Time travel games that got it right

Time travel is a finicky mechanic to include into a game – it can destroy a storyline with its major complications, or make the title a huge success.

Here are some of the greatest instances of time travel – in my humble opinion – in gaming.

TimeSplitter 2

Bent on destroying mankind, an alien race plans on using time crystals to travel through time (as you do) and change the course of history. Jumping from the Wild West to the days of the mafia in Chicago, Timesplitters brought fresh ideas to the table while keeping the traditional FPS mechanics that we all love.

A good example of time travelling done right.

Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time

The famous plumber duo travelled back in time to save Princess Peach, again, in Partners in Time – even meeting up with their younger, sweeter selves.

The game followed the footsteps of Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, and featured the same turn-based combat that has been a smash it since the birth of the RPG franchise. Jumping to and from the past and present of the Mushroom Kingdom, and controlling either Mario and Luigi or their younger selves, added a new depth to the series.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

The Prince of Persia series hit its stride on the PS2 with some of its highest-rated releases.

As the Prince of Time you are given the power to rewind time by a few seconds, opening up a whole new way to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. The story also benefited from the rewind time mechanic, with the entire plot revolving around the Dagger of Time. Even the ending benefited from a complete time rewind, resulting in the entire game not happening in the first place.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time

Everything you once knew about Ratchet and Clank changed in the Crack of Time. Clank’s past was revealed and we found out that he was originally built to take over the Great Clock – a huge clock in space that keeps the world intact.

The game had a bunch of new features that included the ability to rewind time on certain objects and saw you going backwards in time to activate something that would only change in the future. It was a clever, yet simple way to incorporate time and in the end was even a bit of a tear jerker when Ratchet decides not to use the ability to be with his race once again.