Time Shooter 3: SWAT

Summary

If dodging bullets in slow motion while clearing rooms full of armored terrorists sounds like your kind of fun, you’re in the right place. Time Shooter 3: SWAT takes the legendary formula and cranks up the difficulty with doors to smash through, riot shields, armor, and hostages you’ll want to avoid at all costs.

Since we added Time Shooter 2 to the site, it’s quickly become one of the most popular titles in our shooting games collection, and we’ve had loads of requests for the sequel. Now, the wait is over.

As you probably guessed, the same addictive slow-mo gameplay returns, where time only moves when you do, letting you freeze mid-battle to plan your next shot and dodge incoming fire.

However, this time, things are cranked up a few notches. You’ll be suiting up as a SWAT operative, smashing your way into sealed rooms with a battering ram, picking up riot shields from fallen enemies, and rescuing innocent hostages to progress to the next stage.

It’s far more tactical now, and you’ll need to think ahead more than you did in the predecessor. It continues with everything that made TS2 great while adding plenty of fresh elements to keep things exciting and even more challenging.

Time Shooter 3: SWAT features

• Release date – April 7, 2022
• Difficulty – Intermediate
• Levels/environments – Progressive (endless, increasing difficulty)
• Multiplayer – No
• Mobile – Android only
• Developer – GoGoMan

Physics

The slow-mo mechanic works in the same way as previous games in the series. Stand still, and everything moves super slowly, and the enemies almost freeze mid-stride, so you can take your time planning your next move.

As you advance, you’ll soon come across enemies with guns, and even in slow-mo, the bullets will move faster than you’d like. As soon as you move around, the chaos kicks back in immediately, but it’s perfect for dodging incoming fire.

The tactical aspect of the game is the biggest change. Many of the enemies now wear body armor and helmets that deflect your shots (the armor flies off on impact, exposing them for a follow-up), and hostages mean you can’t just spray bullets aimlessly and hope for the best.

When you hit the enemies, the same satisfying polygon explosions remain, and the pink gas cylinders also make a comeback for mass-clearing detonations – just make sure they’re not too close to the hostages.

If watching things disintegrate is your thing, make sure you check out our stunts and crash games category, which has plenty more on offer, including Beam Drive Car Crash Test Simulator with a BeamNG-style soft-body destruction sandbox. Or, if you fancy something with a bit more intensity, Deadly Descent puts you into a no-holds-barred downhill race where your body panels fly off as you fight your way to the finish… If you can make it!

Graphics

Don’t judge this one by the screenshots (we’ve tried our best!). The low-poly minimalist look couldn’t look more basic, but once you’re playing, you’ll quickly stop caring about the visuals and appreciate how the stripped-back design makes the game even more fun and much less gory. Another bonus is that this allows it to run smoothly on lower-spec devices.

The rooms have a few more details than Time Shooter 2, along with purple doors where you’ll find hiding hostages behind them. Eagle-eyed drifting fans will be happy to see the low-poly-style Toyota AE86’s also making a comeback, and still providing perfect cover from incoming fire (we’re still waiting for the keys, though!).

If you’d prefer more realistic visuals than this offers, along with online play, make sure you check out Bullet Force. While it will require a better device, it’s a fully-fledged, realistic browser FPS with dozens of weapons and multiple game modes. Or if you fancy putting the weapons down entirely, our car games collection is the perfect place to start for some four-wheeled variety.

Time Shooter 3: SWAT controls

PC/laptop/Chromebook

• WASD keys – Movement
• Left mouse button – Pick up weapon/Shoot
• Right mouse button – Throw weapon
• F – Pick up/Throw shield

The F key is the only new addition compared to the Time Shooter 2 controls. There’s also an AZERTY toggle on the main menu if you’d prefer ZQSD movement instead.

Mobile/tablet (iOS/Android)

Time Shooter 3 does load on Android devices in the browser, but like TS2, it’s much better played on a mouse and keyboard.

The touch controls don’t work as well as we’d like, and the precision required here (especially with the hostages now) makes a PC/laptop or Chromebook a much better experience. If you’re on your phone, our mobile games collection has loads of perfectly-optimized options, and Escape Road is a great pick for quick-session sideways action on the go.

What’s new in Time Shooter 3: SWAT?

If you’re used to playing Time Shooter 2, here’s what’s changed this time around:

You now get three lives (instead of one)

Unlike the previous game, you can now take hits on each level before it’s game over. You’ll see three shields displayed at the top of the screen, signifying how many remain. A cracked-glass effect appears when you take a hit, and it resets after each level.

There are now (many) hostages you’ll need to avoid

Bright blue figures are scattered throughout levels, and shooting one is an instant game over, regardless of your remaining lives (even if it’s a complete accident). You’ll need to be much more precise with every shot, especially if you’re using the shotgun and there are gas cylinders close by!

You now get a battering ram to smash through doors

Purple doors now block off rooms that contain hostages and more enemies. Grab the battering ram to smash through, and use it to whack enemies on the other side on the earlier levels, but be warned, you’ll be greeted with a room full of guns pointing at you later on, so don’t hang around too long! When it runs out of uses, throw it at someone for one final hit, and it’ll snap in half. (Realistically, of course.)

Riot shields now offer additional protection

Once you’ve struck your enemy through the small window near the top of the shield, press F to repossess it, and it’ll block incoming bullets and give you breathing room. You can’t carry a shield and a battering ram at the same time, so consider dropping the shield (and your weapon) near the door before entering.

