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Our full review of Free Radical’s latest first-person shooter.
March 28, 2005 | 6:16 PM PSTby: Phillip Levin
Over five years ago a developer called Free Radical was formed. The group was composed of ex-Rareware members that had worked on both Nintendo 64 masterpieces GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. The developer went on to launch its arcade-esque first-persons shooter, TimeSplitters, alongside the PlayStation 2 in October of 2000. The shooter received mixed reviews and an equally varied reception from gamers.
Two years after TimeSplitters, Free Radical went multiplatform, releasing TimeSplitters 2 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox. This time around, the ex-Rare team was able to blend together smooth-as-silk controls with fast-paced shooting, even knocking the most elite GoldenEye and Perfect Dark fans off their feet. Had Rare been resurrected as Free Radical? Critics were impressed. Fans were happy. The universe was at peace.
Now Free Radical is at it again with TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, the third in the series. A few things have changed this time around, though. The project has been published by Electronic Arts, as opposed to Eidos Interactive. The series is now online, too, though only for Xbox and PlayStation 2 fans, while GameCube fans have to settle with offline splits-screen action. But, otherwise, fans will find Future Perfect is, for the most part, very reminiscent of its predecessors – and thankfully so.
Still, there are some changes that might not be welcomed by fans and some things that still could use tweaking. For instance, like before, the single-player mode is pretty linear, built on a foundation that employs mostly run-and-gun mechanics. For some, this might feel too dry compared to the Half-Life 2s of the genre that rely on compelling puzzle design. Meanwhile, while there are now a variety of online options, execution of the mode is pretty sloppy, as most servers lag to the point that the game’s smooth gameplay is lost in translation. The result is disappointing.
That said, Future Perfect is still a great first-person shooter that fans shouldn’t miss out on.
Facts
Back To the Future Again
Future Perfect picks up right after the events in TimeSplitters 2. The human race is on the brink of extinction. A lethal race called the TimeSplitters threatens its existence, and a huge war has broken out. However, the human race might have hope if an agent named Cortez has anything to say about it. In Free Radical’s latest shooter, you play as Cortez as he travels back and forth in time trying to prevent the TimeSplitters from ever coming into existence.
Storytelling has advanced considerably since TimeSplitters 2. There are more cut-scenes than before and they’re better used this time around. While the storyline is rather simple in theory, Free Radical keeps things interesting with its comedic angle it approaches the series from with Future Perfect. Cut-scenes are riddled with humor, some of which will have you laughing out loud – or at the very least have you sitting there with a stupid grin on your face. Characters are likable, memorable and interesting. Likewise, the jokes are mostly successful and never feel forced or out of place.
The developer has seemingly incorporated these cut-scenes around the actual gameplay so that you’re never sitting still waiting to play the actual game. This is true not only because the cut-scenes are actually intriguing, but also because they’re short and brief in length.
Actual mission design is in the style of Rare’s GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, which comes as no surprise. Cortez has a variety of mission objectives to complete in each chapter if he wants to succeed. Objectives range from holding off enemies, finding locations, opening new areas, killing targets and other GoldenEye-esque goals. For the most part, these objectives are too simple and linear. You’ll rarely have to sit and think about the objectives that must be completed. However, there are some cases where we found ourselves stuck, clueless as to what the game wanted us to do. These moments are frustrating. And overall the objectives lack challenge, which might disappoint some.
Despite this shortcoming, level design is almost always interesting. Because of the plot, you travel between several different time periods, including the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s. Future Perfect also tosses you right into the very-distant future here and there, which keeps the pace interesting. Just about every chapter features a unique, memorable theme and style, as well as artistic style and pretty visuals. One chapter puts Cortez in a train depot in the 60s with a funky hippy. Another places him on the landscape of a futurist war zone, complete with laser guns and aliens. Meanwhile, others take him to a haunted house in the 90s and on a speeding train in the 60s.
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
But sometimes the game feels repetitive because of its run-and-gun gameplay design. This isn’t Half-Life 2 in the sense that you’ll be solving puzzles of ingenious design. Oppositely, there are few puzzles to be found throughout Future Perfect’s ten-plus chapters, outside of some boss fights that require you to re-think combat tactics.
Free Radical has also included a cooperative mode for all three versions of the game that lets you and a friend play through the single-player mode. Unfortunately, the mode is not available online in either the Xbox or PlayStation 2 builds of the game.
