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| One of the surprise hits on launch is back with a sequel. |
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Publisher: Eidos Developer: Free Radical Design Players: 1-4 (more via LAN or i.Link) Release: October |
| Timesplitters was one of the best launch titles for the PS2 with its frantic multiplayer experience. All the elements that made the first game so enjoyable are back for Timesplitters 2 only now everything looks so much better. The levels are bigger and faster with high-res visuals. |
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| Timesplitters 2 will feature destructible environments so you can smash the lights, blow up barrels and break windows. If you shoot a chair it will splitter and fall to the ground. Shoot a ball on a snooker table and it will move around. The biggest change for the sequel is the single player mode. In the first game this was mealy a mater of collecting items with some puzzle solving, the sequel will feature more objective based gameplay. The objectives are listed at the beginning of each level, and you will be told on screen once you complete one. |
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objective involves you breaking a prisoner out of jail in the Wild West
themed level with some carefully placed gunpowder. Another sees you blowing
up a safe with TNT to gain an entry pass to a mobster club in the Thirties
Chicago level. You also have to deactivate a security system at a secret
installation house inside a Siberian dam. As well as theses main objectives
there are sub-missions. These range from destroying evidence in filling
cabinets to saving people from fires and shackles. Some of these
sub-missions are difficult to complete, but never get in the way of the main
objectives. |
Weapons are distributed according to the level theme and time
period you're in. For example the Siberian Dam is set in 1990 so weapons
include modern machine guns, sniper rifles and pistols. Where as in the more
futuristic Robot Factory the weapons are sci-fi laser guns.
All are powerful and display different handling techniques. The minigun
takes a few seconds to warm up, and will over heat if you are trigger happy.
The shotgun is a one kill weapon but takes an age to reload. You have to be
careful not to set yourself on fire when using the flamethrower.Timesplitters 2's soundtrack is already shaping up to be one of the best for a FPS. That leaves just one thing to mention....the multiplayer. The four way deathmatches are every bit as good as the original. Sure blowing the head of a CPU enemy is fun, but its so much more fun if the person if sitting next to you. And of course there is the network capabilities incorporated into Timesplitters 2, more on that in the review next month. |
| Timesplitters 2 is going to be one of the games of autumn 2002, every bit as good as the original. Get that multitap ready. |
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