Ever since The Matrix hit the big screen, many video games have tried their hand at letting players emulate Neo’s time-bending, bullet-dodging proficiency. Along the way, new titles have not only captured the "Matrix feeling" but also introduced fresh twists and elements to ensure bullet-time remains one of the most badass gaming mechanics out there.
Whether they allow players to target limbs with precision, eliminate enemies with style, or even manipulate time itself – these games provide a way for players to act out their wildest action movie fantasies and become a certified masters of combat. Here are the best bullet time mechanics in video games.
8 GTA 5
Veteran players of GTA 5 will be familiar with the three main characters in single-player and their unique powers. Franklin can slow down time and increase mobility when driving, whereas Trevor can spiral into a rage, inflicting more damage on others and taking less himself.
Michael also enjoys a unique power – being able to slow down time while firing. This lets players pick their shots more accurately and makes it much easier to hit a moving target. It proves a handy ability throughout the main story, although players should keep the power bar as filled as possible to get the most bullet time to work with.
7 The Fallout Series
V.A.T.S., or the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, is an aiming mechanic introduced in Fallout 3. When activated, it slows down time to almost a standstill, allowing the player to aim at various body parts of their opponent. Each body part will have a different probability to hit or miss, which depends on its distance away, line of sight, and character skill.
This creates a new tactic for players to utilize, as shooting a particular limb can cripple the enemy and make them easier to defeat. At the same time, aiming for the head is a risky strategy that often misses but can inflict critical damage if it lands. At the end of the day, the choice of how to use V.A.T.S., or whether to use it at all, is up to the player.
6 The Red Dead Series
A distinctly Wild West twist on bullet time, the protagonists of the Red Dead series have access to Deadeye, which slows down time and lets them pick out their targets. It is similar to Michael’s power in GTA 5 but has the added benefit of being able to line up multiple targets instead of firing immediately.
Players mark their enemies with a red X, which signifies where the shot will land and can mark multiple hostiles before finishing them off with a lethal fan of the hammer. Any part of the victim’s body can be targeted, so players can aim at a hand to disarm them or even a leg or foot to leave them limping across the desert.
5 The Max Payne Series
Max Payne was the first video game title to meaningfully implement a bullet time mechanic, and its two sequels have only expanded on this premise. The player is typically thrown into an environment full of enemies, dives out from some high ledge or from behind cover, and time is slowed for them to take aim and dispatch as many opponents as possible.
It's a slick and rather flamboyant way to design a police action-adventure game, but was clearly inspired by The Matrix and expertly captures the essence of Neo’s lunging combat. Ultimately, nobody can deny that the series does bullet-time with style.
4 Quantum Break
Essentially an evolution of bullet time, Quantum Break builds upon the idea and presents new abilities to further expand the mechanic’s time manipulation qualities. Players can cast a Time Stop, which instead of slowing down time, creates a bubble around an enemy where time is frozen - the player will still move in regular time, and can use this to their advantage.
Alongside other abilities such as a Time Shield to deflect damage and a Time Rush to dash toward a nearby hostile, Quantum Break grants a lot more freedom in how players can approach time manipulation.
3 Dishonored
If looking for a more up close and personal take on bullet-time, Dishonored offers a huge amount of flexibility with its Bend Time spell. Using this ability brings the world to a standstill, allowing players to place traps, fire projectiles, blink past guards, disable mechanisms, and even assassinate targets.
The possibilities are endless, and while most do not involve the use of guns, players can easily line up ten different shots in Bend Time to strike their targets all at once. If that isn’t an expert display of bullet time, what is?
2 My Friend Pedro
Bringing bullet time to the platformer world, My Friend Pedro has players jump, flip, and somersault their way to victory. Equipped with two guns and a time-slow mechanic known as Focus, the player is free to dispatch a series of enemies with graceful elegance.
The protagonist can lock onto a target with one gun and aim freely with the other, allowing them to fire in two directions at once. This brings a unique element to dual-wielding pistols, and results in some seriously cinematic moves that will make even Neo jealous.
1 Superhot
A unique twist of the concept, the entire game of Superhot acts as one big bullet time. Whenever the player moves, the game’s time progresses, including enemies, bullets, and thrown objects. The slower they move, the less time will transpire, and the faster they move, the more time will pass.
This creates an environment where the player is directly in control of how fast time goes, with no limits - bullets can be dodged, hostiles can be sliced up, and sleek combos can be set up. At the end of each level, players are presented with a playback of their efforts, allowing them to watch their carefully planned combat in real-time. As bullet time goes, there’s nothing quite like it.