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TimeSplitters 2 Preview
Jason Julier
00/12/0000
Timesplitters 2 promises to improve over the original in every conceivable way.
The Playstation 2 launch was a triumph of style over content, only realised by the lucky few that managed to acquire one of the initial machines on launch day. Upon returning home, the visions of a third place or fantastic experiences were cruelly shattered across living room floors. Very few of the early Playstation 2 titles are remembered fondly or still even played today, one exception to the rule is Timesplitters. A debut release from the newly formed Free Radical Design started by several ex-Rare employees (who of course worked on Goldeneye) and others. Timesplitters was put together in little over a year, and while it had its flaws, is still one of the most challenging and captivating multiplayer games for the system. The game was a very impressive first generation title on a system that has struggled to date to provide quality titles yet still sold very well. It comes as no surprise therefore that Free Radical Design have spent the last 12 months working on a sequel, originally titled, Timesplitters 2, set for release in March 2002.
With the original game, Free Radical Design had a definite deadline to get the game out onto the market, the launch of the Playstation 2, whilst trying to get their studio up and running at the same time. The game in this respect was a fantastic achievement. For the sequel they have had more opportunity to design and rebuild many of the features included in the original or totally new elements left out due to time constraints and take on board feedback. The main flaw that everyone notices with Timesplitters is the lack of a single player mode; it was essentially a multiplayer game and still is. The single player mode only served to open up various bonuses by progressing through the levels. Mission objectives were straightforward as in most cases all you were required to do was retrieve an object and return to where you come from. This time around expect more character interaction, stealth, sniping and strategy to be required.
Graphically the game will feature improved animation and more detailed backgrounds as the team have managed to double the number of polygons used in the game. The game engine has been extensively upgraded to accommodate bigger, better backgrounds and special graphical effects such as fire and fog while still maintaining the fast paced action of the original. These features allow the team to show off through lavish water and fire effects; in fact both play an important part in the game. Those wannabe arsonists are going to thoroughly enjoy setting friends alight then watching in glee as they try to quell the flames. Levels such as the Siberian level or Mexican village in the game are far larger than any seen before and include variety of set pieces. The story again will feature a time travelling element with characters charging across time and space in pursuit of victory. This time pre-level FMV will provide the setting and drive the plot, what it is, no one quite knows yet. However expect to be taken from dusty Mexican standoffs to historical Notre Dame via the futuristic robot factory then back to Tokyo. This promises to be a journey that knows no bounds and will have plenty of hidden secrets for you to discover.
The original game had several strengths including the novel map creator and refreshing character design and thankfully these both return in force in the sequel. Whereas the original could only create multiplayer maps now you can set up Story levels and even have the option to set up guards patrol routes. The AI is similarly improved, whereas before all enemies took a gung-ho approach this time they will be more varied. Some will attack without hesitation while others will use cover or stealth to gun you down. In a genre of bland and uninspiring characters, Timesplitters refreshingly introduced cheerleaders, doctors, aliens and Elvis into a stagnant world of mutants, cyborgs and military personnel. This time expect to control cowboys, sheriffs, monkeys, rock men and robots with the Japanese schoolgirl attracting the most attention. Multiplayer options will be expanded with the support of the ignored iLink capabilities of the Playstation 2 with eight and sixteen player death matches being tested and perhaps making the final code. Fear not if you cannot afford the cable or lack friends as the game will feature a four-player split mode as standard and a co-operative story mode.
David Doak, Managing Director of Free Radical Design promised: \"With TimeSplitters we were just finding our feet, now we can go to town and show people what we\'re really capable of doing - TimeSplitters 2 will be an exceptional game.\"
