Time Splitters 2 : Web Wombat: Games

For some reason, I never get sick of first-person shooters. Especially when they are refined in such a manner that they provide you with endless options and customisable game modes.

In this case, it's Eidos' Time Splitters 2.

That's right ladies and gents, the strangely odd-ways shoot-em-up is back for a second round, bringing its vivid versatility back to the fore.

In the one game, you have a shooting simulator spanning from the era of the late 1800's all the way up to the year 2500 plus. From dynamite to plasma, from pantaloons to space suits; this game's got the whole kit-and-caboodle!

First the plot: The 'Time Splitters' have taken control of the Time Crystals. Again. Don't you just hate it when an intergalactic race of alien scum decide to steal time and stuff up history?

Well, it's your job (you = different people from different ages who fight for justice and all that is holy or something) to get the Time Crystals back, and restore peace to the ages.

The gameplay this time round is very similar to the first, but whose complaining? There are improvements here and there, mainly in the creativity in the levels, as the prequel seemed to be very repetitive in layout and architecture.

Mission objective: Recover Time Key and blow away the zombie scum that protects it. The only difference being the location at which you do it. However, this time around, there are many different objectives to be completed, as well as the Time Crystal collecting.

You can interact with others, helping you through missions, and even tail people who can lead you to secret areas. Stealth is also a lot more valuable in TS2, as you rarely have the ammunition required to blow an army away like in Halo on the Xbox.

The multiplayer mode has also been greatly improved - there are more than a dozen of modes to chose from which include Death Match, Capture the Case, King of the Hill, and many more.

We call this weapon the 'Tape-worm' gun

With a multitap, you can get four players cranking, insert six computer-controlled sims (or bots), and have a bucket-load of fun.

The difficulty of the sims can be customised, as can the choice of weapons. And my-oh-my, is there a choice! The list of weapons is endless, as they vary from four or five different eras throughout history. There are six shooters and double barrel shotguns on one side, and plasma assault rifles and guided missiles on the other.

There are also many challenges to complete, like in Perfect Dark on the good old N64. Such challenges unlock all kinds of goodies, like secret levels and cheats - but I can't give anything away, as that's half the fun.

Some of the challenges are really quite funny. For example, the Siberian guards have a competition to see who can break the most windows within a minute at their base using a brick. Another one involves running around as a monkey collecting bananas (I think Eidos went slightly odd in the head as it's been so long since Lara Croft showed off her assets).

Depending on your scores, you get a gold, silver, or bronze award, with the gold most often opening secrets in the game.

There are many that fit the style of the game slightly better, like where you're trapped in a room with only a shotgun to hold off the few hundred zombies that come pouring in. You get 25 points for blowing a limb off and 75 for the head. The gold award is set at 20,000 so if that's not a goal, what is? (I got 34,375 on the first go, but whose counting).

You can also save a character profile that you play with for all of the missions, custom games and special challenges, where your statistics are recorded and you are given an overall ranking.

As said above, this game is of a slightly odd-ways style. This is mostly seen through the graphics. They are of a style that I have only ever seen in the original Time Splitters game. So, for those of you who've played that, TS2 is pretty much the same only a little more refined.

For those of you who haven't, let me explain: They're like 3D Marvel comics in a way. Oversized body features, for example, the females have really tiny waists and really large... (eyes? - Ed) Well anyway, I think you get the picture!

Do ya feel lucky, punk??

The character models are very classy all the same. In the 1980's you've got some dude decked out in blue flairs and one of those open-neck shirts with the flared collars - this guy's got the look. In the mission 'Return to Planet X' we have a spaceman in his cool red suit. And back in the days of Notre Dame we have some cute little jester babe in tights.

Heehee! Hands up who wants to be an Eidos concept character artist!?

The graphics are very pleasing to put it simply, and I'm sure many would appreciate a slightly different style for a change. Additionally, the weapon effects are fantastic. From the muzzle flash, to the bullet trace, to the explosions - I reckon most will love it!

As I said, when you fire a gun the bullet leaves a faint yellow trace behind it so that you can see where it went. This looks particularly cool with the mini-gun as you can get about twenty bullets in the air before the first one hits your target.

Sound effects can be hard to give credit to in a first person shooter, as it usually consists of "Bababaabababababbababang!!!" But in this case, they're pretty good.

Example: As you run away from someone firing at you, the sound from his or her gun decreases, and the bullets that miss hit the walls beside you, sending off a really cool ricochet noise - provided they ricochet, as some bullets will simply embed themselves in the walls making a "Ping!" noise.

So, in the end, the sound effects are really spiffy, leaving you with a more realistic and involving game. The music is exactly the same as in the first game, apart from one or two levels - nothing special, but not sloppy either.

At the end of the day, Time Splitters 2 rocks the house. It's just a really well coded first-person shooter. It has a huge arsenal of guns, levels, bad guys and even good guys. You have heaps of options to choose from in custom and multiplayer games, and many a game mode in the special challenges.

There is always more to be done in TS2, so the most gamers won't get sick of this one in a hurry. The game's not too violent and there are no blood effects (shame - Ed). Just explosions, and bullets making people fall down for a long time. First-person shooter fans would be crazy not to add this one to their collection, and most others should, at the very least, give it a go.

Game: Time Splitters 2
System: PS2
Players: 1-4
Memory Card: Yes
Developer: Free Radical Design
Distributor: Game Nation

Rating: 80%

(Ratings Key/Explantion)

Time Splitters 2 is on the shelves now.

	Announcement