TimeSplitters 2
A first-person shooter spanning time periods with co-op and map creation.
TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Free Radical Design and published by Eidos Interactive, released in October 2002 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube (with a European release in November 2002). The game follows a space marine recovering time crystals from alien mutants called TimeSplitters across various time periods between the 19th and 25th century. It is noted for expanding the story element from its 2000 predecessor and for its multiplayer and map creation features.
Quick Facts
- Title
- TimeSplitters 2
- Developer
- Free Radical Design
- Publisher
- Eidos Interactive
- Director
- Stephen Ellis / David Doak
- Programmer
- Hasit Zala
- Artist
- Karl Hilton
- Composer
- Graeme Norgate
- Series
- TimeSplitters
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2 · Xbox · GameCube
- Genre
- First-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
TimeSplitters 2's story mode is divided into ten levels, each set in a different time period. Players complete objectives that vary by difficulty, with harder settings adding more required tasks. The game can be played solo or cooperatively, with co-op reducing player health for balance. Each level ends with recovering a time crystal and entering a time portal, sometimes contested by teleporting TimeSplitters. Secret arcade game cartridges, such as Snake, can be found and played on the Temporal Uplink device.
Multiplayer includes Arcade mode for up to four players on a split screen, or up to sixteen via System Link (not available on GameCube). Modes include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Bag, and BagTag, with twelve additional modes unlocked by beating story levels. Players can customize weapons, win conditions, music, and characters, including humorous ones like a dinosaur and an Elvis impersonator. Up to ten computer-controlled bots can be added, capable of acrobatic moves unavailable to players. A MapMaker allows creation of story and arcade levels using pre-made tiles, with memory limits.
The plot begins in 2401, with humanity at war against the TimeSplitters. Space marines Sergeant Cortez and Corporal Hart are sent to a space station to retrieve Time Crystals, but the crystals are scattered through time. Hart stays behind to operate the portal while Cortez pursues the crystals, first arriving in Siberia in 1990, taking the form of a female spy.
Reader's Guide
TimeSplitters 2 received generally favorable reviews, praised for improvements over its predecessor, multiplayer gameplay, and graphics, though its story and lack of online gameplay were criticized. The game's significance lies in its robust multiplayer customization, including a MapMaker and bot support, which extended replayability. Its co-op story mode and variety of difficulty levels that alter objectives added depth. The game was followed by TimeSplitters: Future Perfect in 2005. In 2024, TimeSplitters 2, along with the other games in the trilogy, was re-released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as a PS2 Classic, featuring trophy support, a rewind feature, and improved loading times. Its legacy includes a dedicated fan base and influence on console first-person shooter design, particularly in local multiplayer and user-generated content.
Did You Know?
- The game includes a brick as a weapon.
- Up to sixteen players can participate in multiplayer via System Link, except on GameCube.
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