Although many games have attempted to implement this mechanic only a few of them are remembered or praised for how it effects gameplay as well as the story. With only a few of them being seen as the best games with time control mechanics across a variety of genres.
10 Superhot
In this minimalist first-person shooter Superhot, players have limited power when it comes to controlling time. Time only moves in this game when the player moves allowing them to consider the best form of attack before deciding to pick up their weapon and deal damage.
This turns Superhot from the typical shooter title to something that fits more of the puzzle genre. As well as making the player feel intelligent by allowing them to calculate their whole attack before time starts once more and they down their enemy.
9 F.E.A.R
There are few horror titles that take on any sort of time control mechanics as it may break away from the immersive creepiness of the title. However, F.E.A.R hoped to combine this psychological horror with making players feel as if they are part of an action film.
Therefore, players have the legendary feature of reflex time. As the player will find themselves constantly attacked while exploring, reflex time shows off the character’s superhuman reflexes letting the player aim and fire at a normal speed while the world around them slows.
8 Singularity
Another first-person shooter with horror genre features is Singularity, players find themselves on an uninhabited island that was once held by the Soviet Union. After a US satellite is shot out of the sky, the player finds themselves traveling between the present day and the events of 1955 on the island.
A large feature of the game comes from the Time Manipulation Device they wear on their hand. This gives the player the solution to a lot of the puzzles they face on the island being able to quicken time to age an object as well as other features.
7 Timeshift
Many games that allow the player to control time is a needed feature to help solve puzzles, Timeshift is no different from this. In this shooter title one of the main abilities of the player as suggested by the name is the ability to shift time.
The player can do this in one of three ways: slowing, stopping or reversing time. This helps with many time-related puzzles as well as allowing players to stop time to take the weapon away from an enemy or to even dodge projectiles.
6 Ghostrunner
In this incredibly challenging action platformer set in a cyberpunk like world, players must take down enemies quickly if they wish to succeed. A single hit from an enemy will instantly kill the player which can be difficult to avoid during this fast-paced combat.
To make this combat more manageable players has the ability called Sensory Booster which heightens the reflexes of the character. This then slows down time to assist the player in dodging incoming fire as well as being able to easily close in on their opponent.
5 Dishonored
Players that have explored the gloomy streets of Dishonored as Corvo will know that he too has an abundance of abilities after being blessed with the mark of the outsider. One such skill that he can unlock is called Bend Time.
As the name suggests, Corvo can easily use this ability to slow down or even stop time altogether. This can be used in a hope to either sneak past enemies while attempting to complete the game non-lethally or slow time in a hope to get behind the enemy and perform a swift kill.
4 Quantum Break
After a failed experiment the protagonist of Quantum Break, Jack Joyce is gifted with the power to bend time to hit will. These abilities are something players will need to use to their advantage both in and out of combat to help put an end to the disaster known as the ‘End of Time’.
While players have their usual time control mechanics such as being able to stop enemies. One of the more exciting features that Quantum Break has is the ability to use Time Vision that reveal points of interest as well as Time Echoes that allows the player to see past events.
3 Braid
Braid is an interesting puzzle-platformer that explores the theme of time within all its levels. Gradually while playing through the game players unlock further abilities to control time throughout the story.
It begins with the simple ability to reverse time, this allows players to try a puzzle again as they are most likely to get stuck. From here the time control mechanics progress as they become a crucial part of the puzzles forcing players to understand how time moves within the level before they can attempt to control it.
2 Blinx: The Time Sweeper
There are few games that allow the player to control a cute animal like a cat that must complete levels armed with only a vacuum and the power to control time. Well, Blinx: The Time Sweeper does exactly that in this platform adventure.
Collecting specific pairings of gems in this title allows the player to unlock the time control ability linked with that gem and therefore alter parts of the level using it. Many of these abilities such as reversing or pausing time is needed to get past blockades as well as assisting in boss battles.
1 Life Is Strange
In this episodic graphic adventure, the intense and emotional story isn’t the only thing that Life Is Strange is praised for. One of its main features that the protagonist Max has the ability to use throughout this story is being able to reverse time.
Being able to rewind time can either help or hinder a situation as players will have the information they had learned previously available to them to make a different choice. However, as the story progresses this power may be more dangerous than it seems as there has to be consequences of reversing time.
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