Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	7
Sound:	9
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	9
Overall:	8.4

TimeSplitters Future Perfect Review
April 9, 2005 by Peter Skerritt

by peter - April 9, 2005

To say that XBox owners have it good when it comes to first-person shooters is an understatement. Enter TimeSplitters: Future Perfect into the mix. While the game certainly won�t win any accolades over Bungie�s masterful Halo 2, there is certainly plenty to like about this game�specifically its multiplayer modes and its Mapmaker functionality. Despite an overly linear (and relatively short) single-player campaign and some troubling graphics issues, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect continues the legacy that development team Free Radical started with the series nearly five years ago.

Third Time's The Charm

Before delving into how the TimeSplitters: Future Perfect plays, let�s first talk about its various gameplay modes. To begin with, the single-player Story Mode campaign revolves around General Cortez as he is recruited once again to save the human race from the evil race of time-traveling alien beings known as TimeSplitters. The adventure follows Cortez through several different time periods, ranging from the 1920s, to the 1960s, to the 1990s�and even into the far future, in a very Terminator-influenced environment. Cortez will meet allies in each time period that help to even some pretty stiff odds. The characters are varied, including an Austin Powers-style spy, a cute goth girl, and an interesting robotic counterpart. The gameplay is pretty straightforward running and gunning, with a few puzzles and boss encounters thrown in to spice things up. Unfortunately, the levels are usually much too linear and the overall mode is just too easy for veterans of the genre. What really saves the single-player mode is the laugh-out-loud dialogue and pretty funny storyline, as the characters are pretty colorful and Cortez will deal with several rifts of the time/space continuum.

Aside from the Story Mode, League Mode is a single-player mode that challenges players to meet certain parameters in order to earn trophies and other goodies, plus it also introduces players to many of the gameplay options from Arcade Mode. The first League stage is a challenging one to begin with, as you begin play with a slow-footed character and can only use rockets. Players with limited experience in games of this ilk will learn a lot from playing through these stages, while veterans will be able to unlock some nifty features and awards.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect brings back the Arcade Mode from its previous two incarnations and all the associated trappings. Whether you want to frag some bots or get a full-on deathmatch going with a few friends, this game delivers the goods in this area and will likely show off much of its value in the process. There are loads of gameplay options and styles to choose from and plenty of customization to boot. The maps are interesting and cover a variety of locales, including a Vietnam-influenced map and one that looks like it came right out of TRON. The characters are also widely varied and many are unlocked through extended play or through the Story Mode. The stats for each character are different, allowing for a range of possibilities. Some characters have high stamina, but also have poor speed. Others have high resistance to shock or fire damage. This allows for a bit of strategy when choosing which character to use.

When talking about multiplayer action, it�s obviously worth noting that TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is the first game in the series to go online. Up to 16 players can battle it out, and the gameplay conditions online are nearly as customizable as when playing at home versus some friends. XBox Live handles the action very well, with no real latency issues to speak of. This element alone dramatically increases the overall value of the game, as XBox Live gamers will almost always have someone new to play against.

The last feature that TimeSplitters: Future Perfect offers is a mapmaking feature. Players of the earlier games in the series will feel right at home with this, and new players will certainly have fun getting to build their own arenas of mayhem. Online players can even upload their own creations or download ones that other players have put together. Those who are willing to tinker with this mode will likely be surprised to see just how deep it is.

As for the actual gameplay, the controls will feel right at home for many players. It is worth noting that due to the ease of clicking the left and right sticks down, players will notice some less-than-desirable results at times. It�s simply too easy to inadvertently make your character crouch or crawl, which affects the character�s speed. Aside from this quirk, the rest of the controls via the XBox controller feel natural and fluid. This is obviously important during multiplayer games, although the computer-controlled bots aren�t necessary the smartest beings on the block and tend to gun more than run. They are reasonably accurate, though, so don�t expect to walk away clean from a firefight.

Good News & Bad News

Visually, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect does a lot of nice things. There are a ton of characters in the game, and each has its own uniqueness about it. The characters do still maintain a bit of a �toon�-ish quality to them, but not so much that it�s a negative. The environments are very nice, overall. There�s a fair amount of detail to be seen, from blood-stained rooms in the haunted laboratory to a bustling robot factory. The multiplayer maps are even better-looking. It�s worth noting that there is a fair amount of blood in this game, especially when shooting enemies� so parents should take note of this as it�s a departure from earlier games.

There is one rather unsettling issue with the graphics in this game. The frame rate is simply not consistent enough. The good news is that the frame rate drops only tend to occur when there is a fair number of particle effects on-screen, such as sparks or smoke. The bad news is that when the frame rate drops from its usual 60fps benchmark, it really falls off�sometimes to about 20fps. This not only affects the beauty of the game, but also can affect gameplay, such as aiming your shots. Considering that we�re approaching the end of this console generation, issues like this one just shouldn�t happen. At least, in the case of Halo and its sequel, the frame rate was a solid 30fps. Players got used to that and the graphics were stunning nonetheless. In this game�s case, teasing players with such a high frame rate and then having it bog down so significantly on more than a few occasions is rather disappointing.

Sweet Shootin' Sounds

You won�t find many issues with the sound in TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. In fact, the sound is one of the game�s highlights. The voice acting in the Story mode is extremely well done. The well-written (and highly amusing) dialogue is enhanced by solid delivery by the game�s voice talent. It�s almost a guarantee that you will chuckle more than a few times while playing through the Story mode. The music is appropriate and touches on many styles, although there is a distinct techno fell to much of it. As for the sound effects, there�s not much to complain about. Each weapon has its own distinct sound, and other ambient effects like creaking doors or random screams are all sampled beautifully in Dolby Digital Stereo.

The Fun of Fragging

Despite the short and relatively easy Story Mode, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect offers plenty of fun and value, regardless of whether you�ll be playing alone, with friends, or online. There�s just so much to unlock (in terms of characters and Arcade awards) and the ability to play online and create your own maps adds a ton of replay value, once you�ve finished the Story mode. Novice first-person shooter players�or possibly even players who really don�t like games of this nature�will find a lot to like here� and when a game can attract players from outside the genre and hold their interest, it�s a pretty special feat.

Funny-Person Shooter?

The high PlasmaFactor score comes mainly from the enjoyment that I had with the Story mode. Sure, it was short. Sure, it was easy (I got through it in less than a day). Still, the elements really came together to tell a pretty funny story that allowed me to laugh as I fragged. Cortez�s character is a blatant ripoff of Vin Diesel�s Riddick. There are scattered pop culture references throughout the story, with nods to Jurassic Park, Half-Life, and The Terminator. The supporting characters are funny and actually support you as you progress, rather than just taking up space. The game�s humor doesn�t end with the Story mode, either. Fans of the series know about the affinity for monkeys, and players will learn about it soon enough in Arcade mode. There�s also a pretty funny announcer for Arcade mode that tends to trash talk when certain kills are made, for a nice touch. Thumbs up to Free Radical for mixing in a healthy dose of humor with a solid FPS.

 

Shooting Straight

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect isn�t perfect, as its name implies, but certainly delivers enough firepower to put it in contention for your hard-earned money. While Halo 2 may still be holding the attention of many fans of the first-person shooter genre, this game delivers a more light-hearted experience with plenty of content and customization. Regardless of whether you�re a solitary player or enjoy fragging friends, this game has got more than a little something to offer you. The game managed to hook a first-person novice, like myself�that certainly earns the game more than a little credit. Besides� where else can you frag a mischievous monkey? Recommended.