Platform: PlayStation 2, GameCube,  Xbox

Genre: First Person Shooter

Number of Players: 1 - 4

Peripherals: Multi-tap Adaptor

If you’re one of the lucky few that managed to get their hands on the PlayStation 2 when it originally came out, then I’m sure that you recall a game called
TimeSplitters. It was one of the original first-person shooters to be released on the system. For fans of the genre, that was the good news. There was bad news that went along with it however. The game wasn’t exactly all that it was cracked up to be. In fact, it was a horrid game in my opinion. Being able to make your own maps seems cool, but when it came right down to it, the game just lacked in almost every area.

That was then, this is now.

When I heard that there was going to be a sequel done, I wasn’t too impressed with the idea. I mean, I hadn’t cared too much for the first one, so how could I even be excited for a follow-up. Every gaming magazine began ranting and raving about it before it even came out. Yeah, they got to see the preview copies, and Underland didn’t even exist yet in its online form. I’d heard that same song and dance before with games like Onimusha 2, a title that promised so much and in the end, let me down hard. Once we managed to finally affiliate our selves with Eidos though, I decided I’d at least take a chance and see exactly what all the fuss was really about.

No a bad decision when it comes right down to it.

TimeSplitters 2 offers up the standard first FPS storyline, but that’s to be expected. Aliens have arrived, and they’re attempting to throw everything into turmoil. To make things worse, they’ve escaped through a time portal (which looks amazingly similar to the Stargate) and it’s your job to track them through time, collect the time shards, and put things right again. That sounds pretty simple, right?

But, you can’t just go waltzing into different time periods looking like some guy who has spent far too much time at muscle beach, now can you? To counteract that, you take on a different guise in each of the eras that you have to visit. Sometimes you’ll be male and sometimes female, eventually leading to an extreme identify crisis. You’ll have your primary objectives to accomplish, and occasionally some secondary goals as well. Of course, whomever you’ve assumed the role of has their own agenda to complete as well, so you’d better be prepared since you’re essentially becoming the Sam Beckett of the FPS world.

Story mode puts you in time periods such as the Wild West circa 1853, Neo Tokyo in the year 2019, and even some Aztec ruins right around 1920. Not only do you assume the role of another character on your mission though, the weapons change to match the time period. You wouldn’t want to drawn too much attention to yourself, not like running around killing everyone in sight isn’t going to do that already. You also have a handy mini-computer to help you locate things such as enemies, time shards, and even cameras in the more technologically advanced eras that will make your progress more than difficult. With over 500 years worth of history to cover, you’ve certainly got your work cut out for you, and accomplishing your goals will open up some nice extras for you. Those aren’t exactly going to be easy either though. You have three difficulty levels to select from, and while some will give you rewards for completing them, others will not.

Outside of the story, things get more interesting. Although the story mode is fun to play, there are other modes that are even more entertaining, and highly addictive. It’s sort of like jumping into the Everquest of the FPS world.

Maybe you think that you have the skills to pay the bills when it comes to the story, but Arcade Mode is a different things altogether, and it’s not going to be a picnic. With three different modes to tax your abilities, and patience, this is where we separate the champs from the chumps. You’ll start with simple things, like death matches. The objectives are fairly simple from the start. Death match mode wants X amount of kills before time expires. You have three medals you can get; bronze, silver, or gold. Of course, there is the secret platinum, but that’s up to you to determine exactly how to obtain these. You don’t get anything special, except for bragging rights to all your friends.

All the levels aren’t unlocked though, and you have to get an award to start unlocking more. Getting a simple bronze will do this, but try for more than that. Silver and gold unlock even more than that. You’ll get new characters to select in multi-player modes, new arenas to fight in, and even new game modes. TimeSplitters 2 goes far beyond just the standard capture the flag and death match. There are interesting twists, like a game of flame tag, where being hot can kill you. There are also some great modes that allow you to drain health from your opponents, or gain it from fallen foes, or even for the damage that you do to them.

The arcade mode gets down right tough as well. At first, things seem rather simple, but the difficulty progressively gets harder and harder. One of the most difficult levels, in my opinion, has to be “Men in Grey.” This is a team battle that requires you to make your way to middle ground, then destroy the enemies fuel depot, and finally take out their computers. It seems like a relatively easy task, but keep in mind that the enemies respawn close to your location, you have mounted guns taking shots at you, and to get a gold award, it all has to be done in less than 4 minutes. If you can get at least a bronze though, the next phase of the arcade mode is unlocked, giving you even tougher challenges and more rewards.

Oh, but that’s still not enough for you, now is it?

