Free Radical seems to have gone more for refinement rather than evolution with the third edition of the Timesplitters series, and while nothing too earth-shattering is here, there is still plenty of fun to be had for FPS fans. This third installment continues the adventures of the a character featured in the first two, Sergeant Cortez, however he is now the one and only playable character. In Future Perfect, Cortez must save mankind from the Timesplitters once again. This time, his goal is to travel throughout history destroying a variety of time crystals so that in fact the Timesplitters' invasion never happened. Pretty standard story stuff, I know, but the series was never known for its story but for its game play, and thankfully it still delivers here in spades. Most levels revolve around a different time period such as 1914, 2401, and 1969, and as a result each have their own unique weaponry (including a gravity gun knock-off and bevy of interesting items) and customs which feels very fulfilling while playing. There's plenty of variety in the missions including allies, vehicle combat, and the like, as well as the continuous reappearance of your past and future self which create some of the better parts of the storyline. Witty banter, hordes of enemies, and the usual Timesplitters feel make the single player campaign an overall fulfilling experience for the 10 or so hours it lasts. The multiplayer aspect, long a stand-by of Free Radical and their past efforts is certainly no slouch here as well, incorporating all of the usual multiplayer modes we've come accustomed to and a few new ones as well. Four-player split-screen and bot support is standard on all systems, and the PS2 and Xbox have online support (no online love for the GC as usual). 14 different game modes, plenty of maps, and weapon sets promise hours of fragging fun for all. Graphically Future Perfect follows the same lines as that of Timesplitters 2 with the clean, cartoony appearance, and all of the models and environments look nice and crisp on all systems, although as usual the graphical hierarchy of Xbox, Gamecube, and then PS2 exists in terms of quality, but the difference is by no means major. In addition the frame rate stays steady in all but the heaviest of action, which is absolutely necessary these days. Sound-wise Future Perfect has an average soundtrack that fails to standout, but given the frenetic action usually going on it goes unnoticed most of the time. There is extensive voice acting in the game, just about all of which is done very well despite some rough stereotypes and the like. Control is solid on all systems with configurable sets and quick response times. It must be noted that there still is no "jump" function however, which does limit parts of the game but for the most part does not detract too much from the action. TimeSplitters Future Perfect may not be an earth-shattering game along the lines of the big hitters like Half-Life and Halo, but it’s an admirable game in every respect. It should prove a solid purchase for just about any fan of the genre, and even more so if you liked the previous games and wanted more of the same – because that’s pretty much what you're going to get. Nostalgic GoldenEye and Prefect Dark fans rejoice your newest fix is here.
Other Helpful Reviews for TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
The TimeSplitters franchise has come a long way since Free Radical's PS2 exclusive. TimeSplitters has become one of the most loved, most popular and most fun franchises on the market. Future Perfect doesn't fail in deliv... Read Full Review
The game is just the most fun game I have ever played for gamecube. Even though the gamecube pretty much fell along with the xbox this game is a must get. Gameplay: Simply incredible, flawless Graphics: Suprisingly g... Read Full Review
