TimeSplitters Future Perfect
Encyclopedia
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is a 2005 first-person shooter
video game developed by Free Radical Design and published by EA Games
for the PlayStation 2
, Xbox
, and GameCube
video game consoles.
It is the third game in the TimeSplitters series
, after TimeSplitters 2
, which was released in 2002 (itself the sequel to TimeSplitters
released in 2000). The game features a single-player mode consisting of levels where the player assumes the role of Sergeant Cortez, a time-traveling marine from the 25th century, as he attempts to go to the past to save the future. The game also includes a range of multiplayer options as well as a cooperative
mode. Online play was included in both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. This is also the first Timesplitters
game in the series to receive an "M" rating by ESRB.
In June 2007, a sequel was announced to be in development, titled TimeSplitters 4
.
. His ship crash lands
on the future Earth and two fellow marines greet him. Sergeant Cortez then continues along to reach the marines base where he learns that the Time Crystals he has stolen are needed to power the human time machine built by a scientist named Anya. Cortez is then tasked with following the signatures in the past by time travel thought to be caused by the TimeSplitters. Using his uplink to the Time Machine, which Anya has invented as well, Cortez travels through a series of various time periods befriending and aiding various characters (like Harry Tipper and his past self) in their fights against villains. After discovering that the creator of the TimeSplitters is a mad scientist named Dr. Jacob Crow, Cortez embarks on a new mission to foil the scientist's plans by destroying his labs throughout all of the time periods Crow had visited.
After making his way to the site of the first Time Crystal, Cortez finds Dr. Crow fused with a large bipedal robot. Crow destroys Cortez's ally R-110, leaving him and Cortez face to face. Knowing he can't defeat the scientist alone, Anya sends Cortez back in time a few minutes to when he first arrived in hopes of being able to double-team Crow with two Cortezes (and R-110, who was never destroyed as a result of the time loop). After Crow is defeated, Cortez puts a raw crystal into a device that causes a chain reaction that destroys the entire compound. Anya quickly warps the two Cortezes and R-110 back to HQ, leaving Crow and the Time Crystals to be destroyed. Cortez and Anya then observe the barren desert land restored to its former form; a lush, green forest filled with life. Anya labels Cortez as her hero to which he replies, "I know, it's what I do."
s as playable characters in various guises, such as ninja
, zombie and RoboCop
-style robot outfits; one multiplayer mode, "Monkey Assistants," utilizes them as assistants to the player who is doing the worst on the map. A curling
minigame
uses monkeys instead of the traditional curling stones. Further, when players examine their "Player Profile", it states how many times they have played as a monkey.
, Free Radical Design
decided to include a level
creator in the TimeSplitters Series
. It includes tiles, character spawns, items for specific game-modes (such as a briefcase in "capture the bag" game mode) as well as the option to change the lighting and also add pre determined "bot sets", that is a group of up to ten characters to regularly appear on the map. The same goes for weapon sets.
is free. It contains all the features of beginner mode, as well as extra tile shapes, and backdrop features. it also features complex story mode features allowing users to create detailed and in-depth story maps of their own creation.
with an average review score of 86.17% on GameRankings and 8.9 on IGN
. However, the game ranks lower than its predecessor, TimeSplitters 2
.
, went into administration in December 2008. In February 2009, Free Radical were bought by Crytek
and became Crytek UK. As of August 2009, Crytek UK has categorized TimeSplitters 4 as being on hold. The studio announced that the project would continue once there was a big enough demand in the market for it. On June 14, 2011, VideoGamer.com was informed that Crytech UK is in development for TimeSplitters 4
for next generation consoles
.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game developed by Free Radical Design and published by EA Games
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
video game consoles.
It is the third game in the TimeSplitters series
TimeSplitters (series)
TimeSplitters is a series of first-person shooter video games created by Free Radical Design. The games are often compared to Rare's shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark since Free Radical Design was founded by a group of ex-Rare employees who developed these games...
, after TimeSplitters 2
TimeSplitters 2
TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. The game was published by Eidos and developed by Free Radical Design. The game was first released in October 2002 in North America and Europe, and later in Japan...
, which was released in 2002 (itself the sequel to TimeSplitters
TimeSplitters
TimeSplitters is a series of first-person shooter video games created by Free Radical Design. The games are often compared to Rare's shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark since Free Radical Design was founded by a group of ex-Rare employees who developed these games...
released in 2000). The game features a single-player mode consisting of levels where the player assumes the role of Sergeant Cortez, a time-traveling marine from the 25th century, as he attempts to go to the past to save the future. The game also includes a range of multiplayer options as well as a cooperative
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
mode. Online play was included in both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. This is also the first Timesplitters
TimeSplitters
TimeSplitters is a series of first-person shooter video games created by Free Radical Design. The games are often compared to Rare's shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark since Free Radical Design was founded by a group of ex-Rare employees who developed these games...
game in the series to receive an "M" rating by ESRB.
In June 2007, a sequel was announced to be in development, titled TimeSplitters 4
TimeSplitters 4
TimeSplitters 4 is the proposed fourth installment of the TimeSplitters series, to be developed by Crytek UK, formerly known as Free Radical Design, the developers responsible for the first three installments in the series.-Development:...
.
Plot
The game begins in 2401 when the space marine, Sergeant Cortez, is leaving the space station that he destroyed at the end of TimeSplitters 2TimeSplitters 2
TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. The game was published by Eidos and developed by Free Radical Design. The game was first released in October 2002 in North America and Europe, and later in Japan...
