A Personal Favourite
TimeSpltters 2 is an FPS from Free Radical and offers a unique variety of both single player and multiplayer modes. TimeSplitters 2 is arguably the best split-screen FPS of that generation. Through a vast amount of content, solid gameplay and a great sense of humour TimeSplitters 2 offers you an experience like no other.
The single player game in TimeSplitters 2 is more than just your standard story mode. In the story mode that is incorporated into TimeSplitters 2 you play through a series of levels that take place at different points in time. For example, you play levels in 1930's Chicago, a level in the wild west and several other times. The story isn't compelling and it doesn't drive you to play through it, but the levels and gameplay alone make it worthwhile. The depth of immersion given by your surroundings, the characters within it and the weapons collected is vast, and helps to pull you in to the story happening around you. You are also given an arcade mode for single player. This allows you to take on a series of short challenges to try and take home the gold and the top score. These challenges get harder and are where you will find the bulk of your rewards coming from, mainly new characters.
The characters are definitely a driving point in TimeSplitters 2. In the story you play as Sergent Cortez and Corporal Heart, who is controlled by the second player if you decide to play with the co-op option. However, you will find yourself taking on the body of a character that will blend in with the times, such as a soldier or cowboy. This obviously creates a huge cast of characters right off the bat that are playable, with 10 levels that's 22 characters. However, there are also over 100 more characters that are unlockable for multiplayer, which are mainly taken from your single player enemies, characters returning from the first game, along with cute and often outrageous sub characters created solely for the challenge mode. This means that everyone will have a favorite that is totally different to another person, creating some interesting rivalries, often between monkeys and robots (an issue resolved with TimeSplitters 3, thanks to the addition of Robo-Monkey).
Similar to the characters, weapons will be unique to the time you are playing in. You will obviously be provided with conventional weaponry in the levels that are before the present day, but any level that is set in the future will probably provide you with some form of laser weaponry or a futuristic take on a rocket launcher and so on. The weapons provide the game with a nice variety and allow the developers to give the player a lot of different types of weapons with unique functions. This will obviously make the multiplayer varied, and with the mix of characters and levels throw in the mix, you can create some really interesting match ups and variations.
The multiplayer is also one of the most in depth modes that have ever been seen in an FPS. TimeSplitters 2 offers a great variety of game modes in the multiplayer. This ranges from your classic death match modes, flame tag, a funny variation of the classic playground game of tag, and capture the...bag, which obviously shares a lot in common with capture the flag. The game modes are numerous and with the addition of AI bots as an option you can easily create not just a balanced game but a funny game too. This all adds up to the best example of split screen multiplayer that we have seen in any game, without doubt, as well as a good example of comedy, all be it rudimentary, for a game.
All of this is added too by the ability to create your own levels, as if the 15 or so levels that are already provided weren't enough. Of course, you can't create levels in as much detail as the maps provided and they won't have the greatest experience, but you can obviously create some interesting scenarios and maps that compliment certain game modes better than others. Some of the best maps are those that are simple and fair, you can easily create a map that plays well. It's also possible to set up story scenarios for a player, along custom maps to be played as a single player experience. Setting up enemy patrols, triggers, switch points, objectives and spawns is all included, making it possible to actually create a level with enough depth to hold a players attention.
TS2 offers great graphics, but not in a pure "power" way. They may not be realistic but they suit the comedy style of the game greatly. Rarely are there any mistakes in the graphics department, there are a few examples of clipping with objects but the textures and guns stand up very well. It's not a game that will (or even would have) blown you away, but keeping the characters morphed just enough makes the presentation not only hold up, but sometimes stand out. The music is also fantastic in TS2. Each song matches the level perfectly and helps create the right environment. Don't expect any symphonies, but TS2 delivers on what it needs to, which is music to match the level or pace of the game you're currently playing.
In short, TimeSplitters has to be considered when thinking about what console FPS's have stood out from the crowd, and perhaps changed things up a little from the conventional approaches. Everything you are provided with in the game is fantastic and serves the pupose well. You can very easily find yourself playing this for a long time to come. For what it is, it's something fantastic, and can provide a player with enough to keep them busy all summer long.
