Time Crisis is a first-person on-rails light gun shooter series of arcade video games by Namco, introduced in 1995. It is focused on the exploits of a fictional international intelligence agency who assigns its best agents to deal with a major threat by a hostile organisation, which has ranged from criminals, terrorists and hostile military outfits, and mostly take place within fictional locations across the world. The arcade series differed from other light gun shooters of its time by incorporating unique mechanics, including the ability to duck into cover to dodge attacks and reload the player's weapon, and forcing players to complete battles in each level within an allotted amount of time.

Over time, the series developed to incorporate additional features of gameplay, including two-player co-operative modes on arcade machines, the ability to use additional weapons in combat, and dealing with dangerous events. Alongside arcade machines, the series was also developed for consoles, beginning with a port of the first installment to PlayStation consoles in 1995, with all ported versions of arcade titles featuring additional content and game mechanics, such as additional stages, and different difficulty modes.

Alongside the main games in the series, it also has spawned a number of spin-off titles that incorporate the cover mechanics and time limit gameplay elements, but with notable differences in combat situations and organisations involved in each game's story and levels.

The setting of each Time Crisis revolves around a serious threat to usually one nation. However, some games have involved a threat to the world (Time Crisis II), the protagonist/player (Time Crisis: Project Titan), or to the protagonists'/players' organization (Time Crisis 5). The V.S.S.E. (Vital Situation, Swift-Elimination), a covert organization, must send in its highly skilled agents to eliminate any possible security threats. The first Time Crisis had three stages with four areas (location where the game starts) each. The second and third installments have three stages, each with three areas. The fourth installment adds a prologue for a total of 4 stages each with three areas (with the exception of the prologue, which has only one area). The fifth installment has an exclusive upgrade kit True Mastermind edition, which also includes the full version of the game. This doubles the stages from 3 to 6, with 3 areas that are interconnected with each other, thus there would be no breaks/loadings after clearing an area (with the exception of the final stage, which only has one area).

Many of the fighting areas are dangerous situations, such as a steadily capsizing ship or a train dangling off a damaged bridge (as in Time Crisis 3). In the third and fourth installments, supporters from various organizations come in to assist the V.S.S.E. agents, sometimes to aid them in their mission, sometimes to protect their own reputations. Crisis Zone has a different plot, which is focused on a SWAT team rather than secret agents. It takes place in the United Kingdom and concerns the S.T.F. (or Special Tactical Force)'s attempt to destroy the U.R.D.A., a terrorist organization. Razing Storm and Time Crisis: Razing Storm, which take place in the near-future, involve an elite task force known as S.C.A.R. (Strategic Combat and Rescue) being sent to a South American country during a revolution to capture and defeat the mastermind who has orchestrated an attack on the United States together with several international military organizations, while battling terrorists and other renegade soldiers and other combatants.

The first installment, Time Crisis, was released for arcades in 1995. Its story focuses on Richard Miller, an agent of an international intelligence agency, as he races against time to rescue the daughter of a newly installed president, from a member of the previous regime seeking to reclaim control of their former country. The game introduced several of the gameplay elements that would form the foundation of the series, including combat sections that had to be completed within a strict time-limit and the cover mechanics, and well as introducing the recurring character Wild Dog, who would feature prominently as a boss character in the main series.

A port of the game for the PlayStation was released in 1997, supported by the newly launched GunCon light gun peripheral, and included an add-on of new stages set after the events of the main story. These events focus on Miller being assigned to investigate a criminal organisation, operating out of hotel that is a front for a munitions factory, and dealing against with its mysterious leader as well.

Time Crisis II, released for the arcades in 1997, focuses on the efforts of intelligence agents Keith Martin and Robert Baxter, as they attempt to thwart the efforts of a major industrial tycoon from launching a nuclear military satellite in space, and rescue a fellow agent that they kidnapped. The game offered co-operative gameplay between two players for the first time, with the arcade original being launched with linked game machines that featured contrasting coloured light gun controllers. In addition, the original game mechanics of its predecessor were modified for the sequel, including the time-limit system, while incorporating new elements such as each playable character having their own battle situations at times, players receiving a score penalty for shooting the other character, and a new game highlight system for indicating a deadly shot about to hit the player. A port of the game for the PlayStation 2 was released in 2001, supported by the GunCon 2 light gun peripheral, which included enhanced graphics and additional story scenes.