TimeSplitters 2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| TimeSplitters 2 | |
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| Developer(s) | Free Radical Design |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Series | TimeSplitters Series |
| Platform(s) | GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release date | NA October 9, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer 1-16 humans (via System Link),[2] up to 10 computer-controlled players |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) (For Violence) |
| Media | 1 × GameCube Optical Disc, DVD-ROM |
TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles that is the sequel to TimeSplitters. The game was published by Eidos and developed by Free Radical Design, a company founded by some ex-Rare members. The game was first released in October 2002 in North America and Europe, and later in Japan in 2003.
The game features a single-player mode consisting of ten levels in which the player assumes the role of one of two space marines as they attempt to stop the alien race of TimeSplitters from ruining history by collecting the time crystals in various time periods, ranging from the Wild West to the 25th century. It has several multiplayer modes.
In 2005, the sequel, TimeSplitters Future Perfect, was released, developed by Free Radical. However, it was published by EA Games instead of Eidos.
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[edit] Gameplay
TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter that requires players to kill enemies and complete objectives using a variety of weapons and tactics in different predefined scenarios. Armor and health bars on the sides of the screen lower when the player is shot, which can be increased by walking over body armor and medical kits.
The weapons of TimeSplitters 2 include handguns, rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, a grenade launcher, various explosives, a crossbow, and a flamethrower. They are of many different time periods, from the historical to the futuristic. Some weapons have an alternate fire which activates a feature such as launching a grenade or detonating a remote mine. Sometimes a player can use two guns simultaneously.
[edit] Single player
The main single player portion of TimeSplitters 2 is divided into ten levels.[3] Each level is in a different time period and contains a series of objectives that must be completed. Some objectives are present at the start of the level, while others are added during play.[4] A few levels have secondary objectives, which are not required to complete unless on the hard difficulty setting. Each level includes a single checkpoint in the middle where the player can restart if they die or fail to complete an objective.[5] For each level, the player must choose from three difficulty levels. Unlike most games, these difficulty levels not only change the strength of the enemies, but also increase the length of the level by adding additional objectives. At the end of nearly every level, a time crystal must be recovered. After it is picked up, a time portal will appear which must be entered in order to complete the level. However, this is sometimes made more difficult by TimeSplitters that teleport to the player's location. In secret places of certain levels, there are cartridges of old school arcade games such as Snake, that can be picked up and played on the player's Temporal Uplink, the device that normally shows the map of the current level.[6]
The game also features a co-operative mode in which two players can play levels together.[7] When playing co-op, in order to balance the game, players' health is lowered.
There is also a Challenge mode in which a specific objective must be completed that depends on the level selected. The objective ranges from collecting bananas to shooting heads off zombies. After the objective is completed, the game will end, and a medal will be awarded depending on the number of points obtained. Certain medals allow the player to play as new characters in multiplayer or use cheats. Cheats can be turned on in the options menu to activate features such as unlimited ammo or the ability to shoot paintballs from guns. Free Radical's website implies that there are also controller-activated cheats that can be activated with the controller that have never been released. They say they like to keep things "as impossible as possible."[8]
[edit] Multiplayer
Arcade mode is the main multiplayer section of TimeSplitters 2. It can normally be played with up to four players with each player using a division of the television's screen. However, with a System Link, up to sixteen players can simultaneously play multiplayer.[2] When a player gets killed, they are respawned at a random location on the map with full health. Weapons, armor, and other items that enhance players' abilities are placed in several preset positions scattered about the map. The objective of the game depends on the mode selected. Four are available at the start: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Bag (a version of Capture the Flag) and BagTag (where a player must survive while in possession of the bag for the longest period of time). There are sixteen game modes in total, but twelve are unavailable until the player beats certain levels of the game.
Several aspects of multiplayer can be customized, such as the weapons, the number of points needed to win, the number of minutes until the end of the game, as well as the music that plays along with the level. There is also a variety of different characters the player can choose to play as, each with their own individual statistics. Some characters are from the Story mode, while there are other more humorous ones such as a dinosaur and an Elvis impersonator. Up to ten computer-controlled bots can be used. Their appearance, difficulty, and team can be customized. The bots can do some acrobatic moves that the player cannot do such as rolls and somersaults.[9]
At the end of each match, the results of the game are shown. This includes the number of points each player or team scored, the weapon the player used most often, as well as awards the player earned. There are nearly 60 awards present in TimeSplitters 2.[10] Players are given them based on what they did in the match. Awards are databased in each player's own saved profile which also keeps track of a variety of other statistics.