Two years after TimeSplitters, Free Radical went multiplatform, releasing TimeSplitters 2 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox. This time around, the ex-Rare team was able to blend together smooth-as-silk controls with fast-paced shooting, even knocking the most elite GoldenEye and Perfect Dark fans off their feet. Had Rare been resurrected as Free Radical? Critics were impressed. Fans were happy. The universe was at peace.
Now Free Radical is at it again with TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, the third in the series. A few things have changed this time around, though. The project has been published by Electronic Arts, as opposed to Eidos Interactive. The series is now online, too, though only for Xbox and PlayStation 2 fans, while GameCube fans have to settle with offline splits-screen action. But, otherwise, fans will find Future Perfect is, for the most part, very reminiscent of its predecessors – and thankfully so.
Still, there are some changes that might not be welcomed by fans and some things that still could use tweaking. For instance, like before, the single-player mode is pretty linear, built on a foundation that employs mostly run-and-gun mechanics. For some, this might feel too dry compared to the Half-Life 2s of the genre that rely on compelling puzzle design. Meanwhile, while there are now a variety of online options, execution of the mode is pretty sloppy, as most servers lag to the point that the game’s smooth gameplay is lost in translation. The result is disappointing.
That said, Future Perfect is still a great first-person shooter that fans shouldn’t miss out on.
Facts
- The third in the TimeSplitters series from Free Radical
- Single-player mode takes you throughout several different time periods, including the 60s, 80s, 20s and distant future
- Diverse arsenal of weaponry from several different eras
- Over ten different multiplayer modes, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the bag, assault and more
- Over 150 different characters to play as in multiplayer
- Play online against others in the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions
- Four-player split-screen multiplayer
- Two-player cooperative offline
- No online play for GameCube version
- Fully customizable controls
- Dolby Digital support for Xbox
- Pro Logic II for GameCube and PlayStation 2
- Rated M for Mature
Back To the Future Again
Future Perfect picks up right after the events in TimeSplitters 2. The human race is on the brink of extinction. A lethal race called the TimeSplitters threatens its existence, and a huge war has broken out. However, the human race might have hope if an agent named Cortez has anything to say about it. In Free Radical’s latest shooter, you play as Cortez as he travels back and forth in time trying to prevent the TimeSplitters from ever coming into existence.
Storytelling has advanced considerably since TimeSplitters 2. There are more cut-scenes than before and they’re better used this time around. While the storyline is rather simple in theory, Free Radical keeps things interesting with its comedic angle it approaches the series from with Future Perfect. Cut-scenes are riddled with humor, some of which will have you laughing out loud – or at the very least have you sitting there with a stupid grin on your face. Characters are likable, memorable and interesting. Likewise, the jokes are mostly successful and never feel forced or out of place.
The developer has seemingly incorporated these cut-scenes around the actual gameplay so that you’re never sitting still waiting to play the actual game. This is true not only because the cut-scenes are actually intriguing, but also because they’re short and brief in length.
Actual mission design is in the style of Rare’s GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, which comes as no surprise. Cortez has a variety of mission objectives to complete in each chapter if he wants to succeed. Objectives range from holding off enemies, finding locations, opening new areas, killing targets and other GoldenEye-esque goals. For the most part, these objectives are too simple and linear. You’ll rarely have to sit and think about the objectives that must be completed. However, there are some cases where we found ourselves stuck, clueless as to what the game wanted us to do. These moments are frustrating. And overall the objectives lack challenge, which might disappoint some.
Despite this shortcoming, level design is almost always interesting. Because of the plot, you travel between several different time periods, including the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s. Future Perfect also tosses you right into the very-distant future here and there, which keeps the pace interesting. Just about every chapter features a unique, memorable theme and style, as well as artistic style and pretty visuals. One chapter puts Cortez in a train depot in the 60s with a funky hippy. Another places him on the landscape of a futurist war zone, complete with laser guns and aliens. Meanwhile, others take him to a haunted house in the 90s and on a speeding train in the 60s.
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
But sometimes the game feels repetitive because of its run-and-gun gameplay design. This isn’t Half-Life 2 in the sense that you’ll be solving puzzles of ingenious design. Oppositely, there are few puzzles to be found throughout Future Perfect’s ten-plus chapters, outside of some boss fights that require you to re-think combat tactics.
Free Radical has also included a cooperative mode for all three versions of the game that lets you and a friend play through the single-player mode. Unfortunately, the mode is not available online in either the Xbox or PlayStation 2 builds of the game.
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