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Related Topics:TimeSplitters_Series :: TimeSplitters :: TimeSplitters_2 :: TimeSplitters_-_Future_Perfect
For the race of creatures from the series see: TimeSplitters (Race)
TimeSplitters is a series of first person shooter video games, which have a storyline based on time travel. The first two games were published by Eidos. The first, released on the PlayStation 2 as a launch title for the system, while its sequel was also released on Xbox and GameCube, in addition to the PlayStation 2 version. There are currently three games in the series, TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and 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 a console FPS, demanding the players 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 realistic 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.
The classic game Goldeneye 007 is often mentioned alongside Timesplitters because Free Radical Design is a split from Rareware and Timesplitters is sometimes considered a continuation of the popular FPS style Goldenye 007 induced.
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 map's 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. 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.
Effectively, the only link between these separate time periods is the enemies that materialize whenever you complete your goal in a level and must return to the starting point. As revealed in later games in the series, these are the TimeSplitters themselves, travelling through Earth's history in an attempt to disrupt and destroy humanity. (In the player profile it tells you how many Timesplitters you've killed but it doesn't specify that they are randomly spawning enemies that start appearing when you grab the key in your objective nor does it give any info on them.)
The Story Mode missions are:
- Egyptian Tomb — 1935.
- Chinese Restaurant — 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.If A players bag is stolen, they only need touch it when out of enemy hands to return it. A time limit can be set.
- Knockout: Bags spawn onto the map (usually in the same basic area) and the player must take them 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: battle in an egyptian tomb
- Graveyard: fight amongst the graves and mausoleums
- Chinese: Fight in the local chinese restaurant
- Site: Battle in the nearly finished buildings and sewers
- Cyberden: Engage combat in the ventilation shafts.
- Streets: kill your enemies in these dark streets
- Village: watch out for mutants in this strange village
- Castle: Destroy zombies at this ancient castle
- Chemical Plant: fight amongst the chemical plant ruins
- Bank: Walk along the empty streets and lay siege to the bank
- Planet X : watch out for alien scum on this remote planet
- Spaceship: Dispose of the invaders in this giant spaceship
- Mansion: Look in under the bed before stalking these empty hallways
- Mall: "We are now having a clearing sale on grenades"!
- Docks: Watch out for snipers at this remote dock
- Compound: Hide amongst the crates at this warehouse
- Spaceways: Blast the aliens , before your spaceship leaves
- Warzone: There's a war going on, people are bound to get hurt
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.
See also
External links
- Free Radical Design - Home Site.
- TimeSplitters at MobyGames
- TimeSplitters Musicbox
- TimeSplitters Games (Fr)
- Time to Split Timesplitters site
- Timesplitters Unleashed
- Scourge's Realm - For All Your TimeSplitters Needs
- Timesplitters wiki
- http://z7.invisionfree.com/Rec_Room/ - The best Timesplitters Fanforum, The Rec Room!
- http://www.geocities.com/timesplittersmaps/ -The MapConnection, with tons of custom maps from the users of The Rec Room.
"TimeSplitters"