Critical Force

Main logo for Critical Force

Critical Force is a 3D light gun rail shooter developed and published by ACS. Released in 1997 for Arcades (ACS TGX Modeller System) and the PlayStation as an exclusive title.

Gameplay

The main objective of Critical Force is to shoot as many on-screen enemies as the player can using a gun controller that is hardwired directly to the cabinet. The game uses a pair of light gun controllers, which utilize a built-in optical sensor built into the gun itself, in order to receive its input from the light emitted by on-screen targets.

From time to time, various enemies appear on-screen which attack the player in various ways, which the players then must shoot in order to move on to the next screen or else they damage. Most enemies are often distinguished by them wearing clothing and accessories that cover their face such as sunglasses or ski masks. While boss characters usually have their faces bare, they are usually located in areas without civilian interference.

When an enemy is about to fire, a flashing thin red and white ring, known as the "attack ring", appears around their hands that quickly shrinks in size, thus the player must shoot the enemy before the ring disappears unless they get shot. By default, standard enemies will take three seconds after appearing on-screen before firing at the player. The game uses a dynamic difficulty system: the more enemies the player shoots, the faster the attack ring shrinks, and the less time players are given to shoot the next enemy before they attack back.

There are also “elite” enemies that give way less leeway and fire more quickly upon appearing on-screen. Enemies using melee weapons do not cast an attack ring around them but are usually easier to spot because of their telegraphed motions and being closer to the screen than other enemies. Enemies using throwing weapons and/or explosive artillery have visible ammunition that the players must shoot in order to avert damage. This same rule also applies to most of the bosses in the game.

Sometimes, in the middle of the ongoing shootout, civilians can be seen appearing and leaving the premises, distinguished from the enemies by their bare faces. Shooting at civilians would lead to a score penalty and the player losing a life. Thus, the players must avoid shooting these civilians in order to obtain a special bonus at the end of the level.

Players start off using handguns, each holding a capacity of six bullets. When all six bullets are spent, the words “Reload” will flash on-screen, and the player will be unable to shoot any oncoming enemies. In order to reload their gun, players simply have to shoot the gun anywhere outside screen.

Critical Force's main unique gameplay feature is the "Critical Shot". By holding down the trigger for an extended period of time, a small meter will appear on the player's side, which quickly fills up as the player holds down the trigger. Upon releasing the trigger while the meter is full, the player will fire out a powerful shot that deals double damage and is capable of piercing through clusters of enemies.

Each player starts off with three lives by default, as denoted by a set of three Red Crosses located on the corner of the screen. Upon taking damage from either being shot by an enemy or shooting a civilian by accident, the player loses a life. The player can replenish their lives by either shooting boxes scattered around the area to reveal medikits, or obtaining various bonuses at the end of each level.

The PlayStation home port of the game is compatible with both Namco’s GunCon and Konami’s Justifier/Hyper Blaster light gun peripherals, as well as the PlayStation Mouse.

Weapons

Along the way, players can pick up special weapons that increase their firepower in various ways. These special weapons can be used for three reloads or until the player is shot, after which, the player would then revert back to the standard issue handgun. The Critical Shot cannot be performed when any of these special weapons are equipped.

The player can pick up these special weapons either by shooting boxes and/or barrels scattered around the area to reveal hidden special weapons inside them, or by killing “Elite” enemies, who would then drop these special weapons upon death.

• Automatic

Bullets: 12

• Magnum

Bullets: 6

• Shotgun

Bullets: 6

• Assault Rifle

Bullets: 15

• Machine Gun

Bullets: 30

• Grenade Launcher

Bullets: 3

Story

In Washington D.C., USA. a terrorist group known simply as “the Libertad” has completely overrun the White House, kidnapping the President of the United States and planting a bomb deep inside the palace, set to blow up within 24 hours. If the bomb explodes, the White House will be destroyed and the entire country falls into the hands of the Libertad and its leader, the mysterious General X.

In response, the government-led secret agency Shoot on Sight (S.O.S.) decides to send two of their finest agents, Gino Alfonso and John Greyson, on a mission to defuse the bomb planted inside the White House, rescue the captured president, and put a stop to the terrorist threat before it’s too late.

Characters

S.O.S. Agents

Shoot on Sight (often abbreviated to S.O.S.) is a top-secret government agency consisting of some of the world’s greatest and most elite special agents, renowned for their marksmanship skills. Their main goal is to eliminate large-scale criminal organizations and avert potential global threats.

• Gino Alfonso

The player 1 character. An agent of Italian descent serving for the S.O.S., Gino is well known for his dashing looks and impeccable marksmanship skills.

• John Greyson

The player 2 character. A brand-new recruit of the S.O.S., John has proven that he is more than capable of getting himself out of sticky situations.

The Libertad

The Libertad is a terrorist organization who seeks to overthrow the US government and claim it as their own. The Libertad previously took part in various terrorist attacks and assassinations in order to achieve their ultimate goal of world domination.

• Dutch Roller

The boss of Mission 1. A musclebound, shirtless mercenary carrying a giant rocket launcher.

• Handsome Jay

The boss of Mission 2. A good-looking but highly deranged assassin that fights with throwing knives.

• Arsenal

The boss of Mission 3. A man who operates a large tank that is armed with all sorts of heavy artilery.

• General X

The boss of Mission 4. The one and only leader of the Libertad and the culprit of the ongoing crisis.

Others

• The President

The president of the USA, who has been kidnapped by the Libertad. His full name is never mentioned.

Missions

• Mission 1: The Panic Streets

With chaos spreading throughout the streets of Washington D.C., the S.O.S. agents must get rid of the terrorist threat that has taken over the city.

Boss: Dutch Roller

• Mission 2: The Liberty Mall

The Libertad has completely taken over the nearby Liberty Mall, and thus, now it’s up to the S.O.S. agents to take these fearsome terrorists out.

Boss: Handsome Jay

• Mission 3: The Train Station

The S.O.S. agents must find a way to travel through the White House in the fastest way possible, but, as it turns out, the agents are not alone in this trip.

Boss: Arsenal

• Mission 4: The White House

Now inside the White House, the S.O.S. agents must fight their way to the basement, defuse the bomb and then rescue the President before it's too late.

Boss: General X

Sequel

A sequel to the game, Critical Force 2, was released in 1999 for the Arcades (TGX2 Modeller System) and PlayStation 2.

Trivia

• All of the guns in the game are based on real-life gun models, somewhat slightly modified to avoid possible legal action from the manufacturers.
  • Standard Handgun = Beretta 92FS
  • Automatic Handgun = Heckler & Koch Mark 23
  • Magnum = Smith & Wesson Model 29
  • Shotgun = Remington Model 1100
  • Assault Rifle = Colt M16A1
  • Machine Gun = Heckler & Koch MP5A3
  • Grenade Launcher = Springfield Armory M79
• Several references and allusions to other ACS games can be seen all over the game. For example, a movie poster for Legendary Blades can be seen briefly in the Liberty Mall stage.
• The gun controllers in the arcade version feature a blowback feature, utilizing a built-in air compressor to emulate a real-life handgun’s recoil. This can be toggled via the test menu.
• The PlayStation version features a second campaign called "Arranged Mode", which re-shuffles the entire game, adding brand new branching paths and altering enemy placements.