There is also an Arcade League mode in which one player is placed in an Arcade match with pre-set bots and weapons. There are three difficulty levels of Arcade League: Amateur, Honorary, and Elite. Players must beat them in consecutive order. After a player beats an Arcade League level, a medal is awarded.
A MapMaker is also available that can create playable levels. Unlike the original TimeSplitters, levels for Story mode can be made as well as levels for Arcade mode.[11] Created Story levels, however, cannot be played co-operatively like the default story levels. Maps are created by selecting and placing different pre-made tiles and rooms onto a grid. Spawn points, weapons, bags, armour, and objectives can then be placed anywhere on the level. There is a bar in the left side of the screen, representing memory, that lowers each time a tile or item is placed. When the bar depletes completely, nothing else can be placed onto the map. However, items can be deleted to increase memory. A theme can be chosen for each map such as Victorian, Industrial, Alien, and Virtual, which changes how the rooms appear.
Only LAN networks are supported, but online play is possible with the use of PC's and third-party networking software. [12]
One feature in game modes such as Deathmatch and Elimination (That may actually be a bug) is that sometimes the bots would all target you, completely ignoring each other (Even though these modes are free-for-all.) This can be seen by some players as incredibly frustrating.
[edit] Plot
TimeSplitters 2 starts off in the year 2401 in the midst of a war between humanity and the TimeSplitters, an alien race bent on the destruction of mankind. However, rather than invade, they are using the special objects called Time Crystals to travel through time changing the course of history, bringing Earth to ruin.
Two space marines from Earth, Sergeant Cortez and Corporal Hart, are sent out to a space station overrun by TimeSplitters to retrieve the time crystals. However, when they reach the bridge, they are too late as they see the last few TimeSplitters take the time crystals into the past using the time portal. Then, some other TimeSplitters try to break through the door to get into the room. Corporal Hart decides to try to hold them off while Cortez goes into different time periods of the past to retrieve the time crystals.
Upon arrival at each time period, Cortez take the form of a person from that particular period of time, similar to Quantum Leap.[13] For example, when Cortez arrives in the Wild West, he takes the form of a cowboy, Elija Jones. When he arrives in a 24th century robot factory, he takes the form of a robot, Gretl MK II (2)
After Cortez retrieves all of the time crystals, he returns to the space station to meet with Hart. The TimeSplitters outside finally break into the room. Corporal Hart is killed in the ensuing battle. Cortez sets the space station to self-destruct and he escapes on his ship before it blows up.
[edit] Development
In February of 1999, 20 months before the release of Perfect Dark, several members of Rare that were part of the GoldenEye 007 development team, including Steve Ellis, Karl Hilton, Graeme Norgate, and David Doak, left to form their own company called Free Radical Design. After they developed the first TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2 went into development, trying to create a more fulfilling story mode alongside the Arcade and MapMaker modes. It was also one of the first multi-platform games to be re-released on both the PS2 Greatest Hits and Xbox Platinum Hits labels.[14]
The location of the health bar and other gameplay features are reminiscent of Goldeneye and Perfect Dark.[15]The game engine present in TimeSplitters 2 is also very similar to the one present in GoldenEye. They both contain a similar aiming system and both lack the ability to jump.
[edit] Releases
There are a few minor differences between the console versions of TimeSplitters 2. For example, the PlayStation 2 version has a smaller playing field for mini-games such as Anaconda. This consequently makes high scores on the PlayStation 2 version lower than the Xbox and GameCube versions which both have bigger playing fields for Anaconda.
There are four different versions of cover art for the North American release of the game. Some of the versions had a unique tag line for the GameCube and Xbox ports. The GameCube version said "Heir apparent to GoldenEye," said by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[16] The Xbox version said "First Halo, now this."[17] Other versions include the Player's Choice edition and the original release without the quotes.
