Time Splitters 2: First Glimpse
Free Radical has made many fps games.
From Goldeneye to Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64, then to TimeSplitters on the
PS2. TimeSplitters was a great game, and still is a great game to this date.
But after playing the TimeSplitters 2 demo, I can see drastic improvements
in Game Play, Graphics, and there is even a story line to go along with
single player mode.
Game Play:
Instead of going to different levels and
shooting the crap out of some stupid skeletons, zombies, and freaks, to grab
a bag and put it in the little circle at the end of the level you have actual
missions in TimeSplitters 2. First of all there seems to be some sort of a story
behind all that madness in TimeSplitters 2!
When the demo first starts, you find two people in a cave, one is carrying
a flashlight, the other is scared and wants to go back, but they go on.
As they enter a large part of the cave the flashlight starts to die and then
they both get killed by a zombie, so I am guessing that the story goes along
with finding out what that was in the cave and what those two guys where doing
down there.
Well let's see what is next, missions
and objectives. TimeSplitters 2 is a lot like Goldeneye for the 64, which
would make sense since the same company made both games and also because Goldeneye
is considered one of the best first person shooter games ever made.
In the demo you are enlightened with a mission and a couple objectives.
You have to get remote mines and blow up a satellite dish, then weave your
way through tunnels and stairs up to the landing where you come to another objective
of lowering the pressure in the pipes. Well that is just a little
bit of the whole mission.
WOW! The guys actually
have some decent AI in TimeSplitters 2. Instead of having five guys
chasing after you throughout the level you have guys which pop out and get a
couple shots off at you and then duck back in. If this was TimeSplitters
then the guy would come right out in the open and just stand there and you would
just blow his head off. Also there are cameras throughout the demo level.
If you get spotted by one of these easily destroyable cameras, then an
alarm sounds and that is where the AI just drops. Several guys just run
straight at you and it is no big deal to kill all of them. You should also
watch your head for the snipers, who are actually pretty accurate, because they
will shoot you if you stand idle for a couple of seconds.
So basically the main improvements in game play is the computer's
AI, the cameras, and there is a story line in single player mode.
Graphics and Details:
The graphics in TimeSplitters 2 are much, much
better. The levels are more detailed, the guys look much better, and some
parts of the landscape are interactive. For example; you can catch boxes,
tables, cabinets, plants, and people on fire. Catching people on fire
has got to be one of the best features of the demo. The guys run around
screaming and eventually fall to the ground and burn. It's quite a site
to see. If you accidentally catch yourself on fire then just go to the shower
room and stand under the water and you will be out in a second.
In one room you have some watermelons sitting on the
shelves, don't ask why they are there, but it is cool because you can blow the
watermelons in half. It's kind of fun to see the chunks fly. Also later
in the level you come to some fire extinguishers. SHOOT THEM!
And be sure to watch them fly through the air.
Well
from what I have heard, single player mode is supposed to be running at 120
frames per second, and 60 frames per second on multiplayer, which is twice as fast
as TimeSplitters.
So basically the main improvements
in graphics and details is the frame rate and the interactive environments.
Final Words:
TimeSplitters 2 vs. TimeSplitters. Which
is better? Well from what I have played I must say TimeSplitters 2 whoops
the pants off of TimeSplitters. I love how you have missions and objectives
you have to succeed in doing. Unlike in TimeSplitters where all you
have to do is grab a bag and run to the end point.
With game play, well what can I say? TimeSplitters 2 wins in that category
too. It has a story to go along with single player mode. The
AI of the enemies is much, much better.
Graphics
and detail wise, TimeSplitters 2, ummmm, wins again. The graphics are much
sharper, the environments are interactive, and there are more details in the
characters, weapons, and environment.
So basically, if you liked TimeSplitters
then you will love TimeSplitters 2. If you didn't like TimeSplitters
too much but you liked Goldeneye, well you guessed it, buy TimeSplitters 2.
If you don't like first person shooter games then still rent this one because
from what I have seen so far, It looks really promising.
|
