TimeSplitters is pure, rather than shallow; it has all the action of an FPS with none of the bells and whistles that seem to encumber as many games as they enhance. Its technical sophistication and humor promised great things for Free Radical's future, and the sequel delivered on that promise.
TimeSplitters 2 (2002): After months of compulsively playing the short demo, I received the full sequel like it was manna from Heaven. It was everything a sequel should be; the same time hopping premise and smooth experience of the first, but improved and expanded in every respect.
In the story mode, the level design incorporated objectives which, though somewhat perfunctory, added complexity and a more deliberate pace. Enemy A.I. grew more sophisticated than the cardboard popup-esque miscreants of the first game's story mode (except, of course, for the challenge that literally pitted the player against cardboard popups), even ducking and leaning gently away from the crosshairs as the player lines up a headshot. There was even a rudimentary story; think Quantum Leap with more savage, unrestrained violence.
In multiplayer, the sequel retained what was best about the original while making significant improvements. The level editor, bots and a few favored maps were refined and joined by new modes, power-ups, optional character-specific skill attributes and even more customizable parameters.
The challenge mode was likewise expanded and joined by the arcade league mode, a series of predefined multiplayer bot matches. Free Radical's sense of humor really began to shine here. Players could not only play as a beasts, mutants, zombies and golems, but could read a laugh-out-loud blurb on each of these characters' back story. The challenge premises were just as clever, including a self-deprecating set that openly mocked the first game's "story" mode.
In a genre that's almost universally dour and self-important, the unfettered silliness of Free Radical's flying snowmen and exploding monkeys was unique and welcome, and being backed by truly brilliant game play certainly didn't hurt.
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (2005): In this third and last title, TimeSplitters had its first fully developed story. Thankfully, far from falling into the same self-serious traps that make some game plots unbearable, Free Radical went in the opposite direction, crafting a tale that simultaneously parodied and reveled in all the cliches of time travel in particular, and sci-fi heroism and villainy in general. The hero, Sgt. Cortez, enthusiastically spouted a catch phrase so lame ("Time to split!") that other characters actually winced, and generally gave causality the finger as he fraternized with his own past and future selves. There were subtler touches of humor throughout the game as well, like the rambling, defeatist drunk who turned up (in a different form) in each era.
Article comments
1 - Derek viases
Its sad that free radical is bankrupt, I so wanted to get the next timesplitter game, I think timesplitters is one of the best game franchises ever made
2 - Mark
TS: FP is indeed a grand game, one of the best on the PS2. This story really begins with GoldenEye and Perfect Dark on the N64, though, as Free Radical was made up of former Rare team members who worked on those games. Ever wonder why they felt kinda familiar, and had the same replete options for game customization, bots, splitscreen, etc., when everyone else shunned such elements? TS: FP was to the PS2 what Perfect Dark was to the N64, which is why I still dabble in both to this day. R.I.P. Free Radical. You will be missed (even if the pointless dialogue in Haze went on far. too. long.).
3 - Gabe Carr
I never had an N64 myself, though I've heard the Rare connection mentioned elsewhere. It seems they've had pretty proficient and enlightened design since the beginning...which does make Haze all the more shocking.
4 - Jason
i hope some kind of miracle happens and timsplitters 4 comes out i have ts2 and ts3 fp there can be some improvements like i want to be able to jump cause on my version u cant but the game has everything explosions, humor, vehicles,u can create ur own maps,there is pretty good graphics,and u can fight in different time periods from 1924 to 2401