Reviewed by Downtown Jimmy
Dec. 29th 2002
Introduction:Time Splitters II reminded me a lot of Half-Life and Golden Eye. It has the same vibe to it, but it is different in many good ways. This game has been compared to Halo sadly it isn’t a Halo. Time Splitters II is good but not great.
The Game:There are different modes to Time Splitters. You can play through in story mode, which is separated by the different time eras. The story mode is the weakest game play mode within the game. Time travel is a great premise for a game and I know they could have done more with the story then they did. Where the game really shines is in the arcade mode. The arcade mode is filled with small little games divided into different categories. These little games are fun and fit the cartoonish look better. It doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to run through these modes and it supplies a lot of fun. Multiplayer is a blast too, the same vibe that Golden Eye had when you played multi player. You can select the weapon types to do battle with or have it on random. Since there are so many cool weapons in Time Splitters II that feature alone makes the game enjoyable. You can go total crossbow and shotgun or plasma rifle or rocket launcher. This mode also adds the longevity of the multiplayer appeal.
Graphics & Sound:The graphics in Time Splitters are cartoonish and blocky. This takes a bit away from the game because you feel like your playing a video game and not experiencing a real life experience. Halo looks and feels like this could really be happing and in Time Splitters you don’t get the same experience. The graphics are a take a step backwards compared to what they can accomplish now. If they continue to make another game in the series I hope they use a more up to date graphics engine and then this game will hold its own in the competitive first person shooter market. Time Splitters is a mild shooter which main appeal is the multi player aspects.
The sound in Time Splitters is top notch. The game knows when to be quite and it knows when to pump the volume in. The actual sound effects aren’t the greatest quality, but they fit the game perfectly.
Lowdown:Now speaking of First Person Shooters, there really hasn’t been anything good for the Xbox until Time Splitters II has come out, excluding the giant Halo. So if you are needed a fix this game can fill the void until the next ever so popular FPS comes out. The cartoonish vibe throws me off and that’s why I would recommend renting this one first. I love FPS but there are games out there that are furthering the genre and Time Splitters just keeps in placid in the same era it’s been since the 1990’s.
Pros – Cool weapons, Fun Multi-Player, Lots of game modes, Monkeys!
Cons – Cartoonish graphics, No jump? What's up with that? and the poor story mode.
Gameplay: 7, Graphics/Sound: 6, Innovation: 8, Mojo: 7. Final: 7
|
FEATURES:
- Totally immersive single player and co-operative story mode, featuring a complex narrative, and superbly animated cut-scenes.
- Nine ‘time travelling’ episodes each with their own distinct graphical style ranging from the Wild West to Neo Tokyo
- Huge detailed environments with interactive features and atmospheric musical score themed around levels.
- Over 90 characters, featuring original cast, ancestors and new loveable rogues you’ll want to kill!
- A vast variety of weapons to choose from through the ages, ranging from Tommy Gun to flame thrower.
- Furious 2 – 4 split-screen multiplayer action - the most exhilarating experience you get from your console!
- Customisable multi-player mode, scenarios including deathmatch, capture-the-bag, escort, last stand, etc.
- Enhanced combat effects; screen shake, dramatic lighting, more character animation.
- Massively enhanced Mapmaker enabling you to create ‘Story levels’ as well deathmatch scenarios
- Oh! and there’s some cheeky monkeys to contend with too!
|