Enemies now have armor

Terrorists now sport helmets and body armor that’ll deflect your shots when hit, requiring a follow-up hit to finish them off. Aim for exposed areas if you want to save ammo. They’ll still explode immediately if you hit any of the exposed parts.

Batons are in, axes are gone

The police vibe continues with the enemies now carrying batons instead of axes in TS2, but they’ll still do just as much damage.

How to play Time Shooter 3: SWAT

Initial setup

The main menu is minimal. ‘Settings’ is in the top right, where you can toggle sound and music, adjust volume and mouse sensitivity, and pick from three language options. Once you’re ready, you can hit ‘Play’ to get straight into the action.

Getting started

You’ll start the game unarmed with a weapons table nearby. Walk over, highlight the pistol, and left-click to pick it up. Arming yourself is always priority number one, and you’ll have plenty more selection on offer as you progress.

The first couple of levels are nice and simple, with slow, baton-wielding enemies that need to get close before they can get you. Use these early levels to get used to the new multi-room mode by approaching a purple door and smashing it open with a battering ram. Be warned – you’ll have enemies waiting behind, eagerly anticipating your arrival.

From level three, the enemies have guns, and things escalate fast. As soon as you smash open a door, you can expect to be confronted by a room full of terrorists with guns pointed at you. Move sideways immediately, or you’ll be left eating bullets.

Quick tip: Before smashing through the doors, we recommend dropping your gun and shield right next to it. Find the battering ram, smash the door, throw the ram at the nearest enemy (unless they’re far away with a gun), then grab your gear back right away.

It sounds like a lot of juggling (and it is), but you’ll get used to it after a few levels. This is what we mean by needing to plan things a little more.

Just like Time Shooter 2, you’ll soon get game over (despite the extra lives), but you can still restart in a second, and go again. This quick-reload ability is what makes browser games great. Just like other offerings like Drive Mad, you’ll want to have ‘just one more attempt’ before it soon turns into forty. Watch out!

Weapons & equipment

The weapon roster carries over from Time Shooter 2, with some tactical additions.

• Pistol – Reliable, quick to reload, and accurate at range. Especially useful with the endless ammo booster activated.
• Assault rifle – Still arguably the best weapon. The higher fire rate shreds through packed rooms and lets you shoot enemies far away, which is exactly what you need after breaching a door to find a welcoming committee.
• Shotgun – Offers a fantastic spread for hitting multiple enemies close together, and maybe getting lucky by detonating a gas cylinder to take out several in one blast. It’s less precise than the rifle, though, so keep it away from hostage situations.

• Machine gun – The ultimate pick for working your way through the chaos of the later levels, where the continuous fire becomes a lifesaver (quite literally.)

• Battering ram – The first new addition to the series. It smashes purple doors and doubles as a melee weapon. Like the others, it has limited uses, but you can throw it for one last hit when it’s spent.

• Riot shield – Also new. Lets you see through the window at the top while also helping block bullets as you advance. Takes a couple of hits before shattering, and you can pick up replacements from fallen enemies. It can’t be carried at the same time as the battering ram.
• Metal balls – Throwable, reusable, and they arc due to weight, so you’ll need to aim higher than you’d think.
• Gas cylinders – These are the big pink bottles lying around (also seen in TS2), which explode when shot, eliminating everyone nearby. They’re excellent for clearing multiple enemies, but you’ll need to be extremely careful around hostages this time around, as the blast radius is wider than you’d expect.

Smash Karts takes a completely different approach to weapon pickups if you fancy something lighter, offering a Mario Kart-style browser experience with rockets, mines, and grenades in fast multiplayer rounds.

Advanced tips & tricks

Drop your gear beside the door before breaching

Place your gun and shield right next to the purple door, find the battering ram, smash your way through it, then throw the ram if there’s an enemy close by on the other side. Then, move out of the way quickly, grab your gear again, and start clearing your way through the room to rescue the hostages.

Focus on the shooters first, then deal with baton runners after

Baton enemies move at a crawl with the time slowed down, but those with guns can drop you from across the room in an instant when you’re moving. Always deal with the shooter threats first, then clean up the melee enemies once the bullets have stopped flying (unless one is right in front of you).

Grab the riot shield whenever you see one available

The (slightly) restricted view takes a bit of getting used to, but the protection is well worth it.

Consider repositioning yourself before taking a risky shot near hostages

If there’s even a small chance your bullet or a gas cylinder blast is likely to reach a hostage, hold fire. Move around until you have a clean line well clear of any blue figures. One stray hit will mean game over, regardless of how many lives you have remaining.

Take your time before moving into the next room

Enemies can’t kick down doors, so treat the empty rooms as a chance to pause and prepare for the next onslaught. Gather the weapons, set up your gear, and smash your way through when you’re ready. Patience beats rushing in every time.

If you’ve enjoyed this game but fancy some multiplayer action after going solo, Survival Race puts you behind the wheel of a car before throwing you into online rounds with collapsing hexagonal platforms, where you’ll drift, jump, and ram rivals off the edge while the floor disappears beneath you.

Or, if you’d prefer some two-wheeled action, check out our motorcycle games collection, with popular games like Traffic Road offering a similar swerve and avoid approach. But, instead of bullets, you’ll be dodging oncoming lorries!

Time Shooter 3: SWAT FAQ