{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-bullet-time","type":"mechanic","id":"game-mechanics--gm-bullet-time","lang":"en","title":"Bullet time","summary":"The world temporarily moves more slowly, giving the player more time to aim and react. A limited resource makes activation timing a choice.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-bullet-time/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-bullet-time.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-bullet-time.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Game design techniques","Combat","Camera & perception","Gunplay","Satisfying"],"sourceIds":["source-6d8132b002132185","source-080ac81244b234ad","source-c6f0a30ef75f0c78","source-d077ac2f64da18d5","source-73808a8f4daec854","source-2ef7b24815eef25b","source-3a4bf15e5bd5ba89","source-1eef388cec3f0ebd"],"sources":[{"id":"source-6d8132b002132185","title":"The Matrix (1999), film analogy","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-080ac81244b234ad","title":"Max Payne (2001)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/max-payne","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-c6f0a30ef75f0c78","title":"F.E.A.R. (2005)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/f-e-a-r","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-d077ac2f64da18d5","title":"Stranglehold (2007)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/stranglehold","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-73808a8f4daec854","title":"F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (2009)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/f-e-a-r-2-project-origin","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-2ef7b24815eef25b","title":"Max Payne 3 (2012)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/max-payne-3","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-3a4bf15e5bd5ba89","title":"Killzone Shadow Fall (2013)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/killzone-shadow-fall","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-1eef388cec3f0ebd","title":"RoboCop: Rogue City (2023)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time/game/robocop-rogue-city","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The game slows events relative to player action or perception."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### How the technique works\n\n<a id=\"gm-bullet-time-rule\"></a>\n\n- The game slows events relative to player action or perception. <a id=\"gm-bullet-time-definition\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"game-mechanics","id":"gm-bullet-time","title":"Game design techniques","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-bullet-time","categoryIds":["gm-category-camera-perception","gm-category-combat","gm-category-gunplay","gm-category-satisfying"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Bullet time","description":"The world temporarily moves more slowly, giving the player more time to aim and react. A limited resource makes activation timing a choice.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/combat-bullet-time.webp","width":498,"height":276,"game":"F.E.A.R. (2005)","sourceUrl":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time","originalUrl":"https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/webm/fear_bullet_time.webm","sourceFrameSeconds":4.91,"credit":"Monolith Productions; frame from clip via GameMechanics.org","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. All rights reserved; excluded from the portal’s MIT and CC BY 4.0 licenses.","caption":"Reflex Time during a firefight","alt":"A F.E.A.R. firefight during Reflex Time has characteristic edge blur and visible shot effects.","markers":[{"x":52,"y":56,"label":"Enemy at the center of the slowed scene"},{"x":15,"y":42,"label":"Visual effect of the active mode"}]},"tips":["Keep the speed relationship between hero and world predictable.","Clearly show activation, remaining resource and the mode ending."],"examples":[{"title":"F.E.A.R. (2005)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/bullet-time"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/game-mechanics"}}