Namco Bandai also included a pair of extra modes to boost replay value. (It needs it, too, since Arcade Mode is over and done in a couple of hours.) Complete Mission is the most noteworthy mode, a series of first-person shooter stages where you invade a terrorist organization with side character Captain William Rush. You move with the analog sticks while pressing other buttons to crouch, jump and, as expected, fire away at enemies on-screen. It's a noble attempt at introducing something new to the series, but it comes up short in two areas. One, there are no multiplayer options – you're clearly on your own here. Secondly, it's nowhere near as intense as the Arcade Mode. You face clusters of enemies at a time, move around for a few minutes and face a few more. No insane firefights or over-the-top boss battles in this mode, sad to say. On top of this interesting mode, there are also several unlockable Crisis Missions, perfect for testing reflexes.

Visually, Time Crisis 4 isn't the most stunning PS3 game, but it still looks great. Vehicles blow up real good, bugs crawl across the screen in large hordes and enemies scamper about convincingly without much slowdown or glitching. As for the audio, above average music and sound effects pair up with some hokey dialogue. A few lines into the story, you'll wish Captain William Rush's vocal chords would wear out.

Time Crisis 4 isn't without its flaws. The characters are pretty much a joke. The heroic VSSE agents look more like spoiled fashion models than world saviors. Rush is under-designed as well, with a nasty hair weave and an over-patriotic attitude. The story doesn't make much sense either, despite Namco trying to draw on military tension. Worst of all, the game comes to an end way too soon, even with the additional modes. That makes spending near $100 for the package hard to accept. Two-player action in Arcade Mode is fun, but you'll need to bring another GunCon 3 to get the optimal arcade experience – and Namco doesn't sell those separately.

All nagging aside, long-time fans of the series should pick up Time Crisis 4. Despite having a story and characters that don't really click and a questionably high price, it brings enough shooting action and likable modes to make up for them. It may not be the most stylistic gun-toting game on the market, but it hits the bulls-eye.