisis 3 promises better graphics, more playing time, and more depth to its gameplay. The game is announced for arcade release in February (test versions have already hit some locations), and given the hardware it employs, a PS2 version may very well arrive sometime next year as well.

The most noteworthy additions to the sequel's gameplay are new weapons, available in addition to the basic handgun. Shooting hidden pickups in the environment yields ammunition for a machine pistol, shotgun, and revolving grenade launcher, all of which present superior destructive capabilities until their ammo is expended. Unlike the extra weapons in Virtua Cop, which entirely replaced the default weapon temporarily, Time Crisis 3's extra weapons are available at any time -- the player can switch while ducking away from the enemy. Thus, choosing the right weapon for a situation adds a further element of strategy.

News source: IGN