New TimeSplitters clocks in at the factory

Electronic Arts today announced that TimeSplitters: Future Perfect has gone gold and will be released punctually on March 22. The game was developed by Free Radical Design, which worked on the two previous editions in the time-traveling franchise, TimeSplitters and TimeSplitters 2. Future Perfect will be available for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.

Like its predecessors, the first-person shooter Future Perfect sends gamers through a variety of time periods using the weapons of that era to blow up the robotic TimeSplitters. In the single-player campaign, players will assume the role of gruff and buff Sgt. Cortez and will travel as far back as 1914 and as far forward as 2243 to stop a robot-against-human war before it even starts.

The series has always been noted for its multiplayer modes, and Future Perfect delivers 16-player fragfests on the Xbox and eight-player deathmatches on the PS2. For those who'd rather share the experience amicably, there's a split-screen cooperative mode that lets two gamers play through the single-player campaign together. An included mapmaking mode will also let amateur architects design their own single- and multiplayer maps, as well as share them online.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is rated "M" for Mature and has a suggested retail price of $49.99. For more information on the temporal-shifting shooter, head over to GameSpot's previous coverage.