TimeSplitters
| TimeSplitters | |
| Missing image Ts1box.jpg TimeSplitters US box art. | |
| Developer(s) | Free Radical Design |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos |
| Release date(s) | October 26, 2000 |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T), ELSPA: 15+ |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Media | CD-ROM |
TimeSplitters is a series of first person shooter video games, which have a storyline based on time travel. The games are published by Eidos and have been released on the Playstation 2, Xbox and GameCube formats. There are currently three games in the series, TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (published by EA Games).
The original game, TimeSplitters, was developed by the Nottingham based company Free Radical Design and published in 2000 by Eidos. Set over 100 years of past, present and future, TimeSplitters boasts probably the fastest gameplay yet seen in an FPS, demanding the player keep their wits about them at all times.
The look of the game is substantially more stylised and cartoon-like than most first person shooters, with character models and expressions more closely resembling games such as XIII or Serious Sam than more po-faced contemporaries such as Half-Life or Red Faction. This emphasis on often comic book-style character design, many of which represent instantly recognisable parodies of established pop-culture stereotypes (such as the aristocratic English explorer or the suave secret agent) combined with an often surreal and self-mocking style of humour.
The game, and the series as a whole, is notable for the inclusion of a Mapmaker: a simple grid-based level editor. In TimeSplitters, Mapmaker maps may only be used in Arcade mode.
| Contents |
Story
Story mode is a series of nine short yet frantic missions, based upon the retrieval of a key object and its successful return, typically back to the maps starting point. Enemy AI is simple yet determined, and on harder settings there's little room for error. Enemies can appear out of nowhere and there are no checkpoints to allow breathing space. The difficulty curve in TimeSplitters is steep, in the harder settings the enemies become more numerous, better armed, and the maps themselves can change to make things more difficult.
There are always two playable characters on each mission to choose between in Story Mode, one male, one female. Cooperative play is also available, though enemy numbers and weapon/health placements remain the same as in Single Player Mode.
The Story mode is also where most of the games unlockables are found. Completing a mission will often be rewarded with a new character or characters in the Arcade game. Other rewards include new cheats and new Arcade maps. Completing a mission in a set time limit will also garner a reward. Weaponry available to the player is determined primarily by the time setting of the mission, Tommy Guns and Mausers, through Uzis to rayguns can all be found throughout the game.
The Story Mode missions are:
- Egyptian Tomb-1935.
- Chinese Resturant-1970.
- Cyberden-2005.
- Village-1950.
- Chemical Plant-1985.
- Planet X-2020.
- Mansion-1965.
- Docks-2000.
- Spaceways-2035.
Arcade
The game's multi-player Arcade mode when fully unlocked, boasts a selection of 6 game types, 18 maps, over 60 characters and all story mode weapons, coupled with almost complete customisation of individual match settings, and finished with a quality mapmaker.
The individual game types are:
- Deathmatch: Be the first to reach the kill limit. Teamplay and an optional time limit can be set in which case, the leader at the close is declared winner.
- BagTag: Hold the bag for as long as possible within the time limit. Teamplay can be set.
- Capture the Bag: Capture the enemy team's bag and return it to your base to score. The player must defend their own bag as they lose points for its capture. Also, a player cannot score while the bag is out of their base, but they only need touch it when out of enemy hands to return it. A time limit can be set.
- Knockout. Bag's spawn onto the map (usually in the same basic area) and the player must take then to their team's base to score. A time limit can be set.
- Escort: Only available on some maps. Escort an NPC to a pre-set base while defending him or her from respawning enemies.
- Last Stand: Only available on some maps. Hold of increasing waves of enemies for as long as possible, points are awarded for both efficient kills and completion of phases.
The Arcade maps available are:
- Tomb
- Graveyard
- Chinese
- Site
- Cyberden
- Streets
- Village
- Castle
- Chemical Plant
- Bank
- Planet X
- Spaceship
- Mansion
- Mall
- Docks
- Compound
- Spaceways
- Warzone
As can be seen, half of the Arcade Mode maps are lifted directly from the Story Mode, albeit 'opened up' (or in the case of the Spaceways and Tomb maps, closed-off) for Arcade usage, the remainder are those maps specially constructed for Arcade Mode play.
The characters available as playable or bots, are made up mostly of Story mode heroes and villains and are many and varied. Everything from Robots, Cyborgs and Zombies to Gangsters, Aliens and even the odd Furry are selectable.
Challenge
A series of 9 sets of 3 single player challenges, often based around a pre-set Arcade match. Rewards are given for successful completion.
External links
- Free Radical Design - Home Site.