The single player game in TimeSplitters 2 is more than just your standard story mode. In the story mode that is incorporated into TimeSplitters 2 you play through a series of levels that take place at different points in time. For example, you play levels in 1930's Chicago, a level in the wild west and several other times. The story isn't compelling and it doesn't drive you to play through it, but the levels and gameplay alone make it worthwhile. The depth of immersion given by your surroundings, the characters within it and the weapons collected is vast, and helps to pull you in to the story happening around you. You are also given an arcade mode for single player. This allows you to take on a series of short challenges to try and take home the gold and the top score. These challenges get harder and are where you will find the bulk of your rewards coming from, mainly new characters.
The characters are definitely a driving point in TimeSplitters 2. In the story you play as Sergent Cortez and Corporal Heart, who is controlled by the second player if you decide to play with the co-op option. However, you will find yourself taking on the body of a character that will blend in with the times, such as a soldier or cowboy. This obviously creates a huge cast of characters right off the bat that are playable, with 10 levels that's 22 characters. However, there are also over 100 more characters that are unlockable for multiplayer, which are mainly taken from your single player enemies, characters returning from the first game, along with cute and often outrageous sub characters created solely for the challenge mode. This means that everyone will have a favorite that is totally different to another person, creating some interesting rivalries, often between monkeys and robots (an issue resolved with TimeSplitters 3, thanks to the addition of Robo-Monkey).
Similar to the characters, weapons will be unique to the time you are playing in. You will obviously be provided with conventional weaponry in the levels that are before the present day, but any level that is set in the future will probably provide you with some form of laser weaponry or a futuristic take on a rocket launcher and so on. The weapons provide the game with a nice variety and allow the developers to give the player a lot of different types of weapons with unique functions. This will obviously make the multiplayer varied, and with the mix of characters and levels throw in the mix, you can create some really interesting match ups and variations.
The multiplayer is also one of the most in depth modes that have ever been seen in an FPS. TimeSplitters 2 offers a great variety of game modes in the multiplayer. This ranges from your classic death match modes, flame tag, a funny variation of the classic playground game of tag, and capture the...bag, which obviously shares a lot in common with capture the flag. The game modes are numerous and with the addition of AI bots as an option you can easily create not just a balanced game but a funny game too. This all adds up to the best example of split screen multiplayer that we have seen in any game, without doubt, as well as a good example of comedy, all be it rudimentary, for a game.
All of this is added too by the ability to create your own levels, as if the 15 or so levels that are already provided weren't enough. Of course, you can't create levels in as much detail as the maps provided and they won't have the greatest experience, but you can obviously create some interesting scenarios and maps that compliment certain game modes better than others. Some of the best maps are those that are simple and fair, you can easily create a map that plays well. It's also possible to set up story scenarios for a player, along custom maps to be played as a single player experience. Setting up enemy patrols, triggers, switch points, objectives and spawns is all included, making it possible to actually create a level with enough depth to hold a players attention.
TS2 offers great graphics, but not in a pure "power" way. They may not be realistic but they suit the comedy style of the game greatly. Rarely are there any mistakes in the graphics department, there are a few examples of clipping with objects but the textures and guns stand up very well. It's not a game that will (or even would have) blown you away, but keeping the characters morphed just enough makes the presentation not only hold up, but sometimes stand out. The music is also fantastic in TS2. Each song matches the level perfectly and helps create the right environment. Don't expect any symphonies, but TS2 delivers on what it needs to, which is music to match the level or pace of the game you're currently playing.
In short, TimeSplitters has to be considered when thinking about what console FPS's have stood out from the crowd, and perhaps changed things up a little from the conventional approaches. Everything you are provided with in the game is fantastic and serves the pupose well. You can very easily find yourself playing this for a long time to come. For what it is, it's something fantastic, and can provide a player with enough to keep them busy all summer long.
