Time Travel in Video Games

[Jiro]

Apparently Japan does it great (http://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/10/japan-makes-awesome-time-travel-games/). I don't know though. Time Travel is a bit of a wishy-washy mechanic, and it's not always pulled off well. Can you think of any really good examples apart from say, Chrono Trigger? Let's open it up to all games, not just the Japanese.

[Agent Proto]

Do any of the Doctor Who games count? That's probably the only thing that comes to mind. :p

More games need to have time travel as a theme.

[WildRaubtier]

I don't think Chrono Trigger pulled off time travel that well, but maybe I'm just a stickler for adherence to the predestination paradox.

Braid was pretty fun, using the flow of time as an actual mechanic.

[Lonely Paper Star]

I've only watched a play-through of To The Moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_The_Moon) on YouTube, but I think it pulls off time travel pretty well. I really got into the story. And the music was pretty. ;.;

[krissy]

ff13-2


i'm serious

[Ouch!]

More games need to have time travel as a theme.
I cannot disagree with the statement enough; time travel, as a plot device, is too often poorly done leading to ridiculous deus ex machinas or extreme suspensions of logical thought. I'd rather fewer games engaged in time travel but did it well than have it be widespread and more often than not awful.

[krissy]

radiant historia

[Wolf Kanno]

More games need to have time travel as a theme.
I cannot disagree with the statement enough; time travel, as a plot device, is too often poorly done leading to ridiculous deus ex machinas or extreme suspensions of logical thought. I'd rather fewer games engaged in time travel but did it well than have it be widespread and more often than not awful.

This

[Pike]

Sonic CD pulled it off so freaking well you guys don't even know

[NeoCracker]

More games need to have time travel as a theme.
I cannot disagree with the statement enough; time travel, as a plot device, is too often poorly done leading to ridiculous deus ex machinas or extreme suspensions of logical thought. I'd rather fewer games engaged in time travel but did it well than have it be widespread and more often than not awful.

This

Indubitably.

Trigger, Earthbound, and Radiant Historia are some of the few that pull it off well.

I would also add in Dark Cloud, which works mostly due to their almost non-caring attitude about how their time travel actually works. :p

[Agent Proto]

Ghost Trick is a pretty recent game that has some elements of time travel in it. You have to go back in time to prevent a character's death. You also seem to do this several times. :p

[krissy]

but i mean that's just rewinding 5 minutes into the past
that same mechanic is in prince of persia for the ps2 but i wouldn't say it's a time travelling game
i love ghost trick
but the time thing is a reset option for the stage mostly

[Skyblade]

but i mean that's just rewinding 5 minutes into the past
that same mechanic is in prince of persia for the ps2 but i wouldn't say it's a time travelling game
i love ghost trick
but the time thing is a reset option for the stage mostly

Yes, and no. There are a couple of puzzles where understanding the timing of events, how they play out, and in what order, is key. It's far more than just a reset, it's actually necessary to understand the timeline progression to succeed.

It's smaller scale time travel, but well done.

[Slothy]

Time travel played a big role in the later Legacy of Kain games (from Soul Reaver 2 on). I remember liking them at the time (except Blood Omen 2), but I'm not sure how well the time travel story holds up now in terms of plot holes. It also didn't play a major role in the gameplay so I wouldn't really call them time travel games. It's kind of hard to think of any really good examples of games with time travel plots or gameplay mechanics. The better ones in the latter case tend to use them in a very limited short term capacity. I'd agree that Braid is probably the best I can think of in terms of gameplay right now.

[Pike]

Braid pulled it off very nicely, yes.

[Bolivar]

Radiant Historia's supposed to be a modern classic among RPGs.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Ages for the Game Boy Color is arguably the best puzzle-using game in the series and is a pretty fantastic title.

I don't know if Japan "makes" awesome time travel games as a rule, but sure has produced a number of unforgettable classics.

[Jinx]

Bolivar made me think.

Ocarina of Time could technically be considered a time travel game, yes?

[Agent Proto]

Yes, and so would Majora's Mask, moreso than OoT, because of the limit of three days in the game, traveling back in time is a must if you intend to complete the game.

[Hollycat]

More games need to have time travel as a theme.
I cannot disagree with the statement enough; time travel, as a plot device, is too often poorly done leading to ridiculous deus ex machinas or extreme suspensions of logical thought. I'd rather fewer games engaged in time travel but did it well than have it be widespread and more often than not awful.

[Crop]

I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned: Shadow of Memories (Destiny in the US), for the PS2.

Yeah it might be more of an interactive story than a game, but it's so underrated, and the graphics were awesome for the time. It is pretty much all about time travel, and there are so many ways you can expand the story by making different choices when you travel through time.

Sequel please!

[Flying Arrow]

Zelda: Majora's Mask is the answer.

[Heath]

Majora's Mask, Oracle of Ages and (to a lesser extent) Ocarina of Time all did time travel reasonably well.

The only other series of games that immediately came to my mind was Timesplitters, which was an entertaining series of shoot 'em ups which had levels set in different time periods past and future. Admittedly, with TS it was more a case of the level themes and designs rather than the gameplay. I thought it was a rather nice twist on the standard FPS game though.

[Psychotic]

The only other series of games that immediately came to my mind was Timesplitters, which was an entertaining series of shoot 'em ups which had levels set in different time periods past and future. Admittedly, with TS it was more a case of the level themes and designs rather than the gameplay. I thought it was a rather nice twist on the standard FPS game though.Was coming here to start swearing and calling everybody a failure at life for no mention of TS. Thank you.

[Del Murder]

Zelda: Majora's Mask is the answer.

[Sephex]

It wasn't a HUGE deal, but the time travel angle in part of Dragon Quest V was very cool to me.

[Bolivar]

^ Yes, that was very well done and one of the many moments that made that game so special! :love:

[kotora]

I don't think there's any game out there that dealt better with time as a story as well as a gameplay concept than Majora's Mask. The continuing threat of the moon getting closer and closer, the people going about with their daily lives (which, of course, are the same every cycle) until they finally notice the impending doom on the third day, Link slowing and speeding up time and going back and forth, the weird mask salesman who seems to exist outside of the whole system, and getting fucked by the retarded save system that erases your saves at owl statues after loading them up again.
If there's one thing this game taught us, it's that time travel is creepy in a very intriguing way.

[Madame Adequate]

The only other series of games that immediately came to my mind was Timesplitters, which was an entertaining series of shoot 'em ups which had levels set in different time periods past and future. Admittedly, with TS it was more a case of the level themes and designs rather than the gameplay. I thought it was a rather nice twist on the standard FPS game though.Was coming here to start swearing and calling everybody a failure at life for no mention of TS. Thank you.

:) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYw8jSYvp9o)

[Mercen-X]

That list mentions Ephemeral Fantasia... except it lists it as Ephemeral Phantasia. It's supposed to be spelled with an 'f', it's not Ephemeral Phantasy Star. idiots

[Depression Moon]

The Prince of Persia games were ok with it. As a gameplay element it was great.

Also I'll mention Majora's Mask along with everyone else. Ocarina of Time had some of it too with traveling 7 years into the future, then back again for certain events, and you also had the Sun's Song which sped up time.