E3 2004: TimeSplitters: Future Perfect Hands-On

Those pesky aliens are back at it again with their time-space continuum hijinks, and so is Free Radical with their latest installment of the TimeSplitters franchise.

Update: Video coverage added.

The TimeSplitters franchise, which began on the PS2, has never been one to just include new maps with each new sequel and call it a day. So when EA announced the third TimeSplitters, once again gracing PS2, Xbox and GameCube, you knew it would be bigger and better than the one before it. And with EA and Microsoft announcing their new alliance to support Xbox Live at E3, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is a perfect fit for Microsoft's burgeoning online service.

In TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, you once again take on the role of Cortez, racing through various time periods (ranging from 1914 to 2401) and wiping out the bad guys with as many guns as you can possibly pick up. When picking up the controller, you are immediately thrust into those oh-so-familiar controls from past iterations of TimeSplitters, which borrow from GoldenEye (where some of Free Radical's designers hail from) as well.

Visually, not much has changed from TimeSplitters 2. The characters are all more detailed and sporting higher polygon counts, but for the most part, it still looks like previous iterations of the franchise. Again, the game runs a smooth framerate that never stutters no matter how many characters are on screen. EA promises that the game will deliver an improved physics engine, better A.I. and more realistic environments when it eventually hits store shelves, although none of this was really in evidence in the E3 build.

The game will also ship with Co-Op mode in addition to online multiplayer; a welcome addition considering how addictive it was the first two go-arounds. Also announced is a new and improved Map Maker that will allow you to share your creations with friends online. And considering the newly announced Xbox Live support, the possibilities are endless with customized maps that could greatly extend the shelf life of TimeSplitters: Future Perfect.

The brief demonstration at E3 of train fire fight looked better, but familiar at the same time. Kind of like seeing a hot girlfriend after a couple of years. With Free Radical still working on this title to maximize both single player and multiplayer modes, and with the bevy of online features attached the PS2 and Xbox versions, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect could end up being one of the top first-person shooters on the market when it ships early 2005.

Will Federman
Staff Writer, Kikizo.com