Games Gift Guide

Timeshift

Sierra
$59.99

In TimeShift, you play a physicist sent back in a time suit to stop a madman in another time suit – basically Timecop but with a more convoluted story.

Your suit gives you the ability to slow time, reverse it, or outright pause the rest of the world while you run rampant. I just wish I could say it never gets old to pause, strip an enemy's gun, tag him with a grenade, and watch his surprised reaction.

It almost doesn't – it's an awesomely satisfying power trip – but that's about it. You get your powers at the very beginning of the game, and then nothing changes. There are no new features, abilities, or modes of gameplay for the next 15 hours. Your suit allows you to pause fire and electricity or to walk on water, but it does it automatically for you. That's boring enough in practice. It's worse in concept.

I am a death god with the power to control time. Give me a pistol and a knife, and cry, "Havoc!" Don't make me hit one button over and over again to walk through poorly animated fire.