Here we have the first time the series really explains itself. There is an alien race called the TimeSplitters who are causing havoc throughout human history. Enter Cortez for the very first time. He invades the TimeSplitters space station and travels through time to find the stolen time crystals.
Weirdly, when Cortez goes through the portal, he takes on the form of different people. At first, it looks like it might be some sort of disguise, but in later levels, it seems like it is more of a quantum leap sort of thing. The cutscenes before each level go into the story of each character he ends up taking over, so that is the only conclusion I can come up with to explain it.
This game is at least 150% more developed than the original. It has plot, cutscenes, an interesting series of stories, and an absolutely exciting conclusion. No kidding on that last point. Cortez is a certified badass in this game. There's like nothing funny about him at all. The only weird thing is that his very last line is, "Time to get out of here." Yes, this was before he was turned into a funny character, using the line, "Time to split!" No, in fact, he is a very believable action movie star in this game of the Rambo variety.
Each mission has a rather large series of objectives you have to complete. It's usually straight forward, but there were a few times I missed something. (Like that damn communications dish on the very first level! Does that happen to anyone else?! Am I just stupid?!) This is much nicer than the first game which just had you do the same thing every time. In fact, the game's base design is actually a lot like "Goldeneye 007" and "Perfect Dark." This game seems like it is somewhere in between those two as far as content, but I am still very impressed.
The three difficulty settings for each mission are also a highlight for me. Now, I can't do Hard at all, but I do like to play on Easy first to get a feel for the mission, and then I'll switch to Normal. Normal usually adds more objectives and might even add new areas to the map. I really like that model. Like I said, Hard is just too much of a challenge for me, but Normal is right at the tippy top of my skill level, and I appreciate that.
The greatest thing about this game are the individual stories of each character that Cortez quantum leaps into. They really capture the feel of every timeline you find yourself in. I especially enjoyed the western mission. That was something that was missing in the first game. You also get to be a secret agent named Harry Tipper. He was in the first game too but cast as a sort of 70's cop. He is a lot better as a spy. If I recall, he is a 70's spy in this game and then you get to see the 60's version in the next, but I might be remembering it wrong.
All in all, "TimeSplitters 2" is still fun. It is still enjoyable, even after all these years. It even has a better map maker in it that you can play with. Really great stuff. I totally recommend it! I had a blast.
This blog was written on July 5, 2024.
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Quantum Leap and Rambo. Strangely interesting. Yeah, Sam Beckett as John Rambo is a potent mix. The Golden Age of Action had just ended as a popular genre, but it seems the makers of this game still had love for it to share.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good comparison!
DeleteAction tends to benefit from a certain amount of humor. When things are too serious, it often blunts the enjoyment of the work. Especially when the intent is to excite, it helps to use a lighter hand.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. You can't have everything too serious.
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