Time Crisis is a first person rail shooter similar to Virtua Cop and The House of the Dead, in which the player holds a light gun and goes through the motions of firing at on-screen enemies. Unique to the arcade original was the presence of a foot pedal, which is released to cause the player's avatar to duck behind cover, as well as reload their weapon. However, the player can only shoot while the pedal is depressed, and their avatar vulnerable to enemy fire. (The pedal was replaced with standard buttons for non-arcade releases.) Finally, the game takes its name from a countdown clock, recharged by clearing an area of "bad guys." As running down the clock causes an instant game over, the player must take risks, shooting enemies rapidly and hiding only when necessary.