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TimeSplitters 2 Preview
Chris Leyton
00/12/0000
Timesplitters2 promises to improve upon the original in every way, with a number ofenhancements including a solid single-player mode. We take a look at an early build.
Timesplitters was one of the few success stories to come from the Playstation2cs launch, itâs excellent multiplayer mode and similarities to Goldeneye had gamers begging for more. Looks like Free Radical were listening, as TimeSplitters2 is nearly here complete with a solid single player mode and enhancements in every area.
Immediately from the start you can tell these guys were responsible for what some regard as the N64âs finest hour, Goldeneye. The opening level begins in the wilderness of Russia; the level is white with snow and features a very large dam and a science research centre that you must infiltrate. It immediately feels like a homage to Goldeneye, itâs almost as if theyâve taken different levels of that title, merged them into one superbly designed level, and stuck a proverbial finger-up to the guys at Rare, rumoured to be having a tough time with Perfect Dark Zero.
The links to Goldeneye donât stop there however, the health and armour are identical, heck even some of the sound samples sound like theyâve been lifted straight from that game, pick up a bullet-proof vest and youâll realise what I mean. Thankfully Goldeneyeâs subliminal gameplay has not only been ported across, but also improved immensely in my opinion.
To be honest with you I wasnât a massive fan of the N64 title, there was something about the controls that I couldnât quite get used to, and so I feared that this game would be much of the same. Fortunately TimeSplitters2 immediately changed my perception. The controls without doubt are the best Iâve seen on a PS2 FPS, think Goldeneye and youâll be on the right path, it just seems to work better on Dualshock2 controller for me, probably a personal taste but Iâm sure youâll soon get used to it all.
Using a combination of both thumbsticks and shoulder buttons to access the games preliminary controls, youâll easily be able to move around, look, shoot and manually target. After the stilted controls of Medal of Honor: Frontline, this works like a dream. The face buttons and d-pad are used for secondary controls, such as manually reloading and changing weapons.
Although weâve only got to check out one level, we can safely say that if the rest of the game plays like this then itâs going to be one to definitely add to your wish list. The game starts with you in a tunnel, immediately youâll pick up a handgun and sniper rifle, work your way though the level, strategically taking out the enemy with your sniper and youâll progress into the complex and deeper underground. At this point I was extremely impressed with the enemy AI, left alone theyâll get up to the usual things, yawning and sneezing like a bunch of wonderfully animated misfits, however as soon as they notice your presence theyâll hunt you down like a pack of crack SAS troops, tactically hunting you down in packs and constantly keeping you on your toes. In a sorry state with no ammo, I decided to run back through half the level, finally arriving at the beginning, I had time to turn around and witness the bullet from the bugger who had chased me around half the bleeding level, no cheap tricks here.
The levels are structured in a similar way to Goldeneye, with a number of primary and secondary objectives to complete. Eventually youâll work your way underground to what appears to be a science experiment gone badly wrong, bodies lie scattered along the ground, what appears to be a white dentist chair is the only thing that brightens up a dark room. Suddenly a voice comes over the communication system alerting you to an âalien presence detected â“ emergency shutdown activatedâ, before you know it the dead bodies have risen from the floor and are staggering towards you like a scene from a low-budget zombie flick, classic stuff. Scuttling back up the corridor, laying a serious amount of firepower in to them you work your way back through the level, to the higher ground and away to safety.
Whilst this level only served as a taster of whatâs to come, it had the perfect balance of tension and action, keeping you on your toes permanently and making sure you have a keen eye out for the slightest bit of movement. If the later levels are anything like this TimeSplitters2 could well be the best FPS available on the PS2, not to mention later versions on the GameCube and Xbox.
Visually the game was doing a lot of things right; it looks like developers are finally getting to grips with the PS2 and its infamous problems with textures. The textures on display here showed some off some very detailed and crisp artwork, whilst there were a number of neat effects to really make you go wow, I loved the way snowflakes hit the screen and subtly melted away. The action is extremely smooth throughout, with a constant 60FPS frame-rate no matter how hectic the action got, and believe me it does.
The character models look very organic, sporting the same characterised look of the original. I didnât get the chance to play that title too much, however from a couple of cut-scenes in this level Iâve already fallen in love with the mixture of Sci-Fi/Horror fused with comedy presentation.
