The beloved TimeSplitters series is known for its wacky characters, tongue-in-cheek humor and the sheer variety in locales, weapons, and time periods. The franchise’s central concept of time travel allows it to go anywhere it likes when telling its story – one minute, the player could be battling outlaws in the streets of a deserted town in the old west, and the next, they could be breaking into a technologically advanced robot factory in the far future.
2002’s TimeSplitters 2 is considered by many fans to be the strongest entry in the trilogy. The game serves as a middle ground between the first game’s lack of substantial story and the third’s emphasis on it. While each of the games’ story levels is wonderful in its own way, only one can stand above the rest. Here are each of TimeSplitters 2’s story levels ranked.
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10: 1972 – Atom Smasher
“Atom Smasher” sees the iconic Harry Tipper attempt to once again stop the evil Khallos from taking over the world. Atom Smasher is a parody of James Bond films; the opening cutscene directly references 1964’s Goldfinger. One of the main objectives of this level is to defuse five bombs set to go off within minutes of each other, making playthroughs a mad dash against the clock. “Atom Smasher” is also notorious for being the most difficult story mission in the game, especially on harder difficulties. In addition, the visuals are grey and industrial, fitting with the theming of the level as the lair of a parody Bond villain but not the most interesting to look at in a game that features such variety.
9: 2315 – Robot Factory
“Robot Factory” revolves around an upgraded version of classic android Gretel infiltrating a factory to stop The Machinist from building an army of robots to re-start the Machine Wars. This level has a great atmosphere, using a moody ambient track instead of some of the more bombastic pieces featured elsewhere. “Robot Factory” falters in its length – the stage is probably the longest in the game and can feel like a slog as the player approaches the boss battle at the end. This completion time is extended even further as the sheer number of enemy spawns encourages players to take their time and bait enemies into more favorable positions.
8: 2401 – Space Station
“Space Station” is the final level in TimeSplitters 2 and the only one that does not use time travel in its setup. Cortez returns to the station with all of the time crystals and must destroy the TimeSplitters’ ship and escape. “Space Station” is a challenging level that features a time limit after priming the ship to self-destruct. The winding grey corridors can cause players to easily get lost if they don’t already know where to go., but it does feature excellent ambiance, with the soundtrack creating a climactic and epic feel as the end is within sight. One saving grace of the level is its short length; even though the stage is difficult, the five-minute timer till the ship destructs ensures a quick and satisfying challenge.
7: 1920 – Aztec Ruins
The “Aztec Ruins” level is a unique setting even for TimeSplitters. This Indiana Jones-inspired level sees Captain Ash searching for The Lost Temple of T’hochek, battling Aztec warriors and golems. The level’s crossbow proves a versatile weapon; dipping the loaded bolts into flaming pyres sets them alight, allowing the player to kill the relentless wood golems and burn away wasp nests. The stone golems at the end of the level are immune to non-explosive damage and must be lured into falling into spike traps if the player is without a grenade launcher. “Aztec Ruins” also features the games’ only puzzle (albeit a simple one) to really drive home how unique the level truly is.
6: 2280 – Return to Planet X
“Return to Planet X” sees Hank Nova crash-landed on Planet X – a location from the first game that has now become the site of a civil war between its alien inhabitants. This level features one of the most intense and motivating soundtracks of the game for the player to blast away extraterrestrial enemies to. This level contains many memorable moments, including entering a downed U.F.O., fighting off waves of invading aliens on the beach and discovering a secret U.F.O. base. Unfortunately, “Return to Planet X” doesn’t feature the same enemy variety as the original games’ trip to the location does. TimeSplitters 2’s level only really contains the different Mox species, who are all recolors.
5: 1853 – Wild West
“Wild West” contains many clear homages to the spaghetti westerns of old. Confederate defector The Colonel has been terrorizing a small town as he mines for Time Crystals, and a bounty has been placed on his head that Elijah Jones intends to collect. This stage contains many ambushes as outlaws peek out of windows and rush through saloon doors in an attempt to stop the player as they make their way through the deserted town. The atmosphere in “Wild West” is some of the best the franchise has to offer. The soundtrack perfectly captures the western vibe as the player stages a prison break with dynamite, rescues a damsel from a burning building and engages in intense gunfights.
4: 1895 – Notre Dame
This gothic horror romp sees Viola sneaking into the titular Notre Dame cathedral to investigate rumors of a madman and his undead minions capturing Parisienne maidens. This level contains swathes of the undead, alongside revolting changelings disguised as the missing women, putting its gothic horror inspiration on full display. The evil Jacque de la Morte was driven mad by whisperings of the TimeSplitters, which he believed to be the ‘angels of time.’ Entering Notre Dame for the first time is a strong moment for the game that is particularly memorable. While inside, one objective even sees the player rather humorously assisting The Hunchback in fighting off the undead.
3: 1932 – Chicago
“Chicago” is a love letter to classic gangster movies. Hard-boiled detective Jake Fenton aims to stop crime boss Big Tony from expanding his criminal empire during prohibition-era Chicago. This level is oozing with charm and charisma, from main objectives like rendezvousing with Marco the Snitch to optional easter eggs like playable pool tables and useable payphones. Chicago’s soundtrack is one that truly demonstrates the talents of series composer Graeme Norgate, feeling both like a song ripped straight from a 1920s bar whilst simultaneously seeming entirely new and unique. One particularly memorable sequence involves the player calling a taxi to the Sunrise Club, sneaking in after it as the gate opens to gain access to Big Tony.
2: 2019 – NeoTokyo
This cyberpunk-inspired level (rather endearingly set in the then-future of 2019) sees a hacker gang led by Sadako framing Ghost for a theft he didn’t commit. It’s up to Ghost to infiltrate the hacker’s hideout and gather evidence against them. “NeoTokyo” is an iconic level; the opening sees the player needing to tail one of the gang members back to the hideout without being spotted by them, security cameras or police. This introductory sequence can be frustrating for new players but excellently sets the tone and mood of the level. Upon making it to the base, the player can shift tactics and go in guns blazing. The theft that Sadako’s gang committed is revealed to be of a TimeSplitters mangled remains, creating a striking and memorable image within this already unforgettable level.
1: 1990 – Siberia
If “Atom Smasher” was a parody of Bond films, then “Siberia” references Free Radical’s own work on the classic Bond game Goldeneye. This level tasks Isla Nadir with investigating strange experiments in Oblask Dam. These experiments are revealed to have created zombies and mutants deep below the dam in a hidden research site – stemming from reverse-engineering the corpse of a TimeSplitter. “Siberia” is possibly the most iconic TimeSplitters level, and for a good reason. Each reference to Goldeneye showcases how much the team has improved since producing the classic, imbuing every step of the way with a TimeSplitters twist. Notably, when the incomplete TimeSplitters easter egg was discovered in Homefront: The Revolution, only Siberia and Chicago were playable – and yet this was enough to set the internet on fire.
Despite its age, TimeSplitters remains an iconic FPS even today, with a loyal and dedicated fan base who are eagerly awaiting a new entry. Fortunately, with the recent news of Free Radical’s reformation and a new TimeSplitters entering development, they may not have to wait long for a new game.
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