Summary
Being able to control time is something many players enjoy.Having the powerto slow time to get the best shot, reverse time to try another option, or stop it completely in its tracks to get across a level. Being able to use time control has its advantages, and that’s something many games have added as a feature to their titles. It can be really hard to pull off, and there are many titles that don’t end up doing justice to this ingenious mechanic.
Although many games have attempted to implement this mechanic, only a few of them are remembered or praised for how it affects gameplay as well as the story. Being seen as one of the best games with time control mechanics is a hefty feat, showing that developers understood how engaging it can be to mess around with the fabric of time itself to experience something unique and memorable.
Updated July 13, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:It can be challenging for games to nail the concept of controlling itself in their gameplay. While this mechanic can make for some spectacular set-pieces and unique stories, there are times when players don’t feel all that amazed by how games mess around with time. Thankfully, many games have done a great job of integrating time-based mechanics, even if the implementation itself may not be as broad or all-encompassing as most people would expect.
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13Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5is one of the greatest racing games available. Players can roam around a vast, engaging open world while completing races, unlocking rare barn finds,accomplishing challenges, and more. The best part about racing is that theForzagames know just how frustrating a single mistake can be during a heart-pounding race, forcing players all the way to last place in certain instances.
To avoid this, mostForzagames allow players to rewind time so that they can go a few seconds back before impact. Not only is this a great way to negate the frustration from futile crashes, but it also allows players to nail the perfect turn or avoid a graze that messed with their speed. It can be a bit too forgiving at times, but there’s always some skill involved to win the races even with this mechanic in the way.
12The Max Payne Trilogy
Max Payneisone of the best video game series ever made. Fans will have a great time playing through all three games and witnessing the story of this gritty detective. The third game is a huge jump in terms of gameplay, even if some people felt that the story itself took a knock and wasn’t in the spirit of the other twoMax Paynegames.
Regardless, one of the best features ofMax Paynewas its Bullet Time mechanic. The idea of jumping into the fray in slow motion while peppering enemies with bullets made for some really stylish kills. Players became dealers of death with their akimbo pistols, SMGs, rifles, and other forms of weaponry.Max Payneis a must-play for any gamer who likes great time-slowdown mechanics in their third-person shooters.
11Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Shu Takumi is known to many as the man behind the belovedAce Attorneyseries. While this series is iconic in its own right, the game that many fans consider to be Takumi’s greatest doesn’t come from this series. That honor goes to a title that was recently re-released on the Switch, calledGhost Trick: Phantom Detective.
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The story follows Sissel as players try to piece together the fragments of his past to uncover the reason why he became a ghost in the first place. It’s a tantalizing tale, featuring a massive twist that most players won’t see coming. There are many ways this twist is foreshadowed, making for a clever and mind-blowing story that is easily Shu Takumi at the height of his powers.
10Superhot
In the minimalist first-person shooterSuperhot, players have limited power when it comes to controlling time. Time only moves when the player moves, allowing them to consider the best form of attack before deciding to pick up their weapon and deal damage.
This turns Superhotfrom the typical shooter titleto something that fits more of the puzzle genre. The mechanics make the player feel intelligent by allowing them to calculate their whole attack before time starts once more and they take down their enemy.
9F.E.A.R
There are few horror titles that take on any sort of time control mechanics as it may break away from the immersive creepiness of the title. However,F.E.A.Rhoped to combine this psychological horror with making players feel as if they were part of an action film.
In this game, players have the legendaryfeature of reflex time. As the player will find themselves constantly attacked while exploring, reflex time shows off the character’s superhuman reflexes letting the player aim and fire at a normal speed while the world around them slows.
8Singularity
Another first-person shooter with horror genre features isSingularity.Players find themselves on an uninhabited island that was once held by the Soviet Union. After a US satellite is shot out of the sky, the player finds themselves traveling between the present day and the events of 1955 on the island.
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A large feature of the game comes from the Time Manipulation Device they wear on their hand. This gives the player the solution to a lot of the puzzles they face on the island being able to quicken time to age an object as well as other features.
7Timeshift
Many games that allow the player to control time make it a necessary feature tohelp solve puzzles,Timeshiftis no different. In this shooter title, one of the player’s main abilities, as suggested by the name, is the ability to shift time.
The player can do this in one of three ways: slowing, stopping, or reversing time. This helps with many time-related puzzles as well as allowing players to stop time to take the weapon away from an enemy or to dodge projectiles.
6Ghostrunner
In this incredibly challenging action platformer set in a cyberpunk-like world, players must take down enemies quickly if they wish to succeed. A single hit from an enemy will instantly kill the player which can be difficult to avoid during this fast-paced combat.
To make this combat more manageable, players have an ability called Sensory Booster, which heightens the character’s reflexes. This then slows down time to assist the player in dodging incoming fire, as well as being able to easily close in on their opponent.
5Dishonored
Players that have explored the gloomy streets ofDishonoredas Corvo will know that he has an abundance of abilities after being blessed with the mark of the outsider. One such skill that he can unlock is called Bend Time.
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As the name suggests, Corvo can use this ability to slow down or even stop time altogether. This can be used to eithersneak past enemieswhile attempting to complete the game non-lethally or slow time to get behind the enemy and perform a swift kill.
4Quantum Break
After a failed experiment, the protagonist ofQuantum Break, Jack Joyce, is gifted with the power to bend time to hit will. These abilities are something players will need to use to their advantage both in and out of combat to help put an end to the disaster known as the ‘End of Time.’
While players have their usual time control mechanics such as being able to stop enemies. One of the more exciting features of Quantum Break is the ability to use Time Vision, which reveals points of interest as. Meanwhile, Time Echoes allows the player to see past events.