Other release changes include removal of the map editor function and the renaming to Time Splitters: Invaders of History on the Japanese release of the PS2 version. In addition, Europe, France, Japan, Korea, and USA each have different box art.[18]
In PSM3, Free Radical Design boss Dave Doak expressed interest to, with enough support, remake TimeSplitters 2 with HD visuals and online multiplayer.[19]
[edit] Reception
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TimeSplitters 2 has received mostly positive reviews. GameSpot said that "TimeSplitters 2 may very well be the best split-screen multiplayer-focused first-person shooter ever created." IGN concluded that the game was "clearly the best multiplayer first-person shooter on the [PlayStation 2]," but commented that it was not story-driven and little empathy was felt for the characters. Gaming Age said that "this is one impressive game" and "the only drawback is the lack of online capability." GameSpy criticized the lackluster story levels and the absence of online play, but complimented the game's "great deathmatching action" and the game's high frame rate. They also said the game is "everything you could possibly want in a sequel."
The TimeSplitters series is often compared to Goldeneye because of its many throwbacks to that game and similar developers.[31] For example, both TimeSplitters 2 and GoldenEye start off on a Siberian dam.[32] As well as the fact that the armor and health bars are exactly the same in either game. However, some say that the game plays and feels too much like Goldeneye.[33] The game has also been criticized because of its overtly sensitive controls while aiming and some would argue that its fast pace eliminates some skill needed to play.[34]
Review compilation sites such as Game Rankings give the game a relatively high rating that is sometimes higher than 90%. Game Rankings also ranks the game as the fourth highest rated game released for the PlayStation 2 in the year 2002.
[edit] Soundtrack
The sound and music of the game is credited to Graeme Norgate.[35] In 2006, Free Radical Design placed the soundtrack for TimeSplitters 2, in addition to their other games, on their website to be able to be downloaded for free.[36] Printable album artwork is also available.
An unofficial website related to TimeSplitters' music is also available where music from TimeSplitters 2, in addition to the other TimeSplitters games, can be downloaded (also free). It is called TimeSplitters MusicBox.
There are twenty seven songs in total that are officially up for download.
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In addition, TimeSplitters 2 allows the player to select which song they would like to be played in the background when playing multiplayer or in a map that the player has made.
[edit] References
- ^ GameFAQs on the game's release date(s)
- ^ a b IGN on System Link
- ^ Douglass, Perry (October 7, 2002). Review. by IGN.
- ^ Gerstmann, Jeff. Review 2. GameSpot.
- ^ Meston, Zach. TS2 Review. made by GameSpy.
- ^ TS2 Cheats on IGN
- ^ T/PS2 on IGN
- ^ FRD FAQ on Cheats
- ^ NTSC-UK Review of TS2
- ^ List of awards
- ^ Neoseeker review of TS2
- ^ Timesplitters2 Online Project page
- ^ Marriot, Scott. ts2_overview. allgame.
- ^ Casamassina. FRD Corporate. Free Radical Design.
- ^ One of the GS Reviews of TS2
- ^ Mobygames on TS2
- ^ GamingAge review of TS2 on Xbox
- ^ IAQ. Free Radical.
- ^ PSM3 Blog
- ^ [1] review of TimeSplitters 2.
- ^ Gaming-Age review of TS2. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
- ^ Game Rankings for TS2
- ^ GameSpot review of TimeSplitters 2.
- ^ GameSpy's review of TimeSplitters 2.
- ^ GameZone's review of TimeSplitters 2
- ^ IGN's review of the game.
- ^ Game Rankings (GCN) page for TimeSplitters 2. Retrieved June 06, 2008.
- ^ Game Rankings (PS2) page for TimeSplitters 2. Retrieved June 06, 2008.
- ^ Game Rankings (XBOX) page for TimeSplitters 2.
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes page for TimeSplitters 2
- ^ TS2-GoldenEye. Detstar.
- ^ Casamassina, Matt (October 11, 2002). TimeSplitters 2 (GCN) review. IGN.
- ^ Xbox 360 review of TimeSplitters 2.
- ^ Dark Zero review for TimeSplitters 2.
- ^ GameFAQs credits on TS2
- ^ FRD Soundtrack of TS2
[edit] External links
- Official site
- TimeSplitters 2 at GameFAQs
- TimeSplitters 2 at IGN
- TimeSplitters 2 at the TimeSplitters Wikia
- TimeSplitters 2 soundtrack
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