Time Rifters

About

"Time Rifters" is a unique single-player co-op shooter where you become your own teammates, starting with 4 lives and being joined by ghosts of your previous lives with each new one. The game features 6 upgradable weapons, 3 episodes with 5 arenas each, and highscore boards. You can also play with other players' ghosts through the Let's Replay mode and customize your experience with user-created rooms and arenas from the Steam Workshop.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 298 reviews

gameplay19 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Unique gameplay mechanic where players control multiple versions of themselves to complete levels.
Fun and engaging shooting mechanics with a variety of weapons and upgrades.
Visually appealing graphics and a great soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience.

Game is relatively short with only 15 levels, leading to a lack of content after completion.
Some players may find the lack of a traditional multiplayer mode disappointing.
Achievements can be tedious to complete, especially with the requirement to 100% levels.

gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
63%
5%
The gameplay is characterized as simple yet highly enjoyable, featuring a unique self-cooperative mechanic that blends first-person shooting with puzzle elements. Players appreciate the inventive level design and smooth mechanics, although some note a lack of challenge due to minimal enemy threats. Overall, the game is praised for its fun factor, innovative concepts, and engaging replayability, particularly through community-created levels.
- “The actual game is extremely fun, and a lot of effort has been poured into the game's levels and gameplay.”
- “Incredibly refreshing gameplay!”
- “Time Rifters is a fantastic game, and while the core gameplay is pretty much old school shooting crossed with a wave defense game, it takes the idea of a linchpin gimmick to a whole new level.”
- “Gameplay is lacking, but the visuals are there.”
- “This was a lot of fun while it lasted, but it doesn't have much gameplay. I know people are going to say things like download off the workshop.”
- “An interesting twist on a game that advertises itself as a co-op shooter, even though the gameplay is strictly single player.”
music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
34%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its fun and engaging quality, with many reviewers highlighting the catchy dubstep and electronic soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While some noted a desire for more variety, the overall consensus is that the music enhances the game's vibrant atmosphere and adds to the enjoyment of playing. The soundtrack is described as high-quality and fitting, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The music is on theme and entertaining.”
- “The soundtrack is also worth noting as it provides a catchy upbeat tempo that matches the play style.”
- “It's unexpectedly fun and deceptively addictive with a thumpingly good soundtrack.”
- “Why is the music so loud when you first open it?”
- “More music variety would be appreciated.”
- “The soundtrack is mostly dubstep, and even though I'm not exactly a fan of the genre, I found it fitting with the gameplay.”
graphics
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
57%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant and colorful aesthetic, with many reviewers noting the beautiful art style and diverse environments. While some find the visuals impressive and polished, others feel that the area design is somewhat underwhelming and simplistic. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, enhancing the experience without overshadowing gameplay.
- “Aesthetically, this game is gorgeous.”
- “Beautiful visuals, nice addicting retro style gameplay and all that with no motion sickness.”
- “The graphics really come alive when looking through the rift and the art style is well suited for a VR experience.”
- “The graphics for the actual guns, cubes, etc., aren't anything extremely impressive.”
- “Graphics: visually very vibrant, although somewhat underwhelming in terms of area design.”
- “Some might be put off by the simplistic art style, but I found it to be colorful and eye-catching.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
The game offers significant replayability through various strategies, user-created content, and daily challenges, despite its short main campaign. Players can experiment with different loadouts and aim for faster completion times, enhancing the overall experience. While some reviewers note that the replay value may diminish over time, many agree that the combination of challenges and customization keeps the gameplay engaging.
- “The replay value is high if you care about getting good times, but otherwise the game is short.”
- “Replay value is practically infinite with tons of challenges, crazy strategies, and workshop integrated maps which adds a great open feel to the game.”
- “This is a fun little game that has a good amount of replay value due to the daily challenges and user created content.”
- “For a game where the majority of the replay value is in experimenting with different loadouts and upgrade combinations, this is slightly disappointing.”
- “Sure, it has tons of replayability, but it will only last for so long.”
- “Still has some replay value.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal or nonexistent, with many users expressing confusion and disappointment over its lack of depth and significance. While some players hint at potential narrative elements, the consensus is that the gameplay takes precedence, making the story feel unimportant and underdeveloped. Overall, players suggest that the absence of a compelling story detracts from the overall experience.
- “A large foreshadowing, or a story untold?”
- “A full FPS campaign, with enemies that shoot back, and a story built around this awesome mechanic, could be one of the best games of all time.”
- “I want to play it for so much longer, but I don't know how long my willpower will stick out with no new missions in sight.”
- “There is barely any story, and while the game alludes to one existing, I barely understood it.”
- “Story: no story at all, not worth reviewing.”
- “There is no story here... so don't expect much that will change you inside... but what matters is that it's fun.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a diverse soundtrack of techno and dubstep tracks that align well with each level's unique mood. Players appreciate the coherent and polished visuals, which range from clean aesthetics to atmospheric and eerie cave stages, contributing to a distinct and immersive experience across the series.
- “The atmosphere is just coherent.”
- “It's a lot of techno and dubstep tracks that really fit the game's mood and each level's atmosphere.”
- “Each has its own distinct feel and atmosphere, making them stand out from one another.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, providing a smooth experience with no lag or judder, particularly on the DK2. Players appreciate the performance consistency across multiple playthroughs, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “Pretty nice time killer to destroy some blocks; really well optimized.”
- “Incredibly well optimized for the DK2.”
- “Perfectly optimized, no lag or judder, great black smear correction, and does not make me sick.”
- “The game struggles with optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the interesting mechanics, the lack of optimization makes it hard to enjoy the experience fully.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and performance issues that severely impacted my ability to play the game smoothly.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often a source of inflated difficulty, particularly when having to restart from level 1. However, some users appreciate the challenge of mastering unfamiliar weapons, which adds a layer of enjoyment to the grinding experience.
- “Most of the 'difficulty' in the game is inflated by this problem, and it is simply tedious, especially when you have to start over from level 1.”
- “While tedious as well, I found them at least somewhat enjoyable because learning how to knock out levels with weapons I wasn't familiar with was an interesting challenge.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly on standard monitors, showcasing good stability with no major performance issues. However, some players express a desire for a wider field of view to enhance their experience.
- “It also looks and runs great on a standard monitor, though I would prefer a wider field of view.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a cash grab, particularly due to its failure to adapt to modern headsets after initial support for DK2.
- “The game feels like a cash grab, especially with its outdated support for modern headsets.”
- “The monetization strategy is frustrating and makes it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It seems like the developers are more focused on making money than providing a quality gaming experience.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by playful teasing among players, with moments of laughter stemming from the chaotic and clumsy actions of characters, particularly when one player struggles while others succeed.
- “They would split up and take on different groups, laughing at me for flailing around so helplessly.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the game evokes strong emotional connections, creating an immersive experience akin to multiplayer interactions, but without the negative social dynamics often found in such settings.