Timeshift has been a long time in the making, it appeared sometime last year, not looking at it’s best it has to be said, only to surface again in what is probably one of gaming’s most important ever months such is the quality and hype of the games being released, having checked my friends list it doesn’t seem that many people have managed to find the time for this game as yet and this is a shame because it is one of the better first person shooters to be released to date on the Xbox 360.

The main idea behind Timeshift is that you have the ability to alter time, using your military made suit you can pausing, rewind, fast forward or slow down time which certainly adds a unique twist to this first person shooter and it isn’t just a novelty either because using this ability is crucial if you want to get anywhere in the game. The suit you are wearing isn’t just good for manipulating time though as it can also reduce the amount of damage you take as well as regenerating your health, this is particularly handy if you are just about to die as all you need to do is activate the suit and you will then be back to full health.

The main problem you will have when playing the game is deciding which way to alter time as some situations obviously need different decisions than others and although you do have a AI ally in the shape of S.S.A.M who is there to help you, these are decisions that you will have to make on your own, though if you do die you shouldn’t have to do too much again thanks to the checkpoints spread throughout the game that autosave your progress.

Combat is where the fun is at in Timeshift, there are just so many ways to defeat your enemies and avoid their fire, for example should an enemy storm at you with all guns blazing you can pause time, take his weapon and then unpause time, this then leaves the enemy confused and weaponless, which makes him a rather easy target, you can also sneak up on enemies, pause time, drop a grenade and then watch as their limbs fly over your head once you return things to normal, the same also goes for dodging enemy fire, should a grenade be coming your way simply pause time and get out of the way, or if you are feeling adventurous rewind time and then dodge before the grenade comes back again, the possibilities really are endless in the combat department and this is what sets Timeshift apart from many of the other first person shooters out there.

As well as the Combat you are also required to pass obstacles in order to progress past certain points, the obstacles come in the shape of having to walk through electrified water, pass flaming pipes or go through pipes or ramps that tip when you walk on them, all of these obstacles are possible to get through by using you time manipulation powers.

The gameplay in Timeshift is very enjoyable, levels never feel frustrating and there is a good mixture of combat and obstacles to make it feel varied, the levels are very well designed so they never get confusing, there are also plenty of things to find cover behind should you find yourself in the middle of a large battle.

Graphically the game certainly does not disappoint, the water effects look fantastic, especially when you pause time and run through the frozen raindrops, it’s some of the best effects you will see in a game, elsewhere the effects are just as good, although some of the later levels can be a bit bland.

While the single player modes do offer enough to keep you busy, it’s the multiplayer on Xbox Live that brings the game perhaps it’s most enjoyable element. The time warping effects of the single player game are brought into the online game through chrono grenades, these explosives create an area where time is altered. Anyone or anything caught within this area then moves at a slower pace, whether it’s people, bullets or grenades. The Multiplayer mode offers you the choice of a standard deathmatch, team deathmatch, one-on-one, and Capture the Flag, each of which has variants to implement the timeshift effect.

Timeshift is a very enjoyable game that looks as good as it feel, if you were to take away the time manipulation abilities then this would be just another good looking first person shooter, but thanks to this unique twist this is a game that should be proud to stand amongst the likes of Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3.