Review #5 - 2019
This is a game I remember playing at a friend's house as a child, and with that said, I had never seen anything like it. An FPS that takes you through various time periods all themed around the culture or year it's inspired by. So much variety in terms of design, with an incredible soundtrack made my Graeme Norgate that I have memorized and know by heart.
The story mode isn't very up front with lore, other than a briefing you'll find in the pause menu giving you exposition as to why you are where you are. Later titles expand on that department with cutscenes and side missions giving you a more in depth storytelling experience. In this title, all you need to know, is that there is a crucial item you need to pick up, and once you get it, you gotta survive and get it back to Point A before the TimeSplitters do. Very simple in premise, but if you like a challenge, you'll certainly find it here.
The gameplay is very similar to that of the N64's "Goldeneye", which by today's FPS standards hasn't aged well. As much as I adore this game, holding down L2 to get a shot down is an absolute pain, even with auto-aim, so if you're going to throw down the harder difficulties, get ready for a real challenge. The harder the difficulty, the longer it takes to clear a level, since the map gets deeper and deeper with each difficulty setting, making it crucial you remember your surroundings, and where you need to deliver the object once you pick it up. It helps that each level is designed with much variety and detail, so you can go off of landmarks and objects to remember where to go.
And really, that's the strong suit of this game. Each level is completely unique and full of life. From the maps themselves, to the enemies you'll come across. Each level has a character specifically designed for that level, making it really fun to unlock each level to see what time period you'll fall into next, and what it'll look like.
Speaking of unlocks, there are a TON. This game may seem like a tech demo in terms of its story mode, but damn, it's one BEEFY tech demo. So many characters to unlock. So many game modes to play. So many things! Get your friends involved, and it gets even more enjoyable. Multiplayer is chaotic, and is a real BLAST.
Last but not least, the glorious mapmaker. Oh BOY was this thing incredible for me as a kid. I'd spend hours creating my own maps to play with friends, or even to just run around on my own with AI. It's not very detailed in terms of textures, but it's still pretty decent, with later titles expanding on what you can put in your maps, including making more detailed story scenarios.
I have a lot to say about this game, because I LOVE this series, with "TimeSplitters 2" being my absolute favorite of the 3. What "TimeSplitters" lacks in story substance, it makes up for with literally every thing else it provides. It's fun, it's full of variety and character, and even though the controls are a pain sometimes, it never seems to get old for me, and I love sharing it with friends and family.
This is a game I remember playing at a friend's house as a child, and with that said, I had never seen anything like it. An FPS that takes you through various time periods all themed around the culture or year it's inspired by. So much variety in terms of design, with an incredible soundtrack made my Graeme Norgate that I have memorized and know by heart.
The story mode isn't very up front with lore, other than a briefing you'll find in the pause menu giving you exposition as to why you are where you are. Later titles expand on that department with cutscenes and side missions giving you a more in depth storytelling experience. In this title, all you need to know, is that there is a crucial item you need to pick up, and once you get it, you gotta survive and get it back to Point A before the TimeSplitters do. Very simple in premise, but if you like a challenge, you'll certainly find it here.
The gameplay is very similar to that of the N64's "Goldeneye", which by today's FPS standards hasn't aged well. As much as I adore this game, holding down L2 to get a shot down is an absolute pain, even with auto-aim, so if you're going to throw down the harder difficulties, get ready for a real challenge. The harder the difficulty, the longer it takes to clear a level, since the map gets deeper and deeper with each difficulty setting, making it crucial you remember your surroundings, and where you need to deliver the object once you pick it up. It helps that each level is designed with much variety and detail, so you can go off of landmarks and objects to remember where to go.
And really, that's the strong suit of this game. Each level is completely unique and full of life. From the maps themselves, to the enemies you'll come across. Each level has a character specifically designed for that level, making it really fun to unlock each level to see what time period you'll fall into next, and what it'll look like.
Speaking of unlocks, there are a TON. This game may seem like a tech demo in terms of its story mode, but damn, it's one BEEFY tech demo. So many characters to unlock. So many game modes to play. So many things! Get your friends involved, and it gets even more enjoyable. Multiplayer is chaotic, and is a real BLAST.
Last but not least, the glorious mapmaker. Oh BOY was this thing incredible for me as a kid. I'd spend hours creating my own maps to play with friends, or even to just run around on my own with AI. It's not very detailed in terms of textures, but it's still pretty decent, with later titles expanding on what you can put in your maps, including making more detailed story scenarios.
I have a lot to say about this game, because I LOVE this series, with "TimeSplitters 2" being my absolute favorite of the 3. What "TimeSplitters" lacks in story substance, it makes up for with literally every thing else it provides. It's fun, it's full of variety and character, and even though the controls are a pain sometimes, it never seems to get old for me, and I love sharing it with friends and family.