. His ship crash lands
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
on the future Earth and two fellow marines greet him. Sergeant Cortez then continues along to reach the marines base where he learns that the Time Crystals he has stolen are needed to power the human time machine built by a scientist named Anya. Cortez is then tasked with following the signatures in the past by time travel thought to be caused by the TimeSplitters. Using his uplink to the Time Machine, which Anya has invented as well, Cortez travels through a series of various time periods befriending and aiding various characters (like Harry Tipper and his past self) in their fights against villains. After discovering that the creator of the TimeSplitters is a mad scientist named Dr. Jacob Crow, Cortez embarks on a new mission to foil the scientist's plans by destroying his labs throughout all of the time periods Crow had visited.
After making his way to the site of the first Time Crystal, Cortez finds Dr. Crow fused with a large bipedal robot. Crow destroys Cortez's ally R-110, leaving him and Cortez face to face. Knowing he can't defeat the scientist alone, Anya sends Cortez back in time a few minutes to when he first arrived in hopes of being able to double-team Crow with two Cortezes (and R-110, who was never destroyed as a result of the time loop). After Crow is defeated, Cortez puts a raw crystal into a device that causes a chain reaction that destroys the entire compound. Anya quickly warps the two Cortezes and R-110 back to HQ, leaving Crow and the Time Crystals to be destroyed. Cortez and Anya then observe the barren desert land restored to its former form; a lush, green forest filled with life. Anya labels Cortez as her hero to which he replies, "I know, it's what I do."
Arcade and Challenge
The Arcade and Challenge modes both allow the player to unlock new characters, weapons, and new locations for Arcade (excluding league) that the player can then use in the game's mapmaker feature. The player can complete various missions and league challenges to receive awards, new characters and medals. Once the player completes a mission the game automatically saves progress. In challenges and Arcade Leagues the player earns awards.Monkeys
Throughout the TimeSplitters series, the programmers field monkeyMonkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s as playable characters in various guises, such as ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
, zombie and RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
-style robot outfits; one multiplayer mode, "Monkey Assistants," utilizes them as assistants to the player who is doing the worst on the map. A curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
uses monkeys instead of the traditional curling stones. Further, when players examine their "Player Profile", it states how many times they have played as a monkey.
Mapmaker
After the original TimeSplittersTimeSplitters
TimeSplitters is a series of first-person shooter video games created by Free Radical Design. The games are often compared to Rare's shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark since Free Radical Design was founded by a group of ex-Rare employees who developed these games...
, Free Radical Design
Crytek
Crytek is a German video game company founded in 1999 by three Turkish brothers: Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli. Crytek's main headquarters are in Frankfurt, Germany, with five other studios in Kiev, Budapest, Nottingham, Sofia and Seoul. The company is best known for developing the game Far Cry and...
decided to include a level
Level (video gaming)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
creator in the TimeSplitters Series
TimeSplitters (series)
TimeSplitters is a series of first-person shooter video games created by Free Radical Design. The games are often compared to Rare's shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark since Free Radical Design was founded by a group of ex-Rare employees who developed these games...
. It includes tiles, character spawns, items for specific game-modes (such as a briefcase in "capture the bag" game mode) as well as the option to change the lighting and also add pre determined "bot sets", that is a group of up to ten characters to regularly appear on the map. The same goes for weapon sets.
Beginner
This form of Mapmaker limits the player to a selected amount of tiles. It also allows basic features such as the addition of gun turrets, weaponry spawns and health and armour locations. It also features numerous backdrop items which vary on the maps "tile-sets", such as a sarcophagus in the "Ancient Egyptian" tileset, and a remote control robotic cat, named Strudel.Advanced
This version allows players to create a complex map as long as spaceComputer storage
Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers....
is free. It contains all the features of beginner mode, as well as extra tile shapes, and backdrop features. it also features complex story mode features allowing users to create detailed and in-depth story maps of their own creation.
Reception
Future Perfect received mostly positive reviews, ranking as the 4th best first-person shooter on PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
with an average review score of 86.17% on GameRankings and 8.9 on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. However, the game ranks lower than its predecessor, TimeSplitters 2
TimeSplitters 2
TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. The game was published by Eidos and developed by Free Radical Design. The game was first released in October 2002 in North America and Europe, and later in Japan...
.
Sequel
The sequel to Future Perfect was announced in June 2007. However the future of development of TimeSplitters 4 became uncertain when the developers, Free Radical DesignFree Radical Design
Crytek UK, formerly known as Free Radical Design, is a video game developer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, probably best known for Second Sight and the TimeSplitters series. After going into financial administration, it was announced on February 4 2009 that the studio had been acquired by...
, went into administration in December 2008. In February 2009, Free Radical were bought by Crytek
Crytek
Crytek is a German video game company founded in 1999 by three Turkish brothers: Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli. Crytek's main headquarters are in Frankfurt, Germany, with five other studios in Kiev, Budapest, Nottingham, Sofia and Seoul. The company is best known for developing the game Far Cry and...
and became Crytek UK. As of August 2009, Crytek UK has categorized TimeSplitters 4 as being on hold. The studio announced that the project would continue once there was a big enough demand in the market for it. On June 14, 2011, VideoGamer.com was informed that Crytech UK is in development for TimeSplitters 4
TimeSplitters 4
TimeSplitters 4 is the proposed fourth installment of the TimeSplitters series, to be developed by Crytek UK, formerly known as Free Radical Design, the developers responsible for the first three installments in the series.-Development:...
for next generation consoles
History of video game consoles (eighth generation)
In the history of video games, the eighth generation of video game consoles is a term to describe the next iteration of video game consoles that are expected to follow the current seventh generation: Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, and Nintendo's Wii. It also describes handheld game...
.