Well, get ready for challenge mode, the emphasis being on “challenge.” It’s a bit like arcade mode, but it’s has a difficulty rating that starts simple, gets almost immediately hard, and then goes off the scale from there. Just like arcade mode, you have three different tasks to complete with each mission type. It’s not just all about killing though; some of them are about relying on stealth, or even simple things like collecting bananas. Oh, did I say simple, my mistake. Collecting bananas may seem like the easiest thing in the world, but it certainly is not, especially if you want a gold medal. You’re placed in the maze-like Amazon level, having only your computer to rely on to locate the precious fruit. If you manage to accomplish that, a few enemies placed in for good measure will make things a bloodbath waiting to happen, but don’t get your hopes up. It’s your blood that’s going to be spilled. There’s also an opportunity to get your fix of zombie killing with “Behead the Undead.” You start with wave after wave of zombies, and if you survive long enough, the next level gives you more zombies, but these are on fire. Beyond that, still more, but the final wave has you taking them on in hand-to-hand combat. Oh, and to make it that much more of a challenge (hence the name) you have a specific area that you have to stay within.

But, what about your friends, what will they do when they come to visit and see you playing this fine game? I’m certainly glad you asked that.

TimeSplitters 2 allows you to take advantage of the multi-tap adaptor. You can have up to 4 friends take part in whatever mayhem you have in store for them. The more modes you open, the more opportunity you have to show them who the alpha male (or female) really is. If you want more than that though, and have an extra PS2, television, I-link and everything else that you need, you can link 8 players together, taking things to a whole new level and dimension of fragging. With over 100 different characters to select, each varying in their abilities, it’s one of those fun modes that will never lose its fun or novelty.

Originally, the game was planned to take advantage of Sony’s broadband adaptor, but that was removed as an option at the last minute. However, there are persisting rumors that it is possible to do, although it’s extremely difficult. I’ve done a bit of research online to see if someone has managed to bring more light to this enigmatic mode, but to date, I’ve found nothing concrete.

But, lets suppose that you’re bored with all of the levels that the game has to offer. You and your friends have played through them so many times that you know every nook and cranny, and it’s just not that much of a challenge anymore, especially with people hiding in places and take cheap shots and everyone who comes along. Just like with the original game, TimeSplitters 2 allows you the chance to make your own map and save it to your memory card. You can lay things out just how you want, select exactly where you want the items to be located, and even adjust the lighting giving either plenty of areas to hide in, or make your map virtual stealth free.

There are plenty of weapons to be found through the game, ranging from the standard shotgun, to my favorite, the sniper rifle. There’s even a brick if you’re really desperate. Another great weapon is the homing missile, allowing you to zero in on your targets to the nth degree. Aside from weapons, you have health power-ups, armor, icons that allow you to speed up, and even ones that turn you invisible. Some levels also offers mounted guns that you can take advantage of, but just like the other weapons in the game ammo is limited so use them sparingly. There is also a slight degree of interactivity in some levels, which allows you to blow up windows and a few other items. It may not be to the extent of destruction that Red Faction II offered, but it’s still the chance to leave a few things in ruins.

The controls are pretty much the standard fair that we’ve seen in just about every FPS game. If you’ve played the original TimeSplitters, Red Faction, or even Unreal, than you’re already well ahead of the game and the controls should be second nature. The analog sticks control your character, allowing you to make around and look back and forth or up and down. The right shoulder buttons are for weapon fire, with one being the primary fire and the other the secondary. The left shoulder buttons are used to crouch and target things a little easier. Switching weapons is done with the D-pad, but the game will automatically change to the best weapon as you pick them up. You can adjust that if you’d really like, but when it comes to a game like this, stronger is better.

The graphics are fairly decent, but not the greatest that I’ve ever seen. I’ll have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the character design, which is somewhat similar to the character design that Disney has been using lately, especially with some of their newer films like Treasure Planet. However, I suppose that keeps parents from complaining about the game being too real. Of course, I’m sure someone somewhere will still find something to complain and disagree with, they always do. The soundtrack is fairly well done, lending itself more towards electronica most of the time, but it does try and capture a certain feel to match each of the stages.

So, was all the hype really worth it? As a matter of fact, yes it was. TimeSplitters 2 is one of those rare first-person shooters that doesn’t get boring after a few days like many of them do. Even without the option of playing online, the game offers up plenty of fun and challenge, be it with a group of friends or going solo. With so many options, game play style, and things to unlock, TS2 will take a nice chunk of time to in order for you to lock all the secrets it has hidden within.

Yes, the game is all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s been called “the heir to Golden Eye” by some, and all I want to know is, “Golden what?” Buy it!

-mike-