Gaming Target - Xbox: TimeSplitters 2

Written by Nick Doukas on July 15, 2002

First Impressions: If I could save time in a bottle, I'd blast all your entrails to gooЕ

Who remembers the launch of the PS2? C'monЕanyone? Ok, I do. Along with a truly heroic hardware shortage, there wasn't much in the way of a killer app or a system seller in the list of launch titles. However, in October 2000, lucky PS2 owners did have a choice of 2 different First Person Shooters (I went with Unreal Tournament, and thus received gleeful, computer-generated accolades for Уmulti-killsФ and Уkilling-spreesФ), one of which was a game called TimeSplitters. Created by Free Radical, a development house that employs a number of ex-Rare artists and programmers (Rare, as Nintendo fans know, was the muscle behind N64 stalwarts Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, two of the finest console FPS's in gaming history), the game was a solid, if unspectacular, FPS. Well boys and girls, Free Radical is at it again with TimeSplitters 2, and this time Microsoft's baby gets a version. Intent on creating a spectacular single player experience, the team has put a lot of time into making sure every aspect of the game reeks of coolness, and improves upon the original.

The game takes place in the year 2401. A futuristic space installation floats in the inky blackness of space, inhabited by an evil race known as the TimeSplitters. Growing in strength and numbers, they have only one purpose in life -- to destroy all human existence (now, isn't that quaint). An elite troop of space marines has been sent to overpower these vile creatures, but they're fighting a losing battle. The last two remaining marines fight their way to the heart of the station, where the TimeSplitters keep their secret weapon, the time portal. Powered by nine rare crystal shards, it enables the TimeSplitters to leap from one generation to another, changing the course of history for the good of their own. The marines arrive as the last two crystals disappear through the portal, in the hands of the enemy. The only way to stop the TimeSplitters evil reign is to follow them into the portal and recover the nine crystals before they are lost forever. This is where you come in (and, if you want, a friend. That's right Halo fansЕthere's a co-op modeЕwoo-hoo!!) leaping into the time portal to follow the enemy through history and thwart their evil plans.

TimeSplitters 2 will consist of nine time traveling episodes, each with their own distinct graphical style and mission objectives, spanning diverse time periods from the Wild West and Neo Tokyo circa 2019, to 1930's Chicago and a robot factory deep in outer space. The game will feature tremendous and realistic environments, all with the requisite bump mapping and real-time light sourcing we've come to expect from the Xbox. Having recently seen the trailer for TS2, I can tell you that the environmental textures look top-notch and character models sport generous polygon counts. Weapons are beautifully modeled, and explosions, gunfire and other environmental effects round out the graphical package nicely. The game will feature over 90 characters and enemies, which will include renegades and lunatics, as well as various other time criminals you'll have to deal with in your quest to track down the TimeSplitters. Enemies will feature reactive hit animations, which results in the appearance of context and position sensitive damage, meaning bodies and objects react to where they've been shot. Certain mission objectives will be based on this concept. For example, in Chicago, you'll be forced to shoot the tires off of a mob car in order to complete the level.

Since each stage takes place in a different time period, weapons, scenarios and enemies will change with each new area you visit. Missions range from assaulting a huge dam complex (a little homage to Goldeneye), to preventing an assassination and blasting your way through a space station. There are varying ways to attack each level, and the developers have given gamers the freedom to complete the required objectives in any order they choose, so you won't necessarily have to finish your first task before you tackle the second. Throughout each level, cool little touches such as the ability to man a gun emplacement or control a security camera to view different areas of the complex present themselves, and they add a high level of detail to the proceedings. Players will find themselves equipped with a silenced pistol, a Soviet 547 rifle, an assault shotgun, a flamethrower and a sniper rifle. Of course, in 1930's Chicago, you'll make use of a bolt-action sniper rifle, a Tommy gun, and TNT. As you can see, your time period will determine what weaponry is available to you. Gamers will also make use of a tracking device, which details the location of crystal shards, as well as providing a small map of your immediate surroundings. Each time period will present the player with a different challenge, be it a manic firefight with freaky zombies, or a creeping spy mission where stealth must be maintained at all costs. The mission structure is further enhanced with the inclusion of bonus rewards, mini-games or areas that can be opened up by completing an assignment.

Free Radical is also including a cool level editor, which director David Doak (who also worked on Goldeneye) explains: УYou can put doors in, and you can put keys in, and you can link the keys to doors. Then you can add a start point and an end point, and put in non-player characters and have them say stuff. Effectively, you could make something about the complexity of a Doom level.Ф You'll be able to use the editor to create single and multiplayer areas. The game will feature 2-4 split screen multiplayer action, including: death match, capture the flag, escort, last stand and more. The system link cable is slated to be supported as well, however, on-line plans are TBA at this point. TimeSplitters 2 will include Dolby 5.1 surround, so it should sound as good as it looks. All in all, TimeSplitters 2 looks poised to create a huge stir when it arrives in September, and FPS fans would be wise to consider a pre-order. I have a feeling TS2 will be the FPS experience